Faith of Our Father—Farewell
by Richard Warner, Jr.
SUPERMAN, Family man, Gentleman, Businessman, Sportsman, Utah Man, Sir, Man of Uncommon Courage, Insight, Strength and Humor, Survivor, Hall of Famer—all. I rise to honor the most important thing about any man, his faith.
Father’s fundamental faith, instilled by loving parents early, was bolstered in an apostolic blessing pronounced on his head by Uncle Stephen L Richards following surgery to fuse his right hip at age nine. He held onto The PROMISE that he would be able to accomplish anything if he lived a righteous life. Later, after marrying his eternal companion Marian, his faith increased as she taught him much including that leaving Sacrament Meeting for a tennis tournament final does not qualify as Sunday Service.
As you know, through his faith and hard work, father amassed a considerable fortune and has born testimony that had he not ultimately lost this earthly empire, he may never have been able to lay it aside for that of a world of precious time with family and spiritual expansion. When the call came to serve in the Hawaii Temple a large melanoma was discovered on his back. Another apostolic blessing, this time from President Monson, in which he promised Father that his time was not yet and that he and mother would complete their mission. Upon visiting, I was amazed to find that Father had implemented a daily operating system not to track cars or trucks, carburators or warranties-- but sacred ordinances, sealings, baptisms, endowments. He became mighty in things that matter.
Grateful am I for the privilege of serving Father in recent months as he deemed me his valet—getting close in ways heretofore unimaginable as we experienced a fullness of times.
As I emptied his sealer’s locker in the S.L. Temple, I marveled at the MIGHTY CHANGE wrought in him according to his faith as he served so valiantly in so many ways; how he managed to rid his soul of any bitterness or enmity and strip it of pride. How sweet the uses of adversity have been in refining him into a fine old High Priest, a Patriarch, Provider, Protector, Presider. How well he lived. How well he endured to the end of his mortality.
Finally, Father (Richard Longstroth Warner) lay on the hospital bed with that Ammon-like chest of his full of infection, those magnificent arms of flesh no good to him anymore… relying wholly upon the merits of Him who is mighty to save, reconciled to Christ—the Author and Finisher of his faith. Approaching the threshold of the eternal worlds, he pulled me close and whispered: “I’m looking forward to meeting my Maker.”
Now he can lay claim to the Infinite Atonement and enjoy richly the blessings of Abaham, Isaac and Jacob—which Elder Maxwell reminded us, is ALL the blessings there are. Upon opening his scriptures I fixated on the heavy underline of Alma’s (5:12) words: “THIS IS ALL TRUE.”
I do not doubt our father knew it.
“HERE IS A MAN, TAKE HIM FOR ALL THAT HE IS, FOR WE MAY NOT SEE HIS LIKE AGAIN.” Wm. Shakespeare
by Richard Warner, Jr.
SUPERMAN, Family man, Gentleman, Businessman, Sportsman, Utah Man, Sir, Man of Uncommon Courage, Insight, Strength and Humor, Survivor, Hall of Famer—all. I rise to honor the most important thing about any man, his faith.
Father’s fundamental faith, instilled by loving parents early, was bolstered in an apostolic blessing pronounced on his head by Uncle Stephen L Richards following surgery to fuse his right hip at age nine. He held onto The PROMISE that he would be able to accomplish anything if he lived a righteous life. Later, after marrying his eternal companion Marian, his faith increased as she taught him much including that leaving Sacrament Meeting for a tennis tournament final does not qualify as Sunday Service.
As you know, through his faith and hard work, father amassed a considerable fortune and has born testimony that had he not ultimately lost this earthly empire, he may never have been able to lay it aside for that of a world of precious time with family and spiritual expansion. When the call came to serve in the Hawaii Temple a large melanoma was discovered on his back. Another apostolic blessing, this time from President Monson, in which he promised Father that his time was not yet and that he and mother would complete their mission. Upon visiting, I was amazed to find that Father had implemented a daily operating system not to track cars or trucks, carburators or warranties-- but sacred ordinances, sealings, baptisms, endowments. He became mighty in things that matter.
Grateful am I for the privilege of serving Father in recent months as he deemed me his valet—getting close in ways heretofore unimaginable as we experienced a fullness of times.
As I emptied his sealer’s locker in the S.L. Temple, I marveled at the MIGHTY CHANGE wrought in him according to his faith as he served so valiantly in so many ways; how he managed to rid his soul of any bitterness or enmity and strip it of pride. How sweet the uses of adversity have been in refining him into a fine old High Priest, a Patriarch, Provider, Protector, Presider. How well he lived. How well he endured to the end of his mortality.
Finally, Father (Richard Longstroth Warner) lay on the hospital bed with that Ammon-like chest of his full of infection, those magnificent arms of flesh no good to him anymore… relying wholly upon the merits of Him who is mighty to save, reconciled to Christ—the Author and Finisher of his faith. Approaching the threshold of the eternal worlds, he pulled me close and whispered: “I’m looking forward to meeting my Maker.”
Now he can lay claim to the Infinite Atonement and enjoy richly the blessings of Abaham, Isaac and Jacob—which Elder Maxwell reminded us, is ALL the blessings there are. Upon opening his scriptures I fixated on the heavy underline of Alma’s (5:12) words: “THIS IS ALL TRUE.”
I do not doubt our father knew it.
“HERE IS A MAN, TAKE HIM FOR ALL THAT HE IS, FOR WE MAY NOT SEE HIS LIKE AGAIN.” Wm. Shakespeare
1 comment:
Yes,Father was mighty in many things and ways...
and we're forever grateful he became mighty in the things that matter most.
Warners
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