A Memorial to My Father

In memorial of my father’s death this year, I want to wish him on a safe journey in the spiritual realm by showing my gratitude for him, by baptizing him in the Denver Temple. In about a week and a half, I will have the opportunity to submit my father’s name to the Denver Temple to get baptized, and my sweet humble husband will have the privilege of actually baptizing him. My father passed away a year ago on July, 14, 2008, it was difficult for me to get through the grievance process. But with lots of family support and loving friends, I was able to press forward with my mission in life. Increasing my faith in the savior by his promise of the resurrection, I was able to gain a testimony of the divine power of the atonement, and the role it plays in my father’s life as well as the rest of my loved ones, and I. I am grateful to have a testimony of the gospel of Christ, life after death, and the resurrection; without my knowledge of the mission of the members Godhead, I would be hopelessly lost. But I have a testimony and I know who God is, was, and will be forever. I know my father lives, beyond the veil, and I am excited to see him one day. He was an awesome father in this life, and I have no doubt that he will be an awesome father in the eternities. In his mortal life, my father was very patient, loving, and devout to his family. Although my father did not have the gospel in his life, he was very family oriented, and he always had a family activity planned. He is my heart, I miss him dearly. Baptizing my father in the Denver Temple has a special meaning to me, because it is the very same temple that my husband and I got sealed to our children. It brings me great comfort to know that my father will be a part of my eternal family too. I cannot imagine going an eternity without either one of my parents, they are extraordinary. He died at an early age, 51, of pneumonia, after he had already had both his kidneys taken, and replaced. It was hard seeing him in the casket, because my father was always so full of life. You could not get him to stay in one place to long. He was always doing something. He was a faithful worker, a devout father, and a stupendous singer. He was thoughtful, kind, loving, energetic, independent, patient, warm, gentle, witty, and hardworking, a teacher, a football player, a son, a grandson, a brother, a nephew, and an uncle. Finally, he is my father.