A Life of Love Makes Death Bearable

Most of us die alone. In other words, we usually slip into the spirit world one at a time, to be greeted by loved ones there and surely by the Savior. Some find they have entered that realm with companions, such as the hundreds who died in the explosions just outside Kabul airport. But these are exceptions, not the rule.

I suppose you can quote me many other exceptions of large groups of mortals who have left their bodies within moments of each other. Some of the horrors and tragedies of war come to mind – a sinking of a ship, a large explosion, or the loss of a building or two, tumbling to the ground in a catastrophic fashion.

But by and large, we enter this world alone and we leave it alone, one at a time. If this post about death bothers you, feel free to find something more uplifting to read. Right now, death is on my mind, and I keep waking in the middle of the night thinking about it. I have friends who have recently died of or are dying of complications of COVID. Writing about it seems to be the way I deal with death.

Greeted by the Savior

Of course, I believe we will be greeted by the Savior. According to many things I’ve read, have been taught and believe, I am certain we will encounter the Savior soon or almost immediately after we leave this life and seek the light, or better said, are gathered to the light and flow unto and into that light – the light of love.

I also believe there are those who refuse to go to the light, leave this world in a spirit of anger, resentment, and denial, even hatred. I can’t imagine them seeking the light or wanting to be a part of it. Thus, they separate themselves and seek darkness where they are alone, nursing their wounds of an unfair life that did not go and especially did not end the way they believed or hoped it would for them.

They refuse the light of the Savior. He beckons, He send messengers. They pout and sulk. He honors their agency and leaves them alone, in their own spirit prison where the spirits that tormented them in life continue, in a very real fashion, to torment them in their mind and hearts. They go over their misery again and again, without realizing they are free to leave their prison if they will but forgive others.

Those Who Go to The Light

While, on the other hand, those who leave this world in a spirit of faith and love, love for their fellow man and especially for their Savior, are greeted by Him or His messengers who eventually bring them to the Lord where they embrace and are wrapped in his eternal arms of glory, even if just for a few moments until their tears and sorrow turn to joy at being with this glorious being so filled with love.

It is indescribable. He takes away all their pain, all their burden and all their sense of loss. He fills them with joy, or rather restores to them what was already there, just hidden for a time and kept confined in the veil of the mortal body. Memories of pain slip away. They feel only peace, joy, and tremendous contentment.

Although not yet resurrected, they are freed, set free by the Master of the Universe, to associate with so many others who have left this life with a love for their Savior and their fellow man. Loved ones come to them. They rejoice. They embrace. They feel indescribable joy and rejoice as they greet family members who they had never met in mortality but who they now recognize and greet.

Both Sides of the Veil Unite

I have imagined this scene over and over many times in my mind’s eye and in my dreams. It is especially poignant when I immerse myself in the scriptures and read of the conditions there, where we await the great day of the Lord that is coming, the day in which He comes to earth to judge the world, destroy the wicked and invite the righteous to join Him with the hosts of heaven in this day of rejoicing.

This is not some imaginary event. It is soon. It is foretold and prophesied. It has been revealed to man in advance that we may know and have hope. It matters not which side of the veil we are on at that time, only that we are on the Lord’s side, acknowledging Him as our master who has the right to rule and reign. He comes in great glory and those who come with Him in light will burn the wicked.

I cannot imagine anyone who would not want to be on the Lord’s side, but we know it is easy to be deceived and to believe we are free or exempt from His power. What a shock it will be to those who have not been embraced in His love, or who have not taken the Holy Spirit as their guide to prepare them for this great and terrible day. How we treat each other makes all the difference in the world.

I Want Off This Merry-Go-Round

The type of work I do is mostly project-based. As such, I seem to change jobs or rather employers, quite often. I found out today my employer requires that ALL employees and outside contractors (of which I am one), MUST be vaccinated by November 1^st. Carol and I talked about it. There is not much we can do about it. The decision has pretty much been made for us. We will both get the Pfizer shots.

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UPDATE: My friend Roy (see comments below) brought an alternative to my attention. After discussing with Carol, we have decided to tell my current employer we will wait for Novavax to obtain US approval next year. We investigated the ingredients in all three of the currently available shots (they are not really vaccinations) and decided we didn’t want to put that stuff into our bodies at this point.

We’re fairly certain this specific employer they will not accept our petition for an exception. After all, they are one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. But there are plenty of other jobs out there. Besides, I still have my consulting contract with my previous employer. Seems they are willing to allow me to do as much or as little as is needed, depending on the current work load.

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We have been hesitant because we are both concerned about the effects of the shots on our bodies. We don’t believe it is a true vaccine, but what can we do? I have resisted because I am an asthmatic, but many would argue I should have gotten the shots a long time ago for that very reason. What does it matter? If we get sick from the shots, we get sick. If we die, we die. Nobody lives forever, right?

As we pray daily for our friend who is suffering from COVID, we ask the Lord to bless his family, especially his wife, who is almost constantly at his side. They have been a wonderful example to us of unselfish love and sacrifice. He has worked hard all his life selling roofs and she is a bookkeeper. Just regular people like me and Carol. I am a computer guy and Carol is a ghostwriter. We make a living.

Making Plans for the Future

As we near retirement age, we both realize we cannot continue to live in this expensive city. My career has had its ups and downs, periods of unemployment, I’ve been fired twice and quit more jobs and turned down more job offers than I care to remember. I keep my story online, but in the end, it’s just a career. It’s not the most important thing. It’s just money. The Lord has always provided for us.

People are the most important thing. That is, being nice to people, even if they are jerks, and we all know plenty of arrogant, selfish people that we’ve had to deal with in our lives. At the same time, we’ve met some wonderful people who have shown us by their example that they love the Lord and love each other. We find a lot of them in our local wards and stake. I still attend each week with Carol.

As I’ve written before, I want off this Merry-Go-Round. I don’t want to come back and learn more lessons. I want to go on in the next step of this progression. It will be a long time to the day of resurrection. God bless us all to love one another in spite of our sometimes foolish, human tendencies and mistakes. Forgiveness is a gift from God and a gift we give ourselves when we forgive others their offenses.

God Bless,

Tim and Carol Malone