At the end of our lives, we step across the threshold or death

"At the end of our lives, we step across the threshold of death and enter into a new and better world. I believe that. It's just that simple." — so spoke Gordon B. Hinckley, a man of faith and vision, whose words shine like a lantern in the dark valley of mortality. In this gentle yet profound statement lies a serenity that only the wise possess — the calm assurance that death is not an end, but a continuation, not a fall into darkness, but a crossing into light. His words are the voice of one who has looked upon life in all its joys and sorrows and has found peace in the promise that something greater awaits beyond the veil.

The meaning of this quote rests upon a truth that echoes through the ages — that the soul is immortal, and death, though feared by many, is but a passage to renewal. To call it a “threshold” is to recognize that it separates two realms, yet unites them as well. Just as dawn divides night and day, so death stands between this life and the next, not as a wall, but as a doorway. Hinckley’s faith teaches that beyond that door lies not despair, but a better world — a place of reunion, peace, and divine love. His belief is simple because it is complete; it needs no ornament of philosophy or argument. It is the faith of the heart that has seen enough of life to trust that existence does not end with the body’s rest.

The origin of these words flows from Hinckley’s lifelong ministry as a leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In his many sermons, he spoke often of hope beyond the grave, of eternal families, and of the unbroken circle of love that binds souls together forever. His faith was not born of naivety, but of observation — of seeing death close at hand, of comforting the grieving, and of feeling within his own spirit the whisper that life continues. Thus, when he says, “It’s just that simple,” he is not dismissing mystery; he is affirming certainty. For him, faith was not speculation but memory — the soul remembering what it once knew before its mortal birth.

Through the ages, many great souls have shared this conviction. Socrates, when condemned to death, spoke calmly to his disciples, saying, “To die is to be released from the body, and to meet those who have gone before.” He drank the hemlock without fear, believing that truth and goodness could not perish. Likewise, the poet John Donne declared, “Death, be not proud,” for he saw in death no conqueror, but a servant of immortality. So too did Gordon B. Hinckley stand in that lineage of serene believers — those who saw the world beyond as not a dream, but a continuation of divine order, where the unfinished works of this life are perfected in eternity.

To call death a “threshold” is also to suggest movement — a crossing, a journey, a transformation. Just as a seed must die to become a tree, so must the mortal self yield to the eternal. Death is the price of becoming. It strips away the frailties of flesh and leaves only what is pure: love, memory, faith, and essence. Those who have stood beside the dying often feel it — that stillness, that soft withdrawal, like a traveler leaving behind his cloak to step into morning light. It is not annihilation; it is awakening.

In this belief there is great comfort, but also responsibility. If death is not the end, then life is sacred. Every act, every word, every kindness becomes a thread in the eternal tapestry. The “better world” Hinckley speaks of is not only a place of reward but a continuation of what we have built here. Thus, we are called to live so that our transition across the threshold is not one of regret but of fulfillment. The way we love, forgive, and serve in this life shapes the light we will find in the next.

Let this then be the lesson: live with the awareness that life is not measured by its length but by its depth. Treat others as companions on a shared journey, for all of us will one day step through the same doorway. Do not fear death, for it is as natural as birth. Prepare not with dread but with purpose — by making peace, by giving joy, by nurturing faith. In doing so, you will find, as Gordon B. Hinckley did, that the mystery of death loses its terror, replaced by quiet certainty.

For in the end, when your days draw to a close, and you stand before that unseen threshold, may your heart be light and your eyes clear. Step forward without fear, for as the prophet said, “we enter into a new and better world.” And indeed, it is just that simple — for love, once born, cannot die, and the soul that has known goodness will always find its way home.