December 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT REIER, POSED BY MODELS
58
“So, while she could have given you love, she loved you
enough to give you more. This is the difference between a
selfish love and a godly love. . . .
“I sincerely hope that you appreciate the love of your
parents and the love of a
birth mother whom I am
blessed to know as a daughter.
I know that tomorrow
will break her heart, realizing
that she may not see you
again in this earth life. I
also know that she has the
strength to do so because
of the Holy Spirit, which
will sustain her, and the
knowledge she has of the
wonderful couple into
whose arms she will place
you tomorrow.”
As I finished the letter,
I signed it,
“Love,
“Your Other Grandfather.”
The day after I wrote this
letter, we traveled with heavy
hearts to the place where we
would see this child for possibly
the last time in this life.
While we waited to meet the
adoptive couple—Maren had
met them before—we sat in
almost total silence. I wondered
if Maren had the
strength to complete this
great sacrifice. I watched her
as she gazed into the baby’s
eyes; she was almost too
choked up to talk. Her
mother and I could hardly
bear to watch.
We knew this
child would
be greatly
loved and that this
was in accordance
with the will of our
Father in Heaven.
Finally it was time for us to walk into the room where
the adoptive couple waited. Instantly their eyes were
drawn to the baby, and tears began to flow. I felt at peace
as I watched them hug Maren. When she placed the baby
into the arms of the adoptive
mother, my heart
went out to Maren, and I
couldn’t decide whether
to weep for the pain I
knew this was causing her
or for the joy this sweet
couple was feeling. In the
end, the Spirit gave great
comfort to Maren, my
wife, and me. We knew
that God had accepted
this sacrifice, that this
child would be greatly
loved, and that this was in
accordance with the will
of our Father in Heaven.
Since that time, Maren
has put her life in order
and has entered the temple
to be sealed to a worthy
young man. Words
cannot express my deep
gratitude to our Father in
Heaven and His Son Jesus
Christ for the Atonement. I have seen my daughter travel
through the depths of despair into the gospel light of
hope. I have beheld her great sacrifice. I have felt her intense
joy at forgiveness received, and I have watched the
peace of the temple ordinances spread across her countenance.
Above all, I am grateful for the privilege of being
her father. ■
More on this topic: Alan D. Harrison, “Our Struggle to ‘Be Fruitful,’ ”
Ensign, June 2003, 52–55; “Could I Let My Baby Go?” Ensign, Feb.
2002, 60–62; LDS Family Services, “Adoption and the Unwed Mother,”
Ensign, Feb. 2002, 63.
For additional information about adoption services, contact LDS
Family Services at 800-537-2229 or visit www.ldsfamilyservices.org.