In Loving Memory of Jack Christensen

My uncle Jack passed away unexpectedly on December 5. He was 55 years old and leaves behind my aunt Deon and 5 wonderful children: Scott, Katie, Curtis, Krista & Grant. Scott, the oldest, is currently a missionary in the Florida Tampa Mission, Spanish speaking. Jack was a great man. I was lucky to have him as an uncle. He and my aunt got married my freshman year of high school and I remember meeting him for the first time. He was so friendly and funny. I was glad my aunt had found someone after so many years (they were both 35 years old). And it was fun to have a vacation in Arizona with my family and my cousins for a week! I have memories of visiting them in Arizona and riding their 4-wheelers and jet skis. Starting the summer I got married they spent their summers in Utah. Over the next 6 summers I got to know them all really well. It was fun to watch my cousins grow up--they are great kids. I just can't believe he's gone. The world was a better place because of Jack and he will be dearly missed by many people. My cousin Scott stayed on his mission rather than coming home for the funeral. My cousin Jeff read a letter that Scott wrote about his dad. It's pretty long so don't feel like you have to read the whole thing. But it's really good and I'm putting it here for my sake.

I wish I had the opportunity to be here today to talk about my father in person, but I know I am where the Lord and where my father want me to be and I am doing the work they want me to do. But in my absence I want to talk about my dad and about the man he was and still is today. First off, let me share a few funny memories.

The first story I think of happened a few years ago around Christmas time. We were in Utah snowboarding and we had just finished visiting a family friend. My family and my cousin Jeff were all in our nine passenger van and my dad missed a street and had to turn the van around. He was having some major struggles. After backing up and going forward a few times, he still hadn’t managed to turn the bus around. In his frustration he said, “This thing has the turning radius of a moose!” My cousin Jeff was quick to ask, “Jack, what exactly is the turning radius of a moose?”

Everyone in the van started to laugh hysterically because once again my father had said something that made absolutely no sense. Ever since that Christmas he received many gifts that dealt with… a moose.

Some other funny things that come to mind about my father are things he used to do. If he gave you a gift or gave you anything he thought you would like, he would ask you 1,000 times if you liked it. Every ten minutes he would ask, “Do you like it?” It got to the point that to tease him, we would just tell him every few minutes just so he didn’t have to ask.

Another thing I remember is watching him run. I don’t know how many of you have seen my dad run but it was a pretty funny sight. He didn’t run very often but when he did, it would always have me laughing pretty hard.

I also remember phrases he used to say when he was frustrated. My favorite was “I’m doing the best I can!” He would often say that and we would always tease him about it…especially when Jeff would come over. Jeff can do a perfect impersonation of my dad saying that famous line.

In the Book of Mormon, it says that charity is the pure love of Christ. I have often wondered what that really means. What is the pure love of Christ? I think of how the Savior showed love. He was a healer. During his life he healed so many people. He healed the sick, the afflicted, and the broken hearted. He raised the dead, caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear. He even paid the ultimate price by suffering and dying for each one of us so that we might live again and have the means whereby we can receive His comfort. His life was spent in the service of others. He is our example of how we should live.

If I were to pick one word to describe my father, it would be the word “Healer.” He is a healer in every sense of the word. His chosen profession was a doctor, specifically a doctor who helped heal pre-mature babies. Most of these babies were extremely sick and were given little chance to live and my father cared for them and he saved them more often than not. He had a special gift for this and he deeply loved being a doctor. I once had the opportunity to accompany him to work. I will never forget seeing my dad in his element. He loved it. This old man ran everywhere and I could barely keep up with him. I saw the tender care he took with each child and he did all he possibly could to help and to save every one of these children.

My dad served a part-time humanitarian mission for the Church. He would go to countries all over the world and teach other doctors how to resuscitate new born babies. This simple training taught hundreds of doctors the skills they needed to save the children in their care. I had the opportunity to go on two of these trips with my dad. One trip was to Paraguay and the other was to Syria. Both trips have changed my life forever. They showed me how blessed I truly am. I got to see first-hand my dad teach other doctors and then go around their hospitals and help them with the babies there. I have no way to know how many lives have been saved by my father personally and as a result of his training, but I have no doubt the number would be astounding.

My father wasn’t only a healer of physical wounds, but he also healed wounds that couldn’t be seen on the outside. These kinds of wounds weren’t visible but were just as painful if not more painful for people to bear. Wounds that weren’t simply healed with medicine. He served many years as a Bishop when we lived in Florida. I know during that time he was able to bring many unto Christ and he helped heal them through the special power of the atonement. I know my dad had a special gift that allowed him to heal lives that only he could touch with his unique ways and his humor. After his service as bishop, he continued to help others. I have seen him associate with people that everyone else had given up on and had labeled a “lost cause.” These are the ones my father loved to take in and heal. He taught me through his actions to never judge anyone and to show love for all because through Christ all can be healed.

My dad wasn’t perfect, no one is. He had his faults too. But with all those faults he is still the best man I know. To me, he is a type of Christ. A man who truly demonstrated Christ-like attributes of charity and love. I owe the man I am today to him and also to my mother. I owe them for not only teaching, but also showing me the way to live. They have taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ and have helped me gain the testimony I now have to sustain me through these tough times. I miss my dad more than I can say. I will miss him for the rest of my life on earth but I look forward to when I see him again on the other side.

I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that he has a plan for everyone. I know things happen for a reason. I don’t always know the reason why things happen but I know that our Father in Heaven does and He will always do what’s best for us. I know the healing power of the atonement is real and we can take comfort in that in times like these. I know the Plan of Salvation is true, it has many names including the name, the great plan of happiness (Alma 42:8,16)…I will see my father again and I will be able to live with my family forever for that is where I find happiness. I love you dearly, mom and dad. I will forever be thankful to you for teaching me these things. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.