Words of Comfort: Reconciled to His Will

"It has been hard for me to live on earth and see these young men upon whom we have leaned for support and comfort taken from us in the midst of their youth. Yes, it has been hard to be reconciled to these things. I have sometimes thought that I should have felt more reconciled to have been called away myself if it had been the will of God; yet I know we ought to be still and know it is of God, and be reconciled to His will; all is right. It will be but a short time before we shall all in like manner be called: it may be the case with me as well as you."

~Joseph Smith

(History of the Church, 4:587; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith on Apr. 9, 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Wilford Woodruff.)

One of the things I love most about what Joseph Smith said is how he addresses the feelings of those who are left behind when somebody passes away. It is hard to be reconciled to these kinds of things, and it's kind of nice to have prophetic validation for what we are feeling. But the important part of this message is that we need to "be still and know it is of God, and be reconciled to His will." It is normal and natural to feel pain at the loss of a child, but I know from personal experience that if we truly humble ourselves and ask God for understanding, we can receive some. I don't think that at any time in this life I will understand completely why Riley's time on earth was so short. But I have received divine confirmation that this was indeed part of Heavenly Father's plan for our son and for our family. This knowledge helped me accept that "all is right."

I think that one of the most important things I have learned since Riley passed away is how to truly be reconciled to God's will. It is so easy to say that we will follow His will when we live righteously and want good things, and we get them. The test of our faith, and our willingness to submit to God comes when we are doing everything we are supposed to, but things don't happen the way we expect or want them to. But if we really are humble and ask God, we can know if something is His will, and we can learn to not only accept it, but embrace it. Of course part of me wishes that Riley were still here, that we could have had a normal family and a normal life. But that was not part of Heavenly Father's plan for us. For whatever reason, we were chosen to be the parents of a spirit whose earthly mission was very short. Yes, it is still difficult, but we have been blessed in so many ways. Our testimonies have been strengthened, our faith has increased, our relationships with each other and with God are so much stronger, and we have our beautiful baby girl. I know that Bekka would not have come when she did if Riley were still here. I am sure that one day I will know why Bekka needed to come when she did, and why Riley needed to go home when he did. But for now, it is enough to trust in the Lord and be reconciled to His will.