Finding Faith in the Desert [Paperback]

Anthony W. Horton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2004

n May 2003, Captain Anthony Horton of the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion received a phone call that would change his life. He was told to pack his bags; he was being reassigned to a unit that had just deployed to Iraq, and the group needed a Chaplain. He soon took a flight straight to Baghdad International Airport and began an emotional spiritual adventure, ministering to American soldiers and to the people of Baghdad, Iraq.

Chaplain Horton quickly met Iraqi families who claimed ancestral lineage to the ancient Chaldeans and Assyrians. One particular group he became familiar with was a group of people claiming to be the original Iraqis, a remnant of those ancient people of Ur, where Abraham dwelt. This group calls themselves the Mandaeans and practice a religion they believe was handed down from Adam to Abraham to John the Baptist.

Wherever Chaplain Horton traveled in Iraq, he spent time among the people, discussing religion and God’s plan of happiness for all of His children. In some of these communities, Chaplain Horton became close friends with the people, being invited into their humble homes to eat from their tables or floors.

After his arrival in the Mideast, Chaplain Horton was also set apart by the Arabian Peninsula Stake President in Kuwait to serve as the 13th member of that Stake High Council, giving him ecclesiastical authority to organize Servicemen’s Groups and to lead soldiers in weekly sacrament services, not to mention the many hours spent providing counsel and advice to many U.S. soldiers—both LDS and non-LDS—from the various units stationed in Iraq. His account of the many individual miracles among the U.S. soldiers is truly inspirational.

This account and accompanying photos give readers a better understanding of the conditions and struggles the Iraqi people are enduring. Chaplain Horton and other soldiers have been participants in the miraculous opening of the minds and hearts of the Iraqi people, preparing them for the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Horton, a career military man who served in 2003 as an LDS (Mormon) chaplain to the U.S. Army in Iraq, shares vignettes of courage and sacrifice in this uneven memoir. He opens by explaining the LDS concepts of theodicy and pointing to war as one of the consequences of human selfishness, but then in the same chapter tells of his own deployment to Iraq and of the young men and women he has counseled in 17 years of military service. Many of these stories are genuinely inspirational, but the book’s lack of focus and organization is a major problem. Readers never know what is coming next and why, making the book a decent source for a one-off sermon illustration or story, but not a coherent account of Horton’s experiences in Iraq. Better editing (starting with the absurdly long subtitle) could have highlighted the best of these stories. Particularly interesting are tales of sacrifice and long family separations, discussions of Mormons in the military (and the prevalent misunderstandings others maintain about LDS beliefs), accounts of healings and answered prayers, and uplifting stories about the people of Iraq. 59 b&w photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Chaplain Anthony W. Horton served in Iraq with the 40th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division.

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Spring Creek Book Co. (August 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932898190
• ISBN-13: 978-1932898194
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,155,857 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and Inspiring reading, September 11, 2004

By 

L. Gandy (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding Faith in the Desert (Paperback)

This is a fascinating book about a soldier and his time in Iraq. His stories are inspiring about God's children and the work that still goes forward even during war. Great read, highly recommend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritually Powerful, January 25, 2006

By 

Terrie Lynn Bittner "Author of Homeschooling:... (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finding Faith in the Desert (Paperback)

Anthony W. Horton is a chaplain in the Army. This powerfully inspiring book follows him to Iraq during the challenges of Operation Iraqi Freedom. How do you bring faith, courage, morality and love to men and women who are daily placing their lives in danger far from home? How do you convince them that a Latter-day Saint can have the answers, when they've been raised to hate or distrust them?

This is one of the most uplifting books I have ever read. It has taken me a long time to read it because I find I read a bit, and then put it away to ponder. Many of the passages, thoughts and stories lead me on a search for greater answers. Brother Horton's responsibility is to soldiers of all faiths, and that adds to the challenges and to the need to think deeply about the gospel teachings. During his time in Iraq, he has faced prejudice from other chaplains and from soldiers who have never been expected to receive their religious counsel from a Latter-day Saint. He is frequently called upon to share his beliefs. His explanations of gospel principles reach far beyond the ordinary and will make you see the gospel in ways you never imagined.

One of the challenges Brother Horton faces is that soldiers often fool themselves into believing that "what happens in Iraq stays in Iraq." This means they convince themselves that they can live in ways contrary to their beliefs and to the vows they have made to family members and it somehow doesn't count because they are far from home. When they find their conscience has followed them to war, they end up in his office seeking comfort and help as they strive to rebuild the lives they have damaged as a result of their mistakes. Elder Horton's honest but compassionate discussions of repentance have value for any member who may have strayed but wants to return home.

The glimpse into Iraqi homes and faith is particularly inspiring. He met a group of people who believe they are practicing a faith that has been handed down to them directly from John the Baptist. Some are the only Christians in their area and struggle to keep their faith in the most challenging of circumstances.

Mingled with stories of life in war-torn Iraq are in-depth discussions of six gospel principles. The first six chapters are titled:

1. Adam Fell That Men Might Be

2. Cursed is the Ground for Thy Sake

3. For the Natural Man is an Enemy to God

4. Have Ye Spiritually Been Born of God?

5. Forsake Your Nets and Straightway Follow Him

6. Let Your Light So Shine

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding Faith in the Desert, July 30, 2005

By 

Kathleen R. Smith (Kaysville, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding Faith in the Desert (Paperback)

Our reading group read this book. As a group we all agreed it was an uplifting book of hope in a time of dispair. There are so few positve reports coming from that part of the world at this time and we as a group felt that at least some of the Iraqi people were being shown compassion by our sevicemen over there.

I have to agree with the critique that the editing was so poor, I found my self with pen in hand correcting mistakes.