Gramps,
What do you say to a mother who carried a little boy for six months. Gave birth to this premature little child, whose weight was only 1 lb. My friend saw and held this little boy, named him, and after only 2 days the little boy died. This child was my friend’s first child and my friend is not a member of our church.
Les, from Rhode Island
Dear Les,
These tender experiences reach to the very heart of our being, and to those who do not yet know the truth may be heart-rending and traumatic. However, the parents of such a little one often cry out for answers in an attempt to find some reason and justice for events that seem unreasonable and unjust. If you are a member of the LDS Church, you have the answers.
One of the most comforting things that a bereaved parent can hear is that their little one still lives, will be resurrected as it is laid down, has come to mortality and has left it without sin, and therefore, as a result of the great atoning sacrifice of the Savior of the world, has qualified to live in the presence of God in his celestial kingdom. They will have to opportunity to nurture this little child and raise it to maturity in the millennium if they qualify as eternal parents by being sealed to one another for time and eternity in the House of the Lord.
Since he is your friend, you are in a unique position to introduce him to the wonderful, saving principles of the gospel. You might tell him that you have information about the process of life, death and eternity that would be very comforting to him and his wife, and invite them to your home to listen to the missionaries explain to them the fundamental principles of the gospel.
Gramps