The Gateway We Call Death

Having read several books about death and the spirit world, I wasn't actively looking for another book on the subject to read. But The Gateway We Call Death was available and is by the current prophet, so I thought I ought to read it. I am so grateful I did! I wonderful feeling accompanies this book. Russell M. Nelson was an apostle when he wrote this book, but he also had decades of experience as a surgeon. Using these two important aspects of his life, he was able to share some wonderful insights and truths.

First he talks about the purposes of life, death, and mourning. He talks about the difference between healthy mourning, which is ordained of God, and unhealthy mourning. The example he used was comparing it to the bounds in sports games. If there were no boundaries in a sports game, the game would get out of hand, confusing, and hard to follow. Likewise, we need to set boundaries on our mourning. Although mourning is therapeutic, it can become toxic if left unchecked, much like helpful medicines become fatal when overdosed.

He then talks about the different ages that people may die, such as young children, young adults and teenagers, and adults. He boldly talks about Euthanasia and strongly condemns it, supporting the Church's position on the subject wholeheartedly. His exact wording on the subject is, "I mention it here only to condemn it."

But my absolute favorite chapter was chapter 10: The Veil is Sometimes Thin. At the beginning of the chapter, President Nelson declares that there is communication between this world and the next. He also states that prophets and apostles treat these communications as sacred and rarely speak open about them. That being said, we do have some published experiences, which he then proceeds to share.

One of them was new to me. While accompanying Hugh B. Brown to the dedication of the Washington D.C. temple, one morning President Brown informed President Nelson that he had been visited the night before by Harold B. Lee, the previous prophet who had passed away a year earlier. He described it as a glorious visit, and was able to later share it with President Lee's wife.

Although not included in this book, there is another account from President Nelson that he shared once in General Conference. He told of operating on two young sisters in the early days of his career. Despite his best efforts to save them, both girls died. Embittered, their family stopped attending church. Recently, just a couple years ago, President Nelson awoke in the night. He felt a spiritual presence in the room, and discovered it was these two girls. They wanted him to know they were not sealed to their parents and asked for his help.

President Nelson found the girls' father (their mother had already passed away). He shared with the father the message from his daughters. He helped the father return to church, along with his son. He was present for the vicarious sealings of the father to his wife, and then of the girls to their parents.

Truly, President Nelson knows of these sacred communications from the other side of the veil.

I am glad I got to read this book, despite it not being originally on my reading list. It was worth my time. I felt the Spirit several times throughout the book. I felt closer to my Heavenly Father and more gratitude for his plan. This, again, will be a book I keep on my shelf.