Endorsements.

Laurence Baer is a man of profound faith and constructive action. He has a model marriage and a beautiful extended family. His words are more than words. Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge, his latest book, will challenge and enhance your understanding of God and the universe.
Dr. Mose and Mrs. Onni Durst, Author, Educator, and Former President, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification

I have known Laurence since 2020 when I served as the Regional President of Family Federation for America, and he is a serious man of deep insights and an unshakable faith. He is also someone who seeks to break new ground in his efforts to go beyond the conventional understandings, and deepen his relationship with God.  By the time you have finished this book, you too will have a number of new and exciting ideas and directions through which to grow and deepen your own relationship with Heavenly Parent.
Dr.  Chong Sik Yong, former Regional President Family Federation for World Peace and Unification; former Regional Chair, Universal Peace Federation for both Asia and Oceania

I have known Laurence for many years, dating back to my days on the Board of the World Trade Centers Association. We share an abiding love for God, for Peace, for People, and for Music, and a common quest to better understand the universe in which we live. Laurence has deeply impressed me with his spiritual insights and I am certain you will be richly rewarded reading his latest book, Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge.
Dietmar Goetz, former Senator, European Economic Senate (EES)

I was very honored to write the forward for Laurence’s first book, Taking God Seriously, which details his awakening into intimate communication with God, our Heavenly Parent. His newest offering, Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge, is a much more mature and profound exploration of the relationship that God intends for each of us. Through the lens of Holy Mother Han, Laurence helps us to understand more deeply how God is working on an unprecedented level to unite the Earthly World and the Spiritual World and to establish the Kingdom of Heaven for which Jesus taught us to pray in the “Lord’s Prayer”. Laurence is a visionary, but also someone able to make the vision concrete through his pioneering efforts on the Earth. I have learned much through our long friendship and I have the highest respect for him. I enthusiastically recommend this remarkable book to anyone seeking to understand the workings of the cosmos and to establish a deeper, more personal relationship with our Creator.
Dr. Achille Acolatse, Director, American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC); Director,
Southeast Region of Family Federation, USA

The book you hold in your hands is truly extraordinary. It will open your mind and heart to new dimensions of spirituality and reveal the lives and missions of historical figures, past and present, who have brought hope and healing to our world. Laurence Baer— my good friend and
colleague — writes with depth, sincerity, and spiritual insight. Through his personal experiences in each chapter, he brings these truths to life. This book speaks from the heart and offers light and guidance for all who seek a deeper connection with God’s work today.
Dr. Angelika Selle, President Women’s Federation for World Peace USA (2010-2023)

Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge is a powerful and heartfelt testimony of one man’s sincere journey with Heaven. Laurence Baer writes with depth, humility, and spiritual clarity, opening a window into the living relationship between the physical and spiritual worlds.
Rooted in his devotion to Holy Mother Han and the teachings of True Parents, Baer offers insights that are both personal and universal. His reflections help us understand the unfolding providence, the meaning of the Fifth Pledge, and the deep love of Heavenly Parent in a new light. This book is a valuable guide for anyone seeking a deeper spiritual life and a clearer understanding of God’s work in our era.
Rev. Jin Hwa Chung, former Vice-President of Cheon Shim Won USA; Director of the
International Education Department for HJ Cheonbo Heaven and Earth Training Center

Laurence is my “Spiritual Grandfather” for he was responsible for reaching out to my Father, Dr. George Detlefsen, in Berkeley, CA and bringing him into the  Unification Church. For without that action, and the subsequent series of events including the marriage blessing of my Father and Mother, I would not exist. His book and the life he has lived have culminated into the deep connection we can each have between the physical world and spirit world. As Einstein famously said: “Concerning matter, we have been all wrong. What we have called matter is energy, whose vibration has been so lowered as to be perceptible to the senses,” Laurence has spent his time understanding not just the vibration of matter but of our spirit. This book speaks to his journey.
Shinghi Detlefsen

When I was appointed by Holy Mother Han to assist Dr. Achille Acolatse, Regional Director of the Family Federation USA’s South East Region, he asked me to work with Laurence Baer to launch important outreach and development programs. Over the course of the last year, I have had the great pleasure to come to know Laurence on an intimate basis. He is a man totally committed to God, with very deep and broad insights and understanding. He is able to translate the spiritual into concrete and practical work on the Earth. I have learned much from Laurence, and I am so happy to offer my humble endorsement to his latest book, Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge.
Rev. Kenji Miyako, Vice Regional Director, South East Region USA

Musician, entrepreneur, seeker, world traveler, author and, most importantly loving father, husband, and grandfather, Laurence Baer, with his most recent book, takes us on a journey that is both worldly and other-worldly. In fact, rooted in his devotion to Holy Mother Han and Rev. Sun Myung Moon, and their teachings, he seeks to be a bridge between the two, sharing insights and experiences that are, on the one hand, earthly and empirical, and, on the other hand, that are transcendent and mystical. Over the many years that I have known the author as a valued friend and colleague, his sincerity, optimism, collegiality and warmth have always been at the fore; what this volume discloses is no exception.
Dr. Thomas Walsh, President, HJ International Graduate School for Peace And Public
Leadership

