Week 84: The State of the Soul

Hello once again. This week has been.. difficult. We'll start with Tuesday morning. We went to go and visit one of the families that we've been teaching. When we entered into their compound, there was a big orange tent and lots of tables and chairs. Here that means there is a "Patay". Meaning, someone had passed away and they were grieving. We thought that it was probably someone's old relative in the compound. Someone we didn't know or someone we hadn't met before.

We entered the compound, passed the big gate to see the mom we're teaching crying and on the phone with someone. Her kids were sitting down over by the casket on the side. She finished her phone call and walked over to us to tell us the man in the casket was her husband. My heart fell. We had been teaching them both for a little bit now. They had a baptism goal date for this last Saturday and had been to church 3 times.

He passed away last Saturday night, over a week ago now. He and his wife were out getting some medicine at the hospital. It's not too far from their house. They were walking out of the parking lot and a drunk driver in a motorcycle drove right into them. He pushed her right out of the way to save her. In effect his took the hit and died before the ambulance could get to him.

Everything she was telling us and seeing him in the casket was so unreal. It felt like a dream. We knew him. We were teaching him. We woke up early one day to go jogging and buy his pandesal. He was a quiet, humble kind man with a desire to do good and follow Christ.

The effect has taken its toll on the family, the compound and in the neighborhood. Many of their friends and extended family have become my investigators and also friends. We've taught a lot about God's Plan of Salvation this week to many of them. As we have visited and tried to invite everyone to church, the feeling of heartache and grief continues to linger. Everyone who has experienced death knows the feeling.

Trying to provide some bit of hope to them, we taught about death, the resurrection, and eternal families. I love this verse in the Book of Mormon about what happens to us after we die.

"Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life." Alma 40:11

As soon as he left this life, his spirit was taken home to a loving Father in Heaven. The spirit was so strong as we shared this with her. We taught and testified that her husband and their father is in a place called the spirit world. There, he is continuing doing what he began doing here. He is preparing himself for the resurrection by following the Gospel of Jesus Christ - exercising faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of his sins. The very same things that she is doing to change and to come closer to God.

I know that God has provided a way for our families to live together forever. Not only "until death do you part", but we can live together forever through Jesus Christ. He has given a way for that to happen. I am forever grateful to be a part of preaching that doctrine to the world.

I know that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth, along with it the authority to perform eternal marriages inside God's temples. I'm grateful for a loving God who gives me peace through this time of anguish and pain. I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. I know that he cares, no matter the state of your soul.

I hope you all find true peace this week.

Elder Childers