By Jenessa Farnsworth
With spring looming in the air, the swarms of love-hungry students are out and about, and with them swarms of lame pick-up lines. From 'Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?' to 'If I could rearrange the alphabet, I''d put U and I together,' the cheesy pick-up lines can be heard everywhere on campus.
And who''s more fitting to speak about the subject than a BYU graduate? John Hilton III, a popular speaker and former BYU student, addresses the dating situation - complete with bad pick-up lines - in his recent book, 'I Lost My Phone Number, Can I have Yours?' Hilton graduated from BYU with honors, and received a master''s degree from Harvard University.
His book, directed at both sexes, is subtitled 'Pick-up Lines That Don''t Work, Scriptural Advice That Does.' Hilton is also the author of two talk CDs ('Dating and the Plan of Happiness' and 'The Dog Ate My Scriptures: Excuses, Agency, and Responsibility'), and has a DVD coming out this summer titled 'Isn''t Being Good, Good Enough?'
Hilton spends much of the book discussing advice for how to have a successful relationship. From scriptural examples of bad relationships, such as Samson and Delilah, to anecdotes from Hilton''s own life, the book is full of advice on how to keep a relationship spiritual and successful.
'This book grew out of some talks that I gave at different youth conferences and such,' Hilton said in an online interview with Deseret Book. 'I just found that there were so many questions that young people had regarding dating, and not only teenagers but also young adults.'
Hilton said he also referenced the advice of modern-day prophets, including parts of the 'For the Strength of Youth' pamphlet.
'I know that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve are most mindful of the youth and the young adults of the church,' he said. 'And I went through several issues of the Ensign and New Era and read the talks that they''ve given to young adults and just found a treasure of advice.'
Each chapter of the book covers a different topic, and is titled appropriately. From chapter three, 'Be Wise,' to chapter 18, 'Take Responsibility for Your Mistakes,' every chapter focuses in on one idea that can make or break a relationship. At the end of each chapter is a worksheet encouraging readers to better understand themselves and what they want from a relationship.
'Pick-up Lines That Don''t Work, Scriptural Advice That Does,' is currently available at Deseret Book stores and in the BYU Bookstore for $13.95.
(For comments, e-mail Jenessa Farnsworth at empressdots@gmail.com)