Through Gates of Splendor

Among the central themes of Through Gates of Splendor is that of faith and sacrifice. The story of the five missionaries is understandable only through the lens of their Christian faith, which impels them to take the gospel message to those who have not yet heard it (See: Background). It is their faith in Jesus Christ—and the corollary belief in the gift of eternal life that stems from that faith—which motivates their choices in career, marriage, home, and, ultimately, in the plan that ends with their deaths. Believing that Jesus loved the Huaorani and died for their salvation, the five men were willing to sacrifice the dream of a typical life in their home country and to undertake cross-cultural travel and face danger and disease in order to make Christ known to those who had never heard the gospel. Their Christian faith is thus their deepest motivation and the lens through which they perceive everything in their lives. The personal, intimate, and emotional nature of this faith can be seen in one of the quotes that Elisabeth Elliot gives from her husband Jim’s diary:

It is exalting, delicious […] to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God—what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my