. . . that we make, or because of other equally death-related reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with any claimed divinely-designed road map for life.

Kimball essentially admits that God's supposed "purposes" are not always at play in the tragedies which are part and parcel of life on Earth as terminable, fallible, vulnerable human beings. In other words, sometimes we are responsible for fatal circumstances and consequences which befall us because of unwise choices we make. Other times we die due to natural disasters that unavoidably hit us (which means that sometimes we are not personally responsible for our deaths). Kimball seems to want to acknowledge these facts, although he unfortunately tippy-toes all around them in a faith dance for the deceived.

He writes:

"The daily newspaper screamed the headlines: 'Plane Crash Kills 43. No Survivors of Mountain Tragedy,' and thousands of voices joined in a chorus: 'Why did the Lord let this terrible thing happen?'

"Two automobiