Where is Heaven?

My grandmother was a young woman living as a missionary in Toronto Canada in the latter part of 1921 when she clipped an article from the local morning newspaper and tucked it into her scriptures.

Going through a box of her things the other day I came upon the article. The paper had become softened and brown with age but the message was still oh so clear and beautiful.

The name of the good soul who penned the article was not saved along with the clipping so I’ll have to resort to saying “anonymous” for the credit.

Where is Heaven?

A story of a famous American preacher is published in Great Thoughts. It contains no little truth. The question, “Where is Heaven?” was put to Sam Jones by one of his wealthy church members in Georgia, whose cotton crop yielded him some thirty thousand dollars the last year. “Where is heaven?” said the rich planter. “I’ll tell you where heaven is,” said Mr. Jones, “if you will go down to the village and buy fifty dollars’ worth of groceries, put them in a wagon, and take them to that poor widow on the hillside, who has three of her children sick. She is poor and is a member of the church. Take with you a nurse and someone to cook their meals. When you get there, read the 23^rd Psalm and kneel by her side and pray. Then you will find out where heaven is.”

Next day, as the preacher was walking through the village, he met the same wealthy planter, his face beaming with joy. He spoke after his manner; “Mr. Jones, I’ve found out where heaven is. I went as you directed me. We took up the wagon load of groceries and the poor widow was completely overcome with joy. She could not express her thankfulness. As I read to her the 23^rd Psalm, my heart was filled with thankfulness to God; and when I prayed the angels came, and I thought I was nearer to heaven than I had ever been in my life. I left the nurse and cook in her humble dwelling and promised her she should never suffer so long as I could help her.”

John H. Groberg said (and anyone who has seen the movie based on his life, The Other Side of Heaven, would surely agree that he can say with true conviction)….."Never underestimate the power of true love, for it knows no barriers. When filled with God’s love, we can do and see and understand things that we could not otherwise do or see or understand. Filled with His love, we can endure pain, quell fear, forgive freely, avoid contention, renew strength, and bless and help others in ways surprising even to us."

And it seems the perfect summary comes in the wise words of Thomas S. Monson:

“It is an immutable law that the more you give away, the more you receive. You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give.”