Mosiah 18:9 sacrament talk for 3/20/22
From a very young age I was aware of death. My mother taught me that going to funerals was to support the people left behind. Both of her parents died the year she married in 1944. My mother was a living example of Mosiah 18:9
Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death…
What does it mean? Someone once said to me that people disappear two weeks after the funeral. They stop calling because it is not comfortable.
My sister passed away while she was on vacation 4.5 years ago. To say it was a shock is an understatement. She fell off a cliff while hiking in Italy. She and I had a special bond. We talked as often as possible. I spoke with her daughter on the phone last week and we both had a good cry about how much we still miss her everyday.
Mosiah 18:9
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort,
I feel that this is a topic I have been thinking about for quite sometime. Two years ago on the Saturday before Easter my mom passed. On the day of her funeral, my dearest friend passed from unexpected heart failure. As the time has gone on since the pandemic began, it seems that someone dear to me has passed almost every month and more often multiple deaths per month. But this does not seem to be an anomaly for me as I reflect on my life.
and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life-
God didn't promise days without pain,
laughter without sorrow,sun without rain,
but He did promise strength for the day,
comfort for the tears, and
light for the way.
If you hold up your head with a smile
on your face and are truly thankful,
you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you can hold someone's hand, hug them
or even touch them on the shoulder,
you are blessed because you can
offer God's healing touch.
The day mom died, I gave my dad a choice and this was at my husbands bequest, to either stay where he was in a closed down quarantined facility or move in with us. He moved in with us! The next nine months of his life were not always easy, but he always let us know he was grateful for us not leaving him there.
Mourning, losing a loved one…there is no set time Give yourself and others time. It takes time. It is not always easy to be around someone who is grieving. There’s no “normal” amount of time to grieve. Your grieving process depends on a number of things, like your personality, age, beliefs, and support network. The type of loss is also a factor. For example, chances are you’ll grieve longer and harder over the sudden death of a loved one, like my sister, a suicide, death of a child and you never know when it will “pop” up.
In the recent Liahona, it talks about ways to help others in mourning with those who mourn. Besides the immediate time, the article says to Be Brave and stay close
Accept your and their feelings and know that grieving is a process.
Talk to others. Spend time with your loved ones. Don’t isolate yourself. don’t let your loved ones isolate themselves.
Take care of yourself. Exercise regularly, eat well, and get enough sleep to stay healthy and energized.
Return to your hobbies. Get back to the activities that bring you joy.
Join a support group. Speak with others who are also grieving. It can help you feel more connected.
When Jesus Christ was crucified, there were his followers who had traveled with him, Think of the deep sorrow felt by these women at the cross as they watched the Savior suffer.
We all have times when those we love experience tragedy and we are powerless to do anything about it. Although the women at the cross could not change the situation, they remained present with the Savior in His excruciating pain. Their examples show us that one way “to mourn with those that mourn” (Mosiah 18:9) is simply to be with those who suffer
One of the most important thing is to remember to come unto the light. Elder Ucthdorf's posted"But no matter how dark the night, I was always encouraged by the thought In the morning the sun will rise again” (see Psalm 30:5).
Elder Wirthlin gave a beautiful comforting conference talk back in 2006. He a talked about how President Hinckley said at sister wirthlin's funeral, that it is a devastating consuming thing to lose someone you love, that it gnaws at your soul.
elder wirthlin contemplated as probably all of us do when we lose a loved gospel principles, that we may never have had to fully utilize or put into play in our life’s the concepts of death and separation.
Elder Wirthlin went on to say how dark that Friday was that our Savior was lifted up on the cross. the earth shook and grew dark. How hard it was for not only his earthly loved ones to watch, but also for His Father for the veil in the temple was rent. And I quote “ It was a day that gnawed at the would of all who loved and honored the Son of God. But the doom of that day did not endure…
Each of us have those days which are difficult, painful and gnaw at our souls, but we have to remember that Sunday will come, The Son of God rose, the sun will rise and the world,will be a brighter place. It can take time. But to quote Elder Wirthlin, Sunday will come.
A small moment for seeing the sun came just this weekend. My sister’s daughter was staying with us and she has a 1 year old daughter. A granddaughter that my sister never met. As I was standing in my kitchen Little Olivia Polly came and wrapped her arms around my legs and just hugged me, I felt the love and warmth and comfort from my sister Polly at that moment. I know that Sunday had come.The light was there from that small gesture that my tiny great niece may never know how much that hug meant to me and what it meant,
President Hinckley continued with his talk at sister wirthlin’s funeral that in the quiet of the night (or day) a still small unheard voice will whisper peace to our souls. ‘All is well.”
Don’t judge, just love with understanding, for those who mourn there is no set time. Be there, if only with a hug and soft tissues.