fbpx
37.6 F
Spokane
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeBeliefsNot fearing death

Not fearing death

Date:

Related stories

Now Hiring: Freelance Reporters

Now Hiring: Freelance Reporters SpokaneFāVS.com, an online publication covering religion...

Ask A Mormon: Can you be baptized after death?

Mormons believe that “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34). He loves all of his children, regardless of when or where they were born. We also believe that baptism, and the covenants we make at baptism, are stepping stones on the path to salvation and exaltation.

Ask A Mormon: Do Mormons believe they will become gods?

Latter-day Saints believe that every life — our spirits, our souls, the essence of who we are — is eternal.

Ask A Mormon: Do Mormons stockpile goods?

Are Mormons Preppers? Why and where and for how long do they stockpile goods? Why is this, is there an eschatological reason?

Tripping to Peace at Salt Lake: Individual States or All New Kingdom?

We must, if we are to survive, see that our existence is vitally connected with the equally important existence of the other.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island/Matt Wade Photography
Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery in Newport, Rhode Island/Matt Wade Photography

I learned when I was about 8 years old that people my age —  young people — died, though usually through some sort of accident. This was back in the days when children were expected to go to wakes and funerals and were taught about death, not protected from it. By the time I got to high school, I had helped carry one grandfather to his grave and had been to the funerals of friends. Then war stepped into my life — a cousin was lost in Vietnam, and again you were expected to just show up and help the immediate family, mother, father, brothers and sisters with their feelings.

I came to the belief that death itself was not something to be afraid of, it was inevitable. It was the process of dying that I hoped to avoid —let me go young and leave a good looking corpse. Yes, I have moved beyond that possibility.

Through my experience of the people I’ve known during their passing, I have become aware that those who are secure in who they are in terms of their beliefs, seem to suffer less and though they may not  joyfully embrace death, they do not live in fear of it. I knew one person who was in terror of death because he felt he had not lived life as well as he could or should have, and feared his ultimate disposition before God; while another person was done with life and made his passing without fanfare or long drug-out circumstances.

What makes the difference for me is knowing who I am in this moment and living with a deep understanding and belief of my soul’s disposition after passing. Perhaps for those having no belief in the hereafter, the emphasis is on whether or not they are comfortable with how they have lived life.

Join us for Coffee Talk at 10 a.m., Saturday, at Indaba Coffee for a discussion entitled, “The Wonder of the End.” 

Joe Niemiec
Joe Niemiec
The Rev. Joe Niemiec Jr. began his spiritual quest in 1986 when he walked out of a Houston jail and was struck by the realization that his life was in shambles. He began his quest for ‘getting back on track’ with 12 step programs, followed by learning and practicing meditation with a local Redding, California, teacher.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
spot_img
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x