Here is what my blog pal sent me:
by jkrowe » Sun Aug 10, 2014 11:42 amgruden2.0 -
I am not going to take the time to argue my points and defend my experience or what I was shown and know to be true. You are entitled to your opinion and I respect that. I will take a few minutes to make some important points that the spirit has prompted me to bring to your attention as well as to the attention of many others, since for some reason you seem to want to discredit me and my account.
First of all - my experience is my experience and I know what I know. I know how I know it and I know that nothing you or anyone else says (good or ill), will change that fact.
I have studied plenty of church history. If you study further, you will find that the details I share in my book about Hauns Mills as well as the other accounts, are absolutely accurate. There are some historical accounts that have been written that are not accurate, even in church historical records. After I wrote the section on Hauns Mill, I actually went to LDS.org to double check that I was recounting the story correctly. If you go to that site and research Hauns Mills, you will find a recording my church historians who discuss this story in some detail. Their account is accurate and it matched identically to what I have written. So you need to research that topic further. One of the reasons (not all) that this story was briefly mentioned in the book is because it is a type for what is to come in our country, and including it in the book is a simple way to get people to begin thinking about the events that led up to it and what actually happened, and how that can apply today in our lives.
Ironically, you mention that other things I have written in the book could have easily been written by going to LDS.org. The funny thing about that is, that literally - honestly - the ONLY thing I looked up on LDS.org was to CONFIRM that I got the Hauns Mill story correct. Nothing else. All of the stories I tell and the details I give are based on what I was shown, and even then I hardly gave any details compared to what I was shown. I only told what the spirit directed me to tell. And who am I to question the Lord on this and what and why he wanted me to include certain things and not others?
By the way, Joseph Haun WAS NOT a member of the church and he never did join the church. His brother joined the church, but Joseph did not. I also know a great deal about church history, particularly church history in the mid-west, because I LIVED THERE FOR 17 years. And I have had dreams and visions of those things for almost two decades, in addition to what I experienced in my NDE. I have been to those sites more than I could count. I have been to the Church visitors center in Independence, MO literally probably 3 times a year for 17 years. I made it a point to go there at least three times a year with my children and that does not include when I would take other friends and family who came to visit from out of state, wanting to see church sites.
There are MANY reasons why I included the specific scripture stories that I did. It was for very specific purposes - in part because those stories are representative of some of what we will soon experience. The scriptures were written for our day. They are a type and an example of some of the trials and adversities we will experience in the last days.
Quite frankly, I was shown a great deal more than what is written in the book. When asked how much of my experience is recorded in the book (by one of my readers), I took that question to the Lord and asked Him specifically. The immediate answer I was given is that the book only contains about 2% of what I was shown and taught. The stories that are shared and the details that are given are given for specific purposes, and the spirit will teach and testify what those reasons and purposes are, for the individual reader, based on "where that person is in their spiritual/life journey" and what ever it is the Lord wants them to know and learn from those sections. I actually wrote quite a bit more and included it originally but then the spirit told me there were certain passages, details etc, that were not to be included, for various reasons.
In response to your comments about editors, embellishing etc. I really appreciate that you brought that topic up, because it gives me an opportunity to share with you a little bit of the process that went into writing this particular book, as well as how this second book is being written.
You are correct - USUALLY - in fact in every case I have ever heard of - authors write manuscripts, then the author tries to find a publisher who will publish their story, then the publisher decides to accept it, then editors review and make changes etc., then it is finally approved for publishing.
In my case however, I was shown in dream/vision who my publisher was going to be and I was told not to contact him at all, but that when the right time came, he would find me. That is what happened. Other than my journal entries, I did not write my full story down until AFTER I was contacted by my publisher. He contacted me the first week of March 2014. I spent 4-8 hours a day (excluding weekends and Spring break) - writing everyday from the first week of March until April 21st when the book went to press.
The book was released May 14th. I wrote the entire first draft completely by myself with no help, input, guidance or anything from anyone other than the Lord and gave that to my publisher less than three weeks after I agreed to write the book. He read through it while I was on vacation during spring break, then he did emailed the manuscript back with specific questions within the text and for added detail on what I had already written. He didn't edit a thing - didn't change a word - nothing - until it came to the very final draft, which was only about a week before we went to press.
I worked directly with Chad Daybell (LDS author and owner of Spring Creek Books) every step of the way. No one else was involved, other than his wife who helped him do the book cover. We were so pressed for time in knowing we needed to get the book out, that we actually only had my husband, a few close friends and family members and ONE official editor even read the book AFTER it was totally completed. That is one of the main reasons there are some typos and other writing errors. So, no ----there was NO embellishment of any kind. There was no one there changing anything, or pressuring me to add something I shouldn't etc. And that is exactly how this second book has and is going to be written and edited.
That's much of the reason it is written the way it is written...because I have never written a book before and I am not a great writer. The Lord wanted it this way on purpose. The message was to be written simply, concisely, and without any other hands touching it.
Additionally - I am only writing this second book because the Lord has told me to do it. There is more information I am to share and this second book serves several purposes ====one of which is as an additional voice of warning. There will not be a third book. This is it. After this book is out, I have completed my assignment in writing what I am supposed to share. Yes, some of the second book will take into account some of the questions people have asked, but that is only a very small fraction of the message. The majority of the book contains much more than that.
So - I hope this gives some clarity for those who need to hear this.
Again - I will say this the best way I can....I recognize that the messages in my books will not resonate with everyone. I recognize that some will not agree with me or what I have written. That is okay.
I will say this: I know what I know, and I know that I was given the assignment to write these books and share my story and some of my experience. I know without a doubt, so for those who do doubt, I would highly encourage you to take your issues to the Lord in prayer. I know there are some who just don't care, and there are others who have an alternative motive to discredit me or anyone who is trying to spread a message of light and truth. That' okay. It does not change what I know and it will not change what I do or how I will go about things.
I do not say this to antagonize, contend or even defend. Really I have no need to defend myself - but that which I do defend I do in the name of defending that which I know to be true, which is the Lord's message and the manner in which it was given. If people have a problem with the book - that is not my issue. It does not hurt me or upset me. My only hope in writing and sharing what I have in this post is to correctly state the facts and to ensure that I bring to light those that are seeking to discredit this work - no matter their intentions.
It is up to each of us to learn to discern the spirit and to get our own answers in life. Please - do not take my word on anything - go to the source of all truth and light. He will tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it, and how you need to know it (If you truly want to know and ask in all sincerity). If you ask, be prepared for whatever answer may come, and then act on that knowledge. Once we know, we are no longer on neutral ground.
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