I went through and changed the titles from part numbers to something indicating which aspect was being covered. This series is going on longer than I expected, so better organization seemed advisable.
I also keep getting nagging feelings that I have written about some things before, but repetition is important; some of us are slow learners.
Just in this series, we have covered how some leaders and some commandments may not be so much for your benefit as others, but they are for other people, and that's valid. Last week was about how there are always opportunities for personal enlightenment, beyond what is generally available. What all of that is leading to is that everything works out for everyone eventually.
This life is a blink in eternity. It's an important blink, but still, it is finite.
In some ways, this post is more about believing in God in general, but often when people get irritated with the prophets, and don't trust them, it is because the message does not seem to be working out for them, so how can it be trusted?
It's like the question of why good things can happen to bad people. So much of it happens because we have choices, and those choices have consequences. It would be unfair that your bad choice can affect my happiness, but there is also the potential for my choice to affect you, and also your choice may not have been intentionally bad, and if God were interfering all the time, our choices would become meaningless.
God respects us too much to be a micro manager, but He loves us too much not to help. So, we have a world where we do not remember Him, but we can feel Him. We are subject to death and diseases, but we are promised resurrection. We are prone to sin, but welcome to forgiveness. We have prophets to teach us, and we have the Holy Ghost to confirm their teachings. Some people don't get taught in this life, but they will get the chance to learn after death. The Atonement of Jesus Christ balances justice and mercy, and between life, and after life, and the Millennium, there is a chance for everything to be reconciled and healed.
In my mind I have thought of this as God playing the long game. That does not sound right, because it's not a game, but there is still the point in there that his goal is not a fast partial victory, but taking time to bring back as many as possible.
Think of the apostasy. From the time of the apostles being killed or taken up, centuries had to pass before the Restoration. If you think of the conditions it required, the Reformation, and the formation of the United States, it took a lot to get to a spot where you can even have a new prophet whom the government or church won't kill. Even then, he does still get murdered, but he has time to accomplish his work. If people would not be so terrible, it wouldn't take so long, but that is not His fault. So instead He has a plan that no matter what we mess up, there are remedies in place.
We are slow learners. I am constantly amazed at God's patience with me, and it's not just for me. He is patient for everyone. So, when there are things that seem horrible, that are blamed on God, are used as proof of His absence, no, the problem is us, and He is the solution. But that's really more of a point to make for atheists.
For people who do believe in God, but have grown skeptical of His servants, maybe, right now, this thing is not about you. I will still promise you that there is room for you in it.
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