Echoes from Eternity
By Arvin S. Gibson
Synopsis: This book is a collection of near-death experiences from many people. It gathers the data from the experiences to create a picture of what things are like in the spirit world. Each person featured in the book was personally interviewed by the author, who is LDS. The book has two sections: 1) The accounts of the individuals, as per their interviews, and 2) The author's analysis of the accounts.
Strong Points: The breadth of experiences documented in this book makes for an excellent source of information. From the multiple experiences, the reader is able to form somewhat of a picture by fitting the pieces together. In the book, the plan of salvation is taught clearly and accurately. Also, the documented experiences are analyzed and dissected for statistical information, such as the percentage of people who saw Christ, had a life review, etc. Experiences involving accidents, sicknesses, suicide attempts, and others are all examined for people of varying religious faiths. It is a very interesting book, and the reader comes away with a sense of peaceful longing for the world from whence we came, and to which we will return.
Weak Points: While the book works well as a stand-alone, it is actually a sequel to an earlier book entitled Glimpses of Eternity. And so the reading experience may feel a little incomplete, even though there is a lot of material in the book. Also, I wonder if the chapters analyzing the peoples' experiences should have appeared at the beginning of the book, rather than at the end. Also, I wish that the author would have probed more with his questions about what the Savior or other heavenly beings looked like when he spoke to these people. Instead, he was content to let them give their brief one or two-sentence descriptions and leave it at that. And lastly, his sample of interviewees was taken from the narrow Salt Lake City region. I think it would have been interesting if the author could have widened his net to include all around America.
Interesting: 5/5
Must Read: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.3/5