In Memory of Matthew Madsen Palmer

To honor my sweet nephew Matthew Madsen Palmer who passed away June 26, 2014 while serving a mission for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) in Madagascar.

Matthew has always been a bright spot in our family. He has always had a tremendous love of people and of service. He knew that serving the Lord for two years would be of great benefit to many. He faced challenges as a missionary, but he knew that whatever he did for others would help several. Matthew learned Malagasy, one of the languages that are spoken in Madagascar. Through his daily interactions with the people of Madagascar Matthew was able to develop a love for them and found a renewed love for missionary work.

Matthew in Madagascar with a newly baptized member.

Right before his funeral I had the privilege of hearing 8-12 returned missionaries sing, "God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again" in Malagasy. What a truly tender spirit permeated the room; not a dry eye could be found, but what an abundance of love we felt for him and from our Heavenly Father. What a beautiful blessing the gospel of Jesus Christ is and how fortunate we are to know that Matthew is well taken care of and serving others now. As a missionary, your primary objective is to serve the Lord. He is doing this now, to those who have passed on.

My sister Rowena and her family have received tremendous support from their neighbors and have been witness to many tender mercies. Below are some of the articles about Matthew and this experience if you are interested in knowing more:

Deseret News article
Davis County Clipper Article

Here are some pictures of Matthew:

Elder Matthew Palmer - right before he left for Madagascar

Elder Matthew Palmer - in Madagascar

Elder Matthew Palmer-"the wheat is ready to harvest"

Matthew has always loved music. He had one year of piano lessons and did not like that style of learning. He did love playing the piano however and learned to play by ear. If you are interested in hearing some of his music, you can go to this website:

Matthew's music