A friend of mine died this weekend. I’ve struggled to define my feelings of sorrow since learning of his passing. He and I weren’t close, but I recall him with fondness and admiration for his inherent goodness and kindness. I can’t picture him in my mind without a smile on his face, nor can I do so without discovering a smile on mine.

Just now as I was pondering my friend’s death, God reminded me of something I recently heard. It comforted me, so I want to share it here.

“In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? There seems to be something inside of us that resists endings.

Why is this? Because we are made of the stuff of eternity. We are eternal beings, children of the Almighty God, whose name is Endless and who promises eternal blessings without number. Endings are not our destiny.

The more we learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the more we realize that endings here in mortality are not endings at all. They are merely interruptions—temporary pauses that one day will seem small compared to the eternal joy awaiting the faithful.

How grateful I am to my Heavenly Father that in His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf).

Click here to read the full talk.