Kevin Christensen Posted August 22, 2022 Posted August 22, 2022 Coming to Salt Lake City, with several LDS speakers and presenters, including Daniel Peterson, Martin Tanner, and Sarah Hinze. https://conference.iands.org/ I went to the 1999 IANDS Conference, largely because my son happened to be entering the mission home the same week. It was very memorable, seeing and hearing several people whose books I had read, including George Richie, whose account inspired Raymond Moody's interest, PMH Atwater, Kenneth Ring, and meeting and hearing several LDS presenters, and hearing the non-LDS Howard Storm, who spoke very much, and amazingly like Alma, clearly due to a similar experience, which transitioned from hellish to ecstatic when he called upon Jesus to save him. I had written an essay in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 2/1 comparing the Alma's conversion, and much else in the Book of Mormon to modern NDE research. During a discussion after one IANDS session, I made a comment, and had the odd experience of having the presenter pause and then ask, "Are you Kevin Christensen?" Occasionally people do read my work. My own interest began with Raymond Moody's first book, Life after Life, but intensified after reading his third book, The Light Beyond, in which he stated that the most prominent of the western religions to accept the NDE as a preview of the next world is the Latter-Day Saints. Moody quoted several LDS accounts, including one by Jedediah Grant that Heber C. Kimball reported in conference. But he missed the most important statement that Grant made at the moment of his resussitation at the start of his spontaneous report. "Why it was just as Brigham has told us many times!" The Brigham Young priesthood manual has a chapter called "The Spirit World" that samples many of the kinds of things Brigham taught that go way beyond anything in scripture, but it does not connect what Brigham said with any particular experience. (Notice that the one who talks the most about the after life in the Book of Mormon is Alma, whose conversion happened "nigh unto death.") I think that the best explanation for Brigham Young's specific expertise and extensive teaching is that Brigham had a near death experience in Council Bluff's Iowa, 1847, for which I see evidence here. "An Olive Leaf: Tell the People to Keep the Spirit". https://sunstone.org/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/097-86.pdf I think Martin Tanner will be talking about this to a degree in his presentation. He recently called to tell me about another contemporary report of that same experience. I can't make it this time, due to living far away, and other recent financial committments. But those who live close by might want to take a look for at least a day. FWIW, Kevin Christensen Canonsburg, PA 1
Calm Posted August 22, 2022 Posted August 22, 2022 I hadn’t realized Dan has retired (quite the beard).
Stargazer Posted August 23, 2022 Posted August 23, 2022 On 8/22/2022 at 8:24 PM, Kevin Christensen said: had the odd experience of having the presenter pause and then ask, "Are you Kevin Christensen?" I'm more used to being asked "Are you nuts?"
Tacenda Posted August 23, 2022 Posted August 23, 2022 This looks very interesting, hope I can go to it.
Stargazer Posted August 23, 2022 Posted August 23, 2022 No way I'd be in a position to go, but it would be interesting, if I could. To me, it does come off as a bit niche, or off track, however, with items such as Healer's Room with Individual Healing Sessions Full Day Pre-Conference: Reiki Level I Certification Reiki? I've met some Reiki practitioners and, nice folks and all, but it looks rather pseudoscientific. Not that this is the place for arguing over it, but I guess it might as well be there, since NDEs are considered by many people to be pseudoscientific, as well. And I am convinced there's something to NDEs. So despite the fact that Reiki doesn't rank as better than placebo, I shall just shrug my shoulders about it.
Recommended Posts