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The Gateway We Call Death
Even Latter-day Saints, with knowledge of the plan of salvation, often have trouble coping with the idea of death. In this book, Elder Russell M. Nelson discusses death from the unique perspective of a medical doctor and as an apostle. Our purpose in life is to be tested, to develop faith, to make and keep sacred covenants, and later, to leave. He offers reassurance about this experience and what follows, and he gives comfort and counsel to those who face death or the loss of a loved one and answers puzzling questions.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1995
52 people are currently reading
471 people want to read
About the author
Russell M. Nelson
35 books228 followersRussell Marion Nelson is the 17th president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Prior to his service as head of the Church, President Nelson served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He is also a retired American physician and cardiothoracic surgeon.
A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 1947). He is a member of honorary scholastic societies Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. He served his residency in surgery at Mass. General Hosptial in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded his Ph.D. degree in 1954. Shortly after medical school, he began working with the team of doctors which created the first heart-lung machine. In 1951, the machine was used in the first open-heart operation on a human being. Four years later, Nelson was the first doctor in Utah to perform successful open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine.
Nelson served a two-year term of medical duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, being stationed in Korea, Japan, and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Later he worked for a year at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nelson returned to Salt Lake City in 1955 and was initially on the academic staff of the College of Medicine at the University of Utah, where in November of that year he performed the first cardiac operation in Utah utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass. That operation was performed at the Salt Lake General Hospital (SLGH) on an adult with an atrial septa defect.
In March 1956, Nelson performed the first successful pediatric cardiac operation at the SLGH, a total repair of tetralogy of Fallot in a four-year-old girl. In 1959, he joined the staff of the Salt Lake Clinic, became associated with the LDS Hospital, and continued to make major contributions to the development of the thoracic specialty both in the clinical sciences and as the second director of the residency program.
Nelson's surgical volume was sufficiently large that it was a critical component of the residents' experience. He was an innovative and facile surgeon responsible for many improvements in cardiac operations. He also established a research laboratory at LDS Hospital.
By the late 1960s, Nelson's experience with artificial aortic valve implantation was such that he was able to report a large series of patients with an exceptionally low operative mortality.
In a unique combination of spiritual and professional obligations, Nelson performed heart surgery on LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball.
A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 1947). He is a member of honorary scholastic societies Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. He served his residency in surgery at Mass. General Hosptial in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded his Ph.D. degree in 1954. Shortly after medical school, he began working with the team of doctors which created the first heart-lung machine. In 1951, the machine was used in the first open-heart operation on a human being. Four years later, Nelson was the first doctor in Utah to perform successful open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine.
Nelson served a two-year term of medical duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, being stationed in Korea, Japan, and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Later he worked for a year at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nelson returned to Salt Lake City in 1955 and was initially on the academic staff of the College of Medicine at the University of Utah, where in November of that year he performed the first cardiac operation in Utah utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass. That operation was performed at the Salt Lake General Hospital (SLGH) on an adult with an atrial septa defect.
In March 1956, Nelson performed the first successful pediatric cardiac operation at the SLGH, a total repair of tetralogy of Fallot in a four-year-old girl. In 1959, he joined the staff of the Salt Lake Clinic, became associated with the LDS Hospital, and continued to make major contributions to the development of the thoracic specialty both in the clinical sciences and as the second director of the residency program.
Nelson's surgical volume was sufficiently large that it was a critical component of the residents' experience. He was an innovative and facile surgeon responsible for many improvements in cardiac operations. He also established a research laboratory at LDS Hospital.
By the late 1960s, Nelson's experience with artificial aortic valve implantation was such that he was able to report a large series of patients with an exceptionally low operative mortality.
In a unique combination of spiritual and professional obligations, Nelson performed heart surgery on LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
October 25, 2020
For anyone who is mourning, this book is a comfort, but for those who have lost a child, and been deprived of the joy of raising that baby, I think you will especially find peace in the words of President Nelson and the many prophets and scriptures he quotes. I have miscarried a couple of times and also had a still birth. It has been four years and in that time some questions have formed. I did not think I would receive answers to them in this life, but the Lord has blessed me greatly to find and read this book. I weep at His love for me and His willingness to answer my personal questions.
