What Happens When We Die? | Near-Death Experiences & the Spirit World — Brent & Wendy Top (LDS)

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when we die, according to LDS (Latter-day Saint) doctrine — and what do near-death experiences reveal about the spirit world? In this interview, Tia Smith talks with Brent and Wendy Top, authors of Glimpses Beyond Death's Door and What's on the Other Side?, who have researched near-death experiences alongside the scriptures and teachings of latter-day prophets for more than 30 years. Brent, a longtime BYU religious educator and now a sealer in the St. George Temple, and Wendy explain their method: let the doctrine stand first, then use non-Latter-day Saint near-death accounts as illumination rather than the reverse. They discuss the recurring elements of near-death experiences — light, an overwhelming sense of love, the life review, and the reality of a spirit world between death and resurrection — and tie them to gospel teachings on the plan of salvation, the law of restoration, and the Gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil. They share tender personal experiences of feeling loved ones near during temple and family history work, and counsel where to begin studying these doctrines: with the scriptures, and without becoming so fixated on sensational accounts that you look beyond the mark. The through-line, they testify, is love — that this life is a brief, vital part of an eternal journey, and that the whole plan is God drawing His children home through Jesus Christ.Q: What happens when we die, according to LDS doctrine?A: Latter-day Saint doctrine teaches that at death the spirit continues to exist in a spirit world — a place of continued learning, love, and reunion — while awaiting the resurrection. In this interview, Brent and Wendy Top, authors of Glimpses Beyond Death's Door, explain how the scriptures and prophets describe this, and how the recurring elements of near-death experiences echo those teachings.Q: Do near-death experiences support what Latter-day Saints believe?A: Brent and Wendy Top teach that many core elements of near-death experiences — light, an overwhelming love, a life review, and the reality of continued existence — align with gospel doctrine, which is why they wrote their books to let the doctrine stand first and use non-Latter-day Saint accounts as illumination. They also caution against becoming obsessed with sensational experiences at the expense of the scriptures.Q: How can I feel closer to loved ones who have died?A: In this episode the answer offered is to engage in the Gathering of Israel — temple and family history work — because doing the same work our loved ones are engaged in beyond the veil binds our hearts to theirs. Wendy Top shares experiences of feeling ancestors near and being guided to records during family history research, and Tia Smith testifies that her bond with her own children who have passed has grown stronger through this work.Q: Where should someone start studying the doctrine of the spirit world, especially while grieving?A: Brent and Wendy Top counsel starting with the scriptures — gathering the passages on death, the spirit world, and especially Christ's victory over death — and adding sources that bring comfort as well as information. They also note that timing matters in grief, that the Savior offers peace, and that studying the plan of salvation helps us see this life as a small but vital part of an eternal journey.▶️ WATCH & LISTEN🎬 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thinningoftheveil🌐 Website: https://www.thinningoftheveil.com🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thinning-of-the-veil/id1753511394🟢 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jWCfMHkZXwnSwy2b98J4M🎵 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a0a45561-d4c2-46d3-af8d-a1e967a21a25📖 BOOKPatterns of Revelation — Spiritual Foundations for Hearing God's Voice: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW36MG9B📱 CONNECTInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinning.of.the.veilFacebook Group (Gathering of the Gatherers): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1429562078443774Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thinningoftheveil💛 SUPPORT THE SHOWVenmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/thinningoftheveilPayPal: https://paypal.me/thinningoftheveil✉️ Have you had a thinning of the veil experience? Email [email protected] — your testimony may be exactly what someone needs to hear.#ThinningOfTheVeil #SpiritWorld #TempleWork #FamilyHistory #LDS #LatterDaySaints #GatheringOfIsrael #MinisteringAngels #FamilySearch #PersonalRevelationSupport the show