Marriner Wood Merrill: Mourning and Comfort

Bruce Merrill reminded me of a story that I will include in one last episode on Marriner Wood Merrill.

Marriner Wood Merrill, Jr. (1857-1899)

Marriner's oldest son was named after him, i.e., Marriner Wood Merrill, Jr., and died in 1899. Marriner Wood Merrill had a hard time of it, and the following account is written of an experience he had shortly after this time.

[Apostle Marriner W.] Merrill was a man of many interests. His business of farming, merchandising, milling, stock-raising, dairying, etc., called for careful supervision and wise management. These latter tasks were largely entrusted to his older sons. His oldest son, and namesake, was one upon whom he leaned most heavily. In the prime of his life this oldest son died. This loss Elder Merrill endured with great difficulty and much sorrow. In truth, it seemed that his son's departure caused him to mourn unduly.

Apostle Merrill presided over the Logan Temple. He frequently traveled by horse and carriage from Logan to Richmond where his families were located.

On one occasion soon after the death of his son, as he was returning to his home, he sat i his carriage so deeply lost in thought about his son that he was quite oblivious to things about him. He suddenly came into a state of awareness when his horse stopped in the road. As he looked up, his son stood in the road beside him. His son spoke to him and said, "Father, you are mourning my departure unduly! You are over concerned about my family (his son left a large family of small children) and their welfare. I have much work to do and your grieving gives me much concern. I am in a position to render effective service to my family. You should take comfort, for you know there is much work to be done here and it was necessary for me to be called. You know that the Lord doeth all things well." So saying the son departed.

 After this experience Elder Merrill was comforted, for he realized that the death of his son was in keeping with God's will.

(Found in Hinckley, The Faith of Our Pioneer Fathers, p. 182-183; as quoted in Marriner W. Merrill, Exceptional Stories from the Lives of Our Apostles, complied by Leon R. Hartshorn [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1973], p. 166).

In our next episode Don meets Kay!