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Russel M. Nelson, Richard G. Scott, and Neal A. Maxwell on the Purpose of Death




WHEN DEATH COMES WITHOUT A WARNING

 "Several years ago, one of our General Authorities and his eternal companion had a wonderful son taken in his youthful prime because of an automobile accident. It happened so suddenly. In a brief moment, he was literally transferred through the gateway from this world to the next. There had been no preexisting illness and no time to prepare for such shocking news.

Similar experiences have been endured by families of loved ones lost in war or through other violent actions or accidents that occurred in the ‘twinkling of an eye.’ (D&C 101:31.) Perhaps those are the most difficult of burdens borne, because death comes so unexpectedly. No challenge in life may be as intense as this.

While those so bereft of a loved one are unable to change facts as they really are, important lessons can be learned. Hopefully, we all do not need to endure such experiences to profit by those same lessons.

The very laws that could not allow such a broken body to survive here are the same eternal laws the Lord will employ at the time of the resurrection, when that body ‘shall be restored to [its] proper and perfect frame.’ (Alma 40:23.) We can be greatly reassured knowing that the Lord who created us in the first place has power to do it again.

Our routine assumption that there will always be a tomorrow is not always validated. Wise is the person who lives each day as if it were the last day on earth.

Parents, partners, and families bid farewell in the morning with no guarantee that their next reunion will be according to their planned location and timetable. Should tragedy alter those plans, how nice it would be if words of courtesy and love were the last to have been exchanged.

Delay of payment of debts may not have tomorrow’s time to erase that bondage or blemish on one’s reputation. (See D&C 19:35.) Sweet is the peace brought by freedom from debt.

Procrastination of repentance carries great risk. The number of tomorrows is limited. The conquest of physical addiction, for example, must be done while it is still possible to exert spiritual supremacy over temptations of the flesh. (See Romans 8:6; 2 Nephi 9:39.)



I remember vividly an experience I had as a passenger in a small two-propeller airplane. One of the engines suddenly burst open and caught on fire. The propeller of the flaming engine was starkly stilled. As we plummeted in a deep spiral dive toward the earth, I expected to die. Some of the passengers screamed in hysterical panic. Miraculously, the precipitous dive extinguished the flames. Then, by starting up the other engine, the pilot was able to stabilize the plane and bring us down safely.

Throughout that ordeal, though I felt that sudden death was coming, my paramount feeling was that I was not afraid to die. I remember a sense of returning home to meet ancestors for whom I had done temple work. I remember my deep sense of gratitude that my sweetheart and I had been sealed eternally to each other and to our children born and reared in the covenant. I realized that our marriage in the temple was our most important accomplishment. Honors bestowed upon me by men could not begin to approach the inner peace provided by sealings performed in the House of the Lord.

Temple ordinances made and covenants obeyed bequeath peace of mind regardless of when and where their death might subsequently come to a person.

The disaster of sudden death or the ever-present possibility of catastrophe should impress upon our minds the importance of living each day to the very best of our ability. Should such tragedy strike, our soothing consolation can come from the Lord, whose atonement makes the resurrection a reality regardless of how or where one passes through the gateway to immortality and eternal life.”

 Russell M. Nelson, The Gateway We Call Death, 1995

THE PURPOSE OF DEATH

By Russell M. Nelson

“DEATH BEGAN WITH THE FALL OF ADAM; it ended with the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Definition of something as obvious as physical death hardly seems necessary. Then ‘the spirits of all…are taken home to that God who gave them life.’ (Alma 40:11.)

President Joseph Fielding Smith explained that death ‘is a state of total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions, and it is followed by the dissolution of the body, which returns to the various elements of which it is composed.’ (Doctrines of Salvation, vol.2)

His reference to the fate of elements that once comprised the body paraphrases one of God’s earliest instructions to man: ‘In the sweat of thy face thou shalt eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.’ (Genesis 3:19.) Each of us may still remember the first startling experience of viewing the mortal remains of a loved one. I remember when my Grandfather Anderson (my mother’s father) passed away. Silently I thought to myself, ‘This is not Grandfather!’ And I was correct. It was not grandfather. The man I loved was not there. I think that was the first time I realized that it was his spirit I knew and loved, not his body. His body only allowed his spirit to function and to love me. Then I understood what an Old Testament prophet expressed so clearly: ‘Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.’ (Ecclesiastes 12:7.)

Death can thus be defined as a separation—a separation of the body and the spirit.

Traumatic as such a viewing is to a young person, it serves as an opportunity to teach one of the most important lessons of life, namely that each human soul is comprised of the body AND the spirit—two separate and distinct entities. This fact is simply stated in holy writ: ‘The spirit and the body are the soul of man.’ (D&C 88:15.)

With that understanding, we can then comprehend the need to exercise spiritual control over the appetites of the body. Spiritual dominion also demands that the divinely created body receive the care it deserves. Self-mastery means spiritual control over the body. Addiction, however, is just the opposite. If one is addicted to a substance, the unrelenting demands of the physical body control the spirit.

‘The elements [of the body] are the tabernacle of God; year, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple.’ (D&C 93:35.) On one of many occasions when Jesus was taunted by his adversaries, he referred to his own body as a temple (See Mark 14:58; John 2:19.)

Thus far, we have considered only physical death—the death of the body. Prophets have described another kind of death, sometimes termed the second death, or spiritual death. Perhaps we should try to understand the spiritual as well as the physical death.

SPIRITUAL DEATH

President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: ‘Spiritual death is defined as a state of spiritual alienation from God—the eternal separation from the Supreme Being; condemnation to everlasting punishment is also called the second death.’ (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, p. 217.)

With that definition in mind, it logically follows that one can be spiritually dead, yet very much alive—physically. It is the exact opposite of what I felt when viewing the mortal remains of my grandfather. His physical body was dead; spiritually he was very much alive.

We can all think of people we know who seem to exhibit no spark of spiritual awareness. They appear to be totally concerned with ONLY physical and material matters. The apostle Paul warned us of this danger. He said, ‘If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.’ (Romans 8:13.)

A Book of Mormon prophet taught a similar lesson: ‘Whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.

‘Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.’ (Helaman 14:18-19.)

Therefore, spiritual (or the second) death becomes a matter of great importance to us while we sojourn here in mortality. Even the Savior cannot save individuals in their sins. He will redeem them from their sins, but then only through repentance. Only rarely may we be responsible may we be responsible for physical death, but we are solely responsible for spiritual death.

Whether spiritual death be numbered as the second or the first death is incidental. The real objective is avoid it. The Master so declared: ‘Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that [Satan] should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed. ‘But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son.

‘And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe; and they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not; for they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey.’ (D&C 29:41-45.)

The concept of rescue from spiritual death helps us to understand how we may be ‘born again’ through baptism and reception of the gift of the Holy Ghost. It helps us to see how we can obtain a ‘new heart’ in a spiritual sense. When our hearts change, we think and behave differently. When our hearts truly change, we can walk with confidence and in harmony with God.

Like birth, baptism is also an important initiatory gateway. ‘For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

‘And then are ye in this straight and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.

‘And now…after ye have gotten into this straight and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

‘Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, ye must press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life…This is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God.’ (2 Nephi 31:17-21.) Scriptures describe some of the detailed changes that may be observed in one who has truly been converted to the Lord and saved from spiritual death. One of the most eloquent is this verse from the Book of Mormon.

‘For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.’ (Mosiah 3:19.)

In teaching a converted individual determined to repent and seek a righteous life, the Lord gave this encouragement through his prophet Ezekiel: ‘A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.’ (Ezekiel 36:26-27.) (As one who practiced cardiovascular surgery for many years, I cannot resist the opportunity to note that these verses from Ezekiel alluded to a heart transplantation—even centuries before our present era of sophisticated open-heart surgery. Ezekiel’s imagery may have been figurative and used only as a metaphor, but the description of the replacement of a ‘stony heart’ with a ‘heart of flesh’ is equally apropos to the current clinical operation).

The gospel of Jesus Christ provides indemnification against spiritual death. Faith, repentance, baptism, and regular renewal of baptismal covenants by partaking of the sacrament worthily are spiritual life insurance.

PHYSICAL DEATH

Returning now to the topic of physical death, let us contemplate its sacred purpose. Ironic as it may seem, death is a part of God’s great plan of happiness. Scriptures so declare: ‘Now behold, it was not expedient that man should be reclaimed from this temporary death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness.’ (Alma 42:8.)

‘Death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of the great Greater.’ (2 Nephi 9:6.)

‘Behold…it was appointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.’ (Alma 12:27.)

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die.’ (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.)

Those scriptures help us to comprehend that physical death is an essential part of God’s plan for us. His divine perception of our lives includes all three acts of the drama—not just act two. Even our own logic would cause us to understand the ensuing problems if people only entered and exited the stage on which act two of life’s drama is being played. What would this world be like without death? It would become mighty congested. Perhaps a time of mourning is not the best time for analytical thought, but it is a time to be reminded of the necessity of passing on.

Estimates suggest that some seventy billion people have lived on planet earth. If they were all still here—if there were no death—we could probably own nothing. Groceries would be scarce and housing would be overcrowded, to say the least. We could hardly make any choices, and accountability would be inopportune. The whole reason for our existence would thus be frustrated.

Not only that, but our Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness would be destroyed. After all, he wants us to return to his presence. His highest hopes are for our immortality and eternal life.

What loving father or mother does not yearn for the day when a distant daughter or son will return? The longing of the lonesome heart does not ease with the passage of time. It becomes more intense. Few experiences provide the joy that homecoming brings. The embrace of awaiting parents when their arms envelop a beloved son or daughter is truly sublime. If one has experienced that kind of happiness, either as a parent or as a child, then and only then can one understand these scriptures: ‘Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.’ (Psalm 116:15.)

‘Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord…that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.’ (Revelation 14:13.)

Reunion, reason, and rounding out of divine intent all reassure us that physical death must be. Jonathan Swift appropriately concluded: ‘It is impossible that anything so natural, so necessary, and so universal as death should ever have been designed as an evil to mankind.’

Death is a part of life. It is an essential element of God’s plan of progression and happiness for his beloved sons and daughters. Death is the gateway to immortality and eternal life.”

 Russell M. Nelson, The Gateway We Call Death, 1995

(Russell M. Nelson was a prominent heart surgeon and is current an Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

I have watched in my 50 years people die before their time. It "came without a warning." It could happen to anyone. As far back as I can remember, I met with families who lossed loved ones either as infants, young children, or up to adults--with no warning signs.

Since I am a practicing Latter-day Saint, I think of things in religious terms and thought I would write at least one Web page about the subject. This brings to mind Apostle Richard G. Scott, who lost two children at very young ages and his wife a good number of years before her time (65). Did it affect his faith? No. Read more.

Temple Worship: The Source of Strength and Power in Times of Need

In 2014, Another friend of mine who was my home teaching companion for about four years lost his brother, only a few years older than he, in a car accident. He left behind three kids and wife. How do you explain this to him? We poured out our prayers and sympathy.

Could this happen to you or your family? Yes.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell said: "...not all of us die quietly of heart attacks in our sleep at an advanced age. Nor can we always use our faith and prayers to block all the exit doors from mortality, all the time, for all the people. It is as important that there be ways out of this mortal schoolhouse as that there will be ways in. There must be endings even for graceful enduring.

Whether life is long or short, the Apostle John summed it up so well: 'Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.' (Revelation 14:12).

Neal A. Maxell, Not My Will, But Thine, 1988

According to life expectacy tables, we should live an average of 75 years. This is up from, say 50 years ago. Medical science has improved our odds. People are living longer. But even so, these few years are a microdot of eternity.

Not many of us except those of us who have terminal illnesses or who are getting older, can prepare for unexpected death. And given the nature of the life insurance business, it is usually not possible to buy a policy that will cover anybody. Because of this, most families are unprepared for the death of a young one. When I was in the business of selling cemetery property, this was more feasible for families to do, because extra burial plots and vaults can be purchased without respect to anyone's life in particular, which means they can be used for anyone who should need them. But with life insurance funded funeral plans, they can can't be used for whoever happens to "go first."

To at least partly cover the possiblity of the unexpected death of a young one, National Guardian Life offers a policy for only $10 for each single pay plan purchased that will cover children under most conditions. Read more





I don't need your Social Security number. There is a major funeral funding company based in the Salt Lake area that owns many mortuaries and cemeteries that insists on getting your Social Security number when you set up a plan with them. Don't fall for this. That number is only needed for a death certificate, not for a funeral or burial plan. National Guardian Life does NOT require your Social Security number. Turn down any plan that does.

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