How Do You Deal with the Death of a Young Friend?

Dear Bro Jo.

Thank you for all you have written to me these past few days they have really helped.

I hate to come at you with another problem but when it rains it pours.

Late Sunday night or early Monday morning my friend passed away in her sleep. She was 32 and a wonderful member of our Church.

She was very active in theater and the community that we live in.

That being said, she and I shared many mutual friends who are non-members.

They keep asking me why someone who seemed so healthy and happy would die so suddenly and why God would allow such a good person to leave this earth, and I don't have an answer.

I am asking myself the same questions.

I have been looking for talks or scriptures to help give myself and those around me comfort, but I can't seem to find anything that can explain to our non-member friends why these things seem to happen.

Do you have anything in mind?

Thank you,

- A




Dear A,

There are many things that happen in this life that we just aren't going to understand here . . . but I do believe that we'll understand them later.

I am grateful that life is eternal, and that our time here, no matter how long we live, is but a blink of an eye compared to our whole existence.

You will get to see your friend again, and she will greet you with love and joy as a fellow Daughter of God. 

Sometimes I think that people die before we're ready for them to because Heavenly Father wants us to remember how precious life is, how important it is to Be Good and Do Good during the short time we have here, and how important it is that we all live our lives in such a way that we can all be reunited again in His kingdom.

Death is not a test for those that have died, but a reminder of what's important to those that remain.

We are sad because we miss those that have moved on, but they are not sad. If it helps, consider this: your friend got to live 32 years here instead of 31 . . . or 25 . . . or 1.

Rather than morn that she didn't get a 33rd year, let us be grateful for the time that we got to spend.

Let us not blame God for her passing, but thank him for the blessings we get every day.

Let her early death remind us to hug those we love, be a little kinder, smile a little more.

One of the wonderful things about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is what it teaches us about our Eternal Nature:  we came from our Heavenly Parents, and because of the Atonement of the Savior we can return and live forever with our Friends and Families.

I find that gives me a lot of comfort . . . and motivation.

Now is a good time to be sharing the message of the Gospel with your non-member friends.

Well . . . anytime is . . . but you know what I mean.

- Bro Jo