Laurence Baer’s new book is full of detailed, inspirational and educational content. Readers will find an array of fascinating stories that describe the life and family of Rev. Moon and Holy Mother Han, intermingled with anecdotes of Laurence’s own spiritual journey, especially regarding his relationship with God and the spiritual world. I resonate with his unassailable quest for enlightenment, because that has been the guiding theme of my own life. I’m moved by Laurence’s passionate commitment – what I discover in reading this book is a person who adamantly loves God with consistent devotion to helping others in their pursuit of connecting with our Heavenly Parent. I gained some actionable practices that I can use in my own life of faith, such as writing letters to God, and making more effort to connect with my ancestors in the spiritual realm. The chapter on the spirituality of Native Americans and the new religious movements in the 1800’s and Rev. Moon’s analysis of those chapters in American history revived my interest in the roots of spirituality in my country. Overall, I feel very stimulated to reread Laurence’s book, and take more time to digest its content. I look forward to sharing my responses to the book with other readers!
Mrs. Poppy Richie, Educator, Author, Editor of valuesandvirtues.org

I have known Laurence Baer for many years and have proudly served on the board of his Peace Stars music project. As a fellow musician I share his enthusiasm regarding how music can be a vehicle for change and societal betterment. I have been impressed with his songwriting ability and his outreach to fellow musicians and artists in the pursuit of creating a culture of peace. As Friedrich Schiller posited, the aesthetic beauty of art and music can be a gateway to truth and spiritual enlightenment. Laurence is certainly an advocate of Schiller’s assertion. In this groundbreaking book, Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge, Laurence powerfully lays out the remarkable works that God and the spiritual realms are doing in this golden moment of history through Holy Mother Han. Highly recommended.
David Eaton, Music Director, New York City Symphony

I work closely with faith leaders from many and varied traditions, all of whom love God and are seeking to build a world of peace and harmony.   Through history, every faith has made valuable contributions towards the fulfillment of God’s ideal.  In Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge,
Laurence Baer shines a bright light on the astounding work that our Heavenly Parent is accomplishing at this time through Holy Mother Han, to unite the Spiritual and Physical realms, and in so doing, bringing all faith traditions into harmonious reconciliation.
Bruce Grodner, Secretary General, World Christian Leadership Conference (WCLC)

Laurence Baer came into my life as he came into this world with a smile that allowed you to feel you were in the peaceful presence of someone special. There is an ancient Eastern saying, “A man with divine integrity can live without law”. I believe Laurence has that ability. He is a man of wisdom and knowledge who has gently helped people by his words and guidance. I have always admired him for his kindness, politeness, and musical ability to create songs transport you to a place of joy and comfort. He never seemed to take pride or boast about his abilities and his gift that God gave him, which qualifies him to be a very humble person, which is refreshing these days. When Laurence told me he was going to write this book, I was very excited and intrigued. I knew it would be very helpful in guidance and in wisdom. I hope you will find great treasures for your life reading Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge.
Pastor Dr. Levy Daughtery, Co-Founder, Kingmaker Foundation

Originally, I hesitated to write this acknowledgment because experiences from the spiritual world cannot be verified and are sometimes dangerous. But Laurence is persistent, in a good way. I admire that. In the end, I decided to share some of my thoughts while reading his manuscript. During my entire adult life, I’ve lived outside of the United States. So, when I read about the suffering of the First Nations of the Americas, I wept inside. I’m on a plane heading to Korea as I write this. I will be joining a small group of religious leaders who have a deep and very personal relationship with our beloved Holy Mother Han. We are going to Korea to pray for her, even though she asked us not to. Instead, she requested that we pray for our families, our nations, and for God’s providence. For the past 50 days, she has been in pretrial detention. Our 82-year old True Mother, a great grand-mother with multiple health issues, should be under house arrest until she is given a fair trial. The way she has been treated should not happen in a modern democratic nation.
Dr. Robert S. Kittel, Former President Youth and Students for Peace; Former Director of
Education, UPF-Asia

Laurence’s Baer’s newest book Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge offers an excellent summary of spiritualism in the world’s religions and, in particular, in the history of North America, including the First Nations and the Christian movements that appeared in the 19th century. It continues with an excellent treatise on the preparation for and emergence of Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han as the True Parents, in particular about the course of Hak Ja Han’s mother, Dae Mo Nim. Then comes an inspiring overview of Laurence and his family’s course in relation to the Cheon Shim Won providence. Laurence’s correspondence with Heavenly Parent and his conversations with individuals in the spirit world contain inspiring insights as well.
Dr. Tyler Hendricks, Former President, Family Federation for World Peace and Unification;
President Emeritus, HJ International Graduate School of Peace and Public Leadership

I would like to say that the reading of Laurence Baer’s book is a profound explanation and guide and help to our spiritual lives. Life is a journey to our next realm of existence, and LOVE is the guide to our next life.
Elder Walter Frank, VP Sacred First Nations for Peace

With the publication of his new book, “Holy Mother Han and the Fifth Pledge”, Laurence Baer has pulled the curtain back on a dimension of life that we all know is there, but perhaps with varying levels of understanding. With profound brilliance, this book certainly helps to round out
the picture. Laurence has bared his soul, shared his heart and his message has come through loud and clear. His contribution to our understanding is much appreciated.
Mike McDevitt, Director, HJ East Garden Museum

If you’ve read Laurence’s initial book you know that he does take God very seriously. His second book is still more evidence of his faith, curiosity and determination to know God’s plan.  Here he shares the subtle nuances of his journey.
Jim Howell, President, Washington Times National Weekly, retired

The history of our Unificationist movement cannot be captured by a single narrative or central source—it lives in the mosaic of countless sincere testimonies, each illuminating a different facet of God’s unfolding providence. Laurence Baer’s book stands as a profound contribution to that living record, weaving together personal revelation, theological reflection, and historical insight. Through his earnest and deeply introspective account, Baer helps us better understand where we came from, where we now stand as a movement, and the remarkable new era that we are entering. His work invites us to see the divine story not as finished history, but as an ongoing restoration—still being written through each of us.
Andrew Love, Executive Director, High Noon International.