Family Newsletter

This is my first time doing this. I hope it works.

Dear Family,

I’m going to take this opportunity to write to the family newsletter between sessions this beautiful Saturday. I didn’t know what I was going to say or what more could be said, but I feel the need to express some thoughts that I recently had.

I’ve had the opportunity several times to bear my testimony to others of the wonderful Plan of Salvation, especially to my Visiting Teaching letter route. It has reinforced my testimony of everything eternal, because Kaylynn and Tanaya and I were holding Murr as he passed through. The veil is very thin at those times. Afterward, the Hopsice nurses were with us for an hour and we all talked about memories, etc. They felt the spirit strongly and later sent cards expressing how much the experience meant to them. After about an hour, Tanaya looked around and Murr was very relaxed and had a slight smile on his face. She said, “Look, Dad’s smiling.” He looked so happy and peaceful.

Today, as I listened to conference, I thought about how gracefully and honorably Murr handled his illness. He thought of others to the end. He had grace and dignity. He was full of caring and charity, never selfishness.

One of the things that I want to mention is trust. When he had his major stroke on March 5^th, I sat him up and he was confused that he couldn’t use his left arm; I held him and explained that he was having a stroke and he needed to relax and trust the Lord. He had the love and trust in me to believe what I said was true. He relaxed and allowed the Lord to give him comfort. This gave him the faith to lie back and rest and give the powers of heaven the opportunity to surround him with love and peace. He passed so beautifully on Sunday, March 6, 2011.

I am grateful for all of the support and love all of you have shown for Murr and me. He is and always will be a wonderful person. I’m sure that he is happy, busy, and doing more service. I found this poem; it doesn’t have a date so I don’t know when he wrote it.

Obedience

Just do what He asks,

No more and no less,

Don’t try to short-change Him

Or I’d have to guess,

That you’ll find yourself

In deep duress.

‘Cause without Him you’ll note

That life’s a mess,

For nothing can replace

His power to bless;

To ease us through trials

And cope with distress;

Or take us to heights

That words can’t express;

To show us wonders

That are sure to impress;

Or bind up our wounds

With His tender caress;

If we’ll just hold to the rod

And endure the test

“Til He calls us home

To enter our rest.

I pray that we will love and trust each other and our Heavenly Father and Brother each and every day. Cheryl