"ALIGNED WITH CHRIST: How Do You Know When You're Doing What the Savior Wants You to Do?" by Toni Sorenson, Covenant Communications, $12.99, 147 pages (nf)

In "Aligned With Christ," the newest book in Toni Sorenson's series about Jesus Christ and his role in each person's life, she compares alignment with Christ's will to alignment in a car. When a car's alignment is off, other parts of the car sustain unnecessary wear and tear.

She says the same thing happens when individuals are not living in alignment with Christ's will. Figuring out how to do that causes the chaos and confusion to drop away, and one will find order, purpose and empowerment in life.

Finding alignment begins with awareness, and Sorenson gives ideas for how to tell if one is living out of alignment, then some initial steps to take to fix the potential problems: paying attention to warning signs, noticing small missteps that lead to larger roadblocks and adjusting attitudes to allow the introduction of changes.

Each chapter discusses how thoughts and actions work together to either take one farther from Christ's will or propel a person closer and increasingly upward. In one section, she suggests 10 thoughts crucial to renewing confidence and faith that, when focused on, can keep one in alignment with Christ's will. In another, she proposes small ways to track progress and stay on target with goals.

"Aligned With Christ" is full of positive ways to bring more purpose, energy, hope and focus into living the way Christ would have people live. Importantly, she emphasizes that life is not a race to perfection, but a slow and steady road on which the direction matters more than the speed.

This is the third in a series; previous books are "Defined by Christ" and "Refined by Christ."

Sorenson, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the author of more than 20 religious books, as well as several self-help books published in the national market. She has six children and lives in Utah.