To Heaven and Back

I took this book to scout camp yesterday and finished it, then passed it to Corey and he got half way through while the boys swam. It was a quick and enjoyable book. I thought it was fun that they went to Pucón, Chile, cause we've been there too! That is a treasured memory and a beautiful country. to heaven and back mary c. neal m.d. mary neal mary c neal
My favorite take away from her book is this insight: (bottom pg. 148) She was speaking with the Savior and asked him why everyone on earth isn't given the opportunity to have the same experience that she was having of seeing heaven and feeling God's love there...

It seemed that if everyone shared this experience, hatred would disappear, we would be better stewards of the earth, eradicate hunger, no longer wage wars, and generally treat one another better on a daily basis. I no longer remember his exact words, but his amused response reiterated his comments to Thomas ~

Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. (John 20:29)

I liked that part, cause that is me! I haven't seen heaven, but I believe it in just as much as Mary does. And in the Book of Mormon Christ says that if when we are humble and believe on the testimony of others without seeing, that is even more blessed - 3 Nephi 12:2 - So he's giving all the rest of us even more blessings! Isn't that nice? :)

Another part I liked was where she talks about forgiveness and shares Father Ubald short story - he's a Catholic priest from Rwanda who had 80 members of his immediate and extended family massacred. I thought this message was timely given the movie theater shootings in Colorado last week.

So, only one part in the book that I totally disagreed with was on page 12 -

It has taken me many years to truly learn that when everything seems difficult and feels as though you are swimming upstream, it is usually because you are not following the direction of God's will. When you are doing God's will, everything seems to happen without much effort of many obstacles.

As she tells her story though, she faced a lot of trials and obstacles while still doing her best to follow God and her faith grew during those experiences, so I think she'd probably disagree with herself there too, and maybe just forgot to edit that part out. :)



This talk above by Elder Bruce C. Hafen defines my position on trials and opposition pretty well. Quoted from Elder Hafen's talk:

Adam and Eve learned constantly from their often harsh experience. They knew how a troubled family feels. Think of Cain and Abel. Yet because of the Atonement, they could learn from their experience without being condemned by it. Christ’s sacrifice didn’t just erase their choices and return them to an Eden of innocence. That would be a story with no plot and no character growth. His plan is developmental—line upon line, step by step, grace for grace.

So if you have problems in your life, don’t assume there is something wrong with you. Struggling with those problems is at the very core of life’s purpose. As we draw close to God, He will show us our weaknesses and through them make us wiser, stronger. ⁷ If you’re seeing more of your weaknesses, that just might mean you’re moving nearer to God, not farther away.

And on a final note, as I looked for an image of her book on google, I came upon these two reviews and I thought they were pretty harsh - one and two - Number two there won't read her book yet says it's "pure junk". That's a pretty strong stance to take especially for not having read it. Reminds me of people who discredit and deny the Book of Mormon and refuse to read it. 2 Nephi 29:3. The Book of Mormon is good and true, all who read it can SEE and KNOW of that Truth for themselves.