Reason to Rejoice

The Manti Temple
Photo from LDS.org
This is the temple where Derek's parents were married.

Today is my brother-in-law Alex' birthday.  He would have been thirty today.  As I tried to decide what to write about, I thought it would be a perfect day to be thankful for temples, the sealing power of the priesthood, and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Joseph Smith said, "The Lord takes many away, even in infancy, that they may escape the envy of man, and the sorrows and evils of this present world; they were too pure, too lovely, to live on earth; therefore, if rightly considered, instead of mourning we have reason to rejoice as they are delivered from evil, and we shall soon have them again. … "

It is hard not to wonder every year what Alex would look like now, and if he would have the same sense of humor as the rest of his family, and where he would live, and many other things.  But we will not have to wonder forever.  One day we will have him again, and that is a good reason to rejoice.