Here is John's funeral talk. I must say, out of all the talks, songs, and remarks, his made me tear up the most. Those of you that know John will understand. This big, burly, teddy-bear of a man was standing in front of all these people, and kept looking up and off to the side to blink away the tears. I have never seen his composure crack--but I did at the funeral. He was trying desperately to hold it in, yet convey emotion with his words. I was touched, and even re-reading his talk today brings me to tears again. For those of you who are new to this blog and don't know me very well, let me preface with a little information. Ammon and I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As such, most of the scriptures and several of the references in this talk, and the one I posted several days ago, come from the Book of Mormon, and from the gospel as we see it. While I don't wish to get into a theological discussion on this blog, I wanted to supply the information, so that it may be viewed in a more complete light.
I would like to share a little bit about Ammon and how he knew of and followed the Plan of Salvation, which is the plan that our Heavenly Father has for all of us to return to live with Him.
Ammon was one that didn’t do anything he didn’t absolutely believe in and I so appreciate that. He loved kids, he loved cooking, he engulfed himself in sports, (we could always count on him for the orange pie in Trivial Pursuit), he was totally in love with his wife. I’ve never met a man more devoted to his wife and more into helping her to feel like a queen than Ammon was to Victoria. He was my example. These things along with numerous other showed me that Ammon knew of the Plan of Salvation and loved his Savior.
In order to understand the Plan of Salvation, one first has to believe in Heavenly Father and that he hears and answers our prayers. If anybody here has a question of that in their hearts, I know that they can ask any member of Ammon’s family of the myriad of prayers that were plead to Heavenly Father on his behalf. Whether asking to help Ammon with his personal choices or to help Ammon find a way through the many trials that were a part of his life, they were all answered.
The scriptures tell us that we lived with Heavenly Father before we were born here on Earth. When the Lord was speaking to Jeremiah the prophet, he told him in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee...”
Victoria, I told you something on Monday. You and Ammon were together with Heavenly Father choosing a personal plan with him that fit into the great Plan of Salvation that is for all of us. You knew that you would have to go through very difficult times and much pain while here on Earth, but you chose it because you also knew that it would be for but a moment and that you could be with Ammon for Eternity and you would have done anything to know Ammon. He was that important to you.
Ammon was born of goodly parents that taught him in his youth the principles of the gospel. Mom & Dad, I know how grateful Ammon was to you for going through so much to do this for him. He respected you. He came to you often for advice because he knew what he would hear might not always be easy but it would be right. He loved spending time with you and always wanted to be physically near by so that he could do that.
The prophet Alma gave us the purpose of this life in its purest and most simple form. He said in Alma 12:24, “…therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God…” Ammon knew how precious this time was and what were the best ways to spend it. He loved to play board games and card games with his family, always desiring to spend more time with them than doing any of so many other things. He also loved the youth and spending time with them, teaching them by his example.
When Ammon first moved into the ward, he was called to be the Young Men’s basketball coach. Talk about a thrill for Ammon, combining his favorite sport with the opportunity to teach the young men. To you young men, I want you to know that he wasn’t just teaching you how to handle the round ball. He was teaching each of you important principles of the gospel. He taught you to exercise your faith. Whenever you shot the ball or passed it to a teammate, you knew that it was going to end up where you wanted it, to the point that you let the ball leave your hands. He was teaching you the principles of the priesthood and relying on each other when he taught you the different plays. During each of those plays, each of you knew that you had to be at a specific point on the court at a specific time or it wasn’t going to turn out how you had hoped. It’s like that with honoring the priesthood as well. He wanted each of you to know that you have to be ready and able to serve a mission when you turn of age to serve.
He wanted each of you to be good home teachers now and to learn more of the gospel so you can be ready. He wanted to make sure that you would be at your respective places on the court of life when you need to be there to make sure that you were following Heavenly Father’s plan for us. He taught you that each of you have a role to fulfill. He loved you very much and he prayed to Heavenly Father each day for each of you. He led examples in his life so that you would do the same. He read his scriptures every day, he loved and respected his wife, he magnified his callings in the priesthood, he went to the temple and was sealed for time and all eternity and he listened for the promptings of the spirit and followed them. Follow these examples that Ammon left for us.
We’re not sure why Heavenly Father saw fit to call Ammon back home at what seems like such an early time for us. I’m not sure that even if we knew if it would make it any easier right now. His body and his spirit are now separated and he is working to help further the kingdom of God. The Apostle Peter tells us that during the 3 days that Christ was separated from His body that, “…he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;” Whether this same work or some other, I do know that Ammon was called away from us to do something now that he couldn’t do at any other time.
I know that one day Ammon will be resurrected in his full glory. The Apostle Paul taught us as he wrote to the Corinthians, “41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: ... 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead...” Ammon knew of this resurrection and prepared during this life to be able to meet God. He was righteous and did all he could to attain Celestial Glory.
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