Was Betty Eadie a mormon? If so what did LDS leadrship think of her? My TBM wife is a fan of her book.

Yes Betty claimed mormonism --however her doctrine really upset the leadership... Her downfall was when she had a meeting in Bountiful and a few thousand turned up to hear her speak, when only a few weeks earlier they could not get that anywhere near that number for a special fireside meeting featuring a member of the First Quorum of Seventy (GA).

She quickly got out of her league according to the Church when she captivated the interest of local members. Books removed from Deseret Book - Thus membership believed Betty was **NOT ON THE APPROVED LIST** "Embraced by the Light" was dumped by members and started turning up in significant numbers at Deseret Industries

A shooting star with small explosion and an extremely quick flame out

JB

Was sge excommunicated or disfellowshipped?

My wife refuses to believe that the LDS Church leaders didnt embrace Eadie. Do you have any refs?

My MIL went to that fireside. She said the crowds quickly ran out of parking spaces. So drivers fanned out and started parking haphazardly all along the sides of the surrounding streets. Late to Eadie's presentation, people would JUMP out of their vehicles and run to the meetinghouse. Crowds of people!

I'm quite sure the brethren didn't take kindly to her budding cult-like status.

Personally I loved the book, "Embraced by the Light." A group of my best girlfriends from the ward and I took an overnight bus trip to the Atlanta Temple from our home in Florida (called it the Red Eye Special). Someone smuggled in advance copies of select chapters of the eadie book. I have no clue how that happened - it was a "spirchul mercle." So we read, and discussed, and bore our testimonies the whole trip.

I felt at the time that Eadie's trip beyond the veil validated Mormon doctrine. Like greyfort, it kept me in the church a whole lot longer. The second book really goes back to her Native American roots and ancient spritual beliefs. It's religious philosophies veer sharply from her earlier writings. Both books are a permanent part of my library.

I think Eadie was sincere in what she wrote years ago. I, for one, give her total permission to exlpore and grow spiritually. She's allowed to change her mind. We all are.

;o)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/22/2012 06:13PM by shannon.

http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0171a.html

Don't know what she is now, she's very quiet about it for some reason.

I'd like to know how whe's doing.

Betty is doing wonderfully. Her issues with the LDS church is between herself, them and the Lord.

(Atheists...don't read this, please. Don't want to argue.)

Boy, does this bring back memories. I was a TBM at the time. Bought the first book and lapped it up. Bought the second book and put up warning signs and skeptism, since I had left the LDS Church, and she put herself and experience over the Bible. Then I met a man soon afterwards who died and went to heaven too--I talked to him face to face. He didn't go through any dark tunnel. He said that's "the other guy" pretending to be Jesus.

Think about it, going through a dark tunnel to get to the light...huh? Then I changed my mind about her experience. Sorry to be the bad guy here. No offense intended.

I believe that her little interview with the 12 men and "Jesus" that was **removed** from her memory would reveal the "real" reason she was sent back, but it is hidden from her. I wrote her years ago, but she didn't believe me. She really doesn't know why she came back. They took that away from her memory--why?

That was then.

Now I've thrown out all face to face heavenly experiences as not from the God that appeared to Moses, for that God said He would only speak to man in parables, dreams, and cryptic dark sayings after Moses...to confuse man for rejecting him on the Mountain and picking Moses instead. So, whoever Betty spoke to is not who spoke with Moses, in my opinion. Food for thought.

I look back over the years, and I'm amazed as how I've transitioned from concept to concept...to think today I've stated publicaly God is on the atheist's side!

Homeless I am.

Hm... I'm not sure I like whoever spoke to Moses much... He killed a LOT of innocent people... (if the stories are even true)

For one thing, in her first book, she kept to mostly LDS doctrines. In fact, her book at one time kept me in the Church and brought me back from a period of inactivity, because to me, her experience validated Mormonism. At the time, I didn't know she'd become a Mormon. I didn't know that until I met a sister missionary who'd met her. In her first book, she'd mentioned that there was one gospel, but few people find it. When she found the Mormon Church, she knew that was it.

One thing which I imagine freaked out the LDS leadership was her descriptions about reincarnation. In her first book, she explained how people had cellular memory and that's why they thought they'd experienced reincarnation, when it was really only cellular memory from your ancestors. Something like that. But that part is okay.

In her second book though (yes, I have both), she suddenly contradicted that and said that there were indeed some people who chose to come back and be reincarnated. She talked about the rather strange way she received the words for the second book. I seem to remember something about her seeing the words to write on her ceiling. It's been years since I read them.

Anyway, the second book very much steered away from Mormon Doctrine. I imagine that freaked out the Mormon leadership quite a bit.

