Sunday comes

I'm teaching an especially touching lesson for Relief Society today. (Let me add, to those of you who aren't members of my church, that Relief Society is the world-wide women's service organization for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.) 

My topic is Words of Hope and Consolation at the Time of Death, and it's a beautiful one. Yeah, I know. We're teaching it now when everyone else taught it a month ago, but for some reason, our ward is behind. Bear with me.

The point is, I am loving this lesson because it applies not only to death but to all adversities, large or small. I was looking for a good way to close, and I found a conference talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin that really cuts to the chase. After speaking in some detail about the crucifixion and the resurrection (specifically referencing that darkest of Fridays when the Savior was humiliated, bruised, and lifted upon the cross), Elder Wirthlin said this:

"Each of us will have our own Fridays–those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays. But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death–Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, in this life or the next, Sunday will come."

What an impressive man he is.

The poem that will follow Elder Wirthlin's words (I always end on a poetic note) is one I wrote a long time ago for my second book, but it really fits. It's called The Promise, and since I said at the inception of this Sue's News, Views 'n Muse blog that I was going to actually share my "muse" sometimes, here it is:

The Promise

c1999, Susan Noyes Anderson, Awaken Your Spiritual Power

"Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting  light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended" (Isaiah 60:20).

The sun will rise each day, and night will fall.

We here can only wait, and watch, and see.

It is not ours to tamper with the flow

Of nature, nor mistrust her majesty.

'Twas other hands, not ours, whose heav'nly light

Kindled eternal splendor in the skies;

Another whispers peace unto our minds

When darkness looms before our faltering eyes.

And listening, we somehow come to know

That in the midst of darkness, even then,

He sends the moon and stars to light our way

and promises the sun will rise again.

Sunday always does come. That's the promise. And boy, am I grateful for it!