Death Is Not The End

Being crushed by the pains of death can be overwhelming when it hits you. Not only does it crush you, but also your outlook on life itself. Life moves slower, your miserable, and you just can't seem to understand why everyone around you seems so happy. Luckily, we have Someone that can be by our side whenever we want Him to, Someone that will love us unconditionally, Someone who has died for you, our Savior.

Though He won't be around to literally put His arms around you, he wants the best for you. Just as a shepherd looks after each one of his sheep, our Savior looks out for each and every one of us. When we wander off the road, or we need to be comforted, He will be there to heal our wounds, touch our hearts, and lighten our burdens.

Being able to access these gifts is easier than one might think. These blessings are available to all of us. One thing that we want when we experience death of a loved one is to know that we are not alone. With the very Lord at our side, we are never alone. He will be there to help guide us through our lives while we are struggling. Read this poem:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the Lord about it.

"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why, when
I needed you most, you would leave me."

The Lord replied,
"My precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

Another thing that happens when we experience the passing of a loved one is wanting to be miserable. We want others to notice our misery so they can comfort us and give us attention. We figure, the more we look and act miserable, the more pity we'll get, the more attention we'll get, the better we'll feel. Well, it turns out that being miserable is not the answer at all. In fact, it's the exact opposite you want to do. Sometimes we go through trials that will better help us help someone else going through a similar problem. What we need to do is learn from the experience we've just gone through. Yes, it is good to mourn for a short time. We need it to fully heal ourselves, but we need to climb out of that mournful state and get back to life as soon as we can. As we climb out of our mournful state, there may be things that tell us we need to go back to being miserable. We cannot fall into that trap. When we are miserable, there is absolutely no room for growth. When we grow, we learn. When we learn, we can help others. And when we help others, we help God bring His children, us, closer to Him.

Death is only a temporary separator between us. We will see our loved ones again. They will be the same people they were before. I bear witness of that, for it is God's Plan of Salvation for us all, His blessed Children.

Your "Some Day" Will Come

Something that has been on my mind recently is that people can be so miserable all around us and they don't quite know how to solve it. We all go through trials throughout our lives that will weigh us down, tear us up, and damage our spirituality. Tough as it may be to see, these trials can always be for our good. Looking at these trials in a beneficial way is how you can overcome all trials, both current and future.

God gives no commandment unto us, His children, that he knows we can't accomplish. As we do these commandments, He promises us that He "doth immediately bless you" for keeping His commandments (Mosiah 2:24). Though you may not see it right away, God's promises are absolute and true. Do you want to be happy? Do you want to be blessed? Obey the commandments.

Service is a special opportunity to uplift one another, including yourself. Scientists have researched the impact of service on the human brain. They found that those who do the service find themselves to be happier than those who have received the service. I know (because I have experienced it) that the evidence that those scientists have found is true. I know that by doing service, you will focus less on yourself, be happier overall, and fulfill the promise that "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).

Another thing you can do is pray. Prayer is the way you can communicate with our Heavenly Father. He is going to listen to you no matter your situation or even where you are. He will always be there to listen. As you pray, you can pray for the peace to get through any trial. Christ said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). Praying specifically for peace, and having the faith to receive it, will let you feel of that peace.

Though there may be many more things that can be done to come out of our trials with an uplifted spirit, we can always know that we are the children of a loving Heavenly Father. An Apostle of the Lord, Deiter F. Uchtdorf, said, "He loves us with an infinite love. He wants the best for you." As soon as you really learn and realize this, you can start to feel of His love in your everyday life. I bear witness of this and I know it to be true. I know because I have lived it. I invite all of you to live in His love, and I know he will bless you tremendously.