BEYOND THE VEIL

by: Norberto Betita

Early in my infancy I contracted a very serious disease that almost claimed my life according to my maternal grandmother. But I survived to see my maternal grandparents die and also witness the passing of my parents and four of my siblings. The deaths of my maternal grandparents were of illnesses related to old age and so of my parents. My elder sister died in the heights of her teaching career which she struggled so much to obtain amidst poverty. Her five young children were then full of wonderful prospects of the future. Then she was diagnosed of a breast cancer. She was operated but the disease lingered and for months she suffered with inexplicable pain until finally she died. My elder brother died in a sea tragedy on a Christmas Eve. He was travelling with her family to the hometown of her wife when while on the middle of the deep sea the boat capsized resulting to the death of many passengers including my brother and his two children. The other elder brother became infected with a cancer on the face bone. Penury finds no opportunity for him to undergo a complicated operation, and he eventually died bearing the pains of a lingering illness. My younger sister passed away by ordinary illness associated with her special personality disorder.

In my lifetime I have witnessed among my friends, neighbours and associates so much of the grief attendant to dying. I have seen those in the exuberance of youth, when the future seemed to be prospectively bright but cut short as they passed early beyond the veil. I witnessed my friends rising into great heights of success in their chosen careers and all of a sudden entered the doors of death. I saw men and women suffering from debilitating afflictions yearning and wanting to die but have to wait until the call for them to take the journey beyond the veil was appointed. 

Most recently my sister-in-law also died of cancer in the throat. She had undergone modern medical attention but the cancer cells already spread throughout her body system resulting to a painful and excruciating agony preceding her final departure from mortality. 

She desired most that her children would rise above and beyond their most humble beginning and be prepared for the challenges of the future. And, her dreams did come true. Of course, she is not without mistakes. Like most of us she had her weaknesses and imperfections. But she wrestled and fought bravely his life’s Goliath’s and eventually won her battles. Indeed, we should be grateful for such kind of an honourable woman of hope, a faithful wife, a responsible mother and homemaker, whose exemplar might well open our hearts to the fact that no great a difficulty, no hard a struggle, no strong a barrier in all of life that could not be hurdled.

To her most beloved husband Manolito, whom she sincerely and so lovingly bade goodbye immediately before passing, to her son Jun James, to her daughter Cheryl, and his increasing posterity, Milagros left a most noble heritage and an enduring legacy, which eternal consequences could not be matched by earthly possessions. May the bereaved family have the same feeling of gratitude for their dearly beloved Milagros Lamoste Betita as their highest tribute for her passing.

Indeed, in life, “we laugh, we cry, we work, we play, we love, we live. And then we die. Death is our universal heritage. All must pass its portals. Death claims the aged, the weary and worn. It visits the youth in the bloom of hope and the glory of expectations. Nor are little children kept beyond its grasp” (Thomas S. Monson).

Bruce R. McConkie speaks of death as “a subject which strikes dread—even terror—into the hearts of most men. It is something we fear, of which we are sorely afraid, and from which most of us would flee if we could. He speaks of it as “the passing of the immortal soul into the eternal realms ahead that dread day when we shall shuffle off this mortal coil and go back to the dust from whence we came.”

And what of death---the journey beyond the veil?

Death originates from the fall of Adam in consequence of his transgression. “Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.” (Moses 6:48). “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Death reigns from Adam to Moses” (Romans 5:12, 14). Death is the result and effect of sin. But death is an indispensable requirement for us to inherit eternal life. “Adam Fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25). “Death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator” (2 Nephi 9:6).

The scriptures are abounding with explanations on why death is necessary for all to experience. The prophet Alma in the Book of Mormon explained that “Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God and by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people.” Alma said “that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death.” But Adam was not allowed to partake of the fruit for God so restricted and decreed it, “If thou eat thou shalt surely die.” And because Adam decided to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, “death comes upon mankind” (see Alma 12:22-24). 

However, in spite of death as an essential consequence, Adam’s transgression also brought about another fundamental upshot, that of man becoming “as God, knowing good and evil.” This knowledge should have given Adam the opportunity to also take the fruit “of the tree of life, and eat and live forever” But, “the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit” This is done to give man, “a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God.” If Adam should have partaken immediately the fruit of the tree of life, “he would have lived forever, according to the word of God and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated. But behold, it was appointed unto man to die” (See Alma 42:3-6). 

And so Adam and Eve because of their transgression were “cast out from the Garden of Eden” from the presence of God and “became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when” God “shall say: Depart, ye cursed.” However, as to the temporal death, the death of the physical body, “the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die until the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of” the “Only Begotten Son.” And so Adam was taught and assigned “days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe” (See D & C 29:41-43). 

By the fact, “that our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord they became subjects to follow after their own will.” They are now free to exercise their moral agency to choose which way to follow having gained the knowledge of good and evil and after being taught by angels about repentance and the plan of redemption. The Lord sees it not fitting to immediately rescue man “from this temporal death, for that would destroy the great plan of happiness. Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal, that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord, it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death. Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state” ( See Alma 42:7-10).

Temporal death is the separation of the physical or mortal body and the spirit in man. The mortal body is laid in the grave to return to dust from whence it came. The spirit in man which is eternal even from the beginning will not die but shall sojourn beyond the veil, into the world of waiting spirits called the spirit world. The spirit of the righteous “are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow” (Alma 40:12). For “those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets” (D&C 138:32) will be ushered into a place reserved for them which is called spirit prison. These spirits are “taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know” (D&C 138:33-34). Temporal death is a temporary separation of the mortal body and the spirit, until the resurrection day when the “sleeping dust was to be restored unto its perfect frame, bone to his bone, and the sinews and the flesh upon them, the spirit and the body to be united never again to be divided, that they might receive a fullness of joy” (D&C 138:17). 

Thomas S. Monson declared, “Life moves on. Youth follows childhood, and maturity comes ever so imperceptibly. As we search and ponder the purpose and the problems of life, all of us sooner or later face the question of the length of life and of a personal, everlasting life. These questions most insistently assert themselves when loved ones leave us or when we face leaving those we love.

“At such times, we ponder the universal question, best phrased by Job of old, who centuries ago asked, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14;14).

Certainly, there is life after death. Man’s journey in mortality is temporary and his sojourn beyond the veil into the spirit world is a time of waiting. It is sure that death comes to mortal beings, as it is certain that resurrection will come to all those in the spirit world. The eternal verity of the resurrection provides hope and peace beyond our ability to imagine. The Lord promised “that those that die in me shall not taste of death for it shall be sweet unto them.” (D&C42:46). But we are likewise warned: “Do not suppose that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 41:10).

Russel M. Nelson once said, “Irrespective of age, we mourn for those loved and lost. Mourning is one of the deepest expressions of pure love. It is a natural response in complete accord with divine commandment: “Thou shalt live together in love, insomuch that thou shalt weep for the loss of them that die” (D&C 42:45).

“Moreover, we can’t fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life.”

As the hour of his death approached the apostle Paul declared:

“I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

“Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

As all of us will undoubtedly pass this life towards an eternal journey beyond the veil we need to conduct ourselves in such a way that we may be worthy of the joyful promise to live in the paradise of God while waiting for the glorious resurrection. The prophet Amulek taught, “This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God” (Alma 34:32). Our performances here in accord with the covenants and commitments to love and serve God and our neighbours together with our receiving the necessary ordinances of salvation will surely affect our eternal destiny.