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Out of the Killing Fields--Into the Light: Interviews with Mormon Converts from Cambodia
During the time the Khmer Rouge communists ruled Cambodia, over a million people were tortured and killed. This book chronicles the miracles of several Cambodian refugees who found their way out of the killing fields and into the light and joy of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Inspirational and touching, this fascinating volume will fill you with awe.
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2011
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June 3, 2013
4.5 stars!
What Astronomers Know by Shoni Conrad
Once a summer,
comes a night of shooting stars,
inspiring tourists
and astronomers to travel
to the darkest places.
Always,
the gift of darkness
has been light,
has been God.
Who
after all,
will recognize him
more completely
than those who have grown in the dark,
leaning toward imaginings of light,
waiting,
with all their candled hopes burning,
filaments
in the broad night?
This poem was a perfect sum up for this book. These Cambodian refugees were in the dark searching for light. Their stories are amazing! This was a quick and powerful read. After I finished the book all I wanted to do was hug everybody I love and give thanks for everything that I've got. The stories of horrors such as drinking water out of a pool of dead bodies because they were so thirsty or watching family members being executed are plentiful but they are also full of hope and acknowledgement that there was a higher power watching them in their moment of most need. I'd highly recommend this-some of the stories have disturbing parts but they really are amazing!
What Astronomers Know by Shoni Conrad
Once a summer,
comes a night of shooting stars,
inspiring tourists
and astronomers to travel
to the darkest places.
Always,
the gift of darkness
has been light,
has been God.
Who
after all,
will recognize him
more completely
than those who have grown in the dark,
leaning toward imaginings of light,
waiting,
with all their candled hopes burning,
filaments
in the broad night?
This poem was a perfect sum up for this book. These Cambodian refugees were in the dark searching for light. Their stories are amazing! This was a quick and powerful read. After I finished the book all I wanted to do was hug everybody I love and give thanks for everything that I've got. The stories of horrors such as drinking water out of a pool of dead bodies because they were so thirsty or watching family members being executed are plentiful but they are also full of hope and acknowledgement that there was a higher power watching them in their moment of most need. I'd highly recommend this-some of the stories have disturbing parts but they really are amazing!
October 8, 2011
This book is truly the full range of darkness and light. I was only made aware of the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields in the past year and had no idea of the atrocities. I had seen several books on it but didn't fully know what it was.
A member of my church is originally from Cambodia and immigrated to California and then to Texas with her current family. It was her husband who told me about this book because her story is one of the many that are shared. When I received the book in the mail, I read her's first and cried as soon as I was done. I couldn't believe that this friend of mine had actually experienced so much darkness in her life because she is so full of happiness now.
This is what I take away from the book. I have worried about my children and their safety and well-being, but I have never been taken away from them and worried if they will die from the lack of food, land mines or an enemy's bullets. I have worked hard where my muscles ached for days and I slept so hard because of the work, but I have never worked in brutal situations for 16 + hours straight with the fear of having to dig my own grave if I don't perform. I have been hungry, but I have not been starved and given only rice water to eat....for years on end. I have seen loved ones die, but never in situations that were brutal. I have had to run where my lungs ached afterward and I felt like throwing up, but I have never had to run for my life.
I realize that Cambodia is not the only country to have had situations like this, but it certainly makes it more personal when someone you know and interact with experienced and survived such circumstances. And not only survived but has thrived in happiness despite her past.
The survivors in this book attribute their happiness to their conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and finding God and Christ in their lives. These are some personally poignant quotes....
"At times it has been hard to forgive those who treated me so poorly throughout my life. But it has been the Atonement of Christ that has helped me let go of the pain and the resentment and replaced them with love and forgiveness. They did a lot worse to Christ than anyone ever did to me, and he was able to forgive. So somehow I have to learn to forgive as well."
"Over and over, I have seen the Lord's mercy and protection. People can take away your homes and property. They can deprive you of food and clothing and shelter. They can ridicule you and spit on you. They can even kill your family and friends. But they cannot separate you from the Lord's love and kindness."
"I've always known that the Lord has been looking out for me. He spared my life so many times getting out of Cambodia. But the greatest miracle of all was bringing Jet into my life. He is Thai, and I am Cambodian. Our people were traditional enemies. Neither of our families really supported our marriage. But the Lord did, and that has made all the difference in our lives."
