Tag Archive for: death

What is of greatest worth?

๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐Ÿ ๐ ๐ซ๐ž๐š๐ญ๐ž๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ?
Itโ€™s a question that often crosses my mind.
For a large portion of my adult life, I have been an ordained minister of religion.
As such, I have met with many people who in their older years were preparing to depart this life and pass through โ€œthe gateway we call deathโ€ โ€“ Russell M. Nelson.
I treasure the many sweet memories that Iโ€™ve been blessed to have with family members and dear friends who have already passed beyond the veil of death.

Family and Faith

Visiting with those in the closing days of life, weโ€™d frequently reminisce about those things of greatest worth, namely, family, friends, experiences and ultimately for many, their faith in and encounters with Jesus Christ.
Cherished family experiences and special tender moments are shared in a very intimate manner.
Truths are shared lovingly and freely.
Special insights, sweet stories, incredible experiences, along with miracles and wonders are commonplace, as the individual approaches deathโ€™s door and shares what matters most.
During those tender moments, attentively listening, loving, caring, sharing, spending time and being fully present is key.
A multitude of moments have been etched into my memory, in turn enriching my experience of life.

Scriptures

In my personal study of the scriptures, I have found great comfort in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon.
Reading the final chapters of Nephi (2 Nephi 33), Jacob (Jacob 7), Mormon (Mormon 7) and Moroni (Moroni 10) โ€“ these remarkable prophet/writers provide some insights into those things that may be of greatest worth to all of us.
Each of them shared a similar experience in their livesโ€™, namely they all had a personal experience with Jesus Christ.
And so, fittingly perhaps, their closing words recorded in the final chapters of their respective books, give us a deep, meaningful look into their hearts, minds and very souls.
Moroni 10:32 โ€œYea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.โ€
Moroniโ€™s testimony and invitation to โ€œcome unto Christโ€ is a powerful and enduring one that has impacted generations of people the world over.
Like so many others, I hope that each of us will have faith in and encounter Jesus Christ in our life.
What is of greatest worth to you?

Sweet Reunions

๐’๐ฐ๐ž๐ž๐ญ ๐‘๐ž๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ were aplenty this week.
Last Sunday evening Megan arrived. The next day we travelled to Brussels together to attend the BYU Ballroom Dancing Company. It had been several weeks since she was last in the Netherlands.
As we travelled together, it was great to catch up and share stories with one another, about how similar we are. Then came a funny coincidence, as without any coordination mother and daughter dressed for the evening and realised that they had both chosen almost identical outfits for the show.
See the picture evidence above!
The evening brought another sweet reunion.
Moroni Wright who had served in the Belgium Netherlands Mission and returned home several months ago, was one of the many talented performers in the BYU Ballroom Dancing Company. The show was amazing, and what a delight it was to see Moroni again and catch up with him once more. It was especially pleasing to see him living his dream, as he longed for the opportunity to perform in this dance company.
And our third sweet reunion was with Kiera and her husband Brendan โ€“ who we met for the first time.
It had been several years since our last encounter together. Kiera had become a wonderful friend with Megan, when she was studying in Arizona, in 2016. What a joy it was to see them, share stories together and feel of their love.

Reunions are special

Reunions are special, they are built on love for one another.
Travelling along our own pathway in life, letโ€™s not forget those family and friends who have passed through the gateway to the next life that we call death. I hope that we can turn our hearts to them who have gone on ahead of us. They are not dead, their spirits live on, on the other side of the veil.
In a not-too-distant time there will be a sweet reunion for each and every one of us. We need not look upon death as an enemy.
I was reminded of that this week too, as I walked through the sprawling cemeteries in Ipres, with vast numbers of the dead from WW1.
In Malachi 4:6 we read: โ€œAnd he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.โ€
We can begin our own quest for forever families, by considering our ancestors and coming to know them through online tools such as Family Search.
Then take some time to understand why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has so many Temples around the world. In them, families are united forever. Our missionaries can help explain this further to you.
Sweet reunions await us all.