My friend Chuck will be happy to hear me remind everyone that "only the Sith deal in absolutes". I'll have to agree with Yoda on that one, & after I finished writing about how I felt about having an Eternal Perspective in my previous post...I'm going to take some of those words back...and I'll tell you why.
While I maintain that using the idea of an Eternal Perspective to call a people or congregation into submission is far from ideal; the idea works quite well when you apply it to yourself. How can that be possible? Before we dive in, check out the video so that we can start with the same knowledge:
See, the problem with this life is that it's hard...terribly hard. You will be tried, tested, brought to your knees...even the very breaking point when you want to give up. This is hard to take. It's hard to go to sleep at night without those you love. It's hard to sleep in your car, to work all night long, to give and give when it feels like you need to just get for once. All of us will go there at some point. In fact...we should hope that we do. See, we've been told clearly that we will not be tested beyond what we can bear. If you have not been brought to your knees...then it is possible that more work needs to be done. I suppose it's possible to make it through this existence without really being tested...but I doubt it.
We are better for the refiners fire. Bones once broken are stronger. Metal with proper welds applied is stronger. Knowledge tested repeatedly and used frequently is stronger. When rules are broken and we repent, our resolve to avoid future mistakes is...you guessed it...stronger. It is part of the process, and despite the pain we feel while we reside in the midst of the burning trial by fire...we will in fact be stronger for it. There was a talk recently given in which the speaker spoke of a young boy going through chemotherapy. The boy asked the doctor if he will be back to normal when the treatment is over. The doctor replied, I'm afraid not...you will be better than you were before. The same holds true for us as we are tried by life. I am reminded of the Lord's answer to Joseph Smith in D&C 122 when he pleaded with Him to end his suffering in Liberty Jail. The Lord responded in D&C 122:8 "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"
The answer, however difficult it is to utter, is no...we are not greater than He. But that is of great importance to Him, for we know from Moses 1:39 that "For behold, this is my work and my glory -- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." That great God, for which we are no better...God's only goal is our immortality and eternal life. THIS, US, is what creates, grows, and IS God's glory. How do we connect the dots now?
When I child dies, the worst thing we could say to the parent is that it's all part of God's plan...absolute worst. But, to those parents, the only thing that may get them through the day is that they can be united with that child again one day through the sealing power of the Temple. When long hours at work separate husband from wife and children...it is important to remember that this will not always be the case. When the fire of affliction and trial burn hottest, it is comforting to know that the suffering does not last indefinitely. When a spouse dies and the future may be faced alone...there is comfort in knowing that the ability to be reunited is possible...all is not lost thanks again to the sealing power of the Temple.
When life is at it's darkest moments, having an eternal perspective is often the only way to make it through with a smile. Because things will be different after this life, it's possible to laugh when life kicks you. It's possible to smile instead of cry when the thought of a deceased loved one crosses our consciousness. My grand parents are gone and I didn't leave my Grandad on the best terms. This has haunted me for over a decade at this point. But I know that he has already forgiven my ill informed decision made at a young age. I know that one day, if I make good decisions going forward, he'll tell me he's proud of the man I've become. I know one day, maybe even soon, my Dad will leave this Earth and it will be up to me to take care of my Mom. I look forward to the day that I will be able to return and report to him that the task was executed to the greatest extent I possibly could. One day, I may have to face the loss of Rachel, Novan, Beya, Iyov, or Keshet...and it will hurt like hell...and the only thing that will get me through each day is the eternal perspective that they are far from lost to me. Death is simply the temporary separation of people who love each other.
Death is forever temporary. While Lucifer lorded death over our heads for centuries...he lost that battle at the point Christ was resurrected. And if we will but let ourselves see through the fleetingness of this life and have an eternal perspective...death will never haunt us again. For if your faith does not provide for the belief in an after life...consider a change. Who even cares if it's true? I sure don't. If someone managed to provide proof to me that everything I believed was false...I'd live it anyway.
Why do such an irrational thing? If you, like Job, lost everyone you loved by the end of next week. You tell me what thought will get you through the day: 1) You will never see them again or 2) You'll be reunited with them forever if you can follow some basic rules of governing self behavior. I don't know how you would choose...but I'll take that chance that my faith is in fact true. I have too much at stake to loose. I have an amazing wife, 4 beautiful children, 2 sets of parents, 4 sets of grandparents, 8 siblings. I either go through life thinking that these 40, 50, 60, maybe 70 or 80 years with them is it...or I believe that I can be with them forever.
I have lost Rachel's Dad and one set of Grandparents in this life. I miss them tremendously. But I refuse to give up the hope that I will see them again; AND that they participate in my life even now. Even if it's not true, I'd rather just believe that it is. It gives me hope. The death of my Grandfather has motivated decisions I've made since 1998. If I count up the accomplishments I've had since that fateful day...it's enough to write a book. I didn't do all those things for me, to achieve greatness, glory, or even popularity. I did them to right a wrong, to honor my father & mother, to support, love, and protect my spouse & children. If I die and it was all a lie...who cares...I'll be dead. But while I live in this life, if life chooses to keep trying to kick me, I'm going to kick back. I'm going to believe that things will get better. I'm going to believe that I'll get back the people I've lost. I will believe that wrongs will be righted and relationships will be restored. I'm going to believe that ultimately we will all return to our God that loves us. I'm going to believe all those things, not because someone told me to, or benefits from me if I do; but, because I BENEFIT because I believe those things.
I have an eternal perspective because it gives me hope and gets me through my day. So what if I give up on a few things because I've made covenants to avoid certain things. "Wickedness never was happiness." I hear all the gossip at work about all the things I could be doing if I chose to live that way...honestly...it doesn't seem any better than what I choose to spend my time on. When I stated before that what happens in this life matters right now, while we are still here. I meant it. And when life gets hard, that eternal perspective matters...and it matters right now.