April 23, 2022
As a long-time member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I consider myself well-informed about its doctrinal and theological teachings. This short book, written in 1995, reminded me of things I knew and inspired me about things I thought I understood. The author is currently the leader of the Church and this book was written a decade before being widowed. He draws upon his professional experiences as a practicing medical surgeon and his study and thinking about death and its relation to living here and now. In the years since publication, the author would experience losses of family members and colleagues. The inspiring tone of the book is poignant given these losses. I appreciate the reflection this book invited.
May 7, 2019
This book isn’t what I thought it would be. It’s mainly a comfort read for those that have recently lost a loved one. I loved the chapter, “The Veil is Sometimes Thin.” It’s comforting to know how marvelous everything will be after life on this earth.
March 29, 2018
Just the right amount of anecdotal and doctrinal exploration of the topic of death.
February 13, 2022
Wonderful insights! So many takeaways! Best book for a grieving soul!
December 2, 2017
There is so much profound and comforting truth in the book. It would be the perfect gift for someone mourning the loss of a loved one.
September 17, 2020
I wasn’t expecting this book to be all about death... haha but it was still interesting and comforting to read!
November 8, 2023
Great book to read to remind us about death and the here after. How the ones that left before us are here with us
July 6, 2020
This book is wonderful, especially for those who have lost someone they love. It is full of excellent reminders that those who have passed on are not gone, and are closer than they may appear. There are also important truths about the gospel, reassuring quotes from prophets, and ultimately the hope that we will one day be reunited with those we love so much.
June 25, 2009
I loved this book. It was a short read and was filled with all sorts of excellent quotes from scriptures and prophets. there was no new information in this book. It was just what we already know from the Standard Wroks all put together in a comforting format.
I received it from a friend after the death of my baby and just couldn't face reading it at the time. Although, I would give it as a gift in the same circumstances.
I received it from a friend after the death of my baby and just couldn't face reading it at the time. Although, I would give it as a gift in the same circumstances.
March 24, 2009
I probably should have read this book about a year ago. Definitely a helpful read for those who have recently lost someone, although you still have to take the time to work your way through the grieving process, which takes years.
February 6, 2018
This is one of the most helpful books as I am going through the mourning process. Elder Nelson gives a lot compassion and doctorine, which gives me a lot of peace.
June 5, 2009
I read this in one setting, and loved it. Elder Nelson uses many comforting scriptures concerning death, which I appreciated. I loved reading the words of the Lord and His prophets.
April 4, 2014
A great overview of death and understanding the gateway. I like how the many forms of death are addressed and comfort is given for everyone.
January 31, 2018
I listened to this book. There was so much insight about the plan of salvation and about death.
July 26, 2019
As a physician President Nelson is well acquainted with death. It is especially inevitable as we age. Increased longevity makes for more things to go wrong. But our trials will only help with our education here on earth.
Some of the highlights from the book that I liked are the following:
—“for dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return.” He talked about when his grandfather Anderson died. It was then he realized that it was his spirit that he knew and his body will return to the earth.
— self mastery equals spiritual control over the body. Addiction is the opposite. The body then controls the spirit.
—we should understand the spiritual death as well as the physical death of the body.
—Mourning is natural. We can’t fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now.
—The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.
— just as Overdoses of needed medication Can be toxic so limitless grief can go out of bounds.
—unto very law are boundary lines. There are out of bounds warning signs, such as trying to council the Lord.
—Mourning is not a sign of weakness neither is it to be avoided. Mourning is the lubricant of love at the gateway.
—the lord said, “ Ye that have faith unto me and is NOT appointed unto death shall be healed. Pres kimball added. Many can be spared if they have enough faith but even those of great faith if it is their time will die.
— when president Nelson has been asked what the secret to longevity is he usually responds with a quotation from the oath and covenant of the priesthood “...who so is faithful unto the obtaining of these two priesthoods of which I have spoken and the magnifying their calling are sanctifying by the spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.
—suicide is a choice. Immortality applies to all as does repentance. What about euthanasia? Merciful as it may seem...only God is to create the end of life.
What about extension of life, beyond a reasonable or even a remote chance? A living will is a thoughtful gesture for times like this. More important than length of life is quality of life.
—wilford woodruff has quoted Joseph Smith as saying “if people knew what was behind the veil they would try by every means that they might get there. But the lord in his wisdom has implanted the fear of death in every person that they might cling to life and thus accomplish the designs of their creator.”
—The Lord promised, I will not leave you comfortless.
Some of the highlights from the book that I liked are the following:
—“for dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return.” He talked about when his grandfather Anderson died. It was then he realized that it was his spirit that he knew and his body will return to the earth.
