Customer Reviews

The Other Side of Heaven

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

John Groberg tells an amazing story of his mission to Tonga and his experiences with the Tongan people. In Tonga he gains great insight into human nature, his own mortality, and his concepts of faith, God, and what it means to be good. This book is a great, fast read and very uplifting considering all that has been happening around the world. This book reminded me that the only important thing in life is other people and how you treat them. I love this book and know that I will read it again and again. I've even suggested it for my book club and think we will have a great discussion about it.

I enjoyed this book! When all the trappings of daily modern life are stripped away, we can focus on what is really important in the eternal perspective, living and loving. Mr. Groberg shares his experiences and love for the Tongan people and culture and relates them to me personally. I was sorry when his mission was over, I would have liked to have learned more. I felt like a child sitting at the feet of a master story teller/teacher.

This is a wonderful true story about a Mormon Missionary and his experiences on a remote Tongan island during the early 1950's. It is an honest, heart-felt collection of sort chapters each describing a significant event, each with some sort of moral conclusion or lesson learned. It is refreshing to read a story about people and a culture that is totally removed from the hubbub of western culture. While they are "deprived" of the coviences of "civilization," the book makes it perfectly clear that the same issues of society are just as complex.

Really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and inspirational. Also, Groberg has a very understated, matter-of-fact style which works well because the story is so amazing. Highly recommend this book.

I got this book for Christmas and love it. Each chapter is short and teaches a great lesson. What I liked is that Elder Groberg then spells out what the lesson was for those like me who are a little slower.

This is one of my favorite books, and it helped to change my life and persuade some big decisions I made about 10 years ago, for the best.

I recommend this book to anyone, it is a good read with many neat stories, funny, spiritual, amazing, sad, and shocking. Good one to own, and pick up and read a chapter or two on a lazy afternoon.

The film was good, yet not totally accurate, but close enough. The book, in my opinion, is better!

I borrowed this from the library at the church and once I started reading it I knew I wanted my own copy! I wanted to start underlining and writing notes in the margins (which I don't generally do in books) so I bought my own copy. I bought one for a friend too. John H. Groberg shares his story in a way that the lesson fit right into your life. You want to be a better person, you want to improve your life. It was written beautifully and I enjoyed every chapter. I will read this again and again.

This is a book that explains a great deal about the Tongan culture and missionary work within that culture. I was very impressed to learn about the simplicity of the Tongans but also very amazed at the depth of the people.

In addition to explaining about the culture, you learn a great deal about missionary work in general. Specifically, you learn about missionary life in teaching individuals, in disappointment, in trying to follow the spirit, and in learning to love the people.

All in all, I was very impressed with the message and insights of this book. You can read this book strictly for learning about the culture, but you can also gain a number of insights about missionary work (in some ways, this would be great reading for a prospective missionary) as well as good core concepts of kindness and not judging.

An excellent movie about what we can do with the help of God. Mormons will enjoy the whole missionary aspect of the film, and non-Mormons will not be put off by any "preaching". Though this is a film about a Mormon missionary if you don't pay attention you may not even realize he is Mormon. He's just a guy trying to do God's work. LOVED IT.

This book was so personal and profound. I love books about personal growth and the power of God in our lives and this has both.