Cedar Valley News – October 10, 2025

Evan Swensen
October 10, 2025

Faith and the Front Porch
By: Dan Larson

A Prophet Laid to Rest, and a Light That Still Shines

The funeral of President Russell M. Nelson was more than a public farewell — it was a living sermon on faith, hope, and how a life grounded in God echoes beyond the grave.

Though most Cedar Valley readers may not have gathered in Salt Lake that day, every heart tuned to his memorial knows this: a great soul has passed, but his spiritual legacy remains. As we watched and listened, we were reminded that true leadership doesn’t die — it invites us to carry forward its torch.

When the casket entered the Conference Center and hymns filled the hall, it was not a solemn ceremony alone, but a sacred invitation. Thousands paid tribute, hearts bowed, voices united across time zones and screens. His children spoke of Dad. Church leaders spoke of the prophet. His life as a surgeon and spiritual shepherd was held in the same breath — healer of bodies and souls. President Nelson, who passed away at the age of 101, lived a century that bridged war and peace, medicine and ministry — and through it all, faith remained his constant companion.

President Nelson’s daughter Laurie Marsh said simply: “Daddy always chose to be happy.” That phrase deserves to sit with us a while. Because he wasn’t born into perpetual joy — he chose it, even when storms came.

We often wait for perfect circumstances before we live fully. We hold our peace, postpone our gratitude, delay our kindness. But President Nelson’s funeral urged us: don’t wait. Embrace joy, be generous, live faith now.

He understood something that every father and believer must: legacy is not what we leave behind alone — it’s what we kindle in others. The quiet hands that comforted, the steady counsels he extended, the prayers he offered — each was a seed carried forward.

In the procession, bystanders lined the streets, waving white handkerchiefs. Grief mingled with reverence in the air. For many, it was a spiritual moment: seeing the fragile intersection of mortality and eternity.

I believe that’s the gift of a prophet’s funeral. It transcends mourning. It becomes hope’s pulpit. It teaches us that death doesn’t have the final word. The resurrection, the promises of God, the bond of eternal families — these remain.

For those who are grieving, let me say: sorrow is not weakness. It is love’s testament. Let your tears speak of the depth you cherished. Let your prayers remind you that separation is temporary.

As we step forward out of this week, let us do so with renewed purpose:
— Love more boldly.
— Accept our responsibility to build light.
— Choose joy not as an escape, but as your daily weapon against despair.
— Live so that when our own day comes, those we love feel not only sorrow, but gratitude for the path we walked together.

May we carry President Nelson’s torch — not as an echo, but as an offering to those who follow.

Isaac over the earthly sea,
Sound the note of victory;
Though the foe be fierce and cruel,
God is mightier than the foe.

This editorial is part of the fictional Cedar Valley News series. While the people and town are fictional, the national events they reflect on are real.

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