At the time I read both books, I was still TBM. The second book freaked me out, because it got weird, and I was like, "Whoa! Some bad spirit's gotten a hold of her here, because she's gone way out into left field now."

I got a lot out of reading her book. And of saying her name.

I have a relative named Mee-Mee Bee-tee (spelling changed, but that's how you say it). I always wanted to introduce the two:

Mee-Mee Bee-tee, meet Bett-ee Eed-ee.

(say THAT 10 time fast!)

As I recall, in her second book she mentioned a gay friend and how she felt his life also had value.

She also said there is a fulless of the gospel but few people find it this life - nothing about Mormonism being "it".

Undoubtedly, her books made church leaders extremely uncomfortable.

Certain Mormon males also questioned why a woman would have such an experience when she did not hold "the priesthood".

There was also a book floating around, titled "Embarrassed by the Light" in which a Mormon attacked her on those grounds.
No surprise there.

Not to mention that in her first book, she described reincarnation as simply cellular memory, where memories of your ancestors were recorded in your very DNA and you could tap into that.

In her second book, she declared that some people do reincarnate. I was still TBM at the time and I went, "Huh?!" I wondered what made her go off her rocker in her second book.

I did meet a sister missionary who was in her ward.

Edit: Oh, this is an old thread. I already said that. LOL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/23/2012 12:52AM by Greyfort.

I've read the threads and nobody has answered the question if Betty Eadie was Excommunicated from the LDS Church and if so why? I am LDS and read "Embraced by the Light" and found it inspiring and faith promoting as did all of my brothers & sisters, especially my mother. Her experiences ring true to me and I believe was meant for a larger audience than just members of the LDS Church. I believe she has a mission to bless many lives by sharing her experience. I am curious how she is doing and if she will be writing, or speaking out anymore?

I find this topic very interesting. Some people are convinced it is too much like Mormon doctrine to be true but others are convinced it is not enough like Mormon doctrine. If I recall correctly that Joseph Smith claimed that he was instructed in his vision that all churches had flaws-then what really is the difference. I would propose and I think few but the really diehard Mormons (kind of like the evangelicals that insist the Bible is infallible) that the LDS church has its bumps, warts and flaws also. BTW, that would include Joseph Smith. In fact, I just read a little essay on doctrines that were put out in the early church that are now rejected by the church.

Betty Eadie's near-death experience was real. There is no doubt in my mind. It does not matter what religion or background you come from, or whatever doctrine you follow, you do not have the right or authority to try and debunk her story just because it doesn't follow the way you believe.

This one keeps coming back. LOL Betty may well have had a profound experience and she no doubt believes what she teaches.

But the problem is that there are other people who've had the same sort of experience, who have been told that it doesn't matter what religion you follow, such as in Mellen-Thomas Benedict's experience.

One lady I've corresponded with, Nanci Danison, is a health lawyer. In her NDE, she was shown a documentary of the history of religion. She said that if such a man as Jesus ever existed, he didn't show up in her viewing of the documentary. If he did exist, he didn't make much of an impact on history. She has a book called Backwards and one called Backwards Belief.

How does one reconcile the conflicting "information" that these people supposedly bring back, if the experiences are real?

The answer may be this: None of them are talking to the same One who spoke to Moses...see my post to Someone Who Knows...

I have no idea if there is life after death or not and will find out one day or I won't.

But if there is, my feeling is that you find whatever it is you want and/or believe in so if you believe in Mormonism then that is what you will find and if not and so on and so forth.

We are all humans living a human experience in a 3D world where we are limited, I think in understanding the big picture.

I read Edie's book, thought it fascinating. The science v visionary argument is not worth getting into. And I don't know her, so can't comment, but have read of many like experiences, and their resultant by-products. Visions like these have gone on since the concept of heaven was in its infancy (bad pun). I would imagine the church didn't want her to have too much power or influence, because it would then lessen theirs.

Like this article on a similar book I read about last year:

"My Son Went to Heaven, and All I Got Was a No. 1 Best Seller." Maud Newton's book is called Heaven is for Real. A big bestseller.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/magazine/my-son-went-to-heaven-and-all-i-got-was-a-no-1-best-seller.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

I believe Betty Eddie had a genuine experience.

But link to Colton's story, the little kids that went to heaven, is a definite scam from his dad and mom. Someone gave me the book for Christmas, and I read it. Then I started looking at the interviews online on youtube, and I was shocked when the stories in front of the camera didn't match the book, clearly a scam. It will be sad in 10 or 20 years when this boy grows up and confesses to what he was forced to do. Atheists can have a hey day on this one, by the way, if they want to expose it for what it is. It didn't take long to find the huge inconsistencies from what the boy says in person to what is written the book.

