Life is a precious experience that we must all work to safeguard, protect, and use to enjoy ourselves to the fullest.  We are alive to gain experience in this mortal world, yet sometimes those experiences are cut short.

While at work a life long friend called me and let me know that a mutual friend of ours that I knew more as an acquaintance had passed away in a tragic motorcycle accident just last night, the 10th of July.  His name was Alex, and he had a twin brother, a girlfriend, and a sister of whom I served a mission with.  Yet though he was not a close friend of mine, I still feel a sense of loss.  He was a vibrant young man with many skills and talents, and an overall cheery persona.

How could knowing of someone with such abilities only to lose them bring anything but a sense of loss?

Life is fleeting, none of us can control the outcome of each day, and unfortunately it is often times the untimely deaths of friends and relatives that make us reflect upon the more important things in life.  Things like family, friends, spouses and loved ones.  Though we must never live our lives for fear of losing them, we must always work to show our love to each other, even those who cut us off as we drive.  Life is too short to be angry, bitter, calloused, jealous or mean.  If we spend our time focusing on such things, we will find ourselves at the end of our lives questioning the meaning of it all.  Those who are happy in life rarely find themselves seriously questioning its meaning.

To the family and friends, I extend my condolences and sympathies.  To them I wish to convey my feeling that even as an acquaintance, Alex impressed me with his devotion to God and his unshaken testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am shocked that such a thing would come so close to home, yet I know that in this ordeal, the love of God will be extended upon all those who are mourning.