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Chapter 10 Why Is
There Suffering in the World? Part 2 of 2 The John Taylor's motto, see Teachings of the Presidents of the
Church, John Taylor, page 221 The
Football Game In terms of
understanding why there is so much evil and suffering on this earth, I doubt
there is a better explanation of why God allows these things than was given in
a talk by Boyd K. Packer (now President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles) in
1983. This is from a talk he gave in general
conference. It is worth repeating and
reading over and over. There are a lot
of concepts in this quote, so read it carefully: There are so many unanswered
questions. Why the inequities in life? Some are so rich. Some so wretchedly poor. Some so beautifully formed, and
others with pitiful handicaps. Some are gifted and others retarded. Why the injustice, the untimely
death? Why the neglect, the sorrow, the pain? Why divorce, incest, perversion,
abuse, and cruelty? If there be order and meaning to
life, they are hardly visible in what mortals do to one another and to
themselves. In counterpoint, we see love and
devotion, sacrifice, faith, and humility; we see humanity in exalted expression
of courage and heroism. When at last the mystery of life is
unraveled, what will be revealed? I know a man who studied for the
ministry. Then just before his ordination he dropped out because there were so
many unanswered questions. He still regarded himself as a devout, if somewhat
disillusioned, Christian. He found another profession, married, and was raising
a family when our missionaries found him. He made a very superficial study of
the doctrines of the Church and found them tolerable enough. The fundamentals
of Christianity were visible. But he was most interested in programs and
activities that would benefit his family. It was after he was baptized that he
made the discovery of his life. To his surprise he found, underlying the
programs of the Church, a solid foundation of doctrine. He had no idea of the
depth and breadth and height of our theology. When once he moved from interest
in the programs to a study of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he found answers
which explained to his full satisfaction the deep questions that had left him
unable to accept ordination as a clergyman. One doctrine was completely new to
him. Although he was a student of the Bible, he had not found it there until he
read the other revelations. Then the Bible was clear to him and he understood. The doctrine is so logical, so
reasonable, and explains so many things, that it is a wonder that the Christian
world rejected it. It is so essential a part of the equation of life that, left
out, life just cannot add up, it remains a mystery. The doctrine is simply this: life
did not begin with mortal birth. We lived in spirit form before we entered
mortality. We are spiritually the children of God. This doctrine of premortal life was
known to ancient Christians. For nearly five hundred years the doctrine was
taught, but it was then rejected as a heresy by a clergy that had slipped into
the Dark Ages of apostasy. Once they rejected this doctrine,
the doctrine of premortal life, and the doctrine of redemption for the dead,
they could never unravel the mystery of life. They became like a man trying to
assemble a strand of pearls on a string that was too short. There is no way
they can put them all together. Why is it so strange a thought that
we lived as spirits before entering mortality? Christian doctrine proclaims the
Resurrection, meaning that we will live after mortal death. If we live beyond
death, why should it be strange that we lived before birth? The Christian world in general
accepts the idea that our condition in the Resurrection will be determined by
our actions in this life. Why can they not believe that some circumstances
in this life were determined by our actions before coming into mortality? The scriptures teach this doctrine,
the doctrine of premortal life. For His own reasons, the Lord provides answers
to some questions, with pieces placed here and there throughout the scriptures.
We are to find them; we are to earn them. In that way sacred things are hidden
from the insincere. Of the many verses revealing this
doctrine, I will quote two short phrases from the testimony of John in the
ninety-third section of the Doctrine and Covenants. The first, speaking of
Christ, says plainly, “He was in the beginning, before the world was.” (D&C
93:7.) And the other, referring to us, says
with equal clarity, “Ye were also in the beginning with the Father.” (D&C
93:23.) Essential facts about our premortal
life have been revealed. Although they are sketchy, they unravel the mystery of
life. When we comprehend the doctrine of
premortal life, we know that we are the children of God, that we lived with him
in spirit form before entering mortality. We know that this life is a test,
that life did not begin with birth, nor will it end with death. Then life begins to make sense, with
meaning and purpose even in all of the chaotic mischief that mankind creates for
itself. Imagine that you are attending a
football game. The teams seem evenly matched. One team has been trained to
follow the rules; the other, to do just the opposite. They are committed to
cheat and disobey every rule of sportsmanlike conduct. While the game ends in a tie, it is
determined that it must continue until one side wins decisively. Soon the field is a quagmire. Players on both sides are being
ground into the mud. The cheating of the opposing team turns to brutality. Players are carried off the field.
