Ned Winder

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Remarks at the funeral of Ned Winder

What a beautiful meeting. I always said as a Bishop, that the best meetings I ever attended were the funerals – because there was always such a strong spirit…one that helped strengthen everyone there

Today’s meeting is no different – it is filled with a wonderful spirit – and I sense that many who we cannot see are participating from the other side of the veil.. We know that there are many participating with us from the other side of the gymnasium in the RS room and in the Primary room as well, and we want to acknowledge them, and apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks to all who have made this meeting so wonderful. For the ushers, the parking attendants, for those cooking meals, for those setting up and taking down chairs, for those setting up and running the media, for the professional and personal manner in which the Valley View Memorial friends and family worked to make this time wonderful. If Ned were here I’m sure he would give the ‘thumbs up’ to all of you, and his patented big grin for how perfectly things have happened. He might have even given an extra round of ‘wether’s candy’s for all who helped. Perhaps the most exciting thing he’s enjoying is that he is going to have a police escort as he leaves the meeting. He always liked speed and the men who put themselves at risk to protect us.

I just wanted to ensure that a word was given about Ned’s greatest passion, besides supporting and loving his wife Gwennie, and that was sharing his testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and his support of the Savior’s anointed servants. He loved being with the brethren and serving them in anyway they asked of him.

He was a missionary at heart. He loved to live the gospel, but not in some solemn, somber way. But he loved to live it as a person who was happy about being a member of Christ’s church.

He was never ashamed. He was never embarrassed about being a member of the church…about being a utahn…about being from the West Side. He loved everything about his life, and loved to show it.

He loved people, and people felt it. He would always go up and greet total strangers. In 5 minutes, he would know what high school the person had gone to, what the schools mascot was, how their mothers were related to each other, and what religion they were. He loved them all the same, regardless of their answer to any of those questions.

Most of all he loved to make people laugh. On a recent trip we went on, we had dinner in a large dining room. I noticed the family at the table next to us because they were beautiful people, but they didn’t hardly speak to each other, and didn’t look altogether too happy to be at dinner. Ned got up to go talk to them. My heart always skipped a beat or two when he would go ‘wandering’. By the end of the evening he had them all laughing and joking and when they left the dining room, they came over, greeted us and waved as they left. It turned out that he had been talking to the mayor of Albequerque and his family. But it wouldn’t have mattered if it had been a bartender from New Jersey, or a painter from Plano, he would have gotten just as big a delight at making them laugh as the mayor.

We could go on and on telling the virtues and stories of this great man. And that is one of the many blessings that we get as we gather at a funeral. Funerals give us an
Opportunity to remember the many lessons that our dear departed has taught us. This provides us comfort and helps remind us that we should not be sad at someone’s passing, but it should cause us to celebrate that we ever knew him.

Funerals also give us an opportunity to walk up to the brink of eternity, and look out as far as our vision allows, and ponder on what goes beyond our vision. It is a time to remember that death is bigger than we are. When it comes, it is frightening in it’s swiftness, and devastating in it’s seeming finality. But then as we begin to tremble in the presence of death, we catch a glimpse of the greatness of Christ and of his power to overcome all the effects of death and hell.

All of us who knew Ned, are still in shock at how quickly his death came and we can’t imagine what life will be like without him in it. But at this funeral, we get the opportunity to look about us and see the support we have of loved ones, of ward family members, of friends in the community and church, and we are comforted and at peace that life will go on. And at this funeral we also get to focus on the power of Christ, and our hope in in.

We express our gratitude and love for him – our savior for his mercy to us, and for the blessings he gives us constantly.

Jacob said to his people “6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken… Behold, great and marvelous are the works• of the Lord. How unsearchable• are the depths of the mysteries• of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways• save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God.

10 Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.

My prayer is that we will all take Jacob’s direction. That we will not seek to counsel the Lord, but that we will receive counsel from him. And in so doing, we will find that our hope and our faith will become unshakeable. And our love for him will grow.

In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.