Page 42 - Berg_Mortuary_Bishops_Guide

42 BISHOP’S GUIDE

the death of a child his teachings on the salvation of little children were inspiring and reassur-
ing. Between 1869 and 1898, he buried nine little children of his own.

Following the death of his firstborn child Mercy Josephine on 6 June 1870, he expressed his
great sorrow. “O God only knows how much I loved my girl, and she the light and the joy of
my heart. The morning before she died, after being up with her all night, for I watched her
every night, I said to her, ‘My little pet did not sleep all night.” She shook her head and replied,
‘I’ll sleep today, papa.’ Oh! how those little words shot through my heart. I knew though I
would not believe, it was another voice, that it meant the sleep of death and she did sleep. And,
Oh! the light of my heart went out. The image of heaven graven in my soul was almost depart-
ed…… Thou wert a heavenly gift directly to my heart of hearts.”

On 6 July 1879, Joseph F. Smith wrote in his journal of his grief at the death of his daugh-
ter Rhonda: “I took her on a pillow and walked the floor with her, she again revived but only
lingered about an hour and died in my arms at 1:40 a.m. Now God only knows how deeply
we mourn. This is the 5th death in my family. All my little ones most beloved! O! God help us
to bear this trial!”

But he found comfort in the knowledge that, through the Atonement of the Savior all was
well with his beloved children. At the death of his daughter Ruth, on I7 March 1898, he re-
ceived a glorious revelation: “O my soul! I see my own sweet mother‘s arms extended welcom-
ing to her embrace the ransomed glorious spirit of my own sweet babe! O my God! For this
glorious vision, I thank Thee! And there too are gathered to my Father’s mansion all my darling
lovely ones; not in infantile helplessness, but in all the power and glory and majesty of sancti-
fied spirits! Full of intelligence, of joy and grace, and truth.”

TEACHINGS OF JOSEPH F. SMITH

LITTLE CHILDREN WHO PASS AWAY BEFORE THEY ARE
ACCOUNTABLE ARE REDEEMED.

With little children who are taken away in infancy and innocence before they have reached the
years of accountability, and are not capable of committing sin, the gospel reveals to us the fact that
they are redeemed, and Satan has no power over them. Neither has death any power over them.
They are redeemed by the blood of Christ, and they are saved just as surely as death has come into

the world through the fall of our first parents……. . Our beloved friends who are now deprived of