Birth We Call Death
Below is a copy of an email letter that I sent out recently to a dear friend, whose husband recently passed away:
Dear Sister ??,
Life on earth is good in so many ways because of joyful and loving relationships that are available to each of us during our time on earth, and the best is yet to come —– after this life, because of loving relationships that will become even more joyful, loving, and wonderful after this life for kind and loving people like your husband, who have shared their love and kindness with others, and have thereby made a positive difference in the lives of many others.
I was in a severe car accident in November 2000, where I was barely hanging on to life for almost two months in intensive care. The doctors almost decided to turn off the machines a couple of times that were keeping me alive at $10,000 per day – over $500,000 total, because they didn’t think there was much chance that I would live anyway. As I wondered some nights whether I would wake up in this earth life with loved ones here, or with my dear mother, grandparents, and other loved ones on the Heavenly side; I felt completely at peace; knowing that both places are filled with joyful and uplifting relationships with loved ones, if we choose to make it that way. I felt undeniable assurance within my inner spirit as a gift of inner peace from our loving Father in Heaven that life would continue to be good and joyful in either place, and that in some ways it would be even better if I departed to my Heavenly home to be with loved ones there. Because my children were at a stage of life where I felt they needed me, I prayed for more time on earth, and the needed miracles came that kept me alive and gave me more time on earth.
There is absolutely no doubt in our minds and inner spirits that good and caring people will immediately be enjoying very loving relationships in a more heavenly place after they leave this life. Let us all choose to live lives of sharing kindness and love with others, so that we may fully enjoy relationships in this life, and so that we can be ready to fully enjoy relationships in our future Heavenly home forever with our loved ones there.
Below are some great quotes that I, Charles Hunt, love from my favorite book on the subject of death other than the scriptures, called “The Birth that we call Death” by Paul H. Dunn and Richard M. Eyre. I hope that pondering on some of these quotes will bring you some increased inner peace as you go through this difficult time. You can get the whole book and most of #1 New York Times best selling author Richard & Linda Eyre’s other 50 plus books for completely free on line by going to their website at: eyresfreebooks.com They offer their books for free on-line, because they are far more interested in lifting and blessing the lives of others, than in making money. Richard and Linda Eyre have been a couple of my favorite writers for the past 40 years.
“Death? Translated into the heavenly tongue, that word means life.” Henry Ward Beecher
Seneca said: “The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity.”
Rossiter W. Raymond said: “Life is eternal and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon, and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.”
In a beautiful blue lagoon on a clear day a fine sailing ship spreads its brilliant white canvas in a fresh morning breeze and sails out to the open sea. We watch her glide away magnificently through the deep blue and gradually see her grow smaller and smaller as she nears the horizon. Finally, where the sea and sky meet, she slips silently from sight; and someone near me says, “There, she is gone!” Gone where? Gone from sight —- that is all. She is still as large in mast and hull and sail, still just as able to bear her load. And we can be sure that, just as we say, “There, she is gone!” another says, “There, she comes!”
Alexander Graham Bell said: “One door closes, another opens.”
Rabindranath Tagore said: “Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come.”
Benjamin Franklin wrote to his niece upon the death of his brother (her stepfather): “It is the will of God and nature that these mortal bodies be laid aside when the soul is to enter into real life. This is rather an embryo state — a preparation for living. A man is not completely born until he is dead.”
Another unidentified author wrote: “For ‘ tis sorrow that works our pondering, and grief that teaches us to feel.”
John Taylor said: “While we are mourning the loss of our friend, others are rejoicing to meet him behind the veil.”
Sorrow is a word that is closely akin to love, and joy and sorrow are compatible feelings. In fact, what is sorrow, but a tender side of love?
The happiest, sweetest, tenderest homes are not those where there has been no sorrow, but those which have been over-shadowed with grief, and where Christ’s comfort was accepted. The very memory of the sorrow is a gentle benediction that broods over the household, like the silence that comes after prayer. There is a blessing sent from God in every burden of sorrow.
The reason why people are afraid of death is that they are afraid of the unknown.
Shakespeare said “Be still prepared for death — and death or life shall thereby be the sweeter.”
“The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits. …. they are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions, and are often pained therewith.” Joseph Smith.
“The spirit has not changed one single particle of itself by leaving the body” Heber C. Kimball.
“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 taken home to that God who gave them life. And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow. ( from The Book of Mormon, Alma chapter 40, verse 11 – 12. )
“For death is no more than a turning of us over from time to eternity.” William Penn.
