Spotlight: The Magnificent World of Spirits by Marlene Bateman Sullivan

Life. Death. Life.

Not everyone who visits the spirit world stays there. The Magnificent World of Spirits: Eyewitness Accounts of Where We Go When We Die, gives fascinating glimpses of life beyond the veil by people who visited the spirit world during the early years of the LDS Church.

Filled with stories of insight and inspiration, The Magnificent World of Spirits is a stirring book that combines documented personal experiences with scripture, commentary, and quotes from latter-day prophets and other leaders. This book will bring you peace as you come to understand what awaits on the other side of the veil. After reading this book, you will never think of life—or death—in the same way.

Author Marlene Bateman Sullivan paid a visit to my blog today to talk about her new release and share with me how she got the idea to write this book. 

"Years ago, as I was doing research for another book, LDS Heroes and Heroines, I came across some touching stories in early Church history about people who had visited the spirit world. I found so many personal accounts in journals and other personal records, and in old newspapers and magazines, that I divided the material into two books. 

"The first book was Gaze Into Heaven; Near-death Experiences in Early Church History, which contains over 50 accounts of people who had near-death experiences. Writing that book encouraged me to write The Magnificent World of Spirits: Eyewitness Accounts of Where We Go When We Die, which is about people who also visited the spirit world, through dreams, visions, and other means. Their experiences are almost identical to those who had near-death experiences.

"Each one of these experiences is a comforting testimony that God lives, that He loves us and that when we die, life will continue on in a beautiful place where we will be reunited with our departed loved ones, be freed from earthly trials and disabilities, and experience great joy and happiness."

This book sounds fantastic, Marlene! It can be purchased online at Amazon.com and also at Deseret Book and other LDS store locations.  

Reading these experiences can bless us with a better understanding of this life and increase our knowledge of the life to come. We can benefit from the insights people gained when they entered the spirit world and use that to reevaluate our lives and use our time on earth more productively.