From Dad February 7, 2016

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Re: Letter 60 of 3

Dear Riley:

It’s been a very busy week, and unbelievably busy Sunday. My evening was taken up by an unexpected obligation and I’m worried about not getting anything to you. This is the content of my remarks for GM’s funeral.

“There is a process in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where good men and women deeply committed to the work the Lord has assigned them can, over time, effect quiet miracles in the lives of the boys and girls (and men and women) who are given to them to teach and to lead. I have been a participant in and benefactor of that process.” GM 2004

I know that each of you within the sound of my voice could share a tender memory of how your life was touched and improved by some aspect of G’s character. As I’ve reflected on G’s life and its impact on my own, I’m flooded with memories that span nearly 36 years. They all bring a smile, and instill in me a resolve “to try a litter harder to be a little better.” One such memory occurred in recent years when he had been told by doctors that he had just a few months to live. As such, every minute seemed more precious and time with his family, a premium. He had accepted the assignment to serve as my home teacher. For those of you not of his faith, this consists, at a minimum, of a monthly contact preferably in the home to check up on needs of several families. Usually there is a spiritual message and a blessing left on the home and family. G came faithfully for years even when his health could have given him an easy excuse to opt out. That he loved children was evident by how my own gravitated to him. He knew their names. He was genuinely interested in what they were doing, what they had to say, and what was going on in their lives. That he knew how to reach children was evident by how he worked with them. I never saw him impatient or flustered when young energetic children vying for his attention and approval caused him to break his current train of thought and focus on them for a moment. This he did tenderly and masterfully. He always took pains to bring the conversation and teaching down to the level of the little ones and frequently brought props to engage and captivate young hearts and imaginations.

Story of Josie:

My youngest child Josie and G had a special bond. It was beautiful to watch and I’m still not sure who had who wrapped around their finger. One particular time nearly 2 years ago he came and left while my youngest, a beautiful verbose girl of three, slept. She awoke some time later and came down to find extra chairs in the front room. She immediately inquired as to who had been in our home while she napped. When she discovered that she had missed G’s visit, she was undone and protested “BUT I WANTED TO SEE HIM!” She carried on until we placated her by allowing her to talk to G on the phone. While on the phone, G promised to come back over within the next couple days and bring something special just for her. He showed up on our door step an hour later with a card and a hand written note in which he expressed his love for her and her Heavenly Father’s love for her. In it he had enclosed a picture of himself. (She treats it as a treasure to this day.) G didn’t just hand it to her, but got down to her level and chatted with her for a time. When he left awhile later, he made it across the street before she called out “Wait! I forgot to give you a hug and a kiss.” G responded that this was something he would come back across the street for, and promptly did. I was walking down the street looking back over my shoulder while this scene played out. I can still see the image in my mind of G bending over and Josie on her tiptoes puckering up to give him a kiss. It warmed my heart and I wondered who else would be willing to go to this much trouble for someone else’s child. I’m not sure many would, but I’m confident Christ would, and I know that G did and I will always remember and be grateful for his Christ-like example.

There was another instance which sticks out in my mind in which G took particular thought of children. This occurred nearly 11 years ago when a young mother passed away following the delivery of her third child. As with many funerals, the words at her funeral were inspired and heartfelt, but perhaps beyond the comprehension of the young children present and grieving that day. G was inspired to get down to their level as he was so adept at doing and speak personally to them. I’m confident that if he were to have his way today, a portion of the remarks would be directed toward children. So today, in honor of G and his sensitivity towards children, I have taken and adapted the words he spoke 11 years ago. Aside from a few omitted names and the insertion of his own name, the words are his own.

“Today I would like to speak to the small children for just a few minutes, but the rest of you can listen while I review a few principles of the gospel….Now all of the young children, I want you to look at my hand (hold up hand with white glove). Let’s pretend that this hand represents your spirit. Now probably if it was your spirit, you probably wouldn’t be able to see it very well, I’m not sure, but let’s pretend that this hand represents your spirit. Each of you lived as a spirit with your Heavenly Father before you came to this earth. The spirit can move and it can wiggle and it could do all kinds of things and it lived by itself. Now, (hold up glove) pretend that this glove is your body. Until the spirit enters into this body, it cannot move. It can’t do one thing by itself. When the time came for you to enter into this world, your spirit was clothed with your body (place glove on hand) and your body became alive. From your birth and until your death your spirit and your body are together and you are said to be alive. At the time of your death, whenever that is, in childhood, or your teenage years, or young adulthood, or middle age years, or old age, your spirit will be separated from the body and the body will be placed in the ground (remove outer glove and set on lower pulpit). But what happens to the spirit? The spirit is alive. Your body is lifeless. It will not be able to move because your spirit will be gone from it. Your spirit, however, will not die. It goes up with other spirits where they will be able to mingle and talk and rejoice with one another. They have only been separated from their earthly body. Now this is what happened to G. His spirit separated from his body. We all saw his body in this lovely casket and it was lying much like this glove. It could not speak, it could not move. There was no life in it. His spirit was no longer there. Although his body is dead, he is not dead. The part of him that looked through his eyes, that felt with his heart, that thought with his mind, is his spirit, and it is in heaven. It allowed him to think and to smile and to act, and to know, and to be. That part of his spirit lives on. He is only separated from his body. This is the plan that Heavenly Father designed for you and me; for your grandparents, and for all of these people in this room and for G. We know from the scriptures and from holy prophets that Jesus Christ came to earth. He lived a perfect life. He suffered for the sins of mankind, and eventually He was hung on a cross and killed by wicked men. At Easter time we will remember that on the third day, after Jesus died, He was raised from the dead. And that is what we call the resurrection. That means that his body which was lying in the tomb reunited with His spirit, and that’s what’s going to happen to you and to me, and to G at the right time. At the right time we will be called forward in the morning of the first resurrection and we will be clothed in immortality and eternal life. Now what happens at the resurrection is something wonderful. (Place glove back on hand) Our spirit reenters our body, but our body becomes perfect. It cannot get sick, and our body and our spirit are put together and we have a glory. We go back as personages of light. What a wonderful teaching that we have from the prophets of God.

These are marvelous truths of the gospel. We all must hold them near and dear to our hearts. Sometime in the future we will have the opportunity to embrace our loved ones who have gone on. We don’t know how long that will be but please know that I (G) have a testimony of this wonderful plan of life. It is called the plan of happiness. May the comforter come into our lives, for he has promised peace to each one of us, not as the world giveth peace, but only as He giveth. It is that still small [voice of] assurance that speaks to our hearts and speaks to our minds. God lives and he loves us. God has a plan for each one of us. I know that the events of the past few days were God’s plan made manifest, as hard as that may be to understand. May we come to accept this…this knowledge of God’s plan of happiness.” (Taken and adapted from G’s funeral address for Rebecca Parish 2005)

G was only three years old when his father was killed in a tragic accident while performing an act of service for another. G was so young that he had virtually no recollection of life with his father. Nor were there letters or journals in his father’s handwriting left for G to know him better. “Oh how many times I have longed to be held in my father’s arms, to have him comfort me and counsel with me…” I stand before you today secure in the knowledge that this reunion has occurred and that it was joyful and sweet for G. I also bear witness of another reunion with another father; the father of G’s spirit. I believe this will also be joyful and sweet for G as his Heavenly Father embraces him and speaks the affirming words

…. Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Matthew 25:21

Love,
Dad