Ben Franklin once said: “Our friend and we were invited abroad, … His chair was ready first, and he is gone before us. We could not all conveniently start together; and why should you and I be grieved at this, since we are soon to follow, and know where to find him.”
Any dear possession, if separated from us for good purpose, and if returned in even better condition, produces joy rather than agony and peace rather than frustration . .
“Death hath passed upon all men, to fulfill the merciful plan of that great Creator…” (Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi chapter 9:verse 6).
“No pang that is suffered by man or woman upon the earth will be without its compensating effect … if it be met with patience.” James E. Talmage
An unidentified author wrote: Pain stayed so long, I said to him today, “I will not have you with me any more ,” And paused there, startled at the look he wore. “I, who have been your friend,” he said to me; “I, who have been your teacher — all you know of understanding love, of sympathy and patience I have taught you. Shall I go?”
John Newton said: “Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise physician prescribed because we need them; and he proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust in his skill and thank him for his prescription.”
Edwin Markham said: “Only the soul that knows the mighty grief can know the mighty rapture. Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.”
Thomas Fuller said, “No cross, no crown”.
Henry Ward Beecher said: “We are always in the forge, or on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things.”
We often want to say: “Yes, yes, I know, I know, but this pain or this sorrow is too great. I cannot grow from it because it is more than I can bear.” Perhaps we are standing or sitting when we say this, rather than kneeling and asking God for the strength we lack.”
Dr. William Hunter, and eighteenth century physician, uttered these words in the final moments of his life: “If I had the strength enough to hold a pen, I would write how easy and pleasant it is to die.”
However pleasant the moment of death is physically , it is spiritually one of the most exciting and joyful moments of eternity. Like opening from the inside the door of a darkened room, one who dies emerges into the light of the spirit world where there will be friends and family waiting to greet him.
Brigham Young said: “There is no period known to them (the dead) in which they experience so much joy as when they pass through the portals of death, and enter upon the glorious change of the spirit world.”
If we could glimpse, for even a moment, the glory and excitement that a departed one faces when his eyes close on time and open on eternity —- if only we could glimpse this, perhaps there would be more understanding in our sorrow and more joy in our grief.
Jean Paul Richter said: “Each departed friend is a magnet that attracts us to the next world.”
The spirit world is a place where those who had no opportunity to hear and accept the gospel (of Jesus Christ) on earth will have that opportunity, so that they can “be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (Bible, 1 Peter 4:6 and 1 Peter 3:18 to 20)
Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Old people will not look old when they come forth from the grave. Scars will be removed. No one will be bent or wrinkled. .. all will have their bodies fully restored.”
“If we look at mortality as a complete existence, then pain, sorrow, failure, and short life could be a calamity. But if we look upon the whole life as an eternal thing stretching far into the pre-mortal past and into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be in proper perspective and may fall into proper perspective and may fall into proper place.” Spencer W. Kimball
In one manner of thinking, it is not the departed but the bereaved that we should be concerned about at the time of death. The departed one is in the spirit world and in the care of his Father; but we who remain behind are left to decide for ourselves whether the separation will teach us strength and faith or bitterness and despair. It is we who remain that need guidance, who must still work out our own salvation within and amidst the trials and experiences of mortality.
(Note from Charles Hunt) —- the truth that good family relationships and friendships will continue beyond our time on earth is a fact that we can all prayerfully sense within our inner spirits. I hope that you were uplifted by some of these quotes above from the book, “The Birth that we call Death” as I have been on each occasion that I have re-read that great book.
As mentioned above, you may want to read the full book from Richard and Linda Eyre’s website at: eyresfreebooks.com
For any parents or grandparents out there, some of Richard and Linda Eyre’s many other free books are incredibly useful for helping to build more joyful relationships and home environment for families. Some other great free on-line books by the Eyres are “Teaching Children Joy”, and “Teaching children Responsibilities” and “Teaching Your Children Values”, “The Happy Family”, etc. ,etc . I have not read anything from them that has not been incredibly uplifting and useful for building more joyful relationships. They have had at least one of their books on the New York Times #1 best seller list.
A cartoon showed two little old ladies sitting on a cloud, with wings, and playing harps. One says to the other, “Just think. If we hadn’t taken all those health supplements, we could have been here five years sooner!”
Please know, that we are sending you these thoughts and our prayers are with you, because we love you, and hope that some of these thoughts will help bring you some inner peace.
Respectfully,
Charles & Amparo Hunt
Cell: 805-709-1759
Email: [email protected]