It was good to see and talk to you on Tuesday. During our conversation as you were sharing with me about the death of Julie’s son you questioned, why does this type of thing happen? This question has weighed heavily upon me since our talk and I have felt compelled to share with you some of my thoughts on the question. As you read my thoughts, my hope is that you can listen to your heart and the feelings these thoughts bring to your heart. This is how God communicates with us. In the bible after the crucifixion of Christ as two of his disciples walked down the road to Emmaus Christ appeared to them. At first they did not recognize him, but as they walked it says he expounded unto them the scriptures. Then after they recognized him and he vanished from their sight they said in recollection of what happened. “Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32) After having this experience with the resurrected Savior they realized that the Holy Ghost thru the feelings in their hearts had witnessed unto them the truths that Christ had taught them as they walked down the road. This is how we can discern truth from error. This is how I pray you will approach the thoughts I have. With an open mind and an open heart. I will not go into the scriptural references to all that I share. If you desire we can do that at another time. But I will simply share divine truths that I know to be true.
The first thing we need to understand is we lived with our Father in Heaven as his spirit children before we came to this earth. In this premortal existence we could see that our Father in Heaven had a body of flesh and bones much like those we have now but it was glorified and perfected, perfect in every way. As his spirit children we desired to be like him and he desired for us to be more like him and to have all the blessings he had. Just like any good father would. So he developed a plan for us to gain a physical body and to gain the physical experiences that would be necessary for us to gain the wisdom and knowledge that he had. That plan led to his creation of the world we now live in. You might ask, what is so important about having a physical body. We needed to learn things that we could not so easily learn without a physical body. Physical/Emotional things like Love, Joy, Sadness, and one thing that I particularly think is important which is Self-Control. These are important experiences that make us who we are as an individual. So one of the things we came to this earth to do is learn how to love appropriately, experience joy and happiness while also experiencing sadness and learning to have faith in God. We needed to learn to trust him without his physical presence. We need to trust that he has a plan for us. A plan that will prepare us to someday become like he is.
In this premortal existence I spoke of we believe in what is referred to in the Book of Revelations as the war in heaven. In reality we have learned through modern revelation that this war was really a disagreement on how to accomplish God’s plan for us to come to earth. Satan and his followers wanted to have everyone come to earth and gain a physical body but they would not be subject to making choices and decisions. There would be no testing of their character or their faith. The other plan that was championed by Christ was to have everyone come to earth gain a physical body and then be allowed to make decisions and choices, and prove their faith and love for their Heavenly Father without him being there to hover over them.
There is one more important truth that we need to understand. In the New Testament it records that Christ said to his apostles, whatsoever you should bind on earth should be bound in heaven. I believe this is true especially in the marriage covenant. This is something that has been lost to the ages. In marriages throughout the world vows are made until death do us part. In the Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints marriage vows are made for time and eternity. With a temple marriage the covenant does not end at death but goes on for Eternity. We believe that with such a marriage children are sealed to you and your spouse for the eternities. At the resurrection we will be joined together as families. If heaven is supposed to be a place of joy and happiness I for one cannot imagine how I could be eternally happy without my family.
Now what does all of this have to do with the death of Julie’s son.
First, He had to gain a physical body so he had to come to the earth to have this happen.
Second, we believe that he was so righteous in the premortal existence that he did not need to go thru the trials and tribulations of life. This means that he is one VERY SPECIAL son of our Father in Heaven. This also means that Julie and her husband have something to look forward to. That is an Eternal relationship with this very special son of God. I also believe that Julie and her husband knew in the premortal existence that this was going to happen. But they chose along with the death of their son at birth because they had more of an eternal perspective than they do now.
Third, this is a difficult thing. I cannot imagine the agony. But I know that in the midst of that agony is hope. A hope for the eternities. Sometimes we tend to look at life from a finite point of view rather than an eternal or infinite point of view. We need to remember that God’s plan is an eternal plan not a finite plan. We need to remember as it says in the bible “his ways are not our ways”. In Psalms it says “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.
John, I want you to know that I know the things I have shared with you are true. I know this not because someone taught them to me but because I have prayed and fasted to know if they were true and had the Holy Ghost bear witness to me in my heart and in my mind that they are true. I only hope is that you and your family can find peace during this time of trial.
Love you, sweet boy.
No comments:
Post a Comment