![]() There are other questions in all of this, too. But remember that man’s will is temporary, and ultimately God’s will is what will be done. Many of the bad things that happen are contrary to God’s will. This scripture provides evidence that the Lord notices the tragedies on the earth and that He is affected by them. They are “without affection.” Everyone on earth has agency, and sometimes those who misuse it have an impact on many innocent people. “And unto thy brethren have I said, and also given commandment, that they should love one another, and that they should choose me, their Father but behold, they are without affection, and they hate their own blood” ( Moses 7:32–33).Ĭlearly, what the Lord desires is that we love one another and choose to obey Him. “Behold these thy brethren they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency The Lord answers in what I think is one of the saddest passages of scripture: “How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity?” ( Moses 7:29). Enoch also sees the Lord, who looks down on the sinful world and weeps. “And he beheld Satan and he had a great chain in his hand, and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness and he looked up and laughed, and his angels rejoiced” ( Moses 7:26).Ĭhains often symbolize bondage in the scriptures, and Enoch sees Satan looking up and laughing at the world in chains. In the Pearl of Great Price, Enoch sees a frightening vision. Often when tragedy strikes, someone will say, “Well, it must have been God’s will.” What exactly is “God’s will”? It seems to me that God’s will is that we choose righteousness over wickedness! However, He also desires that we have a choice in the matter. Sometimes our trials are a direct result of someone using their agency to do evil. Scripture Two: We Know That God Allows Evil to Exist in the World ( Moses 7:26–33) ![]() We don’t know the meaning of all things, but we know God loves His children! And because He loves us, He will never desert us. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. ![]() I think we would all agree that we learn more from our tough times than from our easy times. God already knows what we’re made of, but perhaps He wants us to learn what we’re made of. Obviously God knew that Abraham would be willing to do anything God commanded, and if that was so, why did the Lord put him through such a test? President Brown answered, “Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham” ( Joseph Smith the Prophet, 93). Brown of the First Presidency (1883–1975) why the Lord would put Abraham through the experience of being asked to sacrifice his own son. The fact is, bad things happen to good people. The scriptures contain many examples of righteous people who suffered: Abraham, Abinadi, Joseph of Egypt, Joseph Smith, and even Jesus Christ. Yes, some trials come because of our own disobedience, but many trials are simply part of life. From it we can grow and progress if we choose to. Sometimes we think our trials come because we did something wrong. So what can I learn from this experience?” Instead of asking, “Why did this happen to me?” or “Why doesn’t God care about me?” we say, “Well, I know God loves me I know that. Something wonderful happens when we really know, without a doubt, that God loves us-our questions completely change. However, we know, we are sure, that God loves His children. ![]() We don’t have all the answers to explain all the tragedies in the world and in our own neighborhoods. Nephi’s answer is a perfect statement for us to remember in times of trial. Scripture One: We Know That God Loves His Children! ( 1 Nephi 11:17)Įarly in the Book of Mormon, an angel asks Nephi a tough question, “Knowest thou the condescension of God?” Nephi answers, “I know that he loveth his children nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” ( 1 Nephi 11:16–17). So, rather than just asking why these things happen, let’s ask a slightly different question: What do we know for sure? Let’s explore five scriptures that will help us find comfort in the things we do know. We have revelation, both ancient and modern. ![]() However, as Latter-day Saints, we have something many philosophers and theologians don’t have. Why do these things happen? Philosophers and theologians have wrestled with that question for centuries. Innocent people, even children, are not spared. We’ve seen it all, from large scale to small scale, from international terrorism to the breakdown of individual families. The past few years have produced a lot of scary headlines. ![]()
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