Undoubtedly one of the more powerful books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Read this book off and on over the last year and every time I have come back to it it has been a genuine source of both encouragement and challenge. Clear on every page is a life lived in service of the King. Jim Elliot was utterly convinced of the truth and the life changing implications of the gospel in a way that challenges me. I am too often too comfortable and too often aspire for comfort. The last chapter of the book is titled 'Mission Accomplished' and opens with words of Jesus from John 12:25 "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life". Jim Elliot lived life believing those words, will we?

Should be required reading for all Christians.

I loved this quote which beautifully sums up Jim’s deep and unwavering devotion to the Lord, “Be on guard, my soul, of complicating your environment so that you have neither time nor room for growth.”

Kata Pengantar(oleh Elisabeth Elliot-istri dari Jim Elliot, martir )

Jim Elliot dan para pria lainnya yang mati bersamanya disanjung sebagai pahlawan "martir". Aku tidak setuju. Mereka juga tidak akan menyetujuinya.

Apakah perbedaan antara hidup bagi Kristus dan mati bagi-Nya begitu besar? Bukankah yang kedua merupakan kesimpulan logis dari yang pertama? Lagipula, hidup bagi Tuhan berarti mati bagi Tuhan "setiap hari", sebagaimana yang disimpulkan oleh Rasul Paulus. Itu berarti menanggalkan segala sesuatunya agar kita bisa mendapatkan Kristus.

Dengan demikian berarti kita harus menyerahkan hidup kita agar kita bisa menemukan kehidupan.

Hubungan antara manusia dan Allah merupakan hubungan yang sangat praktis. Lingkupnya terdapat dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Janganlah kita lupa bahwa setiap relasi apapun antara manusia dan Allah hari ini, terletak pada kenyataan bahwa Allah pernah hidup sebagai seorang manusia biasa-yang lahir di palungan, berkeringat di bengkel tukang kayu, berkhotbah dari perahu nelayan, duduk kelelahan di samping sebuah sumur dan bercakap-cakap dengan seorang pelacur, makan dan minum serta berjalan bersama orang-orang biasa, dan menundukkan diri pada kematian yang hina- supaya kita bisa mengenali-Nya. Tak seorang pun yang menyebut-Nya sebagai pahlawan atau martir. Ia hanya melakukan apa yang diperintahkan oleh Bapa-Nya untuk dilakukan-Nya dan melakukan itu dengan sukacita.

Orang yang ingin mengenal-Nya harus berjalan di jalan yang sama dengan-Nya. Inilah arti dari kata 'martir' secara Alkitabiah, yang secara sederhana berarti "saksi". Dalam kehidupan seperti halnya dalam kematian, kita terpanggil untuk menjadi "saksi" - untuk " memiliki meterai Kristus".

Really cool and inspiring story with some beautiful lines (although I can tell Jim was so young) but I just don't prefer biographies made entirely of letters and journal entries instead of narrative.

Jim Elliot was such an inspirational person. I desire to have the faith he had, and to be as single minded in my service to God as he was!

Incredible missionary biography that gives a glimpse into the preparation and waiting that Jim Elliot went through, before he reached the Aucas.

3.5 stars ✨

The author Elisabeth Elliot was the wife of the famous missionary and martyr Jim Elliot. The author’s classic book on her husband, Through Gates of Splendor, was written in the 1950s but what makes this book different than the first one is that this is written many decades later. This book examines more of Jim Elliot’s own writing from his letters and personal diary. The letters examined include those written to Jim’s parents, siblings and Elisabeth before they got married. This book gives an honest portrait of a Christian who desires to serve God and also struggles as well. I was much encouraged reading this book although at times I felt it was somewhat prolonged in the author’s choice of what details to share to the readers. But don’t let that distract you as the reader: this book challenged me to think about the sacrifices involved with missions and also convicting to think about how young Jim Elliot and his fellow missionaries were when they went out to try to reach the unreached Huaorani tribe which of course they were eventually killed by when they were contacting them. Of course, the rest is history—as a result of their deaths, God used it to call more Christians to the missions field with their example and martyrdom. I plan one day to read Through Gates of Splendor also.

Beautiful book! It is such a gift to be able read the thoughts and see the heart of those much wiser than I. Truly this book is convicting and inspiring, and tells the story and shows the heart and mind and desires of a man who truly lived his life to glorify the Lord, giving up comfort, time with family and friends, reputation, willing to surrender his love, and ultimately freely offering up his life to serve the Lord. I loved that it wasn’t just an inspiring story but walked through so much of his life, and I got to see examples of how to do college well, and pursue dating well, care for our bodies in honor of Gods calling, how to study the Bible with diligence through both slow seasons and crazy ones, examples of how to discern will through biblical principles/counsel/personal conviction. Jim Elliot wasn’t perfect, but he truly strove to image Christ in all things and that is about the best we can do. I cried multiple times reading this book, it was just really beautiful and I read it over many months so I got to learn different things in different seasons, I especially loved the quotations from Hymns they just really touched my heart. Would wholeheartedly recommend 9.3/10

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

"Jim left for me, in memory, and for us all, in these letters and diaries, the testimony of a man who sought nothing but the will of God, who prayed that his life would be 'an exhibit to the value of knowing God.'"

This is an inspiring biography, and I don't use that description lightly. This book hit me with particular force because Jim Elliot was just a year older than I am right now when he was killed in missionary service. The passion and commitment to God he manifested up to that point was equally compelling, causing me to stop and evaluate myself. What am I doing with my life, however much of it God chooses to give me? Does it reach even 1% of the passion for God and for the lost that Jim Elliot had? Am I willing to give what I cannot keep to gain what I cannot lose? So, as one young person reading about how another young person devoted his life to pursuing the will of God and the glory of God among those who have never known Him⁠—that is truly inspirational reading for me. By the world’s standards, Jim Elliot’s twenty-eight years were far too short. But he did much for the sake of the name in that time, and though he is dead, he still speaks. Thankful for biographies like these.

Great testimony of Jim Elliot's life. He was sold out for the Lord and desired to serve him with all that he had.

Somewhat dry to read since it is primarily a compilation of Jim's journal entries, which is beautiful, but also can be overly detailed and cumbersome to read at times. The book is pretty slow-going because of that. Also, you need to be very discerning as you read this. Especially in Jim's early days he was extremely set in his ways and his opinions and convictions come across as facts with which there is no room for disagreement. Also, some of his decisions lacked discernment and maturity. His prolonging of marriage was not a bad thing (I think there are definitely those who are called to singleness for the Kingdom), but Jim was essentially emotionally and relationally married to Elisabeth for years before they made the commitment, which I think was wrong. If he wanted to delay marriage, he shouldn't have kept up the emotional relationship with his eventual wife that he did. I think this decision and several others lacked judgment, so I think great discernment is needed when reading this. Nonetheless, Elisabeth does show how some of his views matured over time.

All in all, great testimony. The ending was really short and non-descriptive regarding his final days up until death. Elisabeth Elliot's book Through Gates of Splendor is more of an account of these final days, so I'd recommend that book instead if that's what you want to know about.