LIFE EVERLASTING - DUANE S CROWTHER; A BOOK REPORT

The titles to the blog are somewhat boring or "utilitarian".  Its done on purpose in order to make sure that a google search on a given set of keywords will bring the reader to the blog.  There are hundreds (and probably approaching thousands) of key word strings that will bring up the blog in the top 10 or even top 1 or 2 ranking - and thus ensure that the message is disbursed to as many people as possible.  Google ranking is everything if you are trying to punch through the computing ceiling of the cloud.  With bizarre "one off" topics, its not hard to be at the head of the class.  No one else will touch them - or cares about them, so I have the field to myself, so to speak....

I think the author who has had the greatest impact on my life, so far would have to be Duane S. Crowther.  Not so much that he is off the charts in his writing style, just that his works are excellent, and came along at the right time; when my wife and I needed them most.  Right before our kid died, we had two salt of the earth neighbors who happened to be LDS, the Jacobsens.  They recommended a few books that impacted me heavily and were instrumental in me deciding to start this blog.  One was Fate of the Persecutors of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the other was Life Everlasting, by Duane S. Crowther.

The book Fate has been downplayed by Dallin H. Oakes and even some anti's - largely because it tells it as it happened - and stuffs the wicked; really just slams their hellish practices down and lets them know what they have coming for their efforts.  The Church wants to play along and get along; I personally do not care much to.  I like things presented as they are and were - and let the chips fall where they may.  I happen to miss the preacher in the Temple Endowment.....  The Savior's words 'wise as a serpent, harmless as a dove', sometimes are lost on me and I go about like a bull in a china shop.  I personally will take the 'trash' head on and not care about the consequences.....  Several years ago, I tangled with a rabid anti named Tal who was just going about destroying the Church - son of Almaesque-like; and warned him that the path he was on would bring great destruction in his own life.  At that time, I could tell his activities were blinding him to the destruction in his marriage - and no doubt the stress he was also subjecting his 8 kids to.  I was recently in contact with him and his marriage is over and he may be ready to turn the corner in a repentant way.  I guess Saul of NT fame did it, why not Tal.  Truly sad - as the wicked kick against the pricks, they do have their agency - but they absolutely CANNOT choose the outcome of their consequences.  I was in contact with him in a public way on a forum I no longer endorse due to the amount of godless anti activity on it and lack of moderator discernment, and he (or one of his hellish anti cohorts) let me know that the book Fate was inaccurate.  While there may be a few inaccuracies, I know the principles in it are correct; precisely because I have warned and forewarned several people who have kicked against the pricks that they were on a collision course with their fates.  One co-worker is now experiencing spirit prison and the other accidentally sent his own mother over to the spirit world and he came out of it a changed and humble man (two separate previous blog posts).   I have also seen it in my own life when I have become slothful and crossed a line; the smack-down is swift and sure.  God would rather have a corrected, compliant person than to let them go to waste for not having input external course corrections at the right time.  The same goes for nations - who declare they no longer have a need for a God in directing their affairs......  The smack-down there comes shortly.  I open my mouth so that I do not end up part of the problem - but rather part of the solution.

The second book - almost polar opposite the first, and the subject of this piece was given to my wife and I to borrow around 6 months before we went through our life-changing event.  Life Everlasting is a great compilation of most of the outstanding historical quotes and anecdotes on NDEs, spirit world, and post-life experiences of notable members of the Church.  Thus, there is credibility there.  Duane and his wife lost one of their daughters as an eleven year old to childhood leukemia.  Being a Church seminarian, he started digging on the topic of death, and the book was the result of his excellent research.  By it, we were prepared for what was coming into our lives in a few short months.  After our loss, I was filled with the spirit of prophecy and loaned our copy to my mother to let her get ready.  It was one of those statements out of my mouth that I did not know how to the letter would be fulfilled.  My mother always kind of feared death - and expressed it to me.  After reading this book, she was at peace with the process.  Though healthy right up to her death, as predicted, she was gone within six months - and came back a month after her death to deliver a message (previous blog piece).  I now own no less than three copies of this work and find it some of the best material to loan out to people who are struggling with issues of death.

You can find the book here on Duane's web site:

www.duanescrowther.com

Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.