Immortality

 

My father was fond of telling this story. He told it whenever he found an audience willing to listen to the tale. He told it at my wedding breakfast the day I got married.

Here's the story the way my dad told it:

I was laying AstroTurf on our backyard deck.

I don't know if you've ever worked with the stuff, but you have to make sure the surface you are laying it on is perfectly smooth and clean. One small pebble or a little dust can keep the AstroTurf from sticking tightly, and that causes creases or lumps. I spent hours sweeping the deck, then hosing it down, and sweeping it again when it was dry. I repeated this several times, until I was sure it was smooth and clean, and I slowly and painstakingly rolled the sticky AstroTurf onto the deck. It was a perfect fit, and I stepped back to survey my work.

I was surprised to see a lump. It was a small lump, but big enough to stand out in the otherwise smooth and even turf.

I couldn't understand it. How could there be a bump under the AstroTurf when it had been clean and smooth just minutes earlier?

I realized that I had to pull the AstroTurf from the edge of the deck to the spot where I could see the lump, and I needed to do it quickly before the glue set.

I found a small piece of paper, folded twice. I picked it up, unfolded it, and read these words: “My name is Marnie Measom. I am seven years old, and I used to live here.”

I confessed my part in this caper, telling my dad that when he was almost finished and his back was turned briefly, I had dropped the folded paper on the deck and pushed it under the AstroTurf with my foot. “I wanted to be immortal,” I said, a bit sheepishly.

Now, many years later, I know that immortality does not come from a small folded piece of paper. It is a free gift from God, given to us through His beloved Son's atonement.

“The resurrection and immortality are gifts from God, through Jesus Christ, and not from the works and efforts of mortal men.”¹

But immortality is not our end goal. We can do better. We can work toward eternal life – God's life.

“But to be resurrected and immortal is not all that is required for entrance into eternal life in the kingdom of God. Eternal life in the kingdom of God is far beyond his universal gift of immortality and is God’s greatest gift to all mankind; it can only be brought about through obedience to the doctrines and commandments taught by Jesus Christ.”²

“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” (Moses 1:39, emphasis added)

Maybe the next time I'm tempted to fold a piece of paper, I'll use it for origami. I think that will have more value than my childhood attempt for immortality.

1Bernard P. Brockbank, 1973

2ibid