"For several years I was assigned to home teach an older sister in my ward. She did not have an easy life. She had various health problems and experienced a lifetime of pain due to a childhood accident on the playground. Divorced at age 32 with four young children to raise and provide for, she remarried at age 50. Her second husband passed away when she was 66, and this sister lived an additional 26 years as a widow.
Despite her lifelong challenges, she was faithful to her covenants to the end. This sister was an avid genealogist, a temple attender, and a collector and writer of family histories. Though she had many difficult trials, and without question she felt at times sadness and loneliness, she had a cheerful countenance and a gracious and pleasant personality.
Nine months after her passing, one of her sons had a remarkable experience in the temple. He learned by the power of the Holy Ghost that his mother had a message for him. She communicated with him, but not by vision or audible words. The following unmistakable message came into the son’s mind from his mother: “I want you to know that mortality works, and I want you to know that I now understand why everything happened [in my life] the way it did—and it is all OK.”
This message is all the more remarkable when one considers her situation and the difficulties this sister endured and overcame.
Brothers and sisters, mortality works! It is designed to work! Despite the challenges, heartaches, and difficulties we all face, our loving, wise, and perfect Heavenly Father has designed the plan of happiness such that we are not destined to fail. His plan provides a way for us to rise above our mortal failures. The Lord has said, “This is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”"
From Elder Hales footnotes
Shared with permission. This experience accords with the Lord’s teaching that death “shall be sweet unto” the righteous (Doctrine and Covenants 42:46). The Prophet Joseph Smith explained, “The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work … [in] the world of spirits” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 179). He further taught, “They are not far from us, and know and understand our thoughts, feelings, and motions” (in Discourse, Oct. 9, 1843, as reported by Times and Seasons, 331, josephsmithpapers.org).
Doctrine and Covenants
46 And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them;
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith
At the funeral of James Adams, the Prophet said: “I saw him first at Springfield, [Illinois,] when on my way from Missouri to Washington. He sought me out when a stranger, took me to his home, encouraged and cheered me, and gave me money. He has been a most intimate friend. … He has had revelations concerning his departure, and has gone to a more important work. When men are prepared, they are better off to go hence. Brother Adams has gone to open up a more effectual door for the dead. The spirits of the just are exalted to a greater and more glorious work; hence they are blessed in their departure to the world of spirits.”
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/43hales?lang=eng
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