Teachings of The Doctrine of Eternal Lives

By Anonymous

Reviewed by Tim Ballard
On 4/28/2011

Digital Legend, 2011 Soft cover:
390 pages
ISBN-10: 1-934537-96-9
ISBN-13: 978-1-934537-96-1 Price: $22.50

Reviewed by Tim Ballard for the Association for Mormon Letters

Recently, I had two very strange—and frankly disappointing—conversations with active LDS church members (one being a bishop) about the doctrine of exaltation and eternal lives. “Oh, leave that alone,” I was told by one. “We simply do not know enough about this doctrine to concern ourselves with it,” I was told by another. I asked myself if we, as Latter-day Saints, perhaps fail to always recognize the power and importance of these doctrines. Sometimes I think that perhaps we do. After all, we rarely hear about this doctrine in church meetings, and we rarely discuss it among ourselves. Yet, the scriptures tell us to “be ye therefore perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48; see also Luke 6:36 and Genesis 17:1). Is this really such a deep doctrine better left on the shelf? Is it not actually a very basic principle of the gospel — a principle which is necessary to understand in order to envision and fully participate in God’s plan of salvation? Those who have pondered such things will absolutely love Digital Legend’s new title, Teachings of The Doctrine of Eternal Lives.

In this book, the author presents how powerfully, clearly and regularly these doctrines were taught by early Church leaders, to include Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and others of that age. It certainly was not a doctrine cast aside as something better left to seek out beyond the veil. To be sure, these Church leaders wanted the Saints to understand these principles unequivocally and in their fullness. We have heard Lorenzo Snow’s couplet (quoted in the book): “As man is God once was; As God is, man may be.” And yet, it seems many of us feel that President Snow’s statement was obscure, rare and perhaps even a bit bold. Not so. In fact, mingled with the words of his colleagues and brethren of the Church, his prose was anything but rare — it was common and natural, as proven by this book.

But the reader should not believe that this book is simply a recitation of every Church leader’s promise that man may become like God. For the book reaches wider and deeper than this. It places other ideas and doctrines within the context of eternal lives, and thus expounds upon these other thoughts. The book itself is broken up into chapters, which focus on these diverse perspectives. For example, there are chapters entitled “Prayer: The Greater Key to Knowledge,” “The Second Comforter,” “Tried in All Things,” “Elijah and John the Baptist,” and many other gospel-based themes. But it is the doctrine of eternal lives, so eloquently laced throughout all these chapters, that allows the reader to see these other principles with more clarity and depth.

Also, the author quotes not only the most prominent Church leaders from the first generation of Saints, but less known leaders as well, such as William Clayton, Joseph Lee Robinson, Jedediah M. Grant, Eliza Snow, Erastus Snow, and many others. We are also privileged to hear the thoughts and teachings of more current apostles and scholars, to include Gordon B. Hinckley, Neal A Maxwell, and Hugh Nibley (who was clearly one scholar who seemed particularly concerned about the Saints forgetting these powerful doctrines).

Some might criticize the book for being overly encyclopedic. It is true that instead of presenting these doctrines in a narrative-type format, it is more a compilation of direct quotes from powerful leaders and teachers. The author recognizes this, however, and explains up front that this book is not his work and words, but the work and words of others. So strongly does the author feel on this point that he intentionally leaves his (or her) name off the cover. It is written anonymously. The author clearly does not want to mix his name with what he describes as “sacred things [that] were transmitted by God to His Prophets and Apostles through the gift and power of revelation.”

Others might criticize the book for its repetitive nature. Indeed, the book repeats similar themes and principles regarding eternal lives over and over again. We get every perspective on the issue, no matter how slightly varied or minutely adjusted. I, however, consider this literary tactic a plus. For the author wants the reader to know that these truths were not given to be a mystery or to be hidden. They were prominent teachings voiced loud and clear by God’s mouthpieces on the earth. The author wants us to know that these early church leaders’ views “were far more expansive, and illustrative of grandeur of the ‘greater things’ which God shared with them, in contrast to our modern diminished Deseret.” Really, the only way for the author to prove this bold point was to include the entirety of his collection of such teachings — a collection obviously assembled over years of deep study and note-taking.

In the end, this book asks us to dig a little deeper and ponder a little longer about why we are here on earth and what the restoration of the gospel is really all about. “If you read carefully,” according to the author, “you’ll be astonished at the surprising number of supernal gems that have been right here in front of all of us, but perhaps which we failed to read from the vantage point of understanding what the prophets and apostles may have been trying to teach us concerning the possibilities within the concept of ‘eternal lives.’” Having read the book, I whole-heartedly agree with the author. This book has also allowed me to see deep meaning, and a powerful invitation, in the following words of Joseph Smith (as quoted in this book): “Thy mind, O man! if thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch as high as the utmost heavens, and search into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity.”


Copyright 2011