— self mastery equals spiritual control over the body. Addiction is the opposite. The body then controls the spirit.
—we should understand the spiritual death as well as the physical death of the body.
—Mourning is natural. We can’t fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now.
—The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.
— just as Overdoses of needed medication Can be toxic so limitless grief can go out of bounds.
—unto very law are boundary lines. There are out of bounds warning signs, such as trying to council the Lord.
—Mourning is not a sign of weakness neither is it to be avoided. Mourning is the lubricant of love at the gateway.
—the lord said, “ Ye that have faith unto me and is NOT appointed unto death shall be healed. Pres kimball added. Many can be spared if they have enough faith but even those of great faith if it is their time will die.
— when president Nelson has been asked what the secret to longevity is he usually responds with a quotation from the oath and covenant of the priesthood “...who so is faithful unto the obtaining of these two priesthoods of which I have spoken and the magnifying their calling are sanctifying by the spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.
—suicide is a choice. Immortality applies to all as does repentance. What about euthanasia? Merciful as it may seem...only God is to create the end of life.
What about extension of life, beyond a reasonable or even a remote chance? A living will is a thoughtful gesture for times like this. More important than length of life is quality of life.
—wilford woodruff has quoted Joseph Smith as saying “if people knew what was behind the veil they would try by every means that they might get there. But the lord in his wisdom has implanted the fear of death in every person that they might cling to life and thus accomplish the designs of their creator.”
—The Lord promised, I will not leave you comfortless.
June 29, 2025
I work at Deseret Book, and for the month of June we did a reading competition. Obviously, they had to be ones we sold at our store. This has been on my TBR for a while because of former coworker. She’s older and such a sweet lady. When her husband died, it was hard on her. So hard that she had to move to a different state so she wouldn’t be constantly reminded of him. One day when we were slow at work, she talked to me about this book and how it helped her through that rough time. For our competition, I read it, and wow. This might be my favorite book I read for the competition! 🖤 I was listening to the audiobook and it’s read by President Nelson, too. It creates a whole new level of comfort to this book. (I always say that President Nelson just has something comforting about him). If you’re going through the stages of grief over losing someone to death, this book is a beautiful read that will give you comfort. Even if you aren’t dealing with grief right now, I STILL recommend this book! There’s still comfort to be brought from this. He ends it with his testimony and that might be my favorite part. Okay, well, I guess choosing a “favorite part” is tough. I do recommend it to everyone!
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November 25, 2024My mom and one of my sisters both succumbed to cancer within the last month, so I’ve been working myself through the difficulties of the grieving process. This was a gift from my best friend’s family to help me through such challenging times.
Not really certain I can rate this one. It’s mostly a collection of scriptures and apostolic comments, both ancient and modern, about death and how it relates to mortal experience.
There are a few interesting points in here, especially Elder Nelson’s observation that mourning is healthy but should be kept within boundaries. Some people choose to stay in mourning indefinitely, and this will lead to bitterness and anger. Not that anyone should rush the process—everyone needs to grieve for however long is necessary. But we also need to get outside of ourselves and serve others to reconnect ourselves to the world around us.
So yeah, a comforting book with some good insights, but it’s so short and standard that I don’t think I can rate it. But I’m glad I read it, and I look forward to someday reuniting with Mom and my sister on the Other Side.
Not really certain I can rate this one. It’s mostly a collection of scriptures and apostolic comments, both ancient and modern, about death and how it relates to mortal experience.
There are a few interesting points in here, especially Elder Nelson’s observation that mourning is healthy but should be kept within boundaries. Some people choose to stay in mourning indefinitely, and this will lead to bitterness and anger. Not that anyone should rush the process—everyone needs to grieve for however long is necessary. But we also need to get outside of ourselves and serve others to reconnect ourselves to the world around us.
So yeah, a comforting book with some good insights, but it’s so short and standard that I don’t think I can rate it. But I’m glad I read it, and I look forward to someday reuniting with Mom and my sister on the Other Side.
May 7, 2024
This book had a lot of great things in it. And I did like the section on child loss. But it also made me upset with how it kept focusing on the silver lining. (I'm just not there yet or holy enough or something) But I feel that sometimes it's okay to be sad and feel sad, and I feel this book didn't let me be sad it just kept saying that I should be happy and have joy. Like putting on a happy face even if you're faking it, and I don't agree with that. I feel you need to work through the sadness before you can get the joy. (And maybe that's what this book meant but it didn't come across that way. Or I'm just not prophetly enough. 😋)
May 19, 2019
"Today we have a little more time to bless others--time to be kinder, more compassionate, quicker to thank and slower to scold, more generous in sharing, more gracious in caring. Since happiness is the object of our existence, taking time to smell the roses is advisable. Joy is a journey, not a destination."
