DVD's at funeral. Tue, Oct 17, 2006.

10/17/2006. Journal Entry. One of my favorite little-old-ladies (diminuitive senior womyn to you PC-types) lost her 56 year old son to cancer last week, and his funeral was Tuesday. This sister is in her late 80's (maybe 90) and is the only member of the church in her family, having joined maybe a dozen years ago. The funeral was arranged by the deceased's son and daughter-in-law, so there was a minister from another church who conducted and spoke/preached.

The minister mentioned how some people ask him what the meaning of life is during emotional times like when a loved one is dieing in the hospital or has already died. He answered the question in his talk, but his answers were no where near as satisfying as the "Plan of Salvation" as taught by the LDS church. They seemed to me to be wishy-washy platitudes, a non-answer answer.

I see this elderly sister almost every week on Sunday, and I have often been at our Singles Family Home evening when she is there. She has also invited me a few times when she feeds the missionaries every week. (We have two sets, so she alternates feeding each set.)

She has not had much success in getting her many descendants to investigate the restored gospel let alone listen to her much about what she believes. She had given all her children, and many of her other descendants, copies of the Book of Mormon.

So, leaving the timing up to her, I merely gave her six DVD's of "Our Heavenly Father's Plan" to distribute to any of her many family members when she thought the time would be right.

I didn't really expect her to give them out there and then. But that's what she did, and gave out all six before going home. The sub-title on the "Our Heavenly Father's Plan" says "Reassuring Answers to Questions about the Purpose of Life." So is it wrong to give out that answer at a time when people are sincerely and deeply pondering it?

I think we are so used to giving out trite, non-concrete and purposely non-committal answers to that question in emotional times, that giving an honest "Okay, this is what I really believe..." genuinely "Mormon" answer may seem a little in-your-face.

Us Mormons either know the basic answer to the What-is-the-Purpose-of-Life question, or at least we think we do. And I believe a situation that calls for tender, gentle and respectful feelings does not dictate that we must hold back and give a half-baked namby-pamby answer when we are so confident in our testimonies about what the meaning of life really is.