My Sacrament Meeting Talk

Tammy’s Sacrament Meeting Talk

March 17, 2013

Good morning brothers and sisters. When Bishop called and asked me to speak to you today, he assigned me the October 2012 general conference address given by Shayne M. Bowen, of the Seventy, entitled “Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also” as the basis for my remarks.

Elder Bowen’s talk touched on a couple of different gospel principles, so I will try and do the same.

Death of a loved one is something we have all experienced, and it can have a profound effect on our lives. Whether it is someone very close to us or even a beloved pet.

The loss of someone close to us is always painful. But because we have the fullness of the gospel, we understand God’s plan. Having this knowledge doesn’t take away the pain and grief, which we all must go through when we lose someone.  But it helps us understand and perhaps better cope with the loss and have an eternal perspective.

Elder Bowen mentioned in his talk that, in 1990, he lost his baby son, Tyson, who aspirated a piece of chalk and died. Elder Bowen questioned the Lord’s fairness and asked, why me? He explains, “As I felt the guilt, anger, and self-pity trying to consume me, I prayed that my heart could change. Through very personal sacred experiences, the Lord gave me a new heart, and even though it was still lonely and painful, my whole outlook changed. I was given to know that I had not been robbed but rather that there was a great blessing awaiting me if I would prove faithful.” 1

My first experience with death was when I was six years old. My cousin, Lance, who was three years old at the time, drowned in a swimming pool. Like Elder Bowen, my uncle and aunt were devastated at the loss of their son. I’m sure they felt the same emotions as Elder Bowen described he felt.

Although, at the time, the feelings of grief can be unbearable. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can receive a fullness of joy. Elder Bowen said, “I testify that because of Him, even our Savior, Jesus Christ, those feelings of sorrow, loneliness, and despair will one day be swallowed up in a fulness of joy.”1

I was taught the plan of salvation, as far back as I can remember, and have always known that we will be reunited again with our lost loved ones. Knowing the plan of salvation is a great comfort.

Some faiths erroneously teach that little children need baptism. They teach that little children who die without receiving baptism, are lost forever.  Because we have received the fullness of the gospel, we know that’s not true. The prophet Mormon, teaches his son, Moroni, the following:

“5… there have been disputations among you concerning the baptism of your little children.

8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin…

10 Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are accountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little children, and they shall all be saved with their little children.

11 And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism….

 12 But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!” 2

We know from modern-day revelation found in the Doctrine and Covenants that the age of accountability is 8 years old. 3

Because Lance and Tyson, died before they were eight, they did not reach the age of accountability, and were not capable of sin, and therefore did not need to be baptized. They were given a one-way ticket to the celestial kingdom to dwell for eternity with our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.  As do all children who die before eight years old. We read in the Doctrine and Covenants, “And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.” 4

Think of all of the parents who have lost children who live miserable, tormented lives because they don’t have that knowledge.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “why it is that infants, innocent children, are taken away from us, especially those that seem to be the most intelligent and interesting. The strongest reasons that present themselves to my mind are these: This world is a very wicked world; and it … grows more wicked and corrupt. … The Lord takes many away, even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth; therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again. …” 5

Reading that quote reminds me of another cousin, Justin, who also died young. He was only 19 when he died. Justin had cystic fibrosis. Unlike my cousin Lance, whose death was unexpected. Justin’s disease was a constant reminder that his time in mortality would be short.

Even though Justin was sick his entire life, he was always joking around, making life happier for others. I believe that he was one of those people that Joseph Smith mentioned that were too pure to live on earth. I know that Justin is in the spirit world doing the Lord’s work.

Elder Bowen said, “I testify that this life is not the end. The spirit world is real. The teachings of the prophets regarding life after death are true. This life is but a transitory step forward on our journey back to our Heavenly Father.” 1

Shortly after Justin’s death, my uncle started Justin’s truck and the song that was playing was “The Test” by Janice Kapp Perry. This song was also sung at his funeral. Some of the lyrics include:

“Tell me friend if you understand.
Why doesn't He with power to raise the dead just make you whole again?

(Chorus)

It would be so easy for Him.
I watch you and in sorrow question why.
Then you my friend in perfect faith reply.

Didn't He say he sent us to be tested?
Didn't He say the way would not be sure?
But didn't He say we could live with Him
Forevermore, well and whole,
If we but patiently endure?
After the trial we will be blessed
But this life is the test.”

The Relief Society sisters know that I like to teach using analogies. Something we are all familiar with is taking tests in school. I want to compare our mortal life here on earth to taking a test in school.

Think of the most difficult test you’ve ever taken. For me, it was the MCAT, the medical college admissions test. It lasted all day and it was very grueling. I remember thinking after I was done, that I would never take it again. It was so taxing that I would rather change careers than retake it.

Mortality is like the MCAT. It is a very difficult test. Like any test, some questions are very easy and some are very difficult. There may be a question that you feel is so easy, you wonder why it’s even on the exam. But, maybe the guy in the desk next to you finds the same question to be very difficult. Let’s compare the easy question, for example, to the law of tithing. Maybe, for you, paying tithing is very easy. But for someone else, it is something they struggle with and find very difficult.

Then moving on to the next question on the test, perhaps you find it to be very difficult but your neighbor finds it to be quite simple. Let’s use, for example, keeping the Sabbath day holy. Maybe that is something you struggle with, but your neighbor finds it an easy commandment to keep. Each new question on the test represents a commandment or trial we must face.

