Our challenge in this life

October 28, 2012

One of the great blessings of living on this rock is the opportunity to rub shoulders with great people. One characteristic of great people is their desire to show appreciation and interest through charity, the Pure Love of Christ. One giant in my life passed away this week and we were privileged to observe his family as they paid tributes to him during his funeral service. What a blessing it is to his wife, Joyce, his four sons and two daughters, and twenty two grandchildren to know that Ron Nelson lived life for them. That he shared his testimony of God, The Father, his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost through example, through verbal testimony, and through the very life he lived.

Ron Nelson was one of the most delightful, spiritual, friends I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He graduated this past week and I will greatly miss him. Jean and I have known him since the early 1970’s. I was in a Mutual Stake Presidency with another old friend, Stan Buel in early 1974, as I recall. Ron was a High Counselor in the Orem North Stake as we served the youth of the stake. He was suddenly released with the acknowledgement that he can contracted stomach cancer, had his stomach removed and had no more than a year to live. We moved to Thatcher, Arizona to work at Eastern Arizona College and returned seven years later, moving into Orem 26^th ward. The first week in church I turned to Jean and said, “Jean, I see a Ghost.” Ron and his family sat in the second row from the back and he was very much alive.

We had the opportunity to interact on many occasions with Ron as he continued to bless his family and those around him with his caring, helpful ways. Shortly after we returned to Orem, he came to our home and invited me to work with him in the real estate business. On another occasion he called to share with me a story about my son hanging out of our red VW bus as they careened around a corner. Another time, he came to our home and shared a very troubling incident in which a friend had shared some very inaccurate tales with many of our common friends. His errand was to let me know that this event had occurred and that he recognized it for what it was – a gentleman that had become angry with the world and needed a place to spill his venom, so he choose me. No guile. He was a fisherman extraordinaire, but all the time he was in the hills fishing, he was also fishing for the souls of men. Even in the last few years of his life on earth, he would seek out those in spiritual and temporal need and make sure their needs were addressed. He came by our house (and many others) on his regular rounds with his poor old hound, hooked the pup to a fence post and brought the sustaining love of Jesus Christ to our home. His second efforts to assist me and legions more just like me are his legacy.

Was he perfect? Absolutely not! He is now though the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He is freed from his temporal prison and his spirit is set free from the bonds of death and sin. We can have the same blessings. What an opportunity. Our responsibility is to do all that we can do to use our time and talents in serving others. We are prompted daily to seek out those who need a little encouragement; who need a shoulder to lean on; who have a need to share sadness and anger; who need to be buoyed up and encouraged though blessings and friendship.

Today in church, a wonderful young man (who happens to be autistic) gave one of the best sermons I have heard regarding service, or love, or Charity, or whatever name you choose to call it. He has been called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in working at the Genealogical library. He talked of the love he has for his family, and for those who have gone on before us. He didn’t talk in abstractions; rather, using specific examples of what others have done for him through scouting, teaching, examples, and everyday living. Then he invited all the young and mature males to join in a rousing choir singing, “How Firm a Foundation”. The words of this song are electrifying and always instill in me a desire to do better; to serve better; to be a better follower of Christ. The lyrics include the following: “Fear not, I am with thee; oh be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help, thee, and cause thee to stand.

What a great promise. May God be with you as you serve others.

Uncle, dad, granddad, cousin, brother, neighbor, and fond friends