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Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Counsel, Please Rise

A Criminal Attorney's Spiritual Journey

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In the courtroom representing individuals accused of crimes, Heather Chesnut learned fundamentals of Christian discipleship. This book shares compelling stories from the eighteen years she worked at the Salt Lake Legal Defender Association.

She chronicles her daily challenges as a defense attorney, a divorced mother, a sister, and a follower of Christ. She reflects on these experiences as tutorials in faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity (2 Peter 1:4-7). She testifies that intentionally practicing these virtues, "giving all diligence," has deepened her partnership with God, refined her character, and empowered her faith. She encourages believers from all walks of life to strengthen their spiritual foundations and grow in Christ. 

Counsel, Please Rise was published on June 1, 2024.

Buy Print $17.99

Heather J. Chestnut

Heather J Chestnut portrait photo
Heather is a civil rights attorney at the Utah Attorney General’s Office; she defends Utah state agencies and employees against civil lawsuits. Before that, she was a trial attorney with the Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association; she defended indigent people charged with criminal offenses. She has taken more than forty cases to trial, conducted an extensive defensive motion practice, and counseled hundreds of people facing difficult legal situations. She received Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Science degrees from the University of Utah. She and her family enjoy whitewater rafting and hiking. Heather plans to hike the Camino de Santiago when she turns sixty.
More Information
About the Author
About the Book
Personal Testimony
Importance of Extending Grade
Meet Heather Chestnut: Lawyer

Heather Chestnut discusses the significance of 2 Peter 1:5-7 in her life and book

Personal Testimony from Heather Chestnut on her new Book

Extend Grace to One Another: Heather Chestnut author of Counsel Please Rise

This book could be called dispatches from the trenches: as a public defender in America's criminal justice system, Chesnut finds adversarial forces, human trauma, and pervasive woundedness. She also finds persistent reasons to believe in the capacity for conversion and renewal. Her experiences and stories are powerfully authentic.
Fiona B. Givens, author of The God Who Weeps, The Christ Who Heals, and All Things New
Heather Chesnut beautifully intertwines courtroom stories with gospel lessons. I loved reading about how the hard and heartwrenching parts of Heather's job brought her closer to God. As a fellow criminal defense attorney, Heather gives me hope for my own heart and my own spiritual journey.
Emily Robison Adams, author of Divine Quietness: Finding Meaning When Heaven Is Silent
Counsel, Please Rise reflects on common questions of Christian discipleship through the uncommon experience of a female Latter-day Saint criminal defense attorney. While this book introduces the nobility and necessity of Chesnut's profession, its primary offering is her witness of the unpredictable practicality of God's voice in the midst of professional and personal challenges.
James Egan, Attorney and Vice President of Mormon Scholars in the Humanities

Additional Information

  • Table of Contents

    • Introduction
    • I. Beginning with Faith
    • II. Giving All Diligence
    • III. Add to Your Faith Virtue
    • IV. Add to Virtue Knowledge
    • V. Add to Knowledge Temperance
    • VI. Add to Temperance Patience
    • VII. Add to Patience Godliness
    • VIII. Add to Godliness Brotherly Kindness
    • IX. Add to Brotherly Kindness Charity
    • X. Becoming Partakers of the Divine Nature
    • XI. Escaping the Corruption That Is in the World

  • Subject: Christian

    Publication Month: June

    Publication Year: 2024

    Language: English

    ISBN 10: 1639933468

    ISBN 13: 978-1639933464

    Page Count: 254

    Price: $17.99

    Imprint: Deseret Book, Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship