Jewelers of Men: The Art of Spiritual Healing

The greatest gifts we have to offer come from within. Spiritual healing, or the ability to nurture and repair the emotional damage incurred by the heart and soul of others, is a gift that may not be naturally present in everyone. Like many gifts, however, it is one that can be learned. Untrained through any type of certification or degreed program, author W. Preston Green has spent many years working with young men making the difficult transition to adulthood. His education was a seat-of-the-pants learning experience, one built by a desire to help others and, somehow, an innate ability to say the right thing at the right time and to do just what was needed to provide solace. And through the years, all of his experiences resulted in a profound, actionable set of tools anyone can put to good use. Emphasizing the importance of building a relationship of trust, accepting the person as an individual and for who they really are, understanding differing perspectives on change and overcoming its resistance, and providing peace and forgiveness for injuries inflicted, Green uses stories to illustrate key concepts as he also outlines ways to guide those healing through change and how to seek and receive the help of the Lord in their healing efforts. Perfect for therapists, counselors, parents-anyone actively involved in lifting others to a higher plane, this uplifting handbook demonstrates how everyone has within them the potential to be a jewel of great worth.

W. Preston Green has taught college for over a decade and has spent most of his life mentoring young men in the transition to becoming independent adults. After returning from his mission, he was asked to prepare and teach a course to assist those preparing to go on missions in his BYU ward. After earning his master’s degree, he was promoted to an instructor on the faculty of the university at which he was studying. He also volunteered as a permanent substitute at the local LDS Institute of Religion. During this time, he was again asked to design and teach another course for young men. This time it was a course for a prospective elders’ group: young men who had recently joined the church. From this course, 85 percent of the participants were either serving full-time missions or had been married in the temple within the year. Later, after entering his career, Mr. Green was asked to assist in the formation of a young single adult ward in his area. His calling was again to teach Priesthood, and he used this opportunity to counsel and mentor members of the ward. He was later assigned to the ward’s reactivation efforts. It was during this time that Mr. Green also began bringing selected young men in the area into his home for more intensive support and mentoring, in coordination with the local church leadership. He hosted several young men over a period of about a decade. Most of the principles and anecdotes in the book come from this experience. He was later appointed as adjunct faculty at a local college, where he served until his retirement. Since retirement, he has worked mostly on his own family history and served as a temple worker.