Sister Barbara Ballard, a woman who "radiated every Christlike attribute," passed away Oct. 1, 2018.
Just six days later, President M. Russell Ballard stood at the pulpit during general conference to talk about President Joseph F. Smith's vision of the redemption of the dead.
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"My talk was prepared some time before the passing of my dear wife, Barbara," President Ballard says. "How grateful I am to know where my precious Barbara is and that we will be together again, with our family, for all eternity" (President M. Russell Ballard, "The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead," October 2018 general conference).
Speaking of his wife's recent passing, President Ballard added to what he said in general conference about life after death in a recent Facebook post.
My family and I thank you for your love and your outreach of kindness after the passing of my wife Barbara. How grateful I am to know where my precious Barbara is and that we will be together again, with our family, for all eternity. I spoke in general conference about the great sorrows that my great-grandfather Joseph F. Smith endured. Having experienced intense sorrow over the millions who had died in the world through war and disease as well as the deaths of his own family members, President Smith received the heavenly revelation known as “the vision of the redemption of the dead,” found in Doctrine and Covenants section 138. The revelation he received comforted his heart and provided answers to many of his questions. We too can be comforted and learn more about our own future when we and our loved ones die and go to the spirit world by studying this revelation and pondering its significance in the way we live our lives each day. May the peace of the Lord sustain us now and forever.
Lead image from President M. Russell Ballard's Facebook page