Knowing Now That He is Our Savior

Yesterday we finished our last night of the production Savior of the World. I believe my favorite scene was when I, as the apostle John, witnesses Peter explaining an important truth to Thomas, who was distressed from having not personally seen the Savior when so many others around him had. Here is a bit of the dialogue, slightly abbreviated:

Peter: I'm sorry you didn't see Him.

Thomas: What I said about believing--

John: We understand, Thomas. You want to see Him with your own eyes.

Thomas: So I can be a witness!

Peter: You are a witness. Look, Thomas, we did see Him, but that is not enough for any of us.

Thomas: What? Peter: Plenty of people saw Him in life, watched His miracles and heard His teachings, and yet some of them were among those who condemned Him to the cross. To see Him, Thomas--to see Him as He is, for who He is--we must look with our hearts...It isn't by flesh and blood that we know, but by what we feel...And one day, when you do see Him, you will not know any better than you know now that He lives, because you already feel--(pointing to Thomas' heart)--here.

Thomas learns a valuable lesson here. It almost brings tears to my eyes as I consider this beautiful truth. It seems that this dialogue is partially based on words from the final talk given by Elder Bruce R. McConkie: "I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way."

I think also of Alma 34:34. "Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful crisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth possess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world." Now is the time to gain a knowledge of Christ. If we reject Him, or reject that opportunity, what reason do we have to believe that we will be any different later? Perhaps some think that it will be easy to believe in Christ after they have died and seen what is next. However, we will not be so different in the Spirit World from what we are now.

Last thoughts for now:

Now is the time to gain a knowledge of Christ. He is our Savior. He was and is a perfect example and teacher. I know it! To see Him face to face will surely be the most humbling experience of my existence, but I am grateful that I have a testimony from God about my Savior now.

Death of an Apostle

Joseph Bitner Wirthlin: 11 June 1917 – 1 December 2008

There are things I just don't understand. A beloved apostle of the Lord has died, and I think back to the passing of our last president. Some reacted with great sadness, like the guy in this picture:

(AP) Thomas Richardson, a Brigham Young University student, pays his respects at a makeshift memorial in front of the Gordon B. Hinckley building on the campus of BYU after it was announced that Gordon Hinckley, the 97 year old leader of the Mormon Church died January 27, 2008 in Provo, Utah.

A fellow in my old ward bore his testimony the next Sunday and mentioned how sad he was.

I don't get it. For people who don't understand eternity, death can be frightening. But for us? I just don't get it.

What reason was there to mourn? If his life had been cut short, that would be unfortunate. If we had no hope of ever seeing him again, that would be bad. If he had been wicked and we knew he was going to face punishment before God, that would be horrible. If the Church was going to founder because of his loss, that would be absolutely terrible.

But none of these are the way things are! He was old. There's no doubt that he was righteous, and is in the next step of a glorious eternity. His wife had passed away years earlier, and (I'm certain that because they are sealed) they are now reunited. The Church prospered under his leadership, and it will continue to prosper with Thomas S. Monson as our president.

So why mourn?

If I died right now, it would be sad that my wife would face the challenge of raising our kids alone, and it would be sad that my children would have to grow up without a father. We'd miss out on a lot of wonderful experiences as a family. But ultimately, things would be fine; for the righteous, death is only a temporary separation.

If I live to be seventy or eighty or ninety years old, and then I die, I don't want anyone to mourn. If people have reason to believe that I've lived well, I want them to celebrate.

Last thoughts for now:
I have no doubt that Elder Wirthlin has been greatly blessed for his service. I also have no doubt that another apostle will be called, and that the work of God will continue and "the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent" as it has done. And we should have joy.