In a small and humble cottage
Facing a windswept sea
The mother and the wife
Worried where their fisherman be
They had watched and waited
All the long night through
Till morn... the candle faded
As their faint hopes faded, too
At length, the night had passed
And reality set in
This journey was his last...
What comfort could be given?
I sensed the woman's heartache
As I, too, felt her grief
Her grieving heart did break
Ere, I spoke about belief
What seems a hopeless dawn, for her-
A crushing blow to end all dreams
For him, is but a journey yonder
Beyond a veil unseen
This time- of needing comfort
Must surely come to all
Our bodies we came to earth for
Have a date on which they'll fall
Many centuries ago
Inquired a man named Job
If a man die, shall he live again?
He dearly...he yearned to know
Job, once was blessed with every gift
Then lost it all...a tragic test
Though tried...his faith refused to drift
Seeking to know God became his quest
All is truly by design
Upon this earth we live in
There must be a grand designer...
And a purpose for our days given
God created the earth without form
A void...with darkness...deep
"Let there be light," He said. It was born
He, then, created the firmament... on this day we call three
Next, He separated the waters from the land
And said, "Let the earth bring forth grass,
The fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind,
whose seed is in itself," and...it came to pass
Day and night, He then created- the sun, the stars, the moon
And called forth the living creatures: unto birth
In the waters and upon the lands to roam
As fowls took wing above the earth
Last of all, He created man
In His own image- male and female
With dominion over all the land
With God-like capacity as well
Man alone received intelligence
Complete with a brain, mind, and soul
Endowed with tremendous attributes, hence
Given to inspiration, faith, and hope
Who could there be to persuasively argue
That mankind with such dominion and will
Would end without future avenues open
When they've been given so much to fulfill?
To understand the meaning of death
We must appreciate life's purpose
Our light of belief is dim at best
When we know not the plan or purchase
In the premortal world, we were sons and daughters
Of Heavenly Father who knew we would oft fall short
The nature of mortality is that we'll sin and falter
So, He gave a Savior, who'd atone and give us comfort
Thus, more than 2,000 years ago
Christ, our Savior; as promised, was born
Mortal...as a babe to grow
Perfectly, so we might be reborn
There is very little written of His boyhood
Save He increased in wisdom and stature
Gaining favor, as He went about doing good
The son of the Father lived pure
He was baptized by John in the river Jordan
Called forth apostles, testified, and healed-
A man of miracles to all before Him
That ancient prophecy might be fulfilled
He provided a perfect example and taught us
Even as His mortal mission drew to a close
Giving the last supper with His Apostles
Then.. onto Gethsemane and Calvary, He arose
No mere mortal can conceive the full import
Of what Christ did for us on that night
He Himself said He suffered and bled at every pore
Both in body and spirit- to the fullest height
Following this agony...drained of strength
He was seized by rough, crude hands to stand accused
Cursed, spat upon, and crowned with thorns of cruel length
Blood coursed His face as He was scourged and abused
His flesh tore from bones and sharp metals
Ripping Him with striking blows repeatedly
For any other this would have proved fatal
As He, racked with pain, was mocked heatedly
Then, He walked to Calvary...the way not foreign
With stumbling steps, He carried His own cross
Till another shouldered the burden for Him
When He could go no further... His strength lost
Finally, on this hill, for all to see
While His helpless followers looked on
His wounded body was nailed...what humility
For His enemies were not yet gone
He was mocked, cursed, and derided
Yet He cried out, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do"
Then His spirit, to God, He commended
And the serenity of death freed Him, unto the Father's presence, too
At that last moment, the Master could have turned back
But He did not. He passed beneath all things that He might save
He doing for us, alone, when our own strength we lack
That a path to the Father might be paved
Hurriedly...gently, His body
Was placed in a borrowed tomb
No words of Christendom have more meaning
Than were said to Mary when she came with perfume
Spoke by the angel: "Why seek ye the living among the dead?"
"He is not here... but is risen"
Thus answering the question Job posed centuries ahead
If a man die....yes, he shall live again!
We can take comfort in our hour of deepest need
In the sure knowledge that soon...will come the day
When God shall wipe away all tears, that no man weep
For there'll be no more death or sorrow...as these shall pass away
He Is Risen!
President Thomas S. Monson
Ensign, November 2010,
Revelations 21: 4
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Job 14:14
"If a man die, shall he live again?"
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