Adversity

Two weeks ago I sat down next to Kevin with a notepad and pen in hand, ready to write down all of the things he wanted to accomplish before leaving us.  Three.  That’s how many things were on his list.  (Really, there were 4, and should have been 5.  #4 was help me plan his “party” and #5 record his personal history - favorite memories of his life.  Yesterday I told him it wasn’t such a good idea leaving me and his mom to write his history because we will probably argue over the details.  Kevin said, “that’s ok, there are so many interpretations” (to someone’s life story).  That made me laugh.)  

Ever since starting this blog Kevin has wanted to post something on it.  It has been very challenging watching Kevin lose the use in both of his hands, as the ability to type, text, write, turn on his phone, hit his dilaudid bolus, and even eat, were stripped from him. I now realize that watching him struggle to breath is challenging, losing his hands - an inconvenience.  So this morning I am helping Kevin accomplish #3.  This post is from him.  It’s a topic that he has thought a lot about, and personally knows a lot about.  Always striving to comfort another, it’s a discussion that he had with a dear friend of ours who suddenly and recently lost her mother.  

Why do we suffer afflictions and adversity?  Here are some of my thoughts:

1.  Adversity, pain and suffering fullfills part of a much larger plan that we understood before we were born. 

As premortal spirit children of loving heavenly parents, we agreed upon a plan that would give all of us an opportunity to learn, reach, grow and ultimately return to a heavenly home after we had been tested in this life.  We knew that some of us would be called upon to experience certain trials.  For instance maybe we were able to choose the challenges that would bless our own lives and the lives of those around us.  When it comes to adversity and pain and suffering, it is not just about that person who is experiencing it.  Rather, like a pebble dropped in a pool creating ripples which impact wherever the water touches, so too can those who suffer adversity impact those around them.  Of course we don't remember any of these premortal plans but is it possible that we decided to be afflicted in some way, be born with Downs Syndrome, or be sexually/physically abused in this earth life because we felt strong enough to endure and make these trials a blessing?  In Isaiah 58:12 it speaks of those who will build up old places and will be called repairers of the breach and restorers of paths to dwell in.  Are there those placed in our lives or families who become "repairers of the breach" by their ability to endure well and understand and overcome certain terrible trials?  The ripples of the one called upon to experience adversity  will change the direction of entire family lines, neighborhoods, communities, nations (Ghandi, Mother Theresa, my parents, and the ultimate example being Jesus Christ).  

2.  Because of natural laws and randomness, pain, affliction and adversity will happen to people. 

God loves to create, He loves order and beauty.  Satan promotes disorder, chaos.  Satans influence is a part of the free agency and mortal realm in which we live.  Natural laws are allowed to play themselves out not because of anything we have done.  Rather there is a component of randomness in mortality that no one has control over.  That is because, as the scriptures teach us, this earth life is Satans dominion and He constantly strives for chaos, disorder, oppression, confusion, darkness, etc.  Cancer is definitely all of these things as are many aflflictions and sufferings.   This concept is found in the book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People". 

3. Adversity "stirreth up" a people into remembering the Lord.  

Whenever the path gets too easy we tend to depend in the arm of flesh instead of the Lord.   Said in a more harsh way, as quoted from a Book of Mormon prophet:  "Yea, and we may see at the very ^atime when he doth ^bprosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of ^cprecious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do ^dharden their hearts, and do ^eforget the Lord their God, and do ^ftrampleunder their feet the Holy One—yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.

  And thus we see that except the Lord doth ^achasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with ^bdeath and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not ^cremember him.

 O how ^afoolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how ^bquick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their ^chearts upon the vain things of the world!

 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in ^apride; yea, how quick to ^bboast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to ^cwalk in wisdom’s paths!"

4.  Adversity, pain and affliction is a result of bad choices we make.  When these choices are contrary to God's plan of happiness, the results are Satans plan- pain, suffering, chaos, etc. It is clear that the porn addict, alcoholic or gangsta have made choices that now have limited what they can do or become or experience.  I think this type of pain and suffering happens to everyone but in more subtle forms.

5.  We are sent to earth to be tested and proved herewith if we will do all the things the Lord asks of us (a little like #3)  But #5 does not imply that we have necessarily done anything wrong.  Rather, growth does not come but through trials and tribulations.  Even Christ (who was without sin) was tested, left alone to fend off the various temptations of Satan on his own.  This was in preparation for his ultimate mission on this earth life- to atone for the sins of all mankind.  Each person can look into their life and find adversity that has nothing to do with poor decision making on their part.  This is #5- one of the main reasons of life on earth is to be tested, to be proven, to grow and see if we will hold fast to the gospel of Christ despite what might be thrown our way. 

And lastly #6- Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father have need for you in the spirit world.  There may be sons and daughters of God who have grown and learned things in mortality which are now needed to help brothers and sisters, currently living in the spirit world (a place between mortality and the final judgement) who need to be rescued by this particular individual.  Such adversity may be found in an untimely death of a high functioning, God fearing person in this earth life, or further trials which seem to be teaching someone who has had more than their share of adversity.  We all know someone like this.  It is as if we could ask- why does the pain and suffering have to continue?  Perhaps because a greater calling awaits this individual for when they cross through the veil of mortality into the spirit world where more work will be performed on brothers and sisters who are living as spirits (this state of being is referenced in the bible albeit sparsely 

( See 1 Corinthians 15:20-29 and 1 Peter 4:5,6, and Luke 23:39-43 and Matthew 16:16-19.  These scriptures give us glimpses on what happens to our spirits at death and the power that exists to seal things on earth and in heaven by those in authority).  

Now think of the influence your mother has living as a spirit in the spirit world (also referred to as a prison or paradise depending on what ordinances and steps were taken in following the gospel of Christ while here on earth and were then "sealed" to this person as mentioned in Matthew 16).  She can do the Lords bidding on a much grander scale to those on earth who are ready to hear and feel her influence.  This influence is the promptings of the still small voice or Holy Ghost. 

OK these are my 6 reasons for earthly adversity.  Our job is to endure our challenges well and hold fast to the iron rod of the gospel.  May we all prove worthy of the challenges that are placed before us.  Then we can say I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. 

Fight the good fight my friends! 

Kevin