Sunday Notes

7 year old Billy hid the flowers behind his back as he approached. He wanted them to be a surprise. He was very proud of them because he had helped pick them out. Billy was wearing his Sunday clothes, even though mom had told him he didn't have to. He felt that this was a special occasion and that it needed special clothes. As he walked he rehearsed what he wanted to say. His mom stood by him, gave him a hug, and then stepped back to give him some privacy. Billy cleared his throat.

"Hi, Grandma and Grampsy, mom and dad told me that you were baptized yesterday. I know how special it is to be baptized because I'm going to be baptized myself next month. You guys have always been very good examples to me and it makes me happy to know that you were baptized before me so that it can be another one of your good examples for me. I love you and I miss you."

With that, Billy laid his flowers by the double head stone, ran his fingers along the names of his loved ones, etched in stone, then turned to join his mother in the car. "In many ways each of us is the sum total of what our ancestors were. The virtues they had may be our virtues, their strengths our strengths, and in a way their challenges could be our challenges. Some of their traits may be our traits...

Fortunately our ancestors will have the opportunity to receive and accept the saving ordinances as we identify them and complete these sacred ordinances for them by proxy. We do for them what they cannot do for themselves. It is a very satisfying experience...

I testify that God is a just God, and He will not give privileges to us and withhold them from our forebears. But we will need to do the baptisms, the endowments, and the sealings for them by proxy here on earth in order for us and them to be linked together for eternity ..." ~James E. Faust