Because I Could Not Stop for Death

Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;
The carriage held but just ourselves
And Immortality.
We slowly drove, he knew no haste,

And I had put away
My labor, and my leisure too,
For his civility.

We passed the school, where children strove
At recess, in the ring;
We passed the fields of gazing grain,
We passed the setting sun.

Or rather, be passed us;
The dews grew quivering and chill,
For only gossamer my gown,
My tippet only tulle.

We paused before house that seemed
A swelling of the ground;
The roof was scarcely visible,
The cornice but a mound.

Since then 'tis centuries, and yet each
Feels shorter than the day
I first surmised the horses' heads
Were toward eternity.

By Emily Dickinson

Like many of you, our lesson in Relief Society yesterday was about consolation during a time of death. I was very touched by our lesson. I was thinking about some of the people that I know that have passed on and some of the people I know that have had to deal with the loss of someone they love. Although death is sometimes unexpected, and often a very sad event for those left behind, one thing that the lesson pointed out, is that as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we mourn for our loved ones, but we don't mourn without hope. And what a wonderful hope we have! Death does not pass anyone by, but how we live now is what can make death a beautiful thing. Think of the reunions we will have on the other side with our friends and family who have passed on before us. I have determined to be a little better and to live more worthily for the blessings that are beyond life.