Introduction - Deuteronomy 17

Chapter 17 is actually shorter than the last 3 chapters but there is so much more that is interesting here. The first point that is worthy of discussion is the IM’s introduction to the section on chapters 17-33. I’ve been thinking recently about what the point of this life is for so many people who seem to be “throw aways”, meaning those who’s lives seem just to tragically brutal. For instance, what about these man who, in this country, have been sentenced to life in prison for crimes that are disproportionate. For instance in the state of Florida, there are several crimes that are “punishable by life” such as armed robbery, drugs, all types of stuff and so I’ve been seeing these posts interviewing this prisoners who went to prison when they were 17 and have been in there for 25 years and are never going to be eligible for parole and I just think how absolutely tragic. So many of these men are now dedicated to God and run ministries in prison and help rehabilitate younger offenders and by all measures have been rehabilitated themselves and, in my opinion, would be a great service to society outside of prison, but here they are going to die in there. Like what kind of craziness is that, by what measure is that not just tragic all the way around? Or what about the abject poverty that the vast majority of the world is immersed in, what about all the painful and avoidable deaths by disease, what about all the people who are slaves their whole lives, and slavery does exist now in even greater numbers than ever before, like in what way does a just and loving God think that that’s ok. It’s a real brain bender to try to justify that.

All this was brought on by the IM quoting Bruce R. McConkie as saying, longly, “God sends his spirit children to earth on a regular, organized schedule, There is nothing haphazard or accidental about the people of the earth or the assignment of various land areas to the races of men. ‘The race and nation in which men are born in this world is a direct result of their pre-existence life. All the spirit hosts of heaven deemed worthy to receive mortal bodies were foreordained to pass through this earthly probation in the particular race and nation suited ot their needs circumstances and talents… Not only Israel, but all groups were thus foreknown and their total memberships designated in the pre-mortal life.” This quote was given as an explanation for why the people of Israel were chosen to be in that group at that time, because of their pre-existent behaviors. I have a couple of thoughts about this. First, even if this is true, which it is possible that it is, and it would make sense that there is nothing random about anything here, everyone was put in the exact circumstance that they were meant to according to God’s plan for His purposes. I would hope that this is true, that everything is controlled, but then there’s so much chaos and suffering to account for in that. Maybe it works with the thought process that in order for the atonement to be efficacious, Satan had to have every opportunity to thwart it, therefore the pain and suffering in this life and in this world. In that way, it would make sense that we were all called to serve our existence in this life and to suffer accordingly for the sake of the atonement. In that way, we are all helping contribute to the success of the plan of salvation because we were willing to suffer in whatever way Satan could come up with to provide the circumstances for which the atonement would be necessary. I don’t know if that makes sense but it does in my mind. In that way, this was all divinely called and we were probably all set apart to serve in this capacity.

Humans don’t do well when we feel like we don’t have control or that suffering or violence or pain could come at any point for any reason and we have no control over it. In that way, life seems random and scattered and very chaotic. But maybe the converse is true, that this life is highly organized, highly regulated, and all for a purpose so important that Christ himself came and played the biggest part. Maybe this is the biggest, most complex, and most important chess game of all time we just can’t see it because we are too close to the ground and too close to the pain and suffering to see the big picture, and that’s by design. My problem with the statement and the fact that is came from McConkie is that is smacks of a hand waving of people’s suffering. Like it’s so easy for the white Mormon American guy who hasn’t really struggled a day in his life compared to most of the rest of the world, to just say “well you are where you are supposed to be because of your behavior in the pre-mortal world.” How is someone who is destitute in Africa supposed to understand that statement? I didn’t know the guy personally, and maybe I’m a little biased against the traditional church leadership from this time line but I’d be curious to know if he meant that as “I’m in the successful easy place because I was righteous beforehand and you are struggling because you were not valiant in the pre-mortal life.” And before anyone goes and says that that’s crazy, let’s remember that this rhetoric was preached from the pulpit against blacks holding the priesthood and receiving temple ordinances for over a hundred years before it suddenly changed, so let’s not pretend that this thought process is not possible.

I think the opposite is true. I think that if it is true that every single person who was born in this world was put into the specific situation that they were meant to be in to further God’s will in saving all people through the atonement, then I would contest that those who suffer horrifically were sent to do so because they were incredibly valiant in the pre-mortal life. If for some reason God’s plan required that some of his children suffer horrifically in this mortal life, it would make more sense to me that he would ask his strongest soldiers to fill that role, not the weakest. This calls for a working backward of the situation, we have to start with God’s express purpose and character, God’s work and his glory is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all men (women is implied). We know that God is not cruel and would not require any more suffering that is absolutely necessary to make his plan effective. Maybe this is just where the universal chess match of the plan of salvation is being played out, and this is all part of the plan, all of it, and it will all be compensated for.

I was talking to a non-member friend about the concept of the law of compensation and she asked what could ever make up for the suffering and horror that people experience in this life, and I thought about it and thought about my family situation. I told her that it’s possible that the only opportunity that I will ever have to experience life with my kids in a healthy, happy, well-adjusted way will be in the next life. The plan of salvation is for all mankind to have the opportunity to repent, heal, and be saved, and I think the vast majority of people will take advantage of that opportunity. In that way, I think also the vast majority of people will only get the chance to experience life with their families in positive ways in the next life, and for me personally, if I had to endure all the horror of this life but that’s the only way that I could live in the next life with a positive version of the family, then that would be worth it to me. I don’t know if that makes sense and I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but I think that’s how it will be for most people. I think most parents have a child that is “wayward” and will only get to experience them positively in the next life, or people who don’t have good relationships with their parents or siblings, etc. and that only way it can be good is after everyone heals and repents and becomes reconciled to Christ, in the next life. That’s how it will be for most of my family, no good is available in this life, and hopefully, the faith is that it will be good in the next life. How can this be worth it? That’s one of the ways that I can think about it. And if we knew that our suffering helped further the ability for the atonement to play out in not only our own lives but in the lives of others, then I think that would help too. Very abstract concepts here, but lots to think about. Maybe the scariest part isn’t that this life is chaos and a free for all but instead is in fact highly controlled and for a much higher purpose than we could understand in this life, then it becomes scarier because that means that what we do matters and that we have a part to play and we need to make an effort to be righteous so that when our time comes, we can do our part.