This is a short review of the second of Suzanne Freeman’s trilogy of books based on her near death experience (NDE) of 1999. I reviewed the first, Led by the Hand of Christ (2004) last week and hope to review her final book in the series, The Spirit of Liberty (2013) sometime in the near future. Through the Window of Life was published in 2006, “as told to” author Shirley Bahlmann.
A Trilogy of Books From One NDE
This book is different from Led by the Hand of Christ, which was more of a first-hand, “here’s what happened to me” sort of book. Through the Window of Life tells of a stopping point along the way in her NDE that is more of a vision and compares favorably to the book Visions of Glory by Spencer as told to John Pontius. This is not your typical NDE book. It is more of a vision.
A Vision of Potential Future Events
Many readers have shared with me their main difficulty in reading NDEs is the required faith or wiling suspension of disbelief to learn new and different things and even unique ways of looking at this life and life in the spirit world differently from what many people assume or are taught. Through the Window of Life is so well told it reads like LDS fiction, making it easy to consume.
The Book is an Easy Read
I read the 132 pages in about two hours last night. Carol and I had enjoyed a beautiful one-day trip to Santa Barbara to visit our son so I was tired and didn’t want to do any deep doctrinal study when I got home. Reading Through the Window of Life was just the ticket. I sat next to Carol while she read one of her romance novels. We listened to “The Voice” in the background on TV.
Some Things That “May” Happen
I was enthralled from the beginning. Having just finished her first book, she led us to the point where the Savior asks her to view some things that “may” happen before he returns to the earth. I looked back through Led by the Hand of Christ to see if she refers to the room where most of Through the Window of Life takes place. Maybe someone else can point it out. I couldn’t find it.
An Interesting Publisher’s Note
The publisher’s note of explanation is interesting. It reads in part, “Some generalized events have been condensed into one representative example for clarity.” Also, “…her interview included accounts of her consciousness moving back and forth between living through the events leading to the Second Coming of Christ and watching the action unfold through the Window of Life…”
Written as Though She Experienced it
“…her story is written as though she experienced all of it. This format provides continuity for the reader.” It then notes “…some lessons…are italicized so readers can differentiate them from the experiences that she personally experienced.” I had to think twice about this explanation. It can be easily interpreted, “what she shares is from her imagination, not necessarily what happened.”
“As Told To” Someone Else
I know that sounds a little harsh and I’m not saying Suzanne made any of this up. I’m just saying the publisher’s note can be interpreted that way. If you want to read the book as fiction, then it’s darn good fiction, just as some people have read Visions of Glory as a work of fiction. I’m not calling this book or Spencer’s book fiction. I’m just saying they both read as well-written fiction.
An Amazing Attitude Through Trials
I was extremely impressed with Suzanne’s faith. In her vision she lived through a deadly plague, generously shared her food storage, sent her husband and sons off to war, left her home forever, hiked over rugged mountainous terrain, dealt with death, threats by an unknown enemy, attacks of attempted terrorizing warfare on her group and lived with only a single change of clothes.
Pressing on to Jackson County
Suzanne and her group continue their journey to Missouri after getting through the mountains. But I had to ask myself, “Well, either the prophecies in the Old Testament are mistaken or Joseph was mistaken in declaring Independence to be the place for Zion to be built (section 57). There is a glorious future for Independence but Zion first gathers in the tops of the mountains.
Location of The City of Zion
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you know I disagree with the location of the city of Zion. I do not believe it is to be built in the flat land of Independence Missouri, but somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. I have shared my logic and reasoning on this unusual position in a previous post. I differ from most LDS folks, including Carol who served her mission in Independence.
Return of Ten Tribes and City of Enoch
I guess that’s the only difficulty I had with the book. I couldn’t quite place the timing of when all the events portrayed were supposed to be taking place. I agree with the prophecies of plagues, invading armies, collapse of the United States, both economically and politically, but somehow all of a sudden, Suzanne is walking alongside the Ten Tribes and then the inhabitants of Enoch.
