As I recall, the day before the ordination, we got a call from Sharon telling us that Dad was failing fast. He had not been able to get out of his bed at all that day and whether he would be lucid enough to give the ordination was doubtful.
We drove down the next day, October 9. Before our arrival Dad was given a blessing and was told that he would have the strength and presence of mind to give the blessing. He arose from his bed, came into the family room, talked and laughed with the family and ordained me as a High Priest with a beautiful blessing.
The following day, being a Sunday, the Deacons came to collect fast offerings while we were all gathered around as a family. As a family we have laughed many times since then as we recall those Deacons that came to the door. The spirit that was in home at that moment was so strong it was palpable. The Deacons came in and even though we were involved in casual family conversations at the time, they obviously KNEW that something powerful was happening in that room. We could see it in their faces, their countenances, everything about them.
We all witnessed the veil being thinned for Dad. I don't know who, from beyond the veil was there with us, but Dad saw them very clearly and made reference to them.
It was an amazing experience for me and my family to witness, so tangibly, God's Plan of Salvation being realized in the life of Dad.
I hope we never forget!!!!
Heather wrote a talk sometime after Dad's passing. It gives a good account of the dealings surrounding this ordination:
"I’ve been asked to share a sacred experience that my family
and I were privileged to be a part of recently and I pray that the Lord’s
spirit will be with me in doing so. I
hope that some aspect of this story will bless your life as it has blessed my
family’s.
My husband’s name is Bill Guy Bodine. That’s particularly important to him because
he is the only son of Bill Glenn Bodine—who was also an only son
and whose name he is proud to bear.
Bill’s (my husband’s) dad is a wonderful, faithful man whose calling and
impact in life was teaching—both in his family and in the seminary &
institute programs of the church. My
husband benefited from his father’s strength & example and in my opinion
inherited many of his father’s fine qualities.
Events unfolded in Bill’s family in such a way that when it
came time for my husband to be ordained to the office of an Elder his father
was unable to perform the ordinance and he was ordained at the hands of someone
else.
Now, I have to tell you about my husband—he’s the easiest
man in the world to please. Even down to
eating and enjoying anything I put in front of him—(and I mean anything!) There is only one sadness or sorrow or
regret that I have ever heard him express-- his sorrow that he was
unable to receive his priesthood under the hands of his own father. The hope he expressed was that if there would
ever come a time when the Lord could use him as a High Priest it would occur during
his father’s lifetime so that he and his sons could inherit that priesthood line
of authority through his father.
Once I got all my kids in school I discovered that going to
the temple once a week was a tremendous blessing in my life. I particularly liked to make sure I had time
to linger and pray and gather thoughts in the celestial room. I had clearly been
told in my Patriarchal blessing that I needed to pray for every blessing
in my life or I would not receive it.
With that in mind, one of the purposes of my temple worship was to pray
for my husband that the one thing I had ever heard him hope for might
become a reality if it was in accordance with the Lord’s will. This was very important to me.
We were blindsided on August 13th of this year to find out that Bill’s
Dad had stage 4 cancer and wouldn’t be expected to live very long. All of a sudden it looked like we might run
out of time on our request. We prayed more fervently than ever that if this was
the Lord’s will it would come to pass.
Events unfolded (and I’m skipping tons here) so that the
week before stake conference Bill was interviewed and found worthy to be
ordained to the office of a High Priest.
We were SO happy about this, especially my son Garrett (whose
name is actually Bill Garrett—once again we see the Bill G. Bodine
theme)--Garrett shed some happy tears and recognized on a deep level that this
was an event that would bless his sons also.
We called Bill’s Dad who had been rapidly declining and told
him this would be happening and to hang in there. The plan was for Bill to be sustained during
the general session of Stake Conference on Sunday then we’d hop in the car and
race to St. George right afterward where a High Councilman down there would
oversee the ordination. Hopefully all this would occur “in time”.
The Friday night before Stake Conference we got a phone call
from worried family members that Bill’s Dad had not eaten or been lucid in 2
days and that whenever he came around he would ask in extreme concern—“when’s
he coming?—I don’t think I can make it .” He was worried he would die before he
could ordain his son. Our brothers-in-law gave Bill’s dad a priesthood blessing
that night that he’d be able to recover enough to see this event through .We
talked to President Killpack who made special arrangements for us and headed to
St. George Saturday morning as quickly as we could.
When we arrived we were astounded to see Bill’s dad
awake, coherent, and sitting up wearing a white shirt and tie—with a smile on
his face—ready to perform the ordination.
He took that opportunity with his family gathered around him to bear a
powerful testimony, express his love, and bless and encourage his
posterity. My husband then sat at his
feet and received the ordination.
So….my family and I witnessed a miracle that day—by the
power of the priesthood a man was raised up from death’s door to bless his
posterity-- one last time.—That was Saturday. On Sunday—Bill’s dad called for Bill to come
and give him a blessing this time.
A blessing of release from this mortal life. Bill blessed him that he would be able to
greet his Savior in loving embrace with a clear conscience and know that the
life he lived on this earth had been accepted and that his mortal mission was
fulfilled. He was told that his loved
ones would remember him and continue to benefit from his legacy. That we would be together again and that he
would have peace. Peace concerning his
family and peace concerning his passing into the next life.
We tucked him into bed that Sunday night—each having a
private moment to express love and said our goodbyes. He never got up again. He died during the next night.
Usually when our family drives back from St. George everyone
sleeps. This trip home was different. .
This time we spent the travel time bearing our testimonies and sharing our
feelings and impressions of that wonderful experience. Sleep was out of the question! Our family had
stood on sacred ground that whole weekend and WE ALL KNEW IT! Sacred
lessons had been written on our hearts that could not be denied. The veil was so thin. Heaven was so real. The spirit was unmistakable. Even our extended
family members who were there who have drifted away from the teachings of their
youth had been touched and softened by it. We all marveled at the overall
sensation of LOVE that we had felt through the whole experience. The closer we had walked our Grandpa to
Heaven the more we had felt our Heavenly Father’s and Savior’s love. It could not be denied. It was real.
A time of sorrow?
Definitely—cause we love our Grandpa and will miss him. But a time of REJOICING was the
overall sensation. Rejoicing in the love
of family. Rejoicing in the blessed
assurance of a plan of happiness. Rejoicing
that families can be together forever and that love extends beyond the grave. Rejoicing
in the love of our Heavenly Father and Savior who made it all possible for
us.
I don’t think there
is any way for me to adequately relate what a thrill it was for me as a mother
to stand on this sacred holy ground with my children and husband and witness
such an outpouring of the spirit. Heavenly Father not only heard and answered
our prayers but blessed us beyond our wildest imagination. More sacred things
were written on our hearts than I could ever express. I was reminded of the scene from the movie
the Ten Commandments when Charlton Heston who plays Moses ascends the mountain,
spends time in the presence of God and descends completely changed in
countenance and spirit. We all marveled
at the change we felt in ourselves. We
knew we would never be the same. My 12 year old put it into memorable words for
me when he said, “After all that, I just want to be a better person. I’m going to try harder to live a better life.”
Doctrine&Covenants 42:61 says: “If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive
revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou, mayest know
the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth
life eternal.”
Brothers and Sisters I bear testimony that:
- Miracles happen
- Prayers are heard and answered by a loving Father in Heaven
- Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ KNOW and LOVE each one of us!!!!
- The Priesthood is the Power of God and has been restored to the earth
- Families are forever— the efforts we take to strengthen our families in this life will bless us eternally!"
No comments:
Post a Comment