Customer Reviews

The Divine Center

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I see a lot of people say Covey is wrong for brining the gospel in his books etc.
Trying to tell people about the 7 habits when he's rally using another language conveying biblical principles.
They can think and judge what they will.

I disagree with their negativity around the issue.

This is an incredible, incredible book! I just finished reading it last night. What I love about Stephen Covey is that he is deep rooted in Biblical studies - well over ten years before the 7 habits came out
- then Boom! 7 habits gets super successful. This book contains all of the 7 habits.
Parts of this book are actually in the 7 habits and Principle centered leadership.
It just goes to show that the same principles are relevant here - in the early 80s when this book was published - 89 when 7 habits came out - and 2008!

I recommend this book to anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the 7 habits. I'm happy he discusses Christ centeredness. Again his religion is his business, and he states that the 7 habits are shown in all 6 major religions. I'm really excited and happy about this book. Incredible read!

Those familiar with Stephen Covey's book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People will enjoy reading what is to all intents and purposes a book written in the context of Dr Covey's religion, and with greater emphasis on that aspect of his life. There is a deeper description of the 'centres' concept from the Seven Habits, but as far as I can see this book, written nearly a decade before the bestseller, contains many of the experiences, stories and other examples later made clear to a wider audience. For that reason alone it is interesting to see what foundation exists that led to the phenomenon that is 'The Seven Habits'.

In essence, I would say this - for those of you who have a spiritual 'bent' in the Christian faith (regardless of the particular religion you observe, given that this book makes references to the Latter Day Saints), this book would be an excellent buy, as it would be for those who have studied Dr Covey's works in great depth, as I have. For those with no spiritual motive it may be worth reading just for curiosity's sake.

I very much enjoyed this book. While obviously it isn't scripture (and doesn't claim to be) it can still help you think about your life, and how you can re-orient yourself to be more Christ-like. Those with the spirit of Christ will benefit from coming unto and following Him; which I feel is putting Him at the center of your life as Stephen Covey has illustrated so well.

I do feel that the concepts of this book seem to be written for the LDS/Mormon reader. Therefore without the basic understanding about the LDS church, and it's view on the gospel of Jesus Christ, this book may puzzle, and possibly offend some people. I would recommend a non-LDS reader to first learn more about the teachings of the Church (perhaps at mormon.org) before diving into this book.

That said, this book has brought new insight into my life, and I feel I'm better for reading it. I highly recommend it.

I'll admit my bias: the reason I first read this book was because it was our wedding gift from Dr. Covey and his wife. Readers who were touched by Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People will recognize portions of this predecessor work--but this unabashedly religious work will be most appreciated by those who wish to understand how to make Jesus Christ the central focus of their lives. Those who read it with a humble heart will not be disappointed

You may be hesitant to read this book even if you have read other Covey books if you are not a Latter Day Saint. Read it. You will gain a new perspective on your own ideas about God, without having to change your religion. You will learn things that will bring you closer to Him and isn't that what we're all searching for?

If you truly apprehend what the gospel is about,and about the Genesis account of Adam and Eve being tempted to become like God,then you will sense the same subtle spirit of deception in Covey's book as was in the serpent.Bottom line: Satan doesn't approach you like Darth Vader....more often he approaches like Yoda..appealing to our "higher senses". Without knowing Jesus of the gospel...we will be easily sifted and decieved by books such as these.

Covey's world-view tolerance and his open-mindedness that seems to be presant in "7 Habits" is NOT present in "Divine Center". Christianity is labeled as "sectarianism" with "false concepts" like "salvation by grace alone" and with "apostate doctrines and interpetations." He says that Christian misuse the "centrality of Christ" concept and are not "blessed with our (LDS) knowledge or our (LDS) gospel ordinances and covenants" (Divine Center, p.68) The Christian view of God, according to covey, is an "incorrect map" or paradigm that is a direct result of apostasy. He thinks that Christians plan to be God's "eternal robots, worshipping him in a saved condition throught eternity." His concern for us is that our view "drastically reduces man's ultimate potential' and that "potential" is that man can "become like the father, a god, capable of eternal increase, of spiritual procreation" (p.81(. The "correct map" according to Covey, is... "As man is, God once was; As God is, man may become" (p.81)

The divine Center is the Mormon doctrine in a generic package. As Covey states in the "Habits" book, we all have different "centers". It appears that Covey may have written this book from his "church" center, as he is a Mormon. If in the purest sense, and if one believes that the Bible is the inspiried "word" of God, then all other writings are "apostate", or part of "the great apostacy" that the apostle Paul speaks of. Though Covey's insight, wisdom & open mindedness is apparent in the "Seven Habits" book, it is not in this one. This writing is "in my opinion", equivalent to books written by the Watchtower Society, or any other religion (or one of it's members) i.e. selling a certain brand of "Christian doctrine" for what ails you. The Bible in and of it's self was good enough for 1st. century Christians, and therefore it should be ample today...

