John Reiher

Last night I attended the funeral of a man who accomplished much in his life. He married late in life and had no children of his own. He had 5 masters degrees and 2 doctoral degrees. He was very dedicated to and accomplished in the field of education.

An adult convert to the church, he had a deep and abiding love for our Savior. His testimony was strong. His knowledge of the gospel was impressive. The funeral was a fitting tribute.

To go along with the great successes in his life, he was plagued with very serious physical challenges. He had diabetes, a persistent staph infection, leg amputations, and cancer. This suffering has gone on for years.

Sister Morley read the remarks of Ruth Foster, who is currently in Idaho. Sister Foster, referring to Brother Reiher's life, said he had "strength to endure and not only to endure but to achieve in spite of obstacles while enduring." Since last night, I have thought about this idea. Maybe it is not enough to just endure to the end. Perhaps "enduring" is the least we can do. We should strive to achieve while enduring the hardships life gives us. And that is my new resolve. To achieve. I haven't been doing too much of that lately. I have just been enduring. Thank you, Sister Foster. Your words are what I needed to hear.