Friday, May 10, 2013

GAZE INTO HEAVEN: NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES IN EARLY CHURCH HISTORY by
MARLENE BATEMAN SULLIVAN






As I've always loved reading about near-death experiences, when I heard about Marlene's new book, I had to get it and be a part of her blog tour.  I've got my caregiver Marlene borrowing my copy while she and her hubby travel to Idaho next weekend, so she'll read it to her hubby on the way and back.  I have a close long-time friend who left The Church in '07 b ecause she started believing she'd never see her loved ones again and this saddens me, as so many other faiths believe this.  When you've seen deceased relatives as I have, you know this without any doubt.  There are those who seek after a sign, but those are not living in accordance to the fullness of The Gospel.  Some of us have to live on faith.  Faith has gotten me through so much.  Read my bio here on my blog and you'll see what I mean.
Anyway, reading about our early Saints having near-death experiences was really eye-opening in places.  This is a book not to be taken as light hearted reading for entertainment.  This is total Gospel Doctrine and it brings to us that we will see our loved ones again.  With near-death experiences, we hear in total detail from each person what they each experienced.  Everyone experiences total release of pain the second they leave their mortal bodies.  Some say they go upward through the ceiling towards a dark sphere or tunnel until they come to a brightness unlike anything experienced.  Some see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  We go through a partial judgment now, then have the final judgment later.  Jesus Christ, for awhile, will keep his s cars in his hands toshow others.  These early Saints are shown vibrant colors like never been seen on earth, that the flowers have many parts and we can see the actual life of a flower and see it grow.  This is something I read in Lance Richardson's The Message. 

Each person said they had the choice of staying or going back to their mortal bodies.  Most people wanted to stay, but felt the need to go back.  This was an act of humbleness, knowing that the pain in returning to some was unbearable, but only for a short time.  These people were told they still had assignments on earth to fulfill before it was their time to die.  Some had miraculous healings aft er their experience and lived long lives, while others died within a few years.  Some relatives are angry that their family on earth have not done their Temple work and let that family member know, as alot of our deceased relatives/ancestors have been waiting for years to have their work done and they can't progress until it's done. 

Time and space are different in the spirit world, as spirits can gol from place to place in a twinkling of an eye.  Spirits can communicate via thought processing.  Animals are there and so are our pets and can communicate with them as well.  There are people earnestly engaged in building big mansions, small houses, doing Genealogy, Gardening, Reading, listening to good music.  There are miles of fields, rustling in the breeze. huge stadiums where religous meetings are being held, tons of foliage everywhere. 

Some people believe the spirit world is here on earth,  but in another sphere, and I firmly believe this.  Because we have our free agency to choose, we don't have to choose the path we should follow, but the road back can be difficult, and knowing that it is much more difficult for spirits to repent than we mortal people.  And, from other near-death experience books I've read, spirits look in their prime, around 35 years old.  They also never tire and do eat.                                                                                                                        Our deceased loved ones are close by, some do ask how their friends and relatives are, so do care, more than they did while here on earth.

So, please do youself a huge favor and buy this wonderful book and I bought it first on Kindle, but decided to buy it in softcover, so I could hold it in my hands.

I bought 2 copies from Amazon. 

Publisher: Cedar Fort
Date Published:   Jan 8,  2013
ISBN: 978-1-4621-1127-5
272pp                                                                                                                            

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