So anyway, the three of us are picking raspberries and I am slapping at the mosquitoes that are sucking the life out of me and I finally was bothered enough that I blurted out something about how bad I hated mosquitoes and how annoying they are. My boys both concurred. They don't like them much either. In fact, Corban agreed so much that his response was, "Dad, I hate mosquitoes so much! I wish God would kill all the mosquitoes!"
Is there a person who has experienced a mosquito bite that hasn't had that same thought? I had a good little chuckle at my three-year old's thought and have experienced random bursts of laughter over the last couple of days when I thought about what he said. Then this morning I thought about it again, laughed to myself, and then thought...there is a lesson to be learned from this!
Before I draw any analogies here, let me just say that there are always holes in any analogy, so please read this with an understanding rather than a critical eye.
Lets compare mosquitoes and mosquito bites to the struggles and difficulties of our earthly existence. I think most all of us have been going through a difficulty, or struggling with something and have said to ourselves, "Really God? Do I really have to go through this? If you love me, wouldn't you take away the pain and the struggles and just leave me be? Is this REALLY necessary?"
A lot of times we hope that God will just allow us to stroll through life without any of the bumps, bruises and annoyances of life's "mosquito bites." Here is the thing though...sometimes those minor mosquito bites turn into violent illnesses (ie West Nile, Malaria) and possibly even death. Then we really start to wonder about the necessity of mosquitoes and their associated bites. Would a loving God really allow this to happen? While I don't claim to have found all of the why's and wherefore's, I think that there are a few thoughts and principles that can answer the questions of why we have these difficulties and struggles in our lives, and why they are necessary, or at least simply a part of life.
Elder Richard G. Scott offers some wonderful counsel regarding the difficulties and struggles in life from a July 2003 New Era article:
“No one escapes suffering in this life. We all go through some pain, sadness, and adversity. God allows us to go through trials so we can be tested and have our agency.
Bad things can happen to good people when people misuse their agency. Those who make poor choices hurt themselves and sometimes other people, even good people. Crime and divorce, for instance, are often the result of poor choices.
But poor choices don’t cause all suffering. Difficult circumstances like disease, accidents, starvation, or natural disasters are a part of mortal life. Difficulty rains “on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).
The most important thing is to trust God and obey His will. Suffering in this life will eventually come to an end, and God’s perfect mercy, justice, and judgment will resolve all the “why’s” we wonder about now. The Lord loves us and sees the eternal view, so we can trust Him to guide our lives. He promises that our trials and difficulties can work for our good if we’re trying to live the right way (see D&C 90:24; D&C 122:7). He promises us peace that transcends the evil of the world (John 16:33). Psalms 34:19 says, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’” https://www.lds.org/new-era/2003/07/qa-questions-and-answers?lang=eng
In addition, “Adversity in the lives of the obedient and faithful may be the consequence of disease, accidental injury, ignorance, or the influence of the adversary. To preserve free agency, the Lord also at times permits the righteous to suffer the consequences of evil acts by others (see 1 Nephi 18:16)” (Elder Poelman, in Conference Report, Apr. 1989, 29; or Ensign, May 1989, 23). https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1989/04/adversity-and-the-divine-purpose-of-mortality?lang=eng
Using the mosquito bites as an example of these principles, obviously mosquitoes are just a part of this mortal existence. However, I could have put mosquito repellent on to avoid some of my problems. However, there are also times when repellent is not accessible, or where it doesn't work. The bottom line is that even if we do all we can to prevent difficulties and struggles in our lives, they will likely still be there.
These words of President Spencer W. Kimball bring healing balm to a wounded soul struggling with the difficulties of life, “If we looked at mortality as the whole of existence, then pain, sorrow, failure, and short life would be calamity. But if we look upon life as an eternal thing stretching far into the premortal past and on into the eternal post-death future, then all happenings may be put in proper perspective.
“Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?
“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.
“If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.
“Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life...” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1973], 97).
“Is there not wisdom in his giving us trials that we might rise above them, responsibilities that we might achieve, work to harden our muscles, sorrows to try our souls? Are we not exposed to temptations to test our strength, sickness that we might learn patience, death that we might be immortalized and glorified?
“If all the sick for whom we pray were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended. No man would have to live by faith.
“If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there could be no evil—all would do good but not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, only satanic controls.
“Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death, and if these were not, there would also be no joy, success, resurrection, nor eternal life...” (Faith Precedes the Miracle [1973], 97).
Surely the question of why bad things happen...even to good, innocent or unsuspecting people is one of the most difficult to grapple with. Two final thoughts and a short video to help in answering this age-old question:
“…Among the most frequently asked questions of Church leaders are, Why does a just God allow bad things to happen, especially to good people? Why are those who are righteous and in the Lord’s service not immune from such tragedies?
While we do not know all the answers, we do know important principles that allow us to face tragedies with faith and confidence that there is a bright future planned for each of us. Some of the most important principles are:
First, we have a Father in Heaven, who knows and loves us personally and understands our suffering perfectly.
Second, His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement not only provides for salvation and exaltation but also will compensate for all the unfairness of life.
Third, the Father’s plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding…” Elder Quentin L. Cook https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-songs-they-could-not-sing?lang=eng
While we do not know all the answers, we do know important principles that allow us to face tragedies with faith and confidence that there is a bright future planned for each of us. Some of the most important principles are:
First, we have a Father in Heaven, who knows and loves us personally and understands our suffering perfectly.
Second, His Son, Jesus Christ, is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement not only provides for salvation and exaltation but also will compensate for all the unfairness of life.
Third, the Father’s plan of happiness for His children includes not only a premortal and mortal life but also an eternal life as well, including a great and glorious reunion with those we have lost. All wrongs will be righted, and we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding…” Elder Quentin L. Cook https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-songs-they-could-not-sing?lang=eng
“Dr. Arthur Wentworth Hewitt suggested some reasons why the good suffer as well as the wicked: ‘First: I don’t know. Second: We may not be as innocent as we think. Third: … I believe it is because He loves us so much more than He loves our happiness. How so? Well, if on a basis of strict personal return here and now, all the good were always happy and all the bad suffered disaster (instead of often quite the reverse), this would be the most subtle damnation of character imaginable.’” - President James E. Faust https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2004/10/where-do-i-make-my-stand?lang=eng
This short video from Elder D. Todd Christofferson focuses on this last comment that President Faust shares regarding God loving us more than He loves our "happiness." I think its important to recognize that our "lack of mosquito bites" may not necessarily be the thing that brings us happiness, but rather how we react when the "mosquito bites" of life come along, and whether we recognize the long term view that, "the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy." (Elder Christofferson https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng) When we recognize the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that he can lift our burdens (Matt. 11:28-30) and that all things will be made right Because of Him, these trials and struggles become easier to deal with because we are stronger in the knowledge of the truth.
My testimony is that God understands each of us and that nobody will say when we get to the end that life, in its premortal, mortal and postmortal completeness was "not fair." All things will be made right and fair because of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ.
Take a few minutes and enjoy this short video that teaches principles of why we experience difficulty in life: http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=1839005837001
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