Families Can Be Together Forever

We laid Max to rest on Saturday, December 29^th in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery next to his great grandparents and great uncle. We had a small graveside service with mostly just our immediate family present. Although it was only 15 degrees outside, the sun was shining and my heart was full of warmth. Our bishop shared some lovely thoughts and then Aaron said a few words. I loved everything he said and wanted to share some of it with you.

Aaron talked about how Max wasn't supposed to make it past the initial 48 hours after my water broke at 19 weeks, but he held on for 4 more weeks. Aaron told us how proud he was of his son for being physically strong enough to hold on for as long as he did in my womb despite the problems, all so his mom and dad could meet him even if but for a short time. What a strong little guy he was. Aaron also told us how proud of Max he was because of his spiritual strength. To explain, Aaron then read a quote from the prophet Joseph Smith that has given us a lot of hope, strength and joy during this time and something we truly feel applies to Max. It reads:

"We have again the warning voice sounded in our midst, which shows the uncertainty of human life; and in my leisure moments I have meditated upon the subject, and asked the question, why it is that infants, innocent children, are taken away from us. The strongest reasons that present themselves to my mind are these: This world is a very wicked world; and it grows more wicked and corrupt. 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.

"The only difference between the old and young dying is, one lives longer in heaven and eternal light and glory than the other, and is freed a little sooner from this miserable, wicked world. Notwithstanding all this glory, we for a moment lose sight of it, and mourn the loss, but we do not mourn as those without hope."

He also pointed out that we both felt the Spirit's comfort so strongly when we read this that we know our little Max was simply too pure and too lovely to live on this earth. We know that Max only needed a body and not the mortal tests the rest of us must experience on Earth. We know that it was our Heavenly Father's plan to take our little Max away before experiencing the wickedness of this world. We feel it was Heavenly Father's plan for him to not spend any time here beyond that 19 week mark when my water broke, but us as a result of prayer the Lord blessed us that he survived in my womb long enough for him to be able to spend a brief couple hours with us in this world. The Lord knew we needed to hold him, to see him and to feel of his sweet spirit while he was alive. We cherish those hours we had with him and even though we wish we could have more time, we feel blessed to have any time at all.

We are so grateful for our Heavenly Father's Plan of Happiness and Salvation and the knowledge that we will be an eternal family. We know without a doubt that we have the opportunity to be with Max again and he with us. It is now our duty to live up to his standard and example so that we will be worthy of that blessing.

Rest in peace our sweet baby Max.