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“Wouldn’t you like to get your hands on that?” my dad remarked as he gazed at Winston Churchill’s private library. We were in Chartwell, England, at Churchill’s home. Churchill was a great man. The books on those shelves, still preserved as Churchill had left them, helped to shape his mind. That’s why my dad wanted them.

What about your personal library? Do you have a personal library designed to further your education? If so, do you use it? What follows are a few points on how to develop and use your own personal library.

1) Seek titles highly recommended by the best sources.

I wonder if we realize how often God’s Work recommends reading materials. Marriage and baptismal counseling, financial difficulties, family problems, doctrinal questions, you name it. Whatever the issue, our ministers most likely have plenty of reading ammunition packed in their holsters. Whatever the query, Church members can go to the local minister for his recommendation.

Use this same principle to expand your personal library on other matters: history, biography, literature. In whatever you need to expand on, seek the counsel and advice of one experienced in that field. Oftentimes, you can find the right counsel inside the Church.

Let me give you an example. One time, when the TV crew was waiting in Heathrow Airport for our return flight to the States, we decided to shop. My dad, as he typically does, made a beeline for the bookstore. He left the store with a new volume tucked under his arm: Full Disclosure by Andrew Neil. It was several weeks later when I realized the importance of that book, as dad quoted large portions of it at an editorial meeting.

The impact of that one book, now read by several Church employees, has been significant.  In Publishing alone, it has helped to better organize the publications and improve the writing. My dad later told me, “It’s as if that book was written for this Work.”

Keep a watchful eye on what the Church quotes and often refers to. If it’s good enough to have portions repeated in the Trumpet, it may be worth adding to your library.

Be observant, seek the advice of those knowledgeable in certain fields, and you will have no problem finding plenty of good books. Your problem then will be trying to narrow your selections down. That leads to the next point.

2) Keep your library narrowed down.

French philosopher Ernest Dimnet once said, “Do not read good books—life is too short for that—only read the best.” He recommended a personal library of no more than 20 or 30 volumes.

Several years ago, my dad gave a series of lectures at Spokesman Club on Winston Churchill. Knowing we probably had not studied Churchill’s life as much as he had, he recommended a concise, one-volume biography by Martin Gilbert to begin our studies. Excellent advice.

Mr. Armstrong said the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin changed his life! It made him want to study the lives of other great men. He also studied the works of Elbert Hubbard.

Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Flurry have admonished us to study the lives of great individuals in history. To carry that one step further, look for books that great individuals studied themselves. Any work highly recommended by one who is himself a great man is probably worth reading.

3) Read and study the books in your library.

That seems simple, but far too many today read very little even if they do own many classics; and often what they do read is trashy.

“Education comes from study —from books—from lectures—from contacts—from travel—from thinking about what you see and hear and read—and from experience” (Autobiography, Volume 1). If you want to be truly educated, Mr. Armstrong said we have to read and study.

Once that small, personal library is in place, do more than quickly read each piece—study. Read to learn. And every so often, re-read. This seems obvious for books like Malachi’s Message and Mystery of the Ages. But we rarely apply this principle to “outside” reading. Why not? We’re better off mastering 20 or 30 excellent volumes than quickly browsing 100.

Mr. Armstrong often said, the Bible does not contain all knowledge; it is merely the foundation of all knowledge. God expects us to build upon that foundation. God admonishes us to prove ALL things—to keep growing.

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul encouraged the brethren to live a lifestyle that’s quiet, peaceful, and productive. He doesn’t mention reading directly, but consider these words within the context of this fast-paced, no-time-to-read society. In verse 10, he encourages the brethren to “increase more and more.” There’s always room for improvement. Education never stops.

Notice verses 11-12: “Also, endeavor to live quietly, attend to your own business, and—as we charged you—work with your hands, so that your life may be respected by the outside world and be self-supporting” (Moffatt). That kind of lifestyle is efficient and productive. It’s a busy lifestyle. But it’s one that allows for education and study.

If we stopped to analyze our schedules, minute by minute, no doubt we would find a lot of time wasted. Redeem the time. Create space in your schedule for regular reading and studying—Church material first, as the foundation—then outside material that will help improve your education, help on the job, help in communication, help your health, help you understanding your role as a man or woman. You get the idea.

God has given each of us a responsibility to develop character as we support this Work. Studying history, the lives of great men and women, keeping up with current events, reading all Church material, makes us more responsible in our role. Develop your own 20- or 30-volume set and then let those books shape and mold your thinking the way Churchill’s library did his.