10 people who have passed on

This subject of deceased people is a little different mainly because I have not had many people I know die.  I've only been to three funerals in my whole life and one of them I only went to get out of school.  So I've been incredibly blessed where death has not touched my life much.  However as I've aged and read about people that have passed on I have started a mental list of people that I would have loved to know.

1. Agnes Carolina Erickson Watts

My great-grandma on my mother's side.  She died in 1977.  As I've been learning about her I've seen what a cool person she was and I feel a closeness with her.  I can't wait to meet her and thank her for being a good church member.  I believe it was through her faithfulness that her posterity was blessed with the gospel.

2. Blanche Leona Watts Struthers Swope

 My grandma on my mother's side.  I want to sit down with her one day because I want to ask about her life and how it came to the point it did.  It was a sad story but I keep wondering what caused her life to go in that direction.  I also want to let her know that even though her decision caused such heartache things have still turned out.  A lot of her posterity is ok and made it through this life despite the hardships they faced.

3. Glenn Taylor

Ben's grandpa who I never really knew and died before Ben and I ever thought of being Ben and I.  From what I've heard he was a great guy so I'm thankful for him and hope my kids can get to know him a little more later on.  

4. President Gordon B. Hinckley

He was the prophet of my youth and I will always be grateful for him and what he did as prophet.

5. Spencer W. Kimball

He was the prophet during all of the grown ups youth (at least they were the grown ups while I was a youth).  I LOVE reading his words and especially the Miracle of Forgiveness.  It is so inspiring and really puts things into perspective.

6. Bruce R. McConkie

He was an apostle who died while I was young.  My first learning of him was at a Family Home Evening night at the Bassett's.  I watched his last conference address that he gave a week or two before he died.  Ever since then I have loved who he was and all that he contributed to the church.  I love reading his books.  He's very black and white which I relate to.

7. Nils Bassett

This is another guy like President Papa where I just admired them.  He was so nice and so good at leading his family in the church.  He was soft spoken and always ready to give a hug.  I don't hug (as many of you know all too well) but I never felt awkward when he gave me a hug.  He definitely left this world too soon but he was an example to me of living the gospel.

8. Walt Disney

I'm grateful for all the wonderful Disney stuff that has come from this guy.  I love the movies and love going to Disneyland.

9. Steve Jobs

I am grateful for all he contributed to the world and thanks to him I have this wonderful computer to blog on.  

10. Jesus Christ

I don't know if he qualifies in this section but I am so grateful for the life he lived and that because of Him every good thing in my life can be mine for eternity.  I know that He came to this earth and really did live.  He was walked with men, taught them, healed them and eventually died for them.  As I've been reading the New Testament I read about the miracles He performed and think that if this happened right now, TODAY, people would either love him or hate him.  There is no just ignoring who He was and what He did.  I mean, he died.  He was completely dead.  It was public, everyone knew it had happened.  And then the next thing they know He was walking around again.  He was talking with them.  He ate with them.  How could this be anything less than divine?  And the hope it gives us all is just as miraculous.  Thanks to the Savior I will have the chance to meet every person on my list again.  I will get to sit with them, talk with them, eat with them.  I don't really care to meet Walt Disney or Steve Jobs but I so want to be around my family that I never got the chance to really know here on Earth.  Thanks to Jesus Christ and the Plan of Salvation I will have that opportunity.