Thoughts on Death

Beverly Young of our stake died this week at age 62 of cancer. The funeral was very uplifting and positive and included good gospel teaching especially for all their non-member extended family. Three of her kids spoke with honesty about her life and legacy and then her husband Gene talked. He said she was not in that casket, that it was just a "place marker" but that she was probably sitting by "one of you all." They all witnessed that she is giddy with happiness for being able to go on from this life. It really is a good thing we come to mother Earth with a manufacturer's guarantee that we won't be stuck here, as Elder Nelson has said.

I think back to the only experience I've had of watching someone die--and that was when my Dad died.

The indelible impression I had was that he was going through a kind of Geth-semane. He said he wasn't afraid to die, but that he was a little afraid of the pain he'd have to go through to get there. And the pain was awful, but the strongest thing he said was "Oh boy." He talked about getting used to being with Ruby again. He gave Gail a father's blessing. He leaned on Norma those last days and she was a strength to him. 

I also couldn't help but compare the process of death with the process of birth. Both are achieved with some pain. Both struggle through darkness and burst forth into light. Both are a joyful welcoming by loved ones while at the same time a sad but temporary farewell by other loved ones.

I have to look at death as a final test and hope that I'll be ready for it when it comes. And I'm sure that my children will make my funeral just as uplifting and positive as Beverly's was.