It is a common belief among Mormons that one of the reasons we come to earth is to be tested through trials. Supposedly, these trials teach us how to be sad, angry, grief-stricken, jealous, etc in order for us to know happiness, peace, joy, love, etc. Doing so will help us become more like God.
So, why is it then that not everyone lives long enough to experience these trials or live lives plagued by disabilities hat prevent them from learning these. If they are for our eternal benefit, why do some people get to bypass them and go straight to salvation (D&C 137:10)?
Is it possible that some people learn so much in the pre-mortal realm that the only reason they come to earth is to gain a body; that coming to earth would teach them nothing further?
Is learning such things just not as important to exaltation as we think?
8 comments:
I don't understand, Lyle. Are you suggesting Jesus did not experience trials?
As well, are you saying that we chose to have trials?
of course we chose to have trials.. we knew before leaving the spirit world to come here what our lives were basically going to be about. We were all given a choice.. either follow Christ or follow Satan.. the fact that we are here now goes to show which path we chose.
We always have choices... choice to do wrong or choice to do good
I believe we chose to have trials too. Maybe we didn't know exactly which ONES. But we knew basically what we were gettng into.
So if we had a choice, does that mean not everyone here chose to have trials?
I hope you don't mind the response of a Non-Mormon. I've occassionally read your blog for the past month--after having one of your posted cited in the blog of a friend's from Utah.
I found some of the post to your questions interesting. I had never connected the idea of being tested with an explanation of why we experience tragedy. Is this concept (testing) a Mormon answer to the theodicy problem (theodicy: essentially addresses why bad things happen if we have a good God). This is one of those mysteries that great Christian thinkers have wrestled with for ages. It seems to me that if the burden for bad things is shifted to conscious decisions made by the human race (chosing to have trials), we're made out out to be a bit masochist.
The concept of the mortal life being a test is foreign to Protestant Christianity. The Westminster Catechism opens with the question, "What is the chief end of man?" The response, "to glorify and enjoy God forever," as Norman Maclean cites in his novella A River Runs Through It,is beautiful. Certainly, we're tested in this life, but that's not our main purpose of being.
As for why we have tragedy, we're not given a good answer. Instead, we're shown that God stands beside us even during our trials.
I hope I've not broadened the intent of your post too much.
Thanks for commenting, Jeff.
Mormonism does suppose trials to be a reason for our being. It should be noted, however, that we certainly do not consider this to be the main purpose of mortal life.
In fact, Lehi, a Book of Mormon prophet, stated that "men are, that they might have joy" (2 Ne 2:25), suggesting that we exist so we might experience the joy that comes from living with God.
The way I see it is that if certain people (babies, young children, etc.) who die before they're ready to experience these things, don't have to go through these trials.
In Heaven they were already perfected, and already knew everything. Maybe these were very special beings, who only came to Earth to gain a human body.
I've only been in the Church for a couple of years, and I have no idea of the full teachings. I'm still learning :) But from stories I've heard, this is my oppinion.
"The way I see it is that if certain people...die before they're ready to experience these things, don't have to go through these trials."
So if it's not necessary, does that mean it's not the reason we came to earth?
"In Heaven they were already perfected, and already knew everything."
So, if we can learn in the pre-mortal existence all that is necessary for us to progress to the ante-mortal existence, why don't we all learn it without coming to earth?
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