Editor's note: The Spoken Word is shared by Lloyd Newell each Sunday during the weekly Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcast.
Years ago, a young boy was injured in a terrible car accident. He spent weeks in critical condition and was finally beginning to recover when he contracted a life-threatening virus while in the hospital. Later he was invited to speak to a church congregation about his experiences. Although just 12 years old, he offered insight beyond his years on the problem of pain in the world. He said:
Some people have asked me what I did wrong to deserve what happened to me. Im not perfect, but Im a good boy, and I know this is not something I deserved.
Others have said, You must be a really strong person for God to give you such a difficult trial.
I dont feel strong, and anyway, I dont believe God did this as a reward for my being particularly righteous.
No, I dont think this happened because Im particularly bad or particularly good. I believe it happened because Im mortal, and this is part of the price of mortality. We come to earth, we (make our choices), and other people (make theirs), and sometimes we hurt each other, and sometimes accidents happen" (see Audacious Faith, by Brett G. Scharffs, BYU Magazine, summer 2017, magazine.byu.edu/article/audacious-faith).
What wisdom and perspective! Life is not perfect it comes with problems and difficulties, accidents and heartache, but also joy, beauty and love. Along with the bad is a whole lot of good. Misfortunes and tragedies are neither punishments nor rewards they are simply the price we pay for the precious gift of life on earth.
So maybe its best not to worry if bad things will happen or wonder why they happen. The fact is that bad things will happen even to good people, sometimes inexplicably. The ones who make it through such moments are those who stop blaming, resenting and focusing on the bad. Instead they fix their gaze on all thats right with the world love, goodness, beauty and they conclude that mortality is well worth the price. In the end, the ones who find joy are the ones who never stop looking for the good.
Years ago, a young boy was injured in a terrible car accident. He spent weeks in critical condition and was finally beginning to recover when he contracted a life-threatening virus while in the hospital. Later he was invited to speak to a church congregation about his experiences. Although just 12 years old, he offered insight beyond his years on the problem of pain in the world. He said:
Some people have asked me what I did wrong to deserve what happened to me. Im not perfect, but Im a good boy, and I know this is not something I deserved.
Others have said, You must be a really strong person for God to give you such a difficult trial.
I dont feel strong, and anyway, I dont believe God did this as a reward for my being particularly righteous.
No, I dont think this happened because Im particularly bad or particularly good. I believe it happened because Im mortal, and this is part of the price of mortality. We come to earth, we (make our choices), and other people (make theirs), and sometimes we hurt each other, and sometimes accidents happen" (see Audacious Faith, by Brett G. Scharffs, BYU Magazine, summer 2017, magazine.byu.edu/article/audacious-faith).
What wisdom and perspective! Life is not perfect it comes with problems and difficulties, accidents and heartache, but also joy, beauty and love. Along with the bad is a whole lot of good. Misfortunes and tragedies are neither punishments nor rewards they are simply the price we pay for the precious gift of life on earth.
So maybe its best not to worry if bad things will happen or wonder why they happen. The fact is that bad things will happen even to good people, sometimes inexplicably. The ones who make it through such moments are those who stop blaming, resenting and focusing on the bad. Instead they fix their gaze on all thats right with the world love, goodness, beauty and they conclude that mortality is well worth the price. In the end, the ones who find joy are the ones who never stop looking for the good.