On a more Serious Note

Why? That is a question that is being tossed about today. Why did this happen? These kids were young and in the beginning of their lives. How could this happen? Then inevitable, they ask, how could God allow this to happen? People often waiver in faith when confronted with a tragedy. People question whether a loving God exists when such bad things happen to innocent people. Doesn’t God love the good, and these kids were doing good. They were doing what they were supposed to do. They were in class, in school, working on their education. These students and professors that were killed were the innocent, and did not deserve what befell them. But it did happen. People often are speechless when confronted with that question. Even the religious of the world, don’t have a good answer, responding with "God has a plan", or "They are now in a better place". Of course these answers are in fact correct, but often unsatisfying.
The Book of Mormon addresses similar questions during a great war. A Prophet and warrior, Moroni sent a letter concerning this war, and the innocent who died during the war. "Do ye suppose that, because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness? I say unto you, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain. . . For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God." Alma 60: 12-13. God does not wish that we suffer. God does not want his children to hurt, or to feel pain. But God knows that this pain is necessary for us.
Parents who have lost their children at no fault of their own, may better understand the difficulty that our Father in Heaven had when his sinless, innocent Son was slain at the hands of the wicked. Jesus Christ understands our pain and our suffering. When we feel we have suffered in a way that no one could possibly understand, we can turn unto Christ. We need to remember why he came unto earth; why he was born. Alma the prophet testified as to why Jesus cam to this earth saying, "And behold he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem whish is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities." Alma 7:10-12. Christ knows our pains, and even our sicknesses. He suffered more than any man, and suffered for us all. He saw his friends and loved ones persecuted for His sake. We need to also remember that he took upon himself death and loosed the bands of it. Death no longer impedes us. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" 1st Corinthians 15:55. Those who were killed in the horrible shooting, are not dead forever. They will live again, because Christ lives.
But if God wants us to be happy, why does he make this so hard? People will still be asking these questions. People will wonder, if God wants us to be happy, and doesn’t want us to suffer, then why does He still allow it. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed such an issue while speaking of missionary work. "You will have the occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work (and life in general) is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are the (followers) of Jesus Christ, this is the truth and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us, when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that (we all) have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. (We all) have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.
"Now, please do no misunderstand. I’m not talking about anything anywhere near what Chirst experience. That would be presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price.
"For that reason I don’t believe that missionary work has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that retention is, nor that continued faithfulness is. I believe it is supposed to require something from the depth of our soul.
"If He could come forward in the night, kneel down, fall on His face, bleed from every pore and cry, ‘Abba, Father (Daddy), if this cup can pass, let it pass,’. . . If you wonder if there isn’t an easier way, you should remember that you are not the first one to ask that. Someone a lot greater and a lot grander asked a long time ago if there wasn’t an easier way."
"When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best blood this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and onto Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him –- the way, the truth and the life." Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.
The nation has been struck by tragedy. We all feel the effects of such horrific and terrible acts. People need to know, that God understands our pain, and Christ understands our pain. Those who have died are not lost, but through Jesus Christ, our Savior, they will overcome death and have the chance to live again with God, our Father. We should not point fingers at this point, and should not seek for someone to punish. We should draw closer to our God through prayer and meditation over scriptures and the Holy Ghost. Tragedy will always come in life, but with faith in God, we can see the bigger picture. We can see that this life is merely a short time, and that we will live again.