Many Emotions Existing Together - a Beautiful Week

President and Sister Quinn with their children: Left to Right - Melissa Black, Natalie Boswell, Katherine Anderson, Hannah Francis, and Chase Quinn. We are standing in front of my mother’s home in Salt Lake City. (1800 East and 1300 South)

This week my emotions have been going up and down for many tender reasons. It began with joy as President Quinn and I spent time with the missionaries in the San Rafael Zone, playing pickleball and feeling genuine love for these devoted young servants of the Lord. That spirit of love continued as President Quinn and I moved directly into our second week of interviews, feeling gratitude for the opportunity to know and serve alongside our sweet missionaries.

*San Rafael Zone - Pickle Ball on P-day*

Soon after, I traveled to Utah, with President Quinn joining me a day later, to attend my beautiful mother’s, Daryl Van Dam Hoole’s funeral on Saturday. Our five children gathered there as well. All of them showing up to honor their grandmother brought such happiness to me. My children are so supportive and wonderful. As we remembered my mother — a woman whose goodness and love blessed so many — I felt deep joy and gratitude for the life she lived and the legacy she leaves behind. Being surrounded by family and dear friends at her funeral filled my heart with warmth and connection.

Yet, as the day moved to the graveside and we said our earthly goodbyes, joy gave way to sorrow. Standing there brought the heaviness in my chest of mourning. It is interesting to me to see how many different emotions can exist together, both joy and grief. I know how greatly my mother will be missed. Not only her, but also her home and the stability she provided for so many as a matriarch of our family. I am feeling deeply of that great loss today.

*President Quinn and Me with our children: Hannah, Melissa, Natalie, Chase and Katie at the graveside.*

I thought for this week’s post I would share with all of you the talk I gave at her funeral.

*Daryl Hoole celebrating her 90th birthday - 2024*

My Talk for my Mother’s Funeral:

I remember the red felt family flag that hung at the bottom of our stairs. Embroidered on it was our family motto—a scripture from the book of Matthew (6:33):

“Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

In true Hoole fashion, it was written in Dutch.

My mother also loved the scripture in Joshua, which echoed this same message (Joshua 24:15):

“Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

I watched my mother seek righteousness and choose the Lord every day. Throughout scripture, we read about God having a chosen people—a covenant people. My mom understood that God loves and chooses all His children; and so, to be chosen, it is up to us to choose God.

My mom first chose God our Heavenly Father through the covenant she made on her baptism day in San Luis Obispo, California. Of that day she wrote: “I knew it was one of the most important days of my life!”

Then, in 1955, as a young missionary she received her endowment in the Swiss Temple just days after the temple had been dedicated. She wrote in her journal about this covenant. “It was a glorious experience to partake of some of the highest blessings our Father in Heaven offers His children.”

As a covenant woman, she continued to seek and choose the Lord throughout her life.

When the prophet asked members to store food, my mom chose to gather food storage into her basement. She blessed many lives as she shared her delicious homemade bread made from the wheat she stored - with family friends and neighbors.

When the prophet asked members to hold family home evening, she chose to have “Family Home Evening” every Monday night. This is where I was taught the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a covenant woman, my mom chose to be a woman of faith, fasting and prayer. As family members, we all wanted to be on what we affectionately called “Mom’s prayer roll.” when Mom was praying for you, you could stand aside and watch the windows of heaven open with blessings.

My mom helped me to understand my covenants.

There was a time in my life when I was very sick. I couldn’t accomplish much during the day. I felt my family was suffering because of it. I judged myself harshly. My future seemed bleak and this frightened me. I began to define myself by my limitations—the limitations of illness. This caused my self worth to wane.

My mother, who was visiting at the time in Chicago, was worried about me. She took the opportunity to sit by me and share a spiritual experience she had in the temple; it was her desire to spiritually strengthen me and, remind me of who I was: a beloved daughter of Heavenly Parents, who was of great worth, with a divine plan prepared uniquely for me. By reminding me of my covenants, I was given perspective and power. I felt a— divine fortitude—to move forward and to seek out healing.

I believe that this eternal perspective and spiritual strength I received were a direct result of my mother’s prayers and her example in my life of being a covenant woman who chose God. Defining myself through my covenants instead of my limitations has made all the difference for good in my life!

My mother’s decision to choose God was not always easy and her faith journey had many trials. The thing about my mother was she was willing to put in the hard work to come to know God and chose his ways.

My mother chose to endure joyfully to the end. Recently saying. I didn’t get any new sins—and I never drank Coke. We all laughed, as we hid our coke cans behind our backs.

A few weeks ago, the week before she died, she asked my brother Roger to gather all her children so she could speak to them. We gathered—Rebecca and I joined by Zoom from Georgia and California. The one message she repeated over and over was:

“Keep your covenants. Keep your covenants. You will be blessed. Please keep your covenants!”

There hanging on the wall beside her bed is a quilt – embordered with the words. “Choose you this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.”

As she lay in her bed knowing her time to pass into the next life was close, I held her hand, and she said to me a couple of times:

“Tot ziens”—a Dutch way of saying goodbye, Tot zeins is more of a “see you later” because it literally translates as “Until we see each other again.”

Today I want to say: “Tot ziens,” Mom, I love you and I will miss you! I know I’ll see you again!

And thank you mom for teaching me to seek and choose God. I am eternally grateful to be one of God’s chosen people—a covenant woman.

I testify that Jesus Christ lives. He is the one who makes God’s plan of salvation possible. This is His true Church. We have a prophet of God on the earth today, who is Dallin H. Oaks. Thank you mom for sharing this knowledge.

And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

*My siblings and I - Rebecca Taylor, Gregory Hoole, Jean Harris, Roger Hoole, Elaine Quinn, Spencer Hoole, Diane Romney, and Nancy Taylor at the graveside of our mother*

Thank you for your time in reading this talk. All seven of my siblings spoke at the funeral and everything was just how my mother would have liked it! This made me feel so happy.

I was able to work closing with my wonderful seven siblings, preparing for the funeral, celebrating my mother’s life at the funeral and beginning the difficult task of going through the estate. It has been a pleasure to be with my siblings as we have shared stories and feelings about my mother.

*My siblings and I at my mother’s casket during the viewing and family prayer. Greg, Rebecca, Jean, Elaine, Nancy, Diane, Roger, and Spencer*

My emotions continue to go up and down as I pack and head back to the California Santa Rosa Mission. I’m looking forward to continuing to work hard as a mission leader just as my mother did when she served as a mission leader with my father many years ago.

*Daryl and Hank Hoole as mission leaders in the Netherlands 1991 - 1994*

Here is our #33 journal prompt for our “Coming to Know Him” journals. Have a great week. Again thank you for following my weekly mission updates. I so appreciate all your love and support. Elaine

And more photos from the week:

Many Emotions Existing Together - a Beautiful Week

Full Hands, Invitations - and Promised Blessings