Untimely

A little girl from my school passed away on Sunday. She was a student in the grade I teach. Last year her teacher noticed she couldn't hold a pencil and was having difficulty with other motor skills - both fine and gross. The teacher brought this to the parents' attention, and when they took her into the doctor they discovered a brain tumor. She had surgery and chemotherapy, and continued to keep in touch with her class. (The teacher looped with her students, so they all stayed together for another year.) This little girl joined us on Halloween for our costume parade, and came to school the last Friday before Christmas break to decorate Christmas cookies with her classmates. Then, on Sunday, she died.

Our principal requested that each teacher discuss her death in class today. It was exceptionally odd to have a discussion regarding death without the framework of faith to support comprehension. How do you answer questions like: "How did she get cancer?"; "WHY did she get cancer?"; "Can I get cancer?" and "Where is she now?"

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the knowledge it gives me of who I am, where I came from, why I'm here, and, especially today, what happens to me when I die.

Alma 40:11-14

11 Now, concerning the ^astate of the soul between ^bdeath and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are ^ctaken ^dhome to that God who gave them life.

12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of ^ahappiness, which is called ^bparadise, a state of rest, a state of ^cpeace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

13 And then shall it come to pass, that the ^aspirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil—for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord; for behold, they chose evil works rather than good; therefore the spirit of the ^bdevil did enter into them, and take possession of their house—and these shall be cast out into outer^cdarkness; there shall be ^dweeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, and this because of their own iniquity, being led captive by the will of the devil.