The Justice of God

This week, my companion and I were faced with a lot of "Why does God allow suffering to occur?" questions. For them, it meant that God was either cruel or incapable. He is neither. He is both just and merciful. The question stills pokes then, why?

In the beginning, before you or I were born, a plan was put forward (Alma 12:25, 42:15) for our growth and development as children of God (Romans 8:16-17, John 10:34, Psalms 82:6). This plan required that we learn for ourselves the consequences of good and evil, to prove ourselves worthy of inheriting eternal glory (Abraham 3 :24-26, Galatians 6:4), and to learn how to make good choices.

There was an opposition to that plan, to take away our agency, or ability to choose, which resulted in a war (Revelation 12:7-9). We chose to prove, for ourselves, our faithfulness and dependence on the Lord. On that day, the Lord bound Himself by covenant to allow His children to choose for themselves, giving His Son as ransom for those who chose to repent. In these experiences, though, we are never left alone. He has given commandments that would prevent suffering, if adhered to, promised blessing for tribulation endured well, and a just recompense for any unfairness that would occur in this mortal probation. The time is not yet, but nigh at hand.

A returning less-active man, who three lessons back said "God is a logical impossibility", made a profound statement in priesthood session yesterday. He said, "God is a just God. He has prepared a way for all His children to receive of the saving ordinances through family history and the temple. He has chosen us to do that work. If we do not, we're standing in the way of His justice."

With him we discussed the above and God's justice and mercy. Now we need to cover His love in more detail. This world is full of trials. We have a family with enough of them to go around, but they keep coming to Church. We're just working through the complications that're stand in the way of their baptisms.

God lives. He loves us. He cares.

Oh, and I had another dream. I was teaching my family in a flat we stayed in while I was in grade 9. They weren't against Church teachings, but I had to explain the same thing we explain everyone who doesn't understand why we're there. If these things are true, God has brought back His Church in its fullness with His authority. This is the way back to Him; not a way, but the way. He didn't do it just for fun... for some of His children. He did it for our eternal salvation.

We were on exchanges on Tuesday, and the missionary I was with explained an experience he had in a previous area. A girl liked what they shared, then went to her pastor and said that her pastor said it wasn't true.
The missionaries then asked, "Who leads your church?"
"My pastor."
"Don't you want to go to a church led by God?"
"No, I'm okay."
...
WHAT?!
Each to their own.

God lives. He loves us. These things are true. It is my prayer and wish that this message meets you well.