From President Robert D. Hales' book Return, pg. 409:
"Besides sorrowing for the passing of loved ones, sometimes we experience the sorrow of guilt for what we might have done to prevent death or better support and comfort the dying in the twilight of their lives. Some may even wonder whether they might have saved their family member or friend if they had only been more diligent or exercised more faith in their behalf.
We should not blame ourselves or let guilt compound our grief when a loved one passes away. I once heard President Spencer W. Kimball teach that while we can shorten our lives by our actions, we cannot lengthen our lives one second more than the time that is granted to us to be on earth. There is a time appointed for each of us to leave this world (see D&C 42:48), which means that as long as no unrighteousness is involved, there is nothing we can do to prevent death or forestall it when the appointed time has come. We should leave the burden of such groundless guilt at the feet of the Savior and "bear a song away," focusing on past joys and lessons learned rather than on facts we cannot and need not change."
No comments:
Post a Comment