"To give in to our resentment would simply nurture the same impulses that led to the original atrocities - the urge to blame others for our problems. As Gandhi once taught, "And eye for and eye makes the whole world blind." Forgiveness doesn't preclude the possibility of accountability, and we certainly must hold those responsible accountable. But it is forgiveness that frees us from the hate and oppression of anger and stops the cycle of abuse."
And probably the most poignant in regards to having to associate and attend the same church with others who actually committed the crimes... "I can't fully describe the anguish it put me through to have to interact with them as 'brothers and sisters' in the church. But somehow the Lord helped me through that. I was able to let my anger go enough to allow the Lord to be their final judge. I learned to pray that He would help them change. I learned to pray for the Lord to change me and help me let go of the past....I knew they were my former enemies, but Christ taught us to love our enemies.... I know that Christ really can heal the breach between us and make us whole in His love."
A member of my church is originally from Cambodia and immigrated to California and then to Texas with her current family. It was her husband who told me about this book because her story is one of the many that are shared. When I received the book in the mail, I read her's first and cried as soon as I was done. I couldn't believe that this friend of mine had actually experienced so much darkness in her life because she is so full of happiness now.
This is what I take away from the book. I have worried about my children and their safety and well-being, but I have never been taken away from them and worried if they will die from the lack of food, land mines or an enemy's bullets. I have worked hard where my muscles ached for days and I slept so hard because of the work, but I have never worked in brutal situations for 16 + hours straight with the fear of having to dig my own grave if I don't perform. I have been hungry, but I have not been starved and given only rice water to eat....for years on end. I have seen loved ones die, but never in situations that were brutal. I have had to run where my lungs ached afterward and I felt like throwing up, but I have never had to run for my life.
I realize that Cambodia is not the only country to have had situations like this, but it certainly makes it more personal when someone you know and interact with experienced and survived such circumstances. And not only survived but has thrived in happiness despite her past.
The survivors in this book attribute their happiness to their conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and finding God and Christ in their lives. These are some personally poignant quotes....
"At times it has been hard to forgive those who treated me so poorly throughout my life. But it has been the Atonement of Christ that has helped me let go of the pain and the resentment and replaced them with love and forgiveness. They did a lot worse to Christ than anyone ever did to me, and he was able to forgive. So somehow I have to learn to forgive as well."
"Over and over, I have seen the Lord's mercy and protection. People can take away your homes and property. They can deprive you of food and clothing and shelter. They can ridicule you and spit on you. They can even kill your family and friends. But they cannot separate you from the Lord's love and kindness."
"I've always known that the Lord has been looking out for me. He spared my life so many times getting out of Cambodia. But the greatest miracle of all was bringing Jet into my life. He is Thai, and I am Cambodian. Our people were traditional enemies. Neither of our families really supported our marriage. But the Lord did, and that has made all the difference in our lives."
"To give in to our resentment would simply nurture the same impulses that led to the original atrocities - the urge to blame others for our problems. As Gandhi once taught, "And eye for and eye makes the whole world blind." Forgiveness doesn't preclude the possibility of accountability, and we certainly must hold those responsible accountable. But it is forgiveness that frees us from the hate and oppression of anger and stops the cycle of abuse."
And probably the most poignant in regards to having to associate and attend the same church with others who actually committed the crimes... "I can't fully describe the anguish it put me through to have to interact with them as 'brothers and sisters' in the church. But somehow the Lord helped me through that. I was able to let my anger go enough to allow the Lord to be their final judge. I learned to pray that He would help them change. I learned to pray for the Lord to change me and help me let go of the past....I knew they were my former enemies, but Christ taught us to love our enemies.... I know that Christ really can heal the breach between us and make us whole in His love."
March 7, 2015
I had finished reading "First They Killed my Father," and then saw this come to the market at Deseret Book. Great timing! It was a lift after reading the other accounts which don't end with finding the gospel. The last chapter discusses "how hell happens," how Cambodia came to the point of such upheaval and tries to help the reader comprehend how the genocide could be committed by neighbors, friends and children. Communism has to be one of the worst things anyone has ever invented.
June 8, 2021
I chose to read this book because I was required to read a Nonfiction book for my English class, and I was inspired to choose this book because another student suggested it and I was very interested in learning about the Khmer Rouge, which I didn't know about before. I would absolutely teach this book in a class. It holds 12 accounts of 12 different survivors who survived the reign of the Khmer Rouge, the Vietnamese takeover and then finding passage into Thailand to then immigrate to America. It offers an opportunity to teach about the genocide in Cambodia, which isn't usually taught in schools. It gives real accounts of what people experienced as well as the hope they found in finding their religion and coming closer to their God. It offers examples of hope, perseverance, faith, forgiveness, diligence and so much more! I would definitely recommend teaching students about this book and then pairing it up with more research projects, as well as potentially bringing in some other books/accounts to teach since this book is pretty small.