Some have been injured critically; others, it is whispered, fatally. It ceases
to be a game and becomes a battle. You become very frustrated and
upset. “Why let this go on? Neither team can win. It must be stopped.” Imagine that you confront the
sponsor of the game and demand that he stop this useless, futile battle. You
say it is senseless and without purpose. Has he no regard at all for the
players? He calmly replies that he will not
call the game. You are mistaken. There is a great purpose in it. You have not
understood. He tells you that this is not a
spectator sport—it is for the participants. It is for their sake
that he permits the game to continue. Great benefit may come to them because of
the challenges they face. He points to players sitting on the
bench, suited up, eager to enter the game. “When each one of them has been in,
when each has met the day for which he has prepared so long and trained so
hard, then, and only then, will I call the game.” Until then, it may not matter which
team seems to be ahead. The present score is really not crucial. There are
games within games, you know. Whatever is happening to the team, each player
will have his day. Those players on the team that keeps
the rules will not be eternally disadvantaged by the appearance that their team
somehow always seems to be losing. In the field of destiny, no team or
player will be eternally disadvantaged because they keep the rules. They may be
cornered or misused, even defeated for a time. But individual players on that
team, regardless of what appears on the scoreboard, may already be victorious. Each player will have a test
sufficient to his needs; how each responds is the test. When the game is finally over, you
and they will see purpose in it all, may even express gratitude for having been
on the field during the darkest part of the contest. I do not think the Lord is quite so
hopeless about what’s going on in the world as we are. He could put a stop to
all of it any moment. But He will not! Not until every player has a chance to
meet the test for which we were preparing before the world was, before we came
into mortality. The same testing in troubled times
can have quite opposite effects on individuals. Three verses from the Book of
Mormon, which is another testament of Christ, teach us that “they had wars, and
bloodsheds, and famine, and affliction, for the space of many years. “And there had been murders, and
contentions, and dissensions, and all manner of iniquity among the people of
Nephi; nevertheless for the righteous’ sake, yea, because of the prayers of the
righteous, they were spared. “But behold, because of the
exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many
had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and
many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble
themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.” ( Surely you know some whose lives
have been filled with adversity who have been mellowed and strengthened and
refined by it, while others have come away from the same test bitter and
blistered and unhappy. There is no way to make sense out of
life without a knowledge of the doctrine of premortal life. The idea that mortal birth is the
beginning is preposterous. There is no way to explain life if you believe that. The notion that life ends with
mortal death is ridiculous. There is no way to face life if you believe that. When we understand the doctrine of
premortal life, then things fit together and make sense. We then know that
little boys and little girls are not monkeys, nor are their parents, nor were
theirs, to the very beginning generation. We are the children of God, created
in his image. Our child-parent relationship to God
is clear. The purpose for the creation of this
earth is clear. The testing that comes in mortality
is clear. The need for a redeemer is clear. When we do understand that principle
of the gospel, we see a Heavenly Father and a Son; we see an atonement and a
redemption. We understand why ordinances and
covenants are necessary. We understand the necessity for
baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. We understand why we renew that
covenant by partaking of the sacrament. I have but touched upon the doctrine
of premortal life. We cannot, in these brief conference talks, do more than
that. Oh, if we but had a day, or even an hour, to speak of it. I assure you there is, underlying
the programs and activities of this church, a depth and breadth and height of
doctrine that answers the questions of life. When one knows the gospel of Jesus
Christ, there is cause to rejoice. The words joy and rejoice appear through the
scriptures repetitively. Latter-day Saints are happy people. When one knows the
doctrine, parenthood becomes a sacred obligation, the begetting of life a
sacred privilege. Abortion would be unthinkable. No one would think of suicide.