Colton Burpo's experience was NOT a SCAM. This is completely irresponsible on your part to accuse them of lying. I have personally had a mystical experience prior to a car accident on December 16, 1991. I know what it is like to be exposed to the Light of God. I know what Colton went through was genuine. It sounds to me like your are stuck in cynicism, which by the way, does not stop a person's experience from being true whether you believe it or not. As you judge, so shall you be judged....so stop!

Here's Betty's husband, Joe, speaking (I believe he's now deceased):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjXXf7ZcFmg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0iCUhI3heU

Betty Eadie is the onotorious huckster/baptized Mormon of "Embraced by the Light" fame (see RfM thread cited above).

Yes, that same eternally-earnest Eadie who insisted on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" that she's actually "hugged" Jesus.

Even some tub-thumping Mormons have commendably acknowledged that Sister Eadie is, well, completely nuts.

(see Douglas Beardall, "Embarrassed by the Light: The Unauthorized Biography of Betty Eadie and a Critical Expose' of 'Embraced by the Light,' An Investigative Probe of a New York Times Bestseller!" [Provo, Utah: LDS Book Publications, 1995], 172 pp.)


Admittedly, Brother Beardall, as a true-believing Mormon, has his own handicapping blind spots but at least when it comes to poking holes in the non-scientific NDE-related superstitions of Eadie and her easily-swayed, well-paying followers, he's both spot-on and dead-on.

Referring to Eadie's bizarre appearance on "Oprah," Beardall confesses that Betty's lack of appropriate Mormon missionary zeal and what he sees as her spreading of devilishly false doctrine really upsets him, even to the point where he admits he kicked up a household ruckus by "yelling at the television"):

"Betty Eadie had some colorful, visual computer graphics which coincided with the questions Oprah was asking--psychedelic montages which looked like the lead-in to a 'Star Wars' movie and scenes of flowers and waterfalls and stars in the universe.

"Admittedly, it was entertaining. However, what made me so indignant and furious was when Betty Eadie stated two separate times, in very plain and direct language that: 'Jesus told me (Betty) that it didn't matter what church a person belonged to, that as long as you have love, that's all that matters. Oprah Winfrey agreed with Betty and said, 'That's what I've always believed.' . . .

"Betty never did admit on the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' that she was a current, baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She refused to admit, stand up and be proud that she was a Mormon. . . . Why would anyone want to talk to a [Mormon] missionary when they had just witnessed Betty Eadie says she 'hugged' Christ and He told her that it didn't matter what church a person belonged to as long as they had love?"

Beardall is particularly upset that the "many, many years she spent as a baptized member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . . . is purposely and conveniently left out. Why would Betty not proudly proclaim that she has been a Mormon for most of her life? What has she to hide? What is she ashamed of? Is she embarrassed to be a Latter-day Saint? . . . [Her] egotistical reasoning behind . . . publishing . . . . . . the 'Embraced' book of fantasy is serious enough but the $20,000,000 in book sales [in its first two years of marketing] is still no reason to preach and publish Christian heresy."

Having vented on matters of faith dear to his latter-day heart, Beardall then complains that "Eadie and her 'ghost writers' have used and abused the basic tenets of the Mormon religion "to develop a fantasy, near-death experience which did not actually happen."

Beardhall's case against Eadie's beyond-the-veil post-mortem magic-making is as follows:

"In nationwide broadcast talk show interviews and public relations news releases, Betty has refused to reveal and document her medical hospital experience. She refuses to submit to a polygraph examination or to ever reveal the name[s] of the doctors, nurses or hospital to verify even the hint of an actual death experience. If her death actually happened there should be no reason to refuse a quick and simple verification.

"Upon interviewing and questioning a number of physicians and anesthesiologists as to what physically occurs at the time of death, the following truths emerge:

"After physical death, all of the essential bodily organs die. The brain dies. The heart and lungs and all of the other vital organs cease to function. Morbidity occurs. The circulatory blood system becomes rigid and incapable of being revived. Betty claims to have actually been dead, not near-death, but dead for over four hours. Resuscitation and revival is medically impossible. Lack of oxygen causes brain damage. . . .

"Betty was not in intensive care and she was not electronically monitored by unknown medical staff of the unknown hospital. This is according to Betty's own written testimony. There were no professional medical personnel to assist her in the event of sudden death. Her operation was a serious matter. Hysterectomies are a great concern for all women but hysterectomies do not usually cause death as Betty reports. I am not minimizing the seriousness of this elective surgery but I am stating that Betty was not in the intensive care of any medical staff, nor were there any family, friends or [Mormon] priesthood brethren with her at the time of her alleged death. There was also no one there when she claims to have returned to life four hours later.

