Customer Reviews

The Great Gathering (Standing in Holy Places)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The author has taken his time to masterfully weave in the finer points of LDS doctrine into these books, Just when I thought he'd missed something huge, he brought it into the main storyline. My mother is a non member with a healthy interest in apocalyptic literature, I have been looking for ways to turn her on to a faithful prospective on apocalyptic stories.. I see this as the least confrontational. I recommend this book at the top of my list of LDS fiction. The author appeals to all audiences...

I didn't have the highest expectations when I started this book. A lot of the LDS novels I've read have been sub-par, but I was pleasantly surprised with The Great Gathering. Daybell is no Herman Melville, but that's a good thing: the good bits weren't buried under twelve tons of literary symbolism and metaphor.

I felt the story began too abruptly--the characters are introduced in a pre-chapter, explaining briefly who we're supposed to care about with a cardboard-thin biography, and then it's off to the races! More time developing the characters to the point that I care what happens to them would have been welcome. The dialogue was awful in places (but then, written dialogue usually is), with the usual response to earth-shattering events being, "Wow, that is amazing." Daybell's political leanings seemed rather apparent in some places.

That said, by the end of the novel I did care what happened to the characters. Hopefully, audiences will read this story and not notice any of my criticisms and merely be impressed to listen to the Prophet and prepare for the coming of the Lord. That so many in Utah chose to reject the Prophet in the story was painful and, unfortunately, probably accurate. I wouldn't categorize this as great literature...but I do want to read the next. And isn't that the best measure for a book?

I enjoyed this series. Book #3 was a little slow, but 4 & 5 made up for it. The books are fiction, but I can see the things the author writes as being possible. I found these books an enjoyable read. And they do make you think about what could happen in the future.

The events in the last days before Christ comes are not all doom and gloom. This book confirms what I have always felt, which is those who follow the Lord and prepare themselves to be obedient to what they have been counseled to do will find great joy and excitement as the Lord prepares the world for his return. Although told from a fictional point, I believe the author has prayerfully considered and has received inspiration for what he has written. I'm not saying things will happen exactly as Mr. Daybell says or written. However, I believe the feelings, choices, experiences will be very similar. I know I felt the holy ghost very strong as I read these books. People like Chad Daybell are being used as a instrument in the Lord's hands to prepare his people for when these events as told to us in scripture will become reality. Thank you Brother Daybell for the blessings you have certainly brought into my life as I have read these books (can't wait for book 4). I feel a greater sense of joy and excitement about the last days as I have ready these books.

I completely love all the books in this series! It feels like you're right there, which means I feel like the end of the world is here for a few days. Very well written and keeps you hooked in! It's very real and things could happen a lot like this!