Warnings:
- A woman watches her mother in law be executed by being torn in half
- An elderly woman has boiling oil dumped on top of her, she dies instantly
- Dead bodies cover the streets, rivers and jungles
- People are killed by land mines
- Refugees are beaten and starved and executed
- Some mentioning of gang involvement in Florida and in California
- Children are abused, women are raped
I loved this book! I thought it was so honest and raw and while the stories weren't very long, they showed haunting experiences and left the reader wondering "How can people treat other people this way?" The book made me gasp out loud, weep, and yell for excitement when the survivors experienced something wonderful in their journey. I have recommended this book to so many people now, even people who are not of the "Mormon" religion because I think this book shows the strength of individuals and how they have come to forgiveness and have been able to make something better of their lives after enduring a living hell.
Warnings:
- A woman watches her mother in law be executed by being torn in half
- An elderly woman has boiling oil dumped on top of her, she dies instantly
- Dead bodies cover the streets, rivers and jungles
- People are killed by land mines
- Refugees are beaten and starved and executed
- Some mentioning of gang involvement in Florida and in California
- Children are abused, women are raped
I loved this book! I thought it was so honest and raw and while the stories weren't very long, they showed haunting experiences and left the reader wondering "How can people treat other people this way?" The book made me gasp out loud, weep, and yell for excitement when the survivors experienced something wonderful in their journey. I have recommended this book to so many people now, even people who are not of the "Mormon" religion because I think this book shows the strength of individuals and how they have come to forgiveness and have been able to make something better of their lives after enduring a living hell.
May 11, 2021
I picked this book because I actually knew one of the members in the accounts. She wanted me to read her story when I asked about a good non-fiction book to read for my class. I would definitely recommend that this book would be shared in schools (you can’t sugarcoat war or what happened in the Khmer Rouge). This book should be used in school to teach young adults the value of freedom and how fortunate they are to not face something as horrendous as the Khmer Rouge. Also, not many students even know about the Khmer Rouge, but the Holocaust is known, so there needs to be more light shined down on the forgotten event.
Warnings- there are mentions of rape and other sensitive topics within that same category. There are numerous sad parts in the book but many of the situations end happily. Lastly, there is horrible violence such as quartering people, children/babies die, people are burned, and others are killed by land mines. Slavery was still continuing in Cambodia and may also be sensitive to viewers.
Warnings- there are mentions of rape and other sensitive topics within that same category. There are numerous sad parts in the book but many of the situations end happily. Lastly, there is horrible violence such as quartering people, children/babies die, people are burned, and others are killed by land mines. Slavery was still continuing in Cambodia and may also be sensitive to viewers.
September 29, 2019
This book was written by a sister whose parents served for years in a Cambodian speaking ward in Long Beach, CA. It is the stories of these members of the church, living in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge, how they survived, moved to the US and became members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
February 11, 2016
A few years ago I read The Pol Pot Regime. That book awakened my interest to the tyrannic and diabolic rule and methods used by the Khmer Rouge, and the stories born from the sufferings of the Cambodian people. The stories and analyses I read in The Pol Pot regime were mostly of the murdering, depriving and hating of one race to another, so I didn't know quite what to expect from Out of the Killing Fields-Into the Light. What I found was that the promise written on the cover to inspire was profusely achieved in this book. I, like many others, am constantly amazed at the strength of the human spirit when it comes to survival, and forgiveness. With the help of our beloved Father in Heaven, these people, who suffered terrors not comprehensive to most that have been raised in nations of peace, or who have not suffered at the hands of dictatorships, did come to the Lord and did learn to forgive the ones that hurt them with unfathomable sins. These undeniably strong and soft-hearted children of God did let go of their anger, hatred and pain towards those that committed even the unforgivable sins against their loved ones. Even when they went through the darkest and most painful treatments and tortures that this world has to offer, they didn't let it corrupt them and change them into hateful and destructive beings. For they understand that they can be healed of even the deepest wounds through turning their hearts, as their Savior did, to love and forgiveness of those that did trespass with such great magnitude against them. This is a short read, but it has an everlastingly powerful message: That forgiveness overcomes hatred and pains brought upon by the evil one, and that forgiveness will bless us for the eternities.