This is a gentle compilation about death and morning.
I suppose most people don't really know the story of Caroline Grant, wife of Jedidiah Grant and how her baby daughter died. It's worth reading before you read the book.
This is a gentle compilation about death and morning.
I suppose most people don't really know the story of Caroline Grant, wife of Jedidiah Grant and how her baby daughter died. It's worth reading before you read the book.
December 29, 2020
very interesting perspective on death.
lost my dad about six years ago and my mom hasn't recovered or been able to even look at picture of my dad.
everyone processes grief in a different way, but the way he lays it out is so graceful and fresh and new.
the thing that had me laughing -- is that one of the good things about people dying is that there are enough resources for all of us. he said if everyone was living, we wouldn't own a home, or be able to live or own anything. laughing because the line was if there were too many people, we wouldn't be able to live. :)
also i love this man and his words and he is a joy to listen to.
lost my dad about six years ago and my mom hasn't recovered or been able to even look at picture of my dad.
everyone processes grief in a different way, but the way he lays it out is so graceful and fresh and new.
the thing that had me laughing -- is that one of the good things about people dying is that there are enough resources for all of us. he said if everyone was living, we wouldn't own a home, or be able to live or own anything. laughing because the line was if there were too many people, we wouldn't be able to live. :)
also i love this man and his words and he is a joy to listen to.
January 17, 2018
A beautiful reminder of God's plan for us! President Nelson explains things very thoroughly and clearly, addressing tough topics such as the death of children, euthanasia and suicide. His experience as a surgeon provides a unique, intriguing perspective. But the same time, he keeps things very simple and precise, bringing you back to the basic doctrines of Christ's gospel. The whole book is a reminder of the big picture, and helps to quell the fears and worries that come with death.
March 18, 2018
This book is a great review of all of the teachings of the LDS church about death, resurrection, salvation and eternal life. There is not a whole lot of new insights but the doctrine contained in it is pure and true. For someone going through a loss it is a great reminder of the eternal perspective God has promised us to help us through our greatest trials. It is a very quick read and reads like a conference talk.
December 27, 2022
We recently lost my father and I was looking for something that would provide a light and hope for my mother who is missing her eternal companion. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this book provides a basic overview of our belief and understanding of the plan of salvation and is doctrinally sound and supported. It was comforting to be reminded of the things I know to be true as I mourn alongside those that loved my dad.
January 4, 2023
Great book presenting doctrinal teachings on where death fits in this life and the ongoing plan. Provides insight from both a medical and spiritual aspect. I have gifted this book to friends and hospitals to help those facing end of life decisions and challenges in hope that they can find the peace I feel the author wishes to extend to all of us through the doctrinal truths he writes about in this important volume.
November 21, 2023
This was an incredibly insightful book. So comforting and informational, and very hard to read for long stretches. It's a short book, but took a good long while to get through. Lots of scriptures quoted along with poems and philosophy. Reading this and knowing less than a decade later the author would lose his wife very suddenly gave it a lot of depth. I trust that the author -- widower, prophet, and surgeon -- knows what he's talking about when he talks about death.
May 7, 2020
This short book, written mainly for those who are mourning, was a good review of the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about death, the Spirit World, resurrection, and eternal life. It didn’t contain a lot of new doctrine for me, but was a good review of what happens at death and how those left behind should feel. I especially liked the last two chapters.
June 10, 2022
This book has some insight into death that I previously heard referenced, but possessed no concrete information for. I truly appreciated the value and perspective on our loved ones who pass on, specifically regarding Trauma, Childhood death, and Suicide. What a beautiful reminder of all that is in store, and the value of this life, and the next.
July 10, 2022
Not my fav. Probably good for those who want to read about religion with death as the general background topic. I was looking for more answers to questions and maybe some comfort in the time of loss. Didn't really provide those. I did find a couple of quotes that I appreciated, but that was all I got out of it.
August 26, 2023
This book, aimed primarily at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, is by a neurosurgeon president of the church. He details the beliefs and covenants of the church, with copious scriptural and authority references to explain what is known, what is believed, and what is hoped about the life after this.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews