All of us experience the death of a loved one at one point or another in our lives, but the miracle of the gospel and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that we know that death is not the end! There is more after this life! That is the great news of the Gospel! Families can be together forever!! I have asked 2 of my very best friends to share their testimonies and experiences of how the gospel of Jesus Christ helped them through losing a loved one.
Christa said,
"My brother, Blake, passed away when I was 15 years old. He was 2 years older than me, and we were very close. Not only was it hard for him to be gone, it was especially difficult because he chose to leave me. Blake took his own life due to depression and addictions. It was all too much to bare. I thought I had a strong testimony before he died, but I did not rely on it when I needed it the most. I struggled for about a year with his sudden death-- I stopped going to church, and my choices were not up to my standards as a member of the church. I was suffering from situational depression, and life seemed hopeless. I had found myself with tunnel vision- and the end was not very bright. After finding myself as lost as I could possibly be, I got down on my knees and poured out my whole soul. I finally knew what the scriptures meant to give the Lord a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Never before have I felt so broken. The Holy Ghost truly did his role as a comforter that night. I never felt more peace in my life. After that, it wasn't automatically a happy, and perfect situation. I still had a lot of sincere praying to do, and repenting for going astray. It also takes a lot of time to heal. But through it all, from that time forth, I completely let the Savior carry me through. It isn't until we fully give ourselves to the Lord, that he can heal us. It is a difficult thing admitting that you cannot do it alone- that you don't have the strength to do it alone. But it is once you humble yourself, that the Savior can lift you up. It's a long process, but it is a beautiful gift of the atonement. Jesus Christ suffered not just for our sins, but for any pains, afflictions, and sicknesses. I am so grateful for our Savior. He has done more for me than I could ever repay Him for. I still miss my brother, but the pain, sadness, and heartache have completely left, and I have found true happiness again through our Savior's help and love. And I know that my brother can finally receive the help that he needs as well. I am so grateful for the gospel, and the blessings we receive from following the commandments and keeping our covenants. I am so grateful that my parents were sealed in the temple so that we can all be together again if we do our part. I'm just overly grateful for the perfection of the gospel, and that there is always hope. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."
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| Blake (Christa's brother) |
Stephanie said,
"Losing my mom is by far the hardest, most trying experience I have had in my life. She passed away 3 1/2 years ago from melanoma skin cancer. At the time, I felt like my world was ending and I would never be happy again. My mom was truly a best friend to me and someone who I relied on and looked up to very much. To lose her when I was only 17 seemed incredibly unfair and I couldn't imagine how I would live the many years of life I had ahead of me without her. I have been raised in the Gospel all my life and had excellent examples and teachings from my parents. About 2 years prior to this trial in my life is when I really gained my own testimony. Through lots of scripture study and personal prayer I came to know undoubtedly that I had a Father in Heaven and I was His daughter. I knew with a surety that the Gospel was true and was filled to capacity with the Spirit and joy of my testimony. I was incredibly happy and optimistic about life and wanted to share the wonderful knowledge I had gained with the whole world! I strongly believe that if I had not had this experience and gained my own testimony at this point in my life, I would have given up hope and ended up in a much different place than I am now upon losing my mom. Her battle with cancer was very brief - less than 6 months from her diagnosis to her death. However, those 6 months were the beginning of this long, enduring trial for me and I was truly tested during that time. Knowing my mom had terminal cancer with a poor prognosis filled my thoughts with fear, pain, and doubt. When faced with the serious possibility of losing a loved one, you suddenly look at life quite differently and the questions of "Who are we? Why are we here? And especially, Where are we going?" become more real than ever before. I had been taught the Plan of Salvation and answers to these questions since I was in Primary, but I was now contemplating it all much more and differently than ever before. And I found myself filled with doubt. Suddenly that strong, burning testimony I had gained 2 years before was not so strong and sure. It seemed that Satan was well aware this was a moment of weakness and vulnerability for me, and jumped at the opportunity. I was bombarded with fear and questioning everything I had ever been taught. There was one night in particular that I was struggling with this as I was laying in bed. I felt completely hopeless and grieved with the thought of never seeing my sweet mom again. I was wondering how I used to be so sure and know without a doubt the truth of the Gospel, and I longed to have that faith again. I decided to pray. I prayed to my Heavenly Father and simply told Him, "I know I have a testimony. Please help me remember it." And immediately my prayer was answered! I was filled with the Spirit of my testimony and felt more hope and peace than I had in a long time. That was such a blessing for me then and I am very grateful for the power of prayer. The months following her death I was overcome with grief and pain, and frankly hurt too much to care about anything. I was still struggling with my faith and testimony and felt I was getting nothing from the Gospel. I didn't believe like I used to. But I knew I couldn't give up and even if I didn't feel any immediate benefits, I needed to keep "going through the motions" until I did. With time, things got better. It was a long, hard process but eventually I realized I needed to take action and actively build up my testimony again. I knew that turning to the Lord was the only way I could deal with my loss and handle all of my grief. I knew that feeling the joy and surety of the Gospel again would help me heal. I am grateful I was able to continue going to church, reading the scriptures, and praying even when I didn't know if I still believed, because eventually it paid off and I did reap the benefits of the Gospel. The Spirit came back into my life and on countless occasions I had little promptings and confirmations that what I was hearing was true. More than anything else, the Holy Ghost testified to me the reality of the Atonement. I prayed to know that it was real and received answers many times in many ways. I developed such a deep gratitude for Jesus Christ and His sacrifice that makes it possible for me to see my mom again and have the chance to live with her forever. It brought more peace and hope into my life than I could have imagined. The grief has still not gone away, and I miss her all the time, but I have faith and know without a doubt that she lives on. I have felt her spirit and know that she is watching over me. I am so grateful I was able to strengthen my testimony again and receive a witness that the Plan of Salvation is real. The Gospel of Jesus Christ healed my hurting heart and brought happiness into my life again. Losing a loved one can be an extremely difficult thing, but the power of the Gospel does have the power to heal you. I testify of that. No matter how lost or hopeless you may feel, do not give up. Heavenly Father loves you and will answer your prayers."
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| Vickie (Stephanie's Mom) |
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| Vickie (top), Stephanie (middle), Melanie (bottom) |
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