Book of Mormon: Day 107: And I Rejoice in the Day

Today’s reading: Enos 1:14-27

27 And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen.

The words in verse 27 are so beautiful to me. I find great peace in them. I am reminded that our time on earth is just a short time compared to the eternities and that life and death are all a part of our loving Heavenly Father’s plan for us.

I get to teach Sharing Time in Primary every month and going back to the “basics” has been such a blessing for me. I get to teach the little children how our ultimate goal is to live with Heavenly Father again. I love being able to share with the little ones how we lived in heaven before we came to earth, and that while on this earth we are able to gain a body, make choices, learn, grown and follow the commandments that will eventually lead us to eternal life after we die.

Even though death is a sad thing for those of us left on earth, it really should not be something that is feared. I love in verse 27  where it reads:

And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality

After our spirits leave our bodies we will be rejoicing in Heaven!  We will more fully understand things from our mortal life, and see them in a different light.

Of course, sometimes looking at death in this way is easier said than done. We are mortal, and we will have emotions and feelings that can sometimes keep us from seeing things from an eternal perspective. I speak from experience. When we found out my father-in-law had cancer that would soon take his life, I crumbled. I remember standing in the kitchen that evening with my husband’s family and I could not hold back the tears. My father-in-law soon noticed this. He then walked over and put his arm around me, and told me very seriously, but with the greatest amount of love that everything was going to be okay.

“It’s okay. This is  what we signed up for. If we believe what we believe, then everything is going to be okay.”

His words stuck with me. I will never forget them as that was the attitude he kept from the moment he found out he had cancer until the day he passed away three months later. He did not fear death. Even though death meant he would be separated on earth from his family, and  was  a very painful and hard thing, he knew where he was going. He believed in the Plan given to us from  Heavenly Father, and he knew that death was just as much a part of the Plan as life is. I believe he rejoiced as he passed through the veil. He had accomplished his mission on earth and was eager and ready to continue his mission in Heaven.

Even though we miss him so much, we know that his psychical death was not the end, and that he is happy, and rejoicing in Heaven where his spirit now lives.

There are many things we can do to help us gain a testimony of the Plan of Salvation that can help us not to fear death and to truly understand that death is essential to happiness. Some of the things I continually teach to my sweet Primary children are how we must stay close to the Spirit; we need to come to church, read our scriptures, be kind to others, and repent of our sins. Yes, these are some of the basic teachings, but they are so important and are vital to having eternal life.

“We need not look upon death as an enemy. With full understanding and preparation, faith supplants fear. Hope displaces despair.With that assurance, brothers and sisters, love life! Cherish each moment as a blessing from God.”– Russell M. Nelson source

It is my prayer that we can learn to not fear death, but to believe it opens the door to a place of peace, hope and everlasting life.