Do Good and Love God, Part 8

The story of the Good Samaritan reminds me of the scripture in Ezekiel about the shepherds who do not watch over their sheep. "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd" (Ezekiel 34:2-5). We should serve others and emulate our Savior. Of the Savior Isaiah prophesied:

"The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;...to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; tat they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified" (Isaiah 61:1-3). Just as the Good Samaritan cared for him who was broken and poured oil into his wounds in order to cleanse and purify them, the Savior applies the oil of joy for our mourning. He binds up the broken and the brokenhearted, freeing them from the captivity of pain, sin, and sorrow. In our own way, large or small, we too can help bind wounds and free captives. As we do this unto our brothers and sisters we do it unto the Lord.

"But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." (Moroni 7:13). We should do that which is inspired of God - that which invites us to do good continually, to love God, and to serve Him. As we seek wisdom out of the best books, study the words of the prophets, particularly Isaiah, and serve others, we do that which is best - that which leads us back to our Father in Heaven.

Link to part 7 of this essay.

Lessons from Death, Part 10

The resurrection is something we can look forward to with great joy, especially if we are striving to live the gospel of Jesus Christ: "I say unto you that this mortal body is raised to an immortal body, that is from death, even from the first death unto life, that they can die no more; their spirits uniting with their bodies, never to be divided; thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption." (Alma 11:45). Through death and resurrection we see an end to corruption of the flesh. That's one of the great blessings of the resurrection and all who have lived on the earth will receive the blessing of resurrection. We have experienced the aches and pains of life and will have greater joy in the incorruption of our bodies in the resurrection. We can also see an end to corruption of the spirit as well and be whole and pure in the resurrection through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and through the blood of the Savior.

The Savior's sacrifice made it possible for us to live again. His Atonement made it possible for us to live with our families throughout eternity. We can be reunited with those we love. Additionally, the Savior's sacrifice made it possible for us to be healed of our hurts and aches and sorrows. We can find peace in this life and in the next. We are all part of our Loving Father's merciful plan of happiness; He wants us to be happy, to have joy in this life and in the next. Christ loosened the chains of death (see Alma 11:42) and is there to break open the prisons of our despair. In Him we find solace, comfort, and peace. Whether we lose a child, a friend, a parent, a grandparent, or any other loved one, we will see them again. The sorrow of our separation will be replaced with joy in our rejoining. Death is not the end; it is the beginning of a new day and a new dawn.

Link to part 9 of this essay.

Final note: Thus concludes my essay on death. This was an enlightening essay for me to write. It was one of my most personal. I spent a lot of time thinking about what I should write. The essay initially rose out of some of my thoughts and reactions to posts by the mother of little Evan who had a brightness in him. She gave me permission to write about him in my essay. I hope that some of the words and experiences I shared were comforting to any who mourn those they have lost. I found comfort through prayer, fasting, and the Holy Ghost. I also found comfort in the scriptures, the words of the prophets, and other writers. I found comfort in talking with others. The healing waters of Christ have a hard time washing away our hurt and grief if we keep it locked up within the stony tables of our hearts.