“I am reminded of the young infantryman we met in Vietnam. He was to return the next day to the battle line along the DMZ. He knew what he would face on that dreaded tomorrow. He said quietly, ‘I guess it really doesn’t matter whether I live or die. Sure, I love life, but I believe the life ahead will be as real and a lot better than the life here.’ He continued, ‘I hope and pray that I will live to return home; but if it should be otherwise, I know my father and mother will understand. You see, they know that God lives. They know that Jesus is the Christ. They know that life is eternal, as do I.’

Such the testimony of a sensitive young man of faith who walked with death. Such the hope of his comrades in their brooding hours of quiet thought.

– Gordon B. Hinckley, 1969