The initial problem with this book and perhaps the major problem with it begins in the very first chapter. Covey explains that science and scientists are truest to their profession when they recognize that science does not necessarily have 'the truth' but is trying to more closely approximate what it believes to be the truth. In other words there is no real absolute. He even talks about how people have different realities. But all of this discussion of science and its ideals is thrown away once he introduces the basic idea of the book, The Divine Center. The basic notion is that the only thing that is constant in people's lives is God and/or Christ. Because that is the only constant, people should set it up as the focus of their lives and live their lives in accordance with the teachings of Christ. Of course, there is a stipulation, you must do it according to the Mormon conception of God or Christ and if you don't and are not Mormon then you're going to hell.

So, if you are Mormon, you may appreciate this book because it lends toward Mormon exclusivity and a sense of superiority. But no one else would find this book at all beneficial.

But even for Mormons, there are a lot of problems in this book, which I hope to outline below. Most of them are contradictions or instructions by Covey on how to live your life that are not specified within Mormon dogma.

The initial and major contradiction begins on page 13, "But whenever a person has a new world view or a new paradigm, he feels both exhilarated and humbled by it. He feels that the former view was not so much wrong as partial, as if he had been observing with restricted vision. He is exhilarated because in making the shift he has gained not simply more knowledge but a whole new way of knowing. He is humbled because he knows that improvements in his world view still will and must take place." This idea of changing paradigms is then followed by Covey's absolutist view on the very same page, "As we will see throughout the rest of this book, believing is seeing, Believing in the Creator of the territory [God or Christ] as one who has complete integrity, power, and love opens up to us the most accurate map of the territory, enabling us to see and understand it better." He is referring here to the 'perfect' map or Mormonism.

Four pages later he condemns intellectuality, saying, "I am persuaded that intellectual pride is more basic and serious than either social or material pride." He then continues by saying that all of the great scientists of our time were wrong because they did not have 'the Lord's map'.

On page 32 he condemns TV watching, but this would obviously not apply to General Conference and Mormon broadcasts I'm sure. And one page later offers the key to making life a success - work.

A lot of the claims that Covey makes are also based strictly on anecdotal experiences rather than scientific analysis or data. (see p. 64 for example)

There is another great line that illustrates the perspective Covey is taking, "The world generally regards this [achieving perfection] as impossible, but the world is wrong." (p. 78) Throughout you get the impression that this is what Covey really does think, that the world is wrong, that science is wrong.

On p. 88 he teaches that unconditional love exists and that it is a necessary condition to a successful marriage; I don't agree with the idea of unconditional love.

Another major problem with the book is that he repeats himself over and over again. When he talks about all of the things people should not have as the center of their life he repeats it for a couple hundred pages with numerous charts and diagrams as well. Does he really think that people need to hear it that many times to understand it?

In a sense he turns this into the 'Mormon book of everything'. He talks about just about everything Mormons should be doing, could be doing and need to be doing to be healthy, happy, and good Mormons.

On page 162 he talks about how Mormon families should put on an image for everyone else that everything is good in their home, regardless of how bad things really are.

Page 164 he encourages people to live a deluded life, focusing on how they think God would want them to be rather than on hw they should live in a social world.

But perhaps the biggest problem I had with his ideas and teachings is that he actually condones the guilt that religion causes in people's lives. He considers it a positive thing because it encourages people to behave in accordance with church teachings. What he doesn't mention is that guilt is a form of social control and that religion teaches you what you should feel guilty about and then offers a cure for that guilt. It is a horrible system of self-perpetuation employed by religions. (p. 248)

In the end, his basic idea of having a secure center seems to be a good one, assuming that there is something in life that is secure. Ironically not even the doctrines of the Mormon church are secure, so relying upon that for a sense of security seems like a poor idea just as much as relying on any of the other things Covey claims are bad things to focus on (family, friends, leadership, etc.).

The book, as I said, may be a good idea for Mormons that enjoy feeling guilty and want to participate in that form of social control, but anyone else should avoid this book. It teaches a Mormoncentric view of the world and condemns everyone else. I would consider it psychologically unhealthy.