"I am certain that the Lord, who notes the fall of a sparrow, looks with compassion upon those who have been called upon to part, even temporarily, from their precious children"

This quote by Thomas S. Monson draws on imagery from the Bible to communicate a message of divine empathy and understanding in times of separation and loss. The recommendation to "the Lord, who notes the fall of a sparrow" is an allusion to a passage from the Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament (Matthew 10:29 -31), where Jesus reassures His disciples that God's attention is so incorporating that even the tiniest, seemingly irrelevant occasions, like the fall of a sparrow, are within His understanding and issue. This stresses the concept of a God who is thoroughly aware of and appreciates the information of human life.

Monson extends this concept to those who experience the pain of parting from their "valuable children", recommending that if God takes care of sparrows, He certainly looks with compassion upon parents and households experiencing separation. The option of the word "briefly" in explaining this separation may recommend a range of situations, from the temporary partings due to travel or work to more extensive separations such as those brought on by death or divorce. No matter the type of separation, the quote seeks to provide convenience by verifying that such experiences are kept in mind by a compassionate deity.

Implicit in Monson's message is the support to rely on God's plan and timing, recommending that these separations, uncomfortable as they may be, have a greater context within the divine strategy, even if that context is not instantly evident to those withstanding the separation. Monson's attract magnificent empathy is implied to bring solace to those suffering, reassuring them that their discomfort is both seen and understood by a loving, omniscient Creator. This viewpoint uses a comforting sense of hope and the concept that they are not alone in their battles, as magnificent compassion accompanies them through their trials.