There is a part in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that explains what the Deathly Hallows are. In a nutshell, 3 brothers evaded death by using their magic to build a bridge. Death is cunning and gives them each a gift, which symbolize the Deathly Hallows. The first brother wanted a magical wand that is more powerful than any other wand. The second brother wanted the ability to call others from death, he was given a resurrection stone. The third brother asked for something that would enable him to leave the area they were in without death following him. He is given an invisibility cloak. The power from the wand ends up being the brother’s undoing and he succumbs to death. The brother with the stone, hoped to gain the power of resurrection, but instead just had basic holograms of those he loved in front of him, went mad and committed suicide. The third brother hid from Death, lived a long life and eventually took off the invisibility cloak. “And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and equals they departed this life.”
I have been thinking a lot lately about how your attitude towards death changes as life changes. It is something many people fear and avoid at all costs. Grandma Spiekerman was scared that she would end up in the next life with nothing on but her birthday suit. Many of us have or create fears like this because there is so much that we don’t understand about the next life. We cling to what we know and what is familiar to us.
We know that we lived with our Heavenly Father and learned from Him before entering this life. In Doctrine and Covenants 138:56 it reads: “Even before they were born, they, with many others, received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord to labor in his vineyard for the salvation of the souls of men.” As our Father in Heaven, He knew each of us, and still knows us. Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee.”
Then we are born to our earthly parents, having forgotten the lessons taught to us in the pre-mortal world. We try to figure out the purpose of this life, everyone searching in their own way for what rings true to them. We live in this life and eventually die, each life being a different length, filled with different challenges and returning home to be with Heavenly Father again. Ecclesiastes 12:7: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”
President Nelson says in his talk Doors of Death: “That separation evokes pangs of sorrow and shock among those left behind. The hurt is real. Only its intensity varies. Some doors are heavier than others. The sense of tragedy may be related to age. Generally, the younger the victim, the greater the grief. Yet even when the elderly or infirm have been afforded merciful relief, their loved ones are rarely ready to let go. The only length of life that seems to satisfy the longings of the human heart is life everlasting.”
The separation that was created when Archer passed has created a huge longing to be with him. It has changed my perspective on death. I welcome it as an old friend. Don’t get me wrong, I am not earnestly seeking death. Peter and I are moving forward with our lives in the best way we know how. We are finding laughter, enjoying time with loved ones and working on enduring in faith and hope. However, enduring in faith and hope with someone so important to you on the other side provides a different outlook on life, and death is no longer feared, but welcomed with open arms. I look forward to being with Archer, Christ and Heavenly Father. I look forward to being held in the arms of all their love and holding them as well.
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