The co-author of Tyndale House Publishers’ The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven is recanting the story of his visit to heaven—and blaming Christian retailers for selling the book.

In “An Open Letter to LifeWay and Other Sellers, Buyers and Marketers of Heaven Tourism, by the Boy Who Did Not Come Back From Heaven” published at pulpitandpen.org, Alex Malarkey, who wrote the book with his father, Kevin Malarkey, wrote:

“Please forgive the brevity, but because of my limitations I have to keep this short.

I did not die. I did not go to Heaven. I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention. When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People have profited from lies, and continue to. They should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth. Anything written by man cannot be infallible.

It is only through repentance of your sins and a belief in Jesus as the Son of God, who died for your sins (even though he committed none of his own) so that you can be forgiven may you learn of Heaven outside of what is written in the Bible … not by reading a work of man. I want the whole world to know that the Bible is sufficient. Those who market these materials must be called to repent and hold the Bible as enough.”

“Tyndale has decided to take the book and related ancillary products out of print,” Todd Starowitz, senior public relations manager at Tyndale, said in a brief response, though he said a longer comment may be coming soon.

Director of Communications and LifeWay spokesman Marty King indicated that the book would be returned to the publisher.

“LifeWay was informed this week that Alex Marlarkey has retracted his testimony about visiting heaven as told in the book The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, King said. “Therefore, we are returning to the publisher the few copies we have in our stores.”

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