Yesterday one of my daughters best friends was killed in a car accident on her way back to college. This is the third one of her friends that has been killed in car accidents in the last few years. It is a heart breaking day for her, for her friends family, for the small valley we live in.

We could talk about seat belts. We could talk about slowing down in bad weather. We could talk about driving sleepy or texting or a hundred other things that may or may not have anything to do with the accident. But as we spend this day sorrowing for our friend and the family she leaves behind the thing we seem to talk about the most is love quickly followed by faith. The two really go hand in hand, don’t they?

Friends and family are joining hands and remembering this young woman. They are posting general conference talks that uplift and inspire. They are sending prayers of hope and comfort heavenward for the family left behind. They are remembering all the scriptures and lessons of the gospel that help us to know that we are not alone here, and there is a life after this one where we will be joined with those we love again.

Those who do not have this precious gift of the gospel in their lives, I cannot imagine the suffering an event of this kind would bring on. I am so grateful for the knowledge that this life is not the end. I do not have the need to light candles, to pray for the dead, to be completely bereft at the death of a loved one, for I know that they have simply gone home to a loving Father in Heaven and the family there to greet them are rejoicing. They too will greet us with open arms when it is our turn to go home. They have lived the plan and are now moving on to the next life and they will have joy!

We miss them terribly, sometimes we wonder how we can go on without them. But there too the gospel plan and the love of our Heavenly Father comes into play. We are not left comfortless. We have the Holy Ghost, our comforter to help us to feel of God’s love and know that we are not alone. He will send his angels both from the other side and those on this side of the veil to wrap their arms around us and help us heal.

Sadly we have had too much experience here in this little valley with grief. Too many of our children have gone too soon. However that means that there are fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers who know the pain and grief and can extend arms of comfort. We cannot imagine moving on after something so painful, but we do. Life continues, we continue, the trick is to do it with enough faith that we can allow joy into our lives again.

I am so grateful that my daughter chose to surround herself with faithful beautiful friends who now join together to help each other. They have been friends since the 2nd grade and have lifted, laughed, rejoiced and now will mourn together. These are beautiful daughters of God who have faith, who have knowledge and testimonies, who will mourn but then will continue forward with a fixed determination to live even better lives so that they too will be joined with their friend again one day.

Love heals, faith heals, knowledge and testimony heals. As we cling together in the coming days may we all feel the strength of our faith.