I’m grateful for the opportunity to share a few remarks today. I learned to feel and recognize the love, comfort and peace available to each of us through our Savior Jesus Christ, from my mother. As a child, my first and earliest recollection is of the loving and comforting sound of her beautiful voice singing “I wonder when he comes again” and “I love to see the temple” as she calmed my fears at bedtime. This memory is vivid, it pierced my soul and has not dimmed since childhood. This same feeling has returned again and again throughout my life with each moment where the atonement of Christ would be needed.
In my late childhood and adolescent years, she continued to quietly teach me about the love and comfort of our Savior as she nurtured me through many health challenges including (but not limited to) an unfortunate incident with a BB gun, a motorcycle incident requiring 18 stitches (thank you Dr. Drake!), acute appendicitis, repair of a deviated septum (I’m still not sure how I broke my nose 🙂 and multiple interventions at the hands of an ornery chicken sandwich. With immense kindness and with a twinkle in her eye she later awarded me the title of her “most expensive child”. Ironically, that felt like such a compliment.
As an adult, I suffered another health emergency that left me hospitalized for a week and a half and with a prolonged recovery. Mom joined by dear wife, Kim, as they both nurtured me back to health. She was an expert at sharing the Savior’s love and comfort.
This week, even after her passing, she taught me of the peace the Savior can provide in the most painful moments of our lives. Unfortunately, the notorious COVID-19 infection deprived me and my family of being at her bedside as she slipped away into her eternal glory. My beloved wife and children are unfortunately still quarantined and unable to join us in grieving her loss today. Nonetheless, as we discussed this as a family, we felt an overwhelming sense of peace enter our home. Certainly, this was a result of her continued influence in our lives.
Few things are as painful as loosing your beloved mother, but somehow I am at peace. It is the peace the Savior brings in our hours of need. I have known it since I was a young child. I learned it from my mother.
I testify that the Lord Jesus Christ is the source of the deepest and purest love we can know. He heals the sick and the afflicted. He comforts those who stand in need of comfort and brings peace in our most desperate hour. He is the balm of Gilead. He is the great physician. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
