In 1834, the Saints were wondering why the Lord had let their enemies in Missouri harass them and chase them off their own land. Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord gave two answers.
- One, the Lord said He sometimes lets the wicked do bad things “that they might fill up the measure of their iniquities” (Doctrine and Covenants 103:3). As Alma said, God allows people to do bad things “that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just” (Alma 14:11). In other words—if you want to make bad choices, go ahead! But you’re only making it worse for yourself in the long run.
- The other reason the Lord gave the Saints for their problems was probably a little tougher to hear: “That those who call themselves after my name might be chastened for a little season … because they did not hearken altogether unto the precepts and commandments which I gave unto them” (Doctrine and Covenants 103:4). Gulp. In other words, this was a consequence of the Saints not being obedient.
Now, that doesn’t mean God approved of the wicked acts or inspired the attacks. But He did allow those hard things to happen. He knew that in the end, He could use all of these events to suit His purposes and help the Saints grow.
There’s a lot of suffering in the world today, isn’t there? Political upheaval, crime, natural disasters … some is caused by the bad choices of others. Some suffering, we bring on ourselves. And some is just part of living in this world.
The Lord is aware of us through all of it. He is eager to sustain us and help us through it. He can consecrate all of our suffering for our eternal good!
Artwork courtesy of: C.C.A. Christensen Church History Museum