And all the frailties and problems of men would fade away. We have cause to rejoice and we do
rejoice, even celebrate. “The glory of God is intelligence,
or, in other words, light and truth.” (D&C 93:36.) Boyd K. Packer, “The Mystery of Life,” Ensign, Nov. 1983, 16 For the
purposes of this chapter, the key concept comes when you go to the sponsor of
the game (the Lord) and demand an end to this "useless, futile
battle." The answer: "He tells
you that this is not a spectator sport—it is for the participants. It is for their sake that he permits the game
to continue." The score is not
important. The vast,
vast majority of the suffering on this earth is caused by man's inhumanity to
man, meaning by those who do not live the Golden Rule and who will be held
accountable by God for their actions.
While it may not appear to be that way on the surface, the fact is that
it is true. From an
eternal perspective, fighting for the team which keeps the rules, even though
some suffering may result, will have the greatest eternal benefits. The above
quote by President Packer also states that "great benefit" may come
to people because of the challenges faced by others who are suffering. Perhaps one
great benefit is the opportunity to help others who are in great need. Remember the statement above: "In
counterpoint, we see love and devotion, sacrifice, faith, and humility; we see
humanity in exalted expression of courage and heroism." Perhaps learning charity is a planned side-effect
of man's inhumanity to man. President
Packer also said this above: "I do not think the Lord is quite so hopeless
about what’s going on in the world as we are. He could put a stop to all of it any moment. But He will not!
Not until every player has a chance to meet the test for which we were
preparing before the world was, before we came into mortality." How Evolution Answers
Questions About Suffering How can a
person reconcile the words of President Packer, which speak of a premortal life
and a postmortal life, with the doctrines of evolution?! If we are
nothing but animals, as the evolution establishment is trying to teach us, then
we can behave like animals and do not need any type of moral guidelines. We can be
on the side of the cheaters, as President Packer described them. There is nothing to stop us and no reason not
to be on the side of the cheaters because there are no ramifications for us as
a result of our actions and it is "survival of the fittest" all the
way. We can do
whatever we want because our existence is nothing but an accident, according to
evolution, and we are nothing but animals and most importantly we will cease to
exist when we die because we don't have spirits and we will not be subject to a
Judgment Day or any post-life punishments.
Thus, there are no long term ramifications to our behavior, according to
evolutionists. To evolution, the purpose
of life is "survival of the fittest."
If that is true, the tobacco
executives were and are the real "winners" in the information wars. But if we
are the children of God, then certainly we would want to be close to the spirit
of our Father in Heaven in this life; and we would want to return and live with
Him in the next life (with our families); and we would want to become like Him
in the eternities (with our families).
This is possible; in fact, many have achieved it and many more will
achieve it in the future!! "What are we working for?
Wealth? Riches? If we have embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ, then we are
working for eternal life. Then we are laboring to save our souls. And after
saving our own souls we are laboring for the salvation of our children. … I
want to say that the best inheritance that you can leave to your sons and
daughters is an investment in the Heber J. Grant (2004 Priesthood/R.S. Manual - page 204) Many have
achieved remarkable testimonies of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. One such person was Elder Bruce
R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Just a few days before his death he made the following statements: "And now, as pertaining to this
perfect atonement, wrought by the shedding of the blood of God—I testify that
it took place in Gethsemane and at I am one of his witnesses, and in a
coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall
wet his feet with my tears. But I shall not know any better then
than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and
Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no
other way. God grant that all of us may walk in
the light as God our Father is in the light so that, according to the promises,
the blood of Jesus Christ his Son will cleanse us from all sin." Bruce R. McConkie, “The Purifying
Power of [Note: Elder McConkie died April 19,
1985, 13 days after giving this talk] The
incompatibility between the teachings of evolution and the teachings of the LDS
religion are huge. There is a vast, vast
difference between the two, both in the short run and the long run. The theory
of evolution is myopic, looking at only one small piece of the puzzle, and a
bogus piece at that. The gospel of
Christ looks to our existence long before we were born on this small planet and
it looks forward into the eternities long after we have finished mortality. It puts everything in life in a proper
perspective. It answers all of our
questions; without taking away our opportunities to choose between good and
evil. Joy and Happiness But the
gospel is much, much more than just doctrine and commandments; it is joy and
happiness. Consider this verse from
Isaiah, which is quoted by the prophets in the Book of Mormon: For the Lord shall comfort Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 8:3 [see: Isaiah 51] Look at the
words Isaiah uses to describe the future of the righteous: " Now look at
the words above which he uses to describe the wicked: "waste places,"
wilderness," and "desert." Later in
this same chapter is a similar verse: Therefore, the redeemed of the Lord
shall return, and come with singing unto Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 8:11 [see: Isaiah 51] Look at the
words Isaiah uses to describe the future of the righteous: "redeemed of
the Lord," "come with singing unto Now look at
the words Isaiah uses to describe the wicked: "sorrow,"
"mourning." What a
vastly different picture Isaiah paints to describe the fate of the righteous
compared to the fate of the wicked!! When the
Savior Himself was speaking to the righteous Nephites and Lamanites, after his
resurrection, he too quoted Isaiah (of course the Savior was the source of all
of Isaiah's information!!):
13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be
the peace of thy children.
