Tomomi Tomi Y. Milam

Tomomi (Tomi) Y. Milam passed away on January 9, 2012, in Mesa, Arizona. Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Tomi arrived on November 29, 1947. Tomomi was raised by her loving grandparents, Shinzaburo Yamada and Hatsu Nakagawa. Tomomi was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She is survived by her adoring husband John J. Milam, daughters Janet Milam and Aimee Nipper and son-in-law, John Nipper, grandchildren Andrea Christine Nipper, Matthew Austin Nipper, Sara Kei Nipper, Emma Logan Miya Nipper, Alyssa Yuki Milam-Novenski, Christopher Roger Shouta Erwin, and Olivia Mika Elle Erwin. A memorial gathering honoring Tomi will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 21, 2012 at Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park and Funeral Care, 6747 East Broadway Road Mesa, Arizona 85206 (480)830-4422. Please pay tribute to Tomomi by visiting the family's website, at www.MariposaGardens.com.

MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR TOMI MILAM

(21 January 2012)

I am grateful that we are able to gather here today as family and friends to express our love and to pay respects to Tomi Milam.

She would be happy to see all of you gathered here in her honor.

She was a wonderful friend to all. She was dedicated to her family and to her husband, John. She loved her children dearly, even though there may have been times when they doubted—i.e, when she had to administer tough love. Yet, she always had their best interest in mind.

She was a wonderful daughter of our heavenly father. She had a beautiful personality and loved the beautiful things of life and the earth. She loved her husband, her family, conversation, people, her home, and plants and flowers. Many of the homes in her neighborhood looked similar in structure, but one stood out above all others, by the plants and flowers that adorned her yard.

She could see and enjoy the beauties of the Earth and the beauties of mortal existence.

If you could see her today you would see her in her spiritual form and she would look just like her beautiful self when she was in the prime of life. She would no longer be as you last saw her. She has been released from all pain and suffering. You would see her glowing smile and the twinkle in her eye.

She has gone to a place where she has met her loved ones who have passed on before her. She will meet ancestors that she has never known before, but whose names perhaps she had heard mentioned. She has been welcomed to her new home to await the joining of her family and friends in the Lords due time.

The passing from this life is much like the story of the sailing ship:

In a beautiful blue Lagoon on a clear day, a fine sailing ship spreads its brilliant white canvas in a fresh morning breeze and sailed out to the open sea. We watch her glide away magnificently through the deep blue and gradually see her grow smaller and smaller as she nears the horizon. Finally, where the sea and sky meet, she slips silently from sight; and someone near me said, ”there, she is gone!)

Gone where? Gone from sight-- that is all. She is still as large in mast and hull and sail, still just as beautiful, just as able to bear her load. And we can be sure, just as we say: ”There, she is gone!” and another on the other side of the sea says: ” Here she comes!”

I think it is appropriate to remind ourselves of those things that have to do with this life and the eternal plan of a kind and loving Heavenly Father. There are three basic things that we must understand.

1. We did not have our beginning with this life nor do we have an end at the time of death.

2. We existed with spiritual bodies before this life in the Spirit world with our heavenly father.

3. We knew of our mortal mission-- as a matter of fact we: ”shouted for joy”, according to an ancient prophet.

We perhaps understood that there would be trials and suffering, but we were willing to accept those conditions because we all knew of the great experiences and opportunities that would be ours having a mortal body.

1. We came to earth not by chance, but by heavenly father's grand design for us to have an earthly experience-- to gain a mortal body and willingly to temporarily forget our pre-mortal life, so we could learn how to exercise and live by faith.

“A master craftsman does not build a violin with great care and skill and to gather the finest materials and shapes the body very carefully so that it can play the composition of the Masters and then by some whim destroy it by breaking it into bits-- Neither does God create his most masterful creation-- human life-- when it is just begun to live and then throw it utterly away. God has an eternal plan for man—this we are promised. He has instituted a plan of eternal progression which contemplates that the offspring of God may ultimately become like the parent.”

2. We will live after life in the Spirit state until the resurrection-- that was made possible by the atoning sacrifice of our Savior. This will be when the earthly elements of our mortal body will be gathered together and the spirit body will be reunited with the mortal body-- to never taste death again.

God the father is the author of redemption and eternal life. He sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to atone for your sins and mine. He is our personal savior. He brings about the resurrection to us all and the possibility of exaltation where we can live in in God's kingdom.

Christ is a resurrected being, he lives, he controls our lives, guides and blesses us, but gives us our agency to choose for ourselves.

We came to Earth to receive mortal bodies, to be tested and live by faith and to prove ourselves that we would remain faithful in our worship of God.

When we lay our mortal bodies down to mother Earth-- We are promised that in the due time of the Lord we will participate in that resurrection process where our spirits will inhabit our bodies of clay again and take on immortality where there is no more death.

This is the great plan of a loving, kind and concerned father in heaven for his children.

Let me refer to the reality of the resurrection by quoting a modern day prophet, David O. McKay:

“Resurrection and spring are happily associated-- because there is much in spring which suggests an awakening. Like the stillness of death, old Winter has held all plant life in his grasp; but as spring approaches, the tender, light giving power of heat and light compel him to relinquish his grip, and what seems to have been dead comes forth in newness of life-- refreshed, invigorated and strengthen after the peaceful sleep.

So it is with man. What we call death, Jesus referred to as sleep. Indeed to the Savior of the world, there is no such thing as death-- only life-- eternal life. Truly he could say: ”I am the resurrection and the life; he that believe in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever live and believe in me will never die.”

The late Adam S. Bennion said:

“Death brings us the Kindliness of release, the kindliness of memory, the kindliness of faith”

So, now we are left with the memory of the relationship of our dear friend, wife, mother and grandmother, Tomi Milam. May we keep those fond memories fresh and someday we'll be together with her again and she will welcome us as she is welcomed by her loved ones.

So this is our testimony and our witness:

God does live. He is our father. In his image we were made. He sent his beloved son to redeem us from death. These two personages God the father and Jesus Christ, did appear to a modern-day prophet and give to mankind the fullness of the Gospel again, which gives assurance that truth and intelligence and personality are forever perpetrated. Happiness, peace and eternal progress of man are our heavenly father's chief purposes-- to have life with our loved ones forever.

Tomi lives-- even though her mortal remains are here to await the reuniting with her spirit. She has joined her parents and other loved ones. They will be waiting to receive, embrace, and welcome you, her family, in your due time.

May the Lord bring comfort and peace to you, John, and to your two daughters and grandchildren of Tomi. She will continue to be anxious for your welfare.

May God bless us all to be true and faithful to him who created us and who is the father of us all. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen