Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square broadcast. This will be given on Sunday, April 9, 2023.
Lloyd Newell: Thank you, Madison, choir and orchestra. Today, I’m here with Conlon and Rachel Bonner. Recently, their beautiful 9-month-old son, Joshua, died unexpectedly. Rachel, Conlon, thank you for being with us on this Easter Sunday. How has your faith in Jesus Christ helped you over these past several months?
Conlon Bonner: You know ... when we had realized that he had passed away, that he was gone that morning, we knew immediately that we needed to have as much of the Lord as we could get, and trying to seek as much access the Lord’s healing could give us.
Rachel Bonner: Because of Him we know that our Joshua is in a good place, and we don’t have to worry about him. We just have to get through these years of losing him and then we’ll get to be with him again. But it will be a bittersweet celebration every Easter of missing Joshua, but so grateful, so grateful that missing is not eternal. That we will all be together again because of Jesus.
Conlon Bonner: There are sad moments, but at the same time I look at pictures of Joshua and I smile, I laugh, I remember those moments. I close my eyes and I picture his face right close to mine, and that gets me excited about the resurrection, about what Jesus Christ has done. Because we’ll embrace, we’ll embrace our little boy again; and then turn to Jesus Christ and embrace Him for providing that opportunity for us.
Rachel Bonner: We trust Him. We trust what He has said to us, and we cling to Him. We cling to those promises. And through that we can take another step, another step, and one more day, until finally we’re all together again.
Conlon Bonner: This Easter morning, because of Him, everything is made right. Though I cry in the nighttime, joy comes in the morning.
Lloyd Newell: Conlon and Rachel, thank you for joining us on this Easter morning. We’ve been uplifted by your faith. Thank you.
You may know the story of Job, a great man who also suffered terrible loss and tragedy; he asked this question long ago: “If a man die, shall he live again?”
Easter is a time to remember that three days after Jesus died, His followers discovered that His body was gone and His tomb was empty. An angel asked them:
“Why seek ye the living among the dead?” and then explained: “He is not here, but is risen” (see Luke 24:5-6).
Because of Jesus Christ, there is a resurrection. Because of Him, life is not a dead end. Every tomb is temporary. We have a purpose that will not end, and the beauty and meaning of our lives will go on forever.
This day, may you be filled with the hope found in Christ, and find “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
All because of Him.
Tuning in …
The “Music & the Spoken Word” broadcast is available on KSL-TV, KSL Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirectTV, SiriusXM Radio (Ch. 143), the tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir and Amazon Alexa (must enable skill). The program is aired live on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. on many of these outlets. Look up broadcast information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedules.
