Eve And The Mortal Journey: Finding Wholeness, Happiness, And Strength

by Beverly Campbell

Can we really find happiness beyond the struggles of life? The story of Eve does not end in the Garden of Eden, nor does the example we can draw from her experience. In this companion volume to Eve and the Choice Made in Eden, Beverly Campbell examines the lessons from Eve’s mortal journey and suggests practical applications for our own paths and choices in life. The book includes chapters on seeking a personal connection with God, applying the principles of the Plan of Happiness on a daily basis, defining and working within the seasons of our lives, coping with inevitable trials, giving and receiving love, and creating sacred spaces where our souls can be nurtured.

Genres: Lds, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Church, Womens, History

185 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2005

About the author

Beverly Campbell served for twelve years as a Director of International Affairs for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As director of community relations for Special Olympics, Inc., she played a major role in the creation and developement of the Special Olympics programs. She has served on numerous civic and government boards and has been a spokesperson for the LDS Church on the Equal Rights Amendment and other women’s issues.

She and her husband, A. Pierce Campbell, are the parents of three children and grandparents of six. After living thirty- plus years in the Washington, D.C., area, they now reside in Arizona.

- from Deseret Book

Reviews

[Courtney Hatch]

2 stars looks harsher than I feel 😂. Campbell’s first in the series, Eve and the Choice Made in Eden is one of the best books of all-time. ALL TIME. Read it.

Because of that, I had high expectations for this one, and it hurt deep when they weren’t met haha. This book was not really about Eve. It was more some nice thoughts on mortal life, which is great, it just wasn’t what I wanted to read.

[Melissa’s Bookshelf]

Enjoyed this sequel to Eve and the Choice Made in Eden! Though I liked the first book a bit better, I still really enjoyed the messages of this book. In this book, women are encouraged to not be so hard on ourselves, to develop the gifts that God has given us, and finding out what our unique mission is. It is filled with uplifting examples and food for thought. Highly recommend this!

[Stephanie]

Finally finished! I liked this book. I liked its predecessor better. I felt like there were parts of this one that riveted me and other parts where my attention wandered. That could also have been due to my lackadaisical and sporadic approach to actually doing any reading in it.

[Jana]

I didn't love this quite as much as I loved the first one -- and the best one of all is the article she wrote for Collegium Aesculapium -- but I love the way she takes lessons from the garden of Eden and applies them to our mortal journey. I especially love what she had to say about love, friendship, connectedness and happiness.

Her closing paragraphs sum it up so beautifully: "In the end, then, it all comes down to choices -- our choices, our choice to honor divine contracts, our choice to elect and select happiness, our choice of that which is vital over that which is merely important, our choice to embrace the Light of Christ, to invite the Holy Comforter into out lives, and to understand the true and very personal love of God for us." I read and reread that paragraph. And this one: "May you find unparalleled growth and unimagined joy in this, your mortal journey."

I found this to be a very healing and inspiring read.

[Lee]

Beverly Campbell has such a great understanding of women. I loved reading this loving witness of the greatness of our Mother Eve. I felt inspired and uplifted as I took to heart the witness she shared and the plan she had to help me gain a better understanding and knowledge of how to find and enjoy true happiness.

[Shane Neilsen]

A Meaningful Companion to Eve and the Choice Made in Eden

Beverly Campbell’s Eve and the Mortal Journey takes the insights of her first book and brings them directly into the challenges, choices, relationships, and experiences of everyday life.

What I appreciated most about this book is Campbell’s ability to connect Eve’s mortal journey with our own. She writes thoughtfully about developing a personal relationship with God, finding happiness in the different seasons of life, enduring trials, giving and receiving love, and creating places in our lives where the Spirit can be felt and our souls strengthened.

This book caused me to reflect on mortality differently. Rather than viewing life simply as something to endure or get through, Campbell presents it as a purposeful journey filled with opportunities to choose, grow, love, learn, and become something greater than we were before.

I especially appreciated her emphasis on recognizing our individual purpose and not measuring our lives against someone else’s journey. There is both strength and reassurance in her message that our experiences, including the difficult ones, can have meaning when viewed through the perspective of God’s plan.

I would highly recommend reading Eve and the Choice Made in Eden first and then continuing with this book. Together, they offer a deeper appreciation for Eve while also providing a thoughtful and spiritually uplifting perspective on our own mortal journey.

[jyweniverel]

My dad recommended this book to me, and I’m glad I read it. Eve didn’t sin by partaking of the fruit, she made it possible for us to live. There is so many beautiful insights and wisdom in this book that is what we, as a society, need in the world. A delightful and must read book, for those who feel the same.
“Christ shows us the model for love as oneness, as sacrifice, as obligation, as honor, but ultimately all of these models are individual and embrace the tremendous power our thoughts and simple acts have over circumstances and people.”

[Kole]

This book wasn't as grea t as the first one. I loved the first book and was really excited for this book but feel disappointed. It felt lacking. There were good moments but overall it was just ok.

I think I feel this way because of how fondly I feel for the first book. This book didn't feel like a "sequel" and didn't have the appeal of the first. It couild have been, and in my opinion should have been, a stand alone book.

[Bruce]

A great book about the relationship between men an women. Men and women are different; however, each has strengths which are superior to the other, and, in the compose, neither is better nor worse than the other. When their differences are joined together in mutual respect, counsel, and cooperation, they can create a heaven on earth as well as thru the eternities.

[Tosca Wijns-Van Eeden]

An interesting book on how to use Mother Eve as an example of finding wholeness, happiness and strength in this life. Although very interesting, it wasn't as good as her first book: Eve and the choice made in Eden.
This book was more focussed on how to live our own lives, and find our own happiness in this life.

[Rorie]

We read the first book in this series for book club a while ago, and I actually didn't finish it. I don't know why - maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind or something. However, when we read this book for book club, I really enjoyed it. I have multiple passages highlighted, and we had several really good discussions each time we met to discuss the book. I'm glad I read it.

[Heather]

With Eve and the Choice made in Eden I highlighted constantly wanting to be able to reference the ideas that were presented. With this book I was not as moved. Very little highlights.

[Jodee Clark]

very good insights. things we have all heard before but phrased differently. I really liked her formula for happiness. glad I read this book.

[Apzmarshl]

How to move Eastward (toward God).

[Christi Sewell]

This book have me a great deal to ponder and consider in regards to my own mortal journey.

[Elizabeth Ricks]

I enjoyed this book. There are some very good ideas. I liked Campbell's first book about Eve better though.

[Sheri]

Finally finished this book.

[Heather]

GReat great book and I am glad I read it. Awesome notes about women finding happiness along the way. I especially loved the discussion on living in the present vs. past/future as I tend to think way ahead into the future and plan plan plan (i can't help it).

Loved:
"no matter how grand the adventure or how stunning the diversions, the real, bottom-line longings of the soul, the truest desires of the heart, are to return to those places where we can feel His spirit." pg. 4
"desire is active not passive. It has to do with more than wishing; it's about heartfelt longing, and it's about a real craving...We must desire peace above power; we must desire love above lust; we must desire wholeness above gratification. We must desire God's words above man's words." pg. 12
"We, each of us, came to earth on a series of mission, not just one--but many" pg. 21
"Don't look for a life virtually free from discomfort, pain, pressure, challenge, or grief, for those are the tools a loving Father uses to stimulate our personal growth and understanding." pg. 59 so great
"Central to the personalities of those who descrived themselves as happy was a sense of optimism and a belief in self." pg. 63 believe this is true too
"Work does not always mean frenetic activity. Sometimes the most important work you can do is rocking a child, assisting in the search for a four-leafed clover, watching a child show off her roller blade prowess, holding the hand of a friend of one you love, finding the beauty in the clouds of a windswept sky." pg. 66
"Education should be ongoing, throughout an entire life and should prepare you to enter and leave the marketplace without too great a penatly." pg. 75
empty nesters "felt as though she has lost her identity" pg. 83
pg. 107 not my job fix it
pg. 130 forever planning, visiting the past or the future
pg. 142 homes models of heaven
pg. 149 her anniversary booklet wishes!

[Susie]

Read because I enjoyed her first book so much. Much less heavy, tackles a different subject entirely, and honestly though it offers many wonderful insights, they are mostly things I have pondered before... but now that I have finished it I cannot recommend it enough (though in some sections it is particularly written for women.) This book covered a lot of ground, and she is such a phenomenal person that just reading her writing is a joy in itself. Two of my favorite sections: she helps you to identify and categorize the kinds of interpersonal relationships one needs in life, with great yet simple insight and clarity. And another, she talks about one way that she and her children chose to strengthen their relationship by sharing one another's answers to key deep questions. Campbell is always well read and well referenced, too, but manages to do so without alienating her audience. Deserves to be savored one chapter or section at a time. I hope you'll give it a chance, this book was an absolute feast!

[Lauren]

The main thing I learned from this book is that before we came to earth, we agreed to do certain things while we were here. Through our lives opportunities, church callings, trials, etc. may come up that will help us move towards accomplishing those things we agreed to do. If we pass up opportunities because we don't feel confident in doing it, we may be keeping ourselves from honoring our "divine contract" (as the author calls it in the book.)

While this book is written for women, I feel much of what is written pertains to both men and women.

[Carol]

I hate to be harsh on a church book--especially since I loved the first Eve book so much, but I'm not even finishing this one. I just felt that the author was name-dropping and calling too much attention to herself and her accomplishments in this book. I'm putting it aside and maybe at a later date I can read it with a kinder view.

[Mina]

Eve and the Choice Made in Eden=spectacular!! I loved it, couldn't wait for more insights into Mother Eve. Eve and the Mortal Journey=sub-par. Nothing better than your average RS lesson, which is nice, but I don't want to read a whole book like that. Feels like it was written just to prolong the success of the first, fabulous book. I don't have the energy to continue with it.

[Melissa]

I loved this book and highly recommend it. It was different than I thought it would be, but I am grateful for that. This book is about mortality, our journey back to our Heavenly Father, and our individual missions to help further the work of God. I love inspiring books like this!

[Sharon]

I liked Sister Campbell's first book, "Eve and the Choice Made in Eden" much better, because I came to understand Eve's calling and the reason for her choice in the Garden. The second book is more like a self help and there wasn't much I hadn't heard before.

[Naomi]

It only took me almost 9 months to finish this relatively short book. Beverly Campbell's first book is much more compelling and fascinating than this book, her second. But perhaps I may have appreciated this 2nd book more if I had completed it within a shorter time frame.

[Jennifer]

I didn't "hate" the book but I felt like there was some rehashing of topics discussed in the first book the further I read. The first half of the book was very thought-provoking but I eventually became bored. I preferred the first book and would read the first book again.

[Christi]

I didn't like this book as much as her previous book on Eve. I felt this book was much more her own opinion, and also more touchy-feely. I also questioned some of her assertions. It was still fun to read and she is a good writer, but I wasn't as impressed.

[Mandy Wheadon]

Another good book to help you find peace and happiness in your role as a woman.

[Lacey]

This was a good book for women. It discusses issues that are specifically directed and important to women in this day and age.

[Katie]

Great follow up to Eve and the Choice Made in Heaven. Loved it.