In Memory of Those Who Have Gone Before Us

 


Tomorrow is Memorial Day. I'll spend part of the day at my father's gravesite with my mom and siblings. Anne took flowers to her parents' gravesite today. Memorial Day for me has historically been just a national holiday where I got an extra day off from work. Maybe it's because I'm "retired" and no longer employed that it has taken on a different feel and meaning for me this year.

It seems the focus on Memorial Day is generally directed to the remembrance and honoring of our fallen military personnel and the sacrifices they made to protect our freedom. That, and the many sales. It is also a day, however, to remember our deceased ancestors and others who sacrificed so we could enjoy the blessings and comforts we do.

I'm grateful for my father, who taught me through his example the importance of a good sense of humor, patience and charity, humility, honesty, and most importantly a knowledge and testimony of a loving Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for his parents who instilled in him those same traits and attributes. I'm grateful for my great-great-grandfather Thomas Condie who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland in the mid-1800's and then immigrated to America (northeastern Utah) to find a better life for himself and his family.

I'm grateful for my maternal grandparents who taught me the importance of hard work, having fun, adventure, and education. I'm grateful for my great-great-grandfather Jens (James) Christensen who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Denmark in the mid-1800's and then immigrated to America (northern Utah/southern Idaho) to find a better life for himself and his family. 

Such reflections of gratitude reminded me of what the prophet Malachi, in the Old Testament quoted God as saying, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, let I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6) The angel Moroni quoted these same verses, with some modification, to the prophet Joseph Smith saying, "Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." 

That day came. The priesthood of God was restored to the earth allowing for ordinances to be performed with the approval and by the authority of God so that we could enter into covenants with Him thereby binding ourselves to Him. Similar ordinances allow us to be sealed to our families for this life and for eternity. These are just a few of the "glad tidings" that we and our missionaries are spending all of our days and efforts sharing with those who have ears to hear.

Thank you to so many of you reading this who have also influenced my life for good. We love you all and think of you often. May God bless you with His peace and love. I hope your Memorial Day is safe, fun, and full of good memories of loved ones who sacrificed so you could have a better life like mine did for me.

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