Nethermost: Missionary Miracles in Lowly Places

by Francis M. Gibbons, Daniel Bay Gibbons

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormons") sing with ringing conviction the words, "There's surely somewhere a lowly place in earth's harvest fields so wide, where I may labor through life's short day for Jesus the Crucified." In this collection of essays and stories about missionary work and miracles in lowly places, father and son coauthors Francis M. Gibbons and Daniel Bay Gibbons have captured the essence of serving in "the nethermost part of the vineyard." They draw upon their personal experiences of serving for over a dozen years in missionary and leadership callings in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, as well as from the treasure trove of remarkable missionary experiences in Mormon Church history.

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 2, 2014

Reviews

[William Lytle · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are abundant reasons for claims of bias on my part in commenting on this book: kinship (as a second cousin to Francis), familiarity (having spent two separate week-long 1960's visits in that home), and a preexisting admiration for Francis's writing (this is my first exposure to Daniel's output). But may I be allowed to set that all aside? I would argue anyway that familiarity, in this case, is an advantage; it provides insight, I believe, into how such a high-minded, astute tone can be, at the same time, so engaging, and its content so fresh and precisely apposite for the book's purposes. While visits in that home were highly entertaining (golf, swimming at the old Deseret Gym, movies, a visit to a car race track, and multiple visits to a Fernwood Ice Cream Parlor) Daniel's older siblings, to whom I was closer in age, were especially keen to navigate the mysteries (to me) of the Salt Lake City bus system to get us to the public library. This home was steeped in literature and learning. Their mother, Helen Bay Gibbons, a published author herself, is the essence of nobility, grace, and erudition. But that describes all of them.

I am delighted with this particular set of anecdotes. I'm especially drawn to the candid accounts of personal experiences of both authors, to which I believe most readers will respond with emotions evoked by similar events in their own life. What astounds me most in Nethermost is the authors' ability to have compiled just the right set of stories to remind and confirm what is known to others of us who share their faith, that the "marvelous work and wonder" begun in the first half of the nineteenth century, is, in fact, full of things at which to make us marvel and wonder. We shake our head again as to how it all comes about by such seemingly small and incidental occurrences, how the presence of the Holy Hand that guides it all is undeniable.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing stories of the gospel flooding the earth

This book is so interesting. They have gathered so many great stories of missionaries and dreams and miracles. Great read!

[Dahlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating...

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mission President wrote this book. So many tender experiences in Russia. Miracles are real!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the format, the stories and the writing!