"It must be noted that Betty Eadie's alleged death was originally written in a small letter until it was picked up and embellished by a couple of ghost writers, almost 20 years later. Betty admits that there is much of the experience that she has forgotten and could not remember until this later date; almost two decades later."

Beardall further complains that Eadie, in making up her death-defying experience, nonetheless based it on bedrock truths of Mormon Church doctrine:

"Betty's final manuscript was enhanced and further embellished by her ghost writer, Curtis Taylor, who substantially integrated much of the Mormon doctrine and Gospel truths found within the teachings and beliefs of the LDS Church. . . . What is so very disconcerting to the many millions of Mormon members is that Betty Eadie and Curtis Taylor and Jane Barfuss have purposely refused to admit that 'The Book of Mormon,' 'The Pearl of Great Price,' 'The Doctrine and Covenants' and the inspired version of the King James translation of the Old and New Testaments is the foundation of their writings in the book, 'Embraced by the Light;' then they changed the Gospel!"

Indeed, Mormon ward Gospel Doctrine teacher Beardall claims that there was no way Eadie was ever really dead in the first place, noting that such a "rais[ing] from the dead" cannot be accomplished "without a priesthood blessing."

(Eadie, "Embraced by the Light," in "Introduction," pp. viii, ix, xii, and "Chapter One: Did Betty Really Die?" pp. 1-3)

Say it ain't so, Joe!

:)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2014 01:22AM by steve benson.

I find this topic very interesting. Some people are convinced it is too much like Mormon doctrine to be true but others are convinced it is not enough like Mormon doctrine. If I recall correctly that Joseph Smith claimed that he was instructed in his vision that all churches had flaws-then what really is the difference. I would propose and I think few but the really diehard Mormons (kind of like the evangelicals that insist the Bible is infallible) that the LDS church has its bumps, warts and flaws also. BTW, that would include Joseph Smith. In fact, I just read a little essay on doctrines that were put out in the early church that are now rejected by the church.

Similar bottom-line from popular Psychic Medium. Just finished a book "Spirited" written by Rebecca Rosen a proclaimed and very busy psychic medium. She sets up appointments and TV/Radio spots and does this communication thing with spirits. She communicates with spirits (relatives of people) in order to give the living person support (help, protection, comfort, knowledge, etc.). Per Rosen, all people continue to live as they were before coming to earth as spirits. Spirits come to earth for personal growth and yes many if not all come multiple times (reincarnation). Other people/spirits try to help living people improve their lives while they are here so they can "progress". Similarly progression did seem to involve love and maintaining good relationships with others. Not being Mormon or any ISM!

Anyway she wrote the book because she was booked for 2-years in advance and believed people should be communicating with their group of spirits on their own. I have tried her meditation techniques for a few days now and have not been successful in communicating with any spirits like Rosen does. However, I have felt more spiritual and more sensitive (obviously my impression and not provable) to help and the need for help from above. I still believe in God and pray Big prayers and have seen some great results recently so not sure whether they are the result of coincidence, spirits in my group, faith in receiving answers to prayers from whatever source, or God/spirits combination answering Big prayers.

After I communicate directly to spirits as Rosen appears to I will verify the validity of life after death, reincarnation (although I am not sure I like that idea), God and religion along with some personnel items I have. Being optimistic is ok isn't it?

Communicating with spirits is the first step towards insanity.

Maybe it is not the first step! that being said, I would definitely seek advice from someone with a firm grasp in reality.

Elder Boyd K. Packer specifically informed the congregation that Sister Eadie, "could not have been where she said that she had been." This kind of intercession from a General Authority is very rare indeed. http://www.bookofmormongeography.org/revelatory-stewardship-book-mormon-chris-heimerdinger

Nearly all near death experiences share some similarities.

Most who go on record attest to going through a white light, meeting someone or others on the other side and having some discourse or a life review, before being returned to their bodies.

The near deathers who record their experiences don't share the same religion. Some may not be religious at all.

Yet the themes are the same as to the white light, life review, being told something such as their time on earth isn't up yet, and they have something left to do here.

Those who are religious have religious overtones to their experiences. But that doesn't seem to be a universal theme.

Fair to say, they are spiritual events outside the realm of ordinary human understanding or what's known about quantum physics.

this book went into high gear on my mission. This is the story we were told:

There was a 1st edition. We were "allowed" to read it.

supposedly this was so clear in line with mormon doctrine that some good ol' GA contacted her and she joined immediately.

A second edition, now with LDS flavah, came out.

I don't know if any of this is true but it was was was told by us to explain to people who'd bring it up that:

1) she did no mention the church cuz she did not know about it
2) she is telling the truth so of course he joined
3) cool celebrities join the church cuz they know whats up