By Emily Freeman
I knew of a family who had an unforgettable experience. For bad and for good. One day this family was driving home together from an outing. Each family member was doing their own thing as they rode. The radio was on, the younger ones jabbering, mom and dad discussing, some kids poking, some kids laughing.
One of their sons, a boy about to turn eight, was reading.
His book of choice—The Book of Mormon.
You see, several weeks before, the father had challenged his son to read The Book of Mormon before he was baptized and the boy took the challenge to heart.
As the family rode along, the little boy interrupted the chaos by asking out loud, “Dad? What is s-t-e-a-d-f-a-s-t-n-e-s-s?” The father, who didn’t quite catch it the first time stopped his conversation, hushed the other kids, turned down the radio and said, “What was that son?”
“What is s-t-e-a-d-f-a-s-t-n-e-s-s?” he repeated.
With the car totally quiet, and unusually attentive, the dad thought for a minute, and then answered his curious child. “That word is steadfastness,” he said. Then in his own way, the father taught his family what it meant to be steadfast. He taught them about enduring. He taught them about courage and discipleship. He taught them loving and serving and giving with all their heart and might and mind and strength. He told them that as members of their family, they would always be steadfast in their testimony of Christ. It was the way they would show their love and devotion to Him. Always.
Within a few brief moments an accident occurred on the road. A loose tire came flying from oncoming traffic and hit the driver side door of the traveling van. It was unexpected and unpreventable,
but it left the family without their father.
It was a tragedy in every sense of the word. Tears still flow ten years later.
For some, this horrible afternoon was evidence that there is no God.
Nephi prophesied centuries ago that the Book of Mormon itself would come forth in a time when people would claim such things.
A time when “they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people… behold there is no God today… Behold…if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.” (2 Nephi 28:5).
It would come in a time when the devil would rob people’s faith through temptation and trial and leave them hopeless, afraid, and broken.
It would come in a time when sadness would fill the hearts of the children of men because of unbelief.
Yes, some people might be tempted to claim God was not caring after an afternoon like that.
For this family, it was evidence of just the opposite.
The way they saw it, God, in His infinite wisdom and goodness, had orchestrated a tender moment when a departing father could offer his last words of counsel and encouragement to a family he would continue to watch over and guide very, very closely from the other side of the veil. One more chance to bear sweet testimony of the loving God he had grown to adore and serve.
From the pulpit at the funeral and since that day this family, through choked emotion and beaming hope testify of the reality of a living God and of his mercy and His grace.
Always with a promise that they will remain steadfast for the rest of their days.
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