Wednesday, November 25, 2015

A Familial Reception

Before I move on from Elder Holland's talk, I want to point out something that Elder Holland mentioned almost in passing that stood out to me as a confirmation of something that many people I know had already believed:
Now, I am absolutely certain that upon his passing, his mother received my friend with open, loving arms; that is what parents do.
It is my opinion that, when an Apostle says, over the pulpit during General Conference, that he is "absolutely certain" of something, we can pretty much take it as gospel truth, and this particular truth is a pretty cool one. Judging by this, the mother of Elder Holland's friend was met and embraced by his mother at or very shortly after the moment of his death. Assuming that this occurrence wasn't exceptional, we might expect that our beloved family members will be right there with us when we die, that when we pass on, those who have already done so will be there to welcome us to the other side of the veil.

This is a pretty awesome idea, and it's especially comforting for those who have lost people they deeply care about. Thankfully, we now know that this isn't just wishful thinking or something that people hope is true. If the Apostles are to be believed, and I personally believe that they are, this has happened before. We now know that at least one person has gotten a familial reception into heaven. I imagine that most people do.

1 comment:

becciesworld said...

I absolutely believe this... I attended a funeral for a great aunt. The daughter whom I am ashamed to say, I have never had much contact with told me of her mothers last words- she called out Mother, Ruby (my grandmother-the sister)as tho there was someone in the room with them that only she could see. I think there will be a lot of loved ones in Heaven coming to greet those who cross over. It will be a marvelous reunion. I think it is partially why those who have near death experiences report being so happy and wanting to stay there...