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TheDiscipleMd

Over thirty years ago I was attending an insurance training seminar that lasted a week. At the end of the week we, the participants, were put in small groups and told to film a short skit on insurance principles we had been taught that week. My group came up with a “60 Minutes” format. Each member of the group was assigned the role of one of the investigative reporters from the award winning CBS news show. To me fell the role of Andy Rooney. I pondered my role and then came up with a script that I thought was humorous and taught a small point. I don’t know if we won for the best skit but I do recall that the instructors got a laugh out of our production.

A few years ago Mr. Rooney retired at the age of 92 but I have always remembered his whining question of, “Have you ever wondered why?” segment to finish the program. Several years ago I recall a similar question being asked in a general conference of the church.  Quinton L. Cook asked:

“Have you ever wondered why a just God allows bad things to happen, especially to good people? This is a question posed by many since the beginning of time. It is a very perplexing question that could cast doubt on the existence of a supreme being, if there is no reasonable answer.”

He then went on to  explain that while we don’t know all the answers, we do know some very important principles.  One is that God knows and loves each of us and, two, that through Jesus Christ all unfairness will be made whole. He also taught that life is eternal and that all wrongs will be made right and that in the eternities ‘we will see with perfect clarity and faultless perspective and understanding.’ He then explained that he could understand, that those with limited perspective of our Father’s plan could see this life as chaotic, depressing, unfair and meaningless.  He wisely instructed us that we needed to view this life:

“…through the wide and clear lens of the gospel instead of the limited lens of mere mortal existence.”

“Have you ever wondered why?” is a question I’m sure all of us have routinely asked ourselves. But no man or woman should go through this life wondering why they were created.  I am thankful for prophets who have answered the most fundamental question of mankind; “Why am I here, where did I come from and where am I going?”

Have I ever wondered why?  Sure! But as a child I never had to wonder or whine about who I was and about my relationship to Diety. I have a firm testimony that God does have a plan and that we are his sons and daughters.