We all have different trials and temptations and we each deal with them differently. How well have we prepared for the test?  Just like we must study hard, to be ready to take an exam in school. We must study the Gospel and try to live worthily, to be prepared to face the trials of mortality.

Keeping with the theme of the talk, maybe one of the questions on your test represents the death of a child or close relative. How we choose to answer the question, or in other words, how we face that trial determines how well we do on our test.

Speaking of our time in mortality here on earth, we read in the book of Abraham, “And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;” 6

So, our time on earth is an opportunity for us to show our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ that we will obey their commandments even in the face of adversity and trial.

Like the MCAT, our mortal journey is a test. And like the MCAT, mortality can be very grueling and taxing and sometimes we wish we weren’t taking the test.

Just like I spent years of schooling to prepare for the MCAT, and chose to take it. We all spent time in our pre-earth life preparing for, and chose to take, the test of mortality. And again, like the MCAT, this test may feel too long – especially when we face some of the more difficult questions or trials.

Even though the test of mortality seems long, in actuality, it is very short.

Just like doing well on the MCAT helped me reach a goal I had my entire life of going to medical school. Doing well on our mortal test will help us reach our goal of exaltation/eternal life. So that we may live forever in the celestial kingdom with our Heavenly Father and Savior.

Having the knowledge that we will be reunited again with our loved ones who have preceded us in graduating this life is very comforting and reassuring.

Elder Bowen said, “What a glorious blessing this is in our lives. …How grateful I am to my Father in Heaven that He allows us to love deeply and love eternally. How grateful I am for eternal families. How grateful I am that He has revealed once again through His living prophets the glorious plan of redemption.” 1

As I mentioned briefly, all of us will face trials and temptations in our mortal journey. As in any journey, there are ups and downs, times of relative ease and times of severe hardship.

On September 21, 2002, I experienced one of those low times of severe hardship. That is the day I lost my fiancé, and subsequently, what was to be my upcoming eternal marriage and opportunity to have children. I also lost, on that day, my independence – I suffered a severe spinal cord injury which left me quadriplegic. Not to mention the loss of my career as a podiatrist – which I had spent years working towards and was so close to completing. That’s a lot to lose in one day.

Elder Bowen said, “I have learned that the bitter, almost unbearable pain can become sweet as you turn to your Father in Heaven and plead for His comfort that comes through His plan; His Son, Jesus Christ; and His Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost.” 1

When you face a trial there are two paths you can take. The first is, to do as Elder Bowen suggested and, turn to your Heavenly Father and trust in Him. In doing so, you will be comforted and strengthened. Or, you can turn away from, and blame God and become bitter and unhappy. In my humble opinion, the first option is much better.

Pres. Lorenzo Snow said the following, “It is impossible for us to work out our salvation and accomplish the purposes of God without trials or without sacrifices.^” 7

For those of you out there thinking that you didn’t sign-up for this, well, you did.

President Lorenzo Snow said, “Trials and tribulations have been the experience of the Latter-day Saints. God so designed that it should be. I daresay that in the [premortal] spirit world, when it was proposed to us to come into this probation, and pass through the experience that we are now receiving, it was not altogether pleasant and agreeable; the prospects were not so delightful in all respects as might have been desired. Yet there is no doubt that we saw and understood clearly there that, in order to accomplish our exaltation and glory, this was a necessary experience; and however disagreeable it might have appeared to us, we were willing to conform to the will of God, and consequently we are here.” 7

Pres. Snow also said, “There is no other way in which the Saints can make spiritual improvement and be prepared for an inheritance in the celestial kingdom than through tribulation. It is the process by which knowledge is increased and peace will ultimately be established universally.”  7

Let us remember that whenever we face trial or temptation that we must rely on our Savior, Jesus Christ, and His Atonement and trust in our Heavenly Father. If we do so, the Holy Ghost will comfort and strengthen us.

Elder Bowen testified, “I testify that, as stated in Preach My Gospel, ‘as we rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, He can help us endure our trials, sicknesses, and pain. We can be filled with joy, peace, and consolation. All that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.’” 1

Pres. Lorenzo Snow wants us to remember, “Every man and woman who serves the Lord, no matter how faithful they may be, have their dark hours; but if they have lived faithfully, light will burst upon them and relief will be furnished.” 7

I add my testimony that as part of our mortal journey we all face dark hours. But if we turn to the Lord and are faithful, we will see the glorious light we have been promised. The Lord reminds us in the Doctrine and Covenants that “our adversity and afflictions will be but a small moment and if we endure it well, God will exalt us on high” 8

Our Heavenly Father has a plan for us. Part of that plan included sending his son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, to Atone for us. We are blessed with the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, which teaches us the plan of salvation. By understanding, and being faithful to, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can overcome any trial or temptation we face. And be reunited again with our loved ones in the celestial kingdom. Of this, I humbly testify. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

References:

1. October 2012 Gen. Conference, “Because I Live, Ye Shall Live Also” By Elder Shayne M. Bowen- Of the Seventy

2.  Moroni 8: 5-12

3. Doctrine and Covenants 68:27

4. Doctrine and Covenants 137:10

5. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 2007; 171-181

6. Abraham 3:25

7. Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, 2011; chapter 7

8. Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8