While the World Mourns, the Heavens Rejoice!

This past week our Church has mourned the loss of a beloved leader, James Esdras Faust. He was a very special cousin and friend to my grandpa Esdras Reece Finlinson. It is such an honor to be from the same family as such a great man. President Faust was the pride and joy of a little town called Oak City, and Oak City was the pride and joy of President Faust--he would brag about Oak City and its wonderful people to everyone he met.

We had the special privilege of attending his viewing Monday night, it was a wonderful night and we were able to see family members that we have not seen in years. Let me just say, I have never seen a display of flowers like those that were at his services - they were unbelievable!

Today we were able to attend his funeral, we sat in the tabernacle about five rows from the front. It is such a surreal experience being in such a beautiful building, surrounded by all of the general authorities and other auxillary leaders of the church. When the first brought the casket in, Pres. Hinckley, Pres. Monson and the 12 apostles lined either side of the doorway and the casket was led in between them. It was such an awesome, reverant moment. I have met Pres. Monson and other general authorities before, but I have never seen President Hinckley until today. As they were standing in the front of the tabernacle, we were only maybe 5-10 feet from the prophet, and let me just say, I know without a doubt that he is a Prophet of God. He has a presence about him that is unlike any other I have ever witnessed. He is amazing.

The funeral was wonderful, beautiful, it was one of my most amazing experiences of my life. I wish I could express my thoughts and feelings better, I wish I could use more eloquent words to better describe this experience. But since I can't I'll just sum it all up by saying that it was amazingly wonderful!

This is Brook & I with Pres. Faust ("Uncle Jim" or "Uncle Ez") in 1985 at my grandma's house. (Don't be dissing my outfit--my mom dressed me!)

To finish the day out, once again I was on my favorite local new station KUTV Channel 2. They interviewed several people outside the funeral, and somehow I made the cut - lucky me. I think I'm going to start charging them everytime they want to interview me. I must just be so beautiful they can't resist!