14 In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from
oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near
thee. Book of Mormon: 3 Nephi 22:13-14 [see Isaiah 54] The words
Isaiah uses to describe the righteous in the eternal worlds: " And all thy
children shall be taught of the Lord," " great shall be the peace of
thy children," "In righteousness shalt thou be established," "thou
shalt be far from oppression," "[terror] shall not come near
thee." Note how
Isaiah describes the wicked: "oppression," "fear,"
"terror." The
righteous not only have a future which is free from evil and suffering; Oh what
great joy awaits the righteous in the eternities!!! What goes
on in this earth life is but a flash of time.
Eternal joy awaits those who endure this life well and serve on the side
of the King of Glory!!
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting
doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of
glory. Psalms 24:9-10 The purpose
of this planet is to give each of us an opportunity to decide our eternal fate. We see the money, power, glory and pleasures
of others on the earth; but we also see the opportunities for raising a
righteous family, serving others and following the example of the Savior. However, we
must be careful. As Elder Andersen
stated, we need to be very careful we do not align ourselves with those with
smiling eyes who do not have our eternal best interests at heart. We cannot hide our actions and thoughts from
God. The gospel
tells us that we lived before we were born, that our earth was created as a
testing ground for our free agency, and that we will live to see (even if in
the next life) the ramifications of our choices on this earth. The
football game of life began several thousand years ago in the Garden of Eden. We are now on the field and are the participants
in the game. We are no longer among the
spectators and planners. We have
many choices to make in our lives. President
Packer also said this:
Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years
these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value.
The crucial test of life, I repeat, does not center in the choice
between fame and obscurity, nor between wealth and poverty. The greatest
decision of life is between good and evil. Boyd K. Packer, “The Choice,” Ensign, Nov. 1980, 20 Conclusion The theory
of evolution has no answers to why there is so much suffering in the world. In fact,
the theory of evolution could motivate a person to seek great power, authority
and money so that they can be rich and comfortable. After all, if "survival of the
fittest" is the highest law in the Universe, why not be on the side of the
"winners" (as you may suppose). With the
theory of evolution there is no sin, no motivation to be charitable to your
fellow human beings, and so on. And above
all, there is no Judgment Day to the theory of evolution. It is simply "survival of the fittest"
and live for the moment. Under the
doctrine of evolution, the tobacco executives are the heroes and the big
winners. They are role models for
budding executives to emulate. Under the
doctrine of the laws of God, however, the tobacco executives, and many, many
others, may end up being the big eternal losers (of course what a person knows
and understands will be taken into account by God, as well as many other factors,
such as true repentance). The gospel
of Jesus Christ explains perfectly why there is evil and suffering on the
earth. What is going on on this planet fits
perfectly with the purpose of life and the entire purpose of the creation of
this planet. With the
theory of evolution, there is no purpose to this planet, just a bunch of
accidental mutations and "survival of the fittest." With the
doctrines of the gospel, there is a very specific plan and purpose to this
earth life and a very well-established set of rules which will determine
eternal consequences. |