Embraced By The Light

[Ilovechrist77]

Embraced By The Light by Betty J. Eadie is a wonderful book. I've read a couple articles online about her joining the church, but being inactive during her near-death experience. But after her experience it was confirmed she became active. Those reports mentioned that she wrote two versions of the book. One for LDS members and the other one for the general public. So the wording was different for each reading audience. I've only seen and read the book written for mainstream public. I don't know if she is active or not now because some members of the church have given her a hard time about some of the things she wrote in the book that I read. She doesn't mention her joining the church in the mainstream version or other mainstream books she wrote about her experience because maybe she figured it would give fuel to the enemies of church or it might be too sacred. People have to understand her book is not going to be a true representation of the teachings of the church. It's just about she remembered the experience. Anyway...I would encourage everyone to read it. It's a great book.

[Brian Johnston]

I was into the topic of NDEs many years ago. Embraced by the Light is definitely one of the classics in that genre. I can't remember the exact details of Betty Eadie's journey through the LDS Church. My recollection is that she was a member for a short period. She may still be on paper, but I don't recall that she is active or was particularly devout. I've never heard that she wrote an LDS version. I tend to doubt it, but would be very interested in reading that if it exists. It sounds a little like an LDS urban legend.

One of the most common impressions I received from reading all the NDE accounts is this: no religion with an afterlife cosmology is comfortable with NDEs, hehe They just don't line up and paint a picture that points right to any denomination being correct and it bothers those people. In fact, it seems the majority of people that experience NDEs tend to become more detached from organized religion, and the experience is seldom (if ever) what they expected the afterlife to be like. The experiencer loses attachment to formal rules, guilt and dogmas from religion, but also becomes intensely interested in living life and being connected in loving ways to others. They also tend to lose all fear and anxiety about death.

I really connect to NDE stories though. I like them. To me the details aren't as important as the dream-like and transcendent nature of experience. I don't know what they are, but I believe people have them. I also choose to believe that we exist (continue to exist) outside of the life we are currently living.

[doug]

One of the most common impressions I received from reading all the NDE accounts is this: no religion with an afterlife cosmology is comfortable with NDEs, hehe They just don't line up and paint a picture that points right to any denomination being correct and it bothers those people. In fact, it seems the majority of people that experience NDEs tend to become more detached from organized religion, and the experience is seldom (if ever) what they expected the afterlife to be like. The experiencer loses attachment to formal rules, guilt and dogmas from religion, but also becomes intensely interested in living life and being connected in loving ways to others. They also tend to lose all fear and anxiety about death.

That's a really interesting summation, Brian, and it makes sense to me based on my limited experience and what little I have thought about it. The only NDE book I've read is Intra Muros, which I thought was really interesting, but not compelling, and I wasn't sure what to do with it.

[Ilovechrist77]

If there truly is a God in heaven, then I hope he truly does have all knowledge. It seems like we're all deceived by Satan too often. But either way...I will still exercise my faith with the knowledge I have and gain in the future.

[Featherina]

I love that book!
When I was going through a tough time... sometimes I'd read it & it'd bring so much comfort & hope to me.

[bridget_night]

Oooh, how I loved reading that book too. I felt like I was transported to heaven while reading it. So, did my daughter and ex son in law until her evangelical preachers told them it was written by a Mormon and not to believe it. I bought one of the anti-Betty Eadie books once in a Evangelical bookstore. Interesting, how people dismiss something they loved when they find out it is written by a certain religion.

In one of my first copies of the book, there was an insert put out by the publisher. I just found it in my files. Here is what it said:

Of Special Interest to Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

One afternoon, two missionaries stopped by Betty Eadie’s house in San Antonio, Texas. She had heard
negative things about the Church, and she let them in to give them a piece of her mind. Within a few months, both she and her husband were baptized. They did not remain active in the Church long, however, partly because of the transitory nature of the branch they were attending and partly because they were converted more to the missionaries, perhaps, than to the gospel. After her death experience, she and her family became active in the Church. She has served since in various auxiliaries, including in the Primary and as Ward Young Women’s president.
Because of her unfamiliarity with the gospel at the time of her death experience, much of what she learned during the experience was new to her. The reality of the pre-existence, for example, and the paradisaical state of loving spirits after this life, both surprised her. After her experience, she began studying the gospel with renewed interest, not to prove that her experience was genuine, but to see how Church doctrine stood in relation to it. She was continually surprised at how accurately the gospel reflected what she had seen.
Betty was shown that the Lord prepares ‘golden contacts’ for the missionaries. She says that nobody should force the gospel on another, though. We should set an example for all people, then offer the gospel in a spirit of love to those who are prepared for it. She says that if she could choose her neighbors, she would prefer to live near nonmembers so she could set a good example and eventually bring them into the Church.
She was shown that one of the great laws of the spirit is the law of sacrifice. She was told that we cannot afford not to pay our tithing. When we give willingly, we creat an opening in our own lives through which the Lord is able to bless us. When we take away from others we close that avenue of blessings. She says that it is truly better to give than to receive. We must also be willing to offer our time to others. The calling Nursery leader, for example, although sometimes trying, can truly bless us and help us develop spiritually. Serving children is one of the best way to learn to show love.
She knows that the veil is very thin in the temple. When she and her family were being sealed, she heard her deceased daughter’s voice say, “Mother, I’m here.” Her daughter had died as an infant many years before. Betty has also had other sacred experiences in the temple, and she attests to the love and appreciation the angels feel for our work here. The mortal world and the spirit world are very closely joined.
She was told that the Church is filled with more truth than most Church members recognize. She says that as we try to live true to the gospel of Jesus Christ, filling our hears with love for all people, the Lord will continue to bless us with all the answers we need in this life.

1992 Gold Leaf Press

[bridget_night]

I thought this support of her book was interesting in light of lds teachings:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15606349/Comm ... ty-J-Eadie

[Curt Sunshine]

Very interesting and thought-provoking link, bridget. Thanks for sharing it.

[Roy]

Very interesting and thought-provoking link, bridget. Thanks for sharing it.

+1

Very interesting. Some reject because her experience is too LDS others reject because her experience isn't LDS enough. But I get the impression that reading her book will make me more hopeful and loving towards my fellow brothers and sisters in this mortal sphere - that is good ... and good comes from God.

[Ilovechrist77]

Yeah, I guess the only thing we can do is pray about the book and add it to our faith and testimony of Christ when we feel the Spirit. Thanks for the comments.