Everyone Shall See it Together
I know you’re supposed to give spoiler alerts for works of fiction, but according to the publisher, this is not a work of fiction, but a foretelling of “one way things may happen” in the future. If the Ten Tribes are already here, then I can accept them just showing up, but not the City of Enoch. The lack of anyone pointing upward at an approaching planet or piece of the earth troubles me.
A Few Concluding Thoughts
So there you have it. I won’t share much more other than these two objections: 1) The location of the gathering of the people of Zion along with the building of the City of Zion and 2) The lack of any notice by anyone in the vision that the City of Enoch has returned. According to scripture, it is a big deal. The Lord will come with the City of Enoch. Not so in Suzanne’s Window of Life.
Bottom line Recommendation
This is a great book to read and a fascinating story, but it doesn’t seem to jive with the scriptures, or at least my understanding of the scriptures. Still, I recommend you read this book, Through the Window of Life. You don’t need to read her first book before this one. It stands on its own. I found it an enjoyable experience. Just remember, things “may” or “may not” happen in this way.
Curious what it says about war. You mentioned she watched others sent off to war. Is this a civil war? World war? After the collapse? Before?
Most books seems to not talk about this so I was intrigued by it. Just Curious.
Hi Tyson. It was very Similar to Visions of Glory. After the plagues and natural destruction, the country is invaded. She never identifies the enemy, only that they wore camouflage fatigues and spoke in a language they didn’t understand. One of the people she and the group she was in helped, told her the enemy was composed of an amalgamation of multiple countries who saw an opportunity to take over a weakening America – weakened by poor economic decisions, natural catastrophes and moral degradation. He told the group the enemy had almost no resistance, especially since the plague and economic collapse had wiped out resistance and morale. America was not prepared for the terrible calamities and plagues. The day of the Gentile had passed.
I’ve come to the conclusion that NDEs are sometimes filtered through the individual’s expectations (although I haven’t read as many as you have!). So, if you expect Missouri to be a gathering place, a vision may show you what you interpret as Missouri since the point of the vision may not be a clear representation of geography, but rather some higher purpose.
Also, from what I’ve heard from Spencer and Denis Mendenhall, “none of this has to happen this way” (I’m paraphrasing). So, if these are just possible scenarios, some of the details may not be as important as the underlying messages.
I have heard something similar about the Book of Mormon – that it doesn’t matter whether it actually is “true” – what’s important is the underlying message. In my feelings, however, it’s difficult to attach importance to the underlying message of fiction, “inspired” or not.
Tim I think Zion was in some of the groups in the mountains. Surely Suzanne’s group was living Zion-like. Couldn’t this be the beginnings of Zion indeed with it all joining together in Missouri someplace later?
Tim, I wanted to post this comment on another post where you talked about Denise Mendenhall sharing that an EMP would take out everything that was electrically operated, but the post was to old to comment there. Did you know that this nearly happened in 2012? I just read a news article on it today and thought you might be interested. Scary! http://www.westernjournalism.com/see-solar-storm-narrowly-missed-earth-still-us-picking-pieces/
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Has anyone read the vision that was received by Patriarch Charles D. Evans?
Patriarch Evans lived in Springville, Utah, and his vision was published in1894 in The Contributor magazine, an early LDS Church publication.
He speaks of the Foreign troops that land upon America…
“A foreign power had invaded the nation which, from every human indication, it appeared would seize the government and supplant it with monarchy….”
He speaks of the plagues…
“Again the light shone, revealing an atmosphere tinged with a leaden hue, which was the precursor of an unparalleled plague whose first symptoms were recognized by a purple spot which appeared on the cheek, or on the back of the hand, and which, invariably, enlarged until it spread over the entire surface of the body, producing certain death. Mothers, on sight of it, cast away their children as if they were poisonous reptiles.
This plague, in grown persons, rotted the eyes in their sockets and consumed the tongue as would a powerful acid or an intense heat. Wicked men, suffering under its writhing agonies, cursed God and died, as they stood on their feet, and the birds of prey feasted on their carcasses.”
Why is it so hard for people to believe that people are seeing the same vision.. only in more detail?