Elder Robert D. Hales (1932-2017)

Last updated on: October 1, 2017 at 1:57 pm by Dan Peterson

Elder Robert D. Hales (1932-2017) 2017-10-01T13:57:16-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Photo of Elder Robert D. Hales from LDS Media Library

I’m sorry to note that Elder Robert D. Hales of the Council of the Twelve has died:

“Elder Robert D. Hales Dies at Age 85”

It wasn’t really unexpected, I suppose; he’s been in poor health for quite some time.

Elder Hales wasn’t flashy. He was quiet. But he was solid. And his contributions were considerable. Someone shared an experience with him online a few days ago, when it was announced that he was entering the hospital.

The person telling the story said that he encountered Elder Hales in an elevator at Church headquarters and commented that the apostle looked tired, that it must have been a long day. Elder Hales replied that his doctor had told him that he could only work half-days now. So, he said, “about twelve hours.”

***

In that connection, permit me to share some more quotations about near-death experiences:

The whole thing . . . oh, there was the light, and there seemed to be soft, soft, soft . . . you couldn’t really hear it, you more felt this music. It . . . it was soft, and immaculately beautiful. There was, I guess there’s no way to really describe it. There was a feeling of peace, beauty, love, and . . . it just felt like this is what I want. This is the ultimate.[1]

Suddenly, I became aware of a light. It was all around me, it enveloped me, it completely surrounded me. It was an unearthly kind of light. It had color that is unmatched here on earth. It was not a beam of sunlight; it was not the glow from a 100-watt bulb; it was not a roaring fire; it was not a host of candles; it was not a celestial explosion in the midnight sky.

It was warm; it was radiant; it was peaceful; it was accepting; it was forgiving; it was completely nonjudgmental; and it gave me a sense of total security the likes of which I had never known. I loved it. It was perfection; it was total, unconditional love. It was anything and everything you would wish for on earth. It was all there, in the Light.[2]

At the Resurrection the righteous are light,

for their clothing is splendour, their garments brightness;

they become their own light, providing it themselves.[3]

[1] From the account of “Lois Clark,” as given in Arvin S. Gibson, Glimpses of Eternity: New Near-Death Experiences Examined (Bountiful: Horizon Publishers, 1992), 49.

[2]From the account of “Nel,” as given in Kenneth Ring and Evelyn Elsaesser Valarino, Lessons from the Light: What We Can Learn from the Near-Death Experience (Portsmouth, NH: Moment Point Press, 2000), 189.

[3] Text 7, Stanza 11, from Sebastian P. Brock and George A. Kiraz, trans. and eds., Select Poems of St. Ephrem (Provo: Brigham Young University Press).

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 1, 2017

"A reality usually unavailable to perception"

Next Post

October 1, 2017 Was Joseph Smith Sincere?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group calls their places of worship "Kingdom Halls"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jehovah’s Witnesses Anglicans Seventh-day Adventists Baptists