Hi, Aaron and Lorraine,
I was very sorry to hear of Aaron’s cancer and the resulting pain and worry, and about the time needed in hospital and doctors’ offices which have resulted.
Carole and I are praying for both of you and for your support network of family, friends and Church members. Obviously you are blessed to be part of such faithful and supportive families.
If you both enjoyed General Conference as much as I did, you probably felt reassurance and solace that the Lord is mindful of you and will comfort you in your hardest hours.
I’m aware that it is difficult, if not impossible, for me or any human to express in words what is required to ease your emotional, spiritual, mental and physical pains and sufferings. Only He can adequately comfort either of you now.
I wouldn’t blame you at all if you’ve had thoughts such as a brother-in-law expressed when one of his daughters was mortally wounded in a car crash: “They were on their way to Seminary class. Why didn’t God protect them?” In other words, each of you have been living as virtuously as you know how, and yet this trial has fallen upon you. Many people would be tempted to blame God.
It used to be that part of my explanation for why bad things happen to good people was that the universe is like a clock, which God created. Then he wound up the spring mechanism so it would run for billions of years, and sat back and watched what happened to us, without intervening in our lives very much.
Now my belief is more mature: I accept principles such as Abrahamic sacrifice, total consecration to the Kingdom of God, and the reality that having moral agency means that God’s power or willingness to intervene in our lives must be very limited.
I feel very sorry for those souls who abandon their religion because of anger at God for allowing so much misery in the world. Someday I might write an essay about how eternal laws such as moral agency seemingly limit God’s power. I squirm spiritually when I hear people say that all things are possible for God, or that it must have been God’s will that some terrible tragedy happened, or that suffering is always the result of the sins of the persons who are suffering.
It does seem, often, that very righteous, virtuous people suffer more than do wicked people. I’m grateful for scriptures and living prophets who explain clearly why this happens.
I hope this week goes better than you’re expecting.
Love,
Carvel
I was very sorry to hear of Aaron’s cancer and the resulting pain and worry, and about the time needed in hospital and doctors’ offices which have resulted.
Carole and I are praying for both of you and for your support network of family, friends and Church members. Obviously you are blessed to be part of such faithful and supportive families.
If you both enjoyed General Conference as much as I did, you probably felt reassurance and solace that the Lord is mindful of you and will comfort you in your hardest hours.
I’m aware that it is difficult, if not impossible, for me or any human to express in words what is required to ease your emotional, spiritual, mental and physical pains and sufferings. Only He can adequately comfort either of you now.
I wouldn’t blame you at all if you’ve had thoughts such as a brother-in-law expressed when one of his daughters was mortally wounded in a car crash: “They were on their way to Seminary class. Why didn’t God protect them?” In other words, each of you have been living as virtuously as you know how, and yet this trial has fallen upon you. Many people would be tempted to blame God.
It used to be that part of my explanation for why bad things happen to good people was that the universe is like a clock, which God created. Then he wound up the spring mechanism so it would run for billions of years, and sat back and watched what happened to us, without intervening in our lives very much.
Now my belief is more mature: I accept principles such as Abrahamic sacrifice, total consecration to the Kingdom of God, and the reality that having moral agency means that God’s power or willingness to intervene in our lives must be very limited.
I feel very sorry for those souls who abandon their religion because of anger at God for allowing so much misery in the world. Someday I might write an essay about how eternal laws such as moral agency seemingly limit God’s power. I squirm spiritually when I hear people say that all things are possible for God, or that it must have been God’s will that some terrible tragedy happened, or that suffering is always the result of the sins of the persons who are suffering.
It does seem, often, that very righteous, virtuous people suffer more than do wicked people. I’m grateful for scriptures and living prophets who explain clearly why this happens.
I hope this week goes better than you’re expecting.
Love,
Carvel
Carvel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing and for your prayers. You are the thinker in the family. If you figure it all out let us know. We love you.
Kathy