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I published a book on my experience of being and becoming inside and outside of the LDS Church. It's titled Always Whole: An LDS Perspective on Being and Becoming.

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​​Would you rather be exactly who you are right now, or become someone different?

 

A seeming contradiction saturates Latter-day Saint circles: We are divine godlings with infinite worth, but we need to do better every week. Which one is true?

 

Am I whole, acceptable, and precious? Or do I need repentance, greater worthiness, and continual sanctification?

 

In easy, familiar language, Paul Peterson explores how Latter-day Saints can live in full embrace of who they are while continually improving on the gospel path. He shows how Christ emulates the two dispositions of being and becoming to fulfill His divine mission. Through clinical insights and stories from his work as a therapist, Paul brings practical tips to everyday moments like work, marriage, and ward life.

 

At its heart, this book invites each of us to enter the rest of the Lord now. We find that we can rest self-contentedly, cherishing all of reality exactly as it is, while engaging wholeheartedly in the messy realities of daily mortal life. From an inner wholeness, we can then take meaningful and appropriate action to improve any situation. Welcome to the dance of being exactly who we are while becoming perfected.

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“Paul Peterson is sensitive, wise, yet practical and playful in his approach to spiritual growth. For me, he represents some of the best emerging voices in the restored Gospel who are not willing to wait for the Kingdom to come. He sees, and teaches clearly, that the Kingdom starts here and now, from a Sacred Wholeness that energizes and animates all that we’re meant to become.”

-Thomas McConkie, author of At-One-Ment: Embodying the Fullness of Human Divinity


 

“Paul Peterson’s Always Whole invites a subtle shift in perspective that can be dramatically liberating. Instead of the arduous slog of self-flagellation that feels so imperative, Peterson articulates how growth can be a surprisingly gentle and natural process when we understand that we are already whole. Navigating the dynamics of being and becoming, Peterson shows how these two states coexist not as competitors but as harmonious partners in the dance of life. His blend of personal anecdotes, professional insights, and spiritual wisdom forms a mosaic of encouragement that speaks to anyone seeking to live a more fulfilled and authentic life.”

-Jared Warren, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Founder: My Best Self 101

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