January 2, 2012
Inspiring stories of people caught in no-win situations. Touching, thought provoking, painful, humbling. Be sure to read the notes from the author at the end, to miss them is to miss the point of reading this book.
Contains violence and scenes that could be hard on some individuals (ages 'teen and up type' book), though these are handled in the best possible way and with just a taste of the horrors must have been. It is through books like these that we are able to learn about such events in our world's past. For if we don't learn about them, we will be doomed to repeat them. May the latter never happen.
Contains violence and scenes that could be hard on some individuals (ages 'teen and up type' book), though these are handled in the best possible way and with just a taste of the horrors must have been. It is through books like these that we are able to learn about such events in our world's past. For if we don't learn about them, we will be doomed to repeat them. May the latter never happen.
May 1, 2014
This was a powerful, quick read. I couldn't put it down. It is amazing that anyone could survive the circumstances that these people endured. Reading this book made me so grateful for all the little comforts & blessings that I all too often take for granted.
My only fault with the book was that I wish many of the stories were more complete. I wanted to know 20 pages of details, but only got an overview in the 2 or 3 page narrative. I wish the interviewer had pressed for more details so that loose ends within each narrative were tied up better & the reader able to get a more complete picture.
My only fault with the book was that I wish many of the stories were more complete. I wanted to know 20 pages of details, but only got an overview in the 2 or 3 page narrative. I wish the interviewer had pressed for more details so that loose ends within each narrative were tied up better & the reader able to get a more complete picture.
July 20, 2016
A good choice for our R.S. book group. At times it seemed the stories blended in to each other, but then there were enough differences that made each person's experiences their own. I got a little welled up at some. I loved reading the experience of the husband and wife without realizing they were until the end of the 2nd story. I loved seeing how they found hope and peace, but that they were realistic that life still had problems. The Gospel just helped them learn how to deal with them. Short, quick read that was definitely worth it.
January 9, 2013
This is the first book I have read about Cambodia / Khmer Rouge / Killing Fields. This is the collected stories (a few pages each - wished they were longer) of 12 cambodian immigrants that went to the same ward in Long Beach, California. The similarities in their stories tell the history of what happened and what people had to face to get through it. The stories mostly made me grateful to live in the United States, and made me realize how much we take for granted.
March 14, 2015
What an interesting read of many Cambodians and their stories how they escaped communist Cambodia and found the gospel in the USA. Each story was unique, but I found myself wanting more detail. But that being said, it bore witness to me of the deep love the lord has for His children. Story after story was general and short, but every single time these people were given miracles and tender mercies leading them eventually to the gospel.
December 2, 2011
Great book as far as letting people know what happened during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. However, I wasn't crazy about how the book was set up. The individual stories were too similar, so it became a bit boring after a while to read the same thing. If it were written as a narrative, with the individual stories woven through, I think I would have liked it better. Otherwise, great stories of people overcoming terrible atrocities and finding their way to the gospel.
June 18, 2013
This book tells the stories of several Cambodians who survived the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge and the leader Pol Pot. Some narratives were short and I was left wanting more of the story. Still a good read to give you more of an understanding of the terror Pol Pot put upon the people of Cambodia.
July 4, 2012
Great group of stories to help you understand the realitites of Pol Pot's genocide in Cambodia, what life was like in refugee camps in Thailand, and what life was like adjusting as refugees in America, particularly Long Beach as immigrants.
December 28, 2011
Very interesting and quick read. Many of the stories are very similar. It is horrifying to read of the experience of these people. The last chapter is a very interesting and relevant essay on agency, communism and salvation that I think everyone should read.
January 26, 2012
This small book had a lot of heartache and pain in it; these are interviews recorded by a Church member who worked with a Cambodian branch in California and recorded the stories of suffering and atrocities and then their journeys finding hope and healing.
June 28, 2012
It's amazing to read stories of how people survived in Cambodia. Interesting how so many found peace and a home in the gospel.
June 25, 2013
Interesting read.
August 21, 2018
Stories about people living in Cambodia in the 1970s when a brutal regime took over. The trials are heartbreaking and unimaginable. They all eventually make it to the United Stated and join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (I hope that wasn’t a spoiler.). Their stories are amazing and I encourage you to take a look at this book. For me, it helped me to realize again the truths of the gospel and the peace it brings.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews