I know this is a common question asked after the death of a loved one, a natural disaster occurs, or some other tragedy takes place. We must remember that God never causes bad things to happen, so the question is "why does God allow bad things to happen?" At the root, it comes down to God giving us agency and not forcing anybody to do anything- we have to make choices because that's one of the reasons we're here on earth. Let's see what else we can learn from the Book of Mormon to help understand the answer to this question.
Lehi explains to his son Jacob that the devil, evil, wickedness, and all bad things exist for a reason- to provide us with "an opposition in all things" (
2 Nephi 2:11). The reason this opposition is so important is that "the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other" (
2 Nephi 2:16). So in order for me to truly have agency, I must have choices. If choices or options do not exist, then how can I have agency or the freedom of choice? So, the devil provides us with opportunities to choose poorly while God seeks to guide us to choose righteously through the influence of the Holy Ghost and also the light of Christ, also known as our conscience. Everyone is born with a conscience, knowing right from wrong, so that we can choose for ourselves and be held accountable for those choices.
I think it's also important to remember that even bad things can and do turn out alright in the end. It's true that our trials make us stronger and we can learn so many valuable lessons from our mistakes. Lehi told Jacob, "Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain" (
2 Nephi 2:2). I believe that this is true for all of us if we endure our afflictions well.
A Biblical example of this is the Fall of Adam and Eve. They transgressed God's command to not eat of the forbidden fruit, yet much good has come of that transgression. If not for them eating of the fruit and being kicked out of the Garden of Eden, we would not have ever been born (
2 Nephi 2:22-25).
Lehi describes - basically as his final words to his sons - agency and our freedom of choice:
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and call things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;
29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.
30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen. (2 Nephi 2:27-30)
Simply put, choose good! Choose God!
Two prophets who were preaching as missionaries ran into this same question. Many of those converted to the true gospel of Christ were being burned at the stake by non-believers. Amulek turned to Alma and essentially asked, "Why is this awful thing happening? Can't we call upon God to put an end to it?" God's answer, which came through his prophet Alma can also help answer the question we're discussing: "The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day" (
Alma 14:9-11).
Similarly, God revealed to the prophet Moroni, "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 60:13).
The experience of Alma and Amulek is especially hard to comprehend. Those people being burned to death were good, righteous people who had recently given their hearts over to God and would not deny him. Yet God allowed wicked men to kill them. We must remember that God is at the helm, meaning he sees the complete "big-picture" with a perfect perspective. All things are present to God because he can see the past, present, and future. He acts in our best interest.
If we live our lives righteously, we will never have to fear because any and all bad things that may befall us will end up being for our good.
