Adversity Archive
Many people wonder why God allows bad things to happen to people when He knows what will happen and has the power to stop it. It seems to many that God could leave us all in the Garden of Eden forever.
The world did start that way. For Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden was their childhood. They were created as adults, but the Garden gave them that sense of safety, protection, and ease while they adapted to mortality. However, they couldn’t stay there forever. God never intended them to stay there forever. A perfect and easy life seems desirable, but in reality it is the most limiting life possible.
There is a Mormon scripture that says:
And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children;... Read the rest of this entry »
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, recently held its semi-annual General Conference. In this conference, Mormon leaders instruct members and other listeners in ways to better live Christ’s teachings.
In the April 2011 General Conference, Paul V. Johnson answered the question, “Why is life so hard?” He taught that trials often come to us because Jesus loves us. It might not seem, at first glance to be much of a gift, but when we understand why we came to earth, the reasoning behind this becomes clear.
Mormon beliefs teach that God created our spirits. As spirits—meaning we had no body—we lived with God, getting to know Him and becoming the people we are today. Eventually, of course, every child needs to leave home and so God prepared the earth for us. When we came to earth we would take with us our own personalities but we would forget who we had been and where we had come from. We’d... Read the rest of this entry »
Grief is part of the human experience. Opposition is necessary for growth, according to the Mormon view of our mortal experience, revealed by the Lord through modern prophets. It can, however, be lifted through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that the Savior, Jesus Christ, not only died to pay for our sins but also to take upon Himself our sorrow, grief, and infirmities (Alma 7:11–12).
Patricia Pinegar, former President of the Primary, or children’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ (errantly referred to by the media as the Mormon Church), speaks of her own encounter with grief and the Savior’s intercession:
The difficult experience of my son’s death helped me identify and rejoice in the blessings of peace, hope, and direction—blessings that all who truly accept and live the gospel of Jesus Christ may enjoy. I can bear witness to the words of Elder Richard G. Scott: “Please learn that as you wrestle... Read the rest of this entry »
The economy is making people nervous, but Mormons have been preparing for this moment all their lives. Mormon families are taught to avoid debt, save money, and set aside a year’s supply of food and other commodities needed to get through a challenging economic time. For many years, outsiders scoffed at this program, thinking it was a last-days scenario or a panic program. Today, the press is actively seeking out Mormons to interview because they’ve come to realize food storage and emergency preparation is a sensible way to live.
The Mormons teach people to be self-reliant as much as possible. This means they need to prepare ahead for difficult times. One way to do this is to build a supply of food, cleaners, health care products, clothing, and even cash to rely on should they need it. Read the rest of this entry »
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This question is related to Karl Marx’s famous statement that “Religion is the opium of the masses.”Marx also said, “Religion is the impotence of the human mind to deal with occurrences it cannot understand.”And again, “The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion.”
In an article written by Geoffrey Janes addressing this question, Janes insightfully said: “The basic idea is that God is some kind of spiritual narcotic that dulls our senses to the pain of the world and helps us to cope with it.”Quoting from a contemporary Polish poet, Janes went on to say, “Religion, opium of the people!The true opium of modernity is the belief that there is no God so humans are free to do precisely as they please.”Opium is a narcotic. “The term narcotic (ναρκωτικός) is believed to have been coined by Galen to refer to agents that benumb or deaden, causing loss of feeling... Read the rest of this entry »
Personal response by Jack
At age 50 I was body surfing with my 16-year-old son and his friend at Laguna Beach, California. I took one “last wave” and accidentally hit by forehead on a submerged rock, my neck was broken, and my spinal cords severed between the second and third cervical vertebrae. I was instantly paralyzed, lost consciousness, and woke up two hours later in the Laguna hospital surrounded by doctors and nurses. One of the nurses noticed my eyes were opened and said to me, “Jack, if you can understand what I am saying, blink your eyes once.” I blinked and there was a collective sigh of relief in the room. That began for me a new way of life that has continued on for the past 19 years.
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Personal Response by Jack Rushton
I believe this is a very profound question that has undoubtedly been asked by millions of people from the beginning of time. Life can seem unfair at times as we experience our own personal suffering, and witness through our own eyes or through the media, the incredible suffering that seems to be such an integral part of the daily lives of people all over the world.
I had to come to grips with this question on a personal level when 19 years ago I broke my neck, severed my spinal cord, and became paralyzed from the neck down and ventilator dependent. Read the rest of this entry »
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Personal Response by Karen Merkley
The lights aren’t always green. The bread isn’t always fresh. Tires go flat. Bills mound. People take ill and die at every stage of life. People struggle. Others starve. Wars go on.
Grief is part of the human experience. Opposition is necessary for growth, according to the Mormon view of our mortal experience, revealed by the Lord through modern prophets. It can, however, be lifted through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. Mormons believe that the Savior not only died to pay for our sins but also to take upon Himself our sorrow, grief, and infirmities (Alma 7:11-12). Read the rest of this entry »
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) is against all forms of abuse–spiritual, physical, and emotional. Abuse is any hurtful form of treatment of another, including humiliation, domination, physical, psychological or spiritual harm inflicted on another person. The Lord never condoned any like behaviors but was and is an Advocate of peace and harmony for His children. (See Abuse)
In an interview with LDS practitioners discussing “spouse abuse,” John Nelson describes what is deemed inappropriate behavior: Read the rest of this entry »
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Mormon Beliefs: Why Suffering?
Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Savior’s re-established Church in our day) believe that God is all-powerful and has every capacity to intervene in our lives. He gives us, and accounts for, however, the agency of man, a gift which is above price. As a result, while He can and does intervene consistently in our lives under many circumstances, He sometimes allows us to undergo the results of our own choices, others’ choices, or natural occurrences. He feels with us as we struggle and promises to work all of experiences for our ultimate good. The Savior Himself has personally endured each of our pain, illnesses, and suffering and knows how to succor us in those infirmities. His perfect plan for our growth includes learning from opposition–sickness, well-being; right and wrong; light and darkness. It is through grappling with the vicissitudes of life, relying on the atonement... Read the rest of this entry »
