Hannah was born and raised in Denmark into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or LDS). Her upbringing was centered around God and she became very dedicated to the LDS faith feeling deeply in her soul that it was the ultimate truth.
That was until she had been married for six years.
Ed was born in the US and came from an LDS background like Hannah. Genealogy brought them together as they are ninth cousins. How exactly they met is a rather complicated story and involves an ad in the paper, letters sent across the Atlantic that were lost for six months, meetings with grandparents, pictures and letters between Ed and Hannah, and a telegram.
They first met in Missouri in the summer of 1980. Ed proposed after only six days and for some odd reason Hannah accepted. They were married five months later and Hannah moved to Missouri where Ed was living at the time on a goat farm. It was only after the wedding that Hannah found out that Ed was not as dedicated to the LDS faith as she was.
After six years they had two boys having lived all across the USA during which time their arguments had become increasingly more heated as Hannah wanted to be more LDS and Ed only wanted to be less. Finally it culminated in 1987 when he confronted her and laid all his beliefs on the table.
The book details how Hannah and Ed met across the continents and how they survived the first years of a troubled marriage as they found out how different they were relating to culture, language, and religion. The book then details Ed's confrontation when he reveals his deepest secrets that Hannah never suspected, how she had a breakdown because of the religious controversies, and finally it details her healing and how she was able to restore a faith, which was far more embracing.
As I read Hannah Reborn: Maturing and Healing the Soul beyond Organized Religion, I found myself completely enthralled with Rev. Hannah Thomsen’s spiritual life journey. Hannah writes about her spiritual awakening into discovering who she really is.Ultimately she was able to have her fundamental beliefs shaken to the core; which resulted in revealing answers she had been yearning for many years to understand. Her path has been an intriguing one, redefining and enabling Hannah to become closer to her husband as well as herself.
Hannah and her family are Mormons, belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.She was married at a young age to a gentleman by the name of Ed Thomsen, a man she hardly knew.Ed and his family had been excommunicated from the Mormon Church for reasons unbeknownst at the time to Hannah.In the early stages of their marriage, Ed was supportive of his wife’s religious beliefs, but had his own clandestine spiritual belief system.He felt it was taboo to have an open discussion about their differences in faith fearing it would hinder their relationship.I would hypothesize Ed Thomsen led his esoteric-double-spiritual- lifestyle for some time during their marriage before really being forthcoming about his own true beliefs.Ed believes in reincarnation (regeneration, as he prefers to call it), spirit guides, UFO’s and extraterrestrial civilizations.
Hannah and Ed had a lot of stress in their marriage which made for a very challenging relationship.There were cultural differences, language barriers, religious differences, and financial burdens.Having the responsibility of children, they would constantly have to relocate so Ed could provide for his family.Additionally, Hannah had made a lot of personal sacrifices.She moved away from Copenhagen where she used to live with her family and friends. All of these hardships created a lot of tension in their marriage and they often had heated arguments regarding religion which was becoming a mounting issue. Hannah was extremely orthodox in her faith as a Mormon; while her husband was more of an independent thinker not one to be persuaded easily by the masses.
After careful consideration, Ed finally decided to share with Hannah his true beliefs as to how he feels she is the “Hannah in the Old Testament” and Ed is “Peter, the apostle of Jesus Christ.”As you can imagine, Hannah had a difficult time digesting all of this new information Ed had kept hidden for some time.This wasn’t an easy process for Hannah; in fact it caused much anxiety resulting in many sleepless nights.However, with a lot research, prayer, meditation and an open mind, Hannah began to see some compelling similarities between herself and “Hannah in the Old Testament.” She understood now why Ed was excommunicated from the church.These discussions between Ed and his wife really came at a crucial time in their marriage.It is my impression these talks actually saved their marriage and restored the bond between Hannah and Ed.I appreciated how both authors interjected their dairies and journals to collaborate with Hannah’s unreserved autobiography; adding both validity and a personal touch of intimacy.This technique allows for the reader to really feel the author’s anxiety, pain, and love.
Hannah then embarked on a journey of self-discovery with the help of her spirit guide Zipporah, which entailed learning a new path and gaining new knowledge.The primary message Zipporah taught Hannah was with love, faith and hope; these strong energies help heal and enhance wellness.Another important message is that the kingdom of God is within you.Hannah had been given visions so that all faiths are acknowledged; as paths either directly or indirectly lead to God.She also has a wonderful way at times of incorporating her sense of humor into her personal story making it very pleasurable to read.
Hannah’s personal story allows one to consider a whole new approach in looking at life's challenges; a way where each challenge does in fact serve a purpose -- and a higher purpose at that! A way where there is no reason to blame, to judge, or to hate -- because we are able to recognize each person on this earth as also serving a purpose.Some people may be put off by these concepts which are too contradictory for their current beliefs.I personally feel it is best to simply follow your intuition and read this if you feel drawn to these definitions of faith!
I highly recommend Hannah Reborn: Maturing and Healing the Soul beyond Organized Religion, by Rev. Hannah Thomsen and Ed Thomsen to people who are feeling compelled to explore their past and use that knowledge to take the next step in their spiritual evolution.I particularly recommend this book for all those interested in spiritual growth and development outside of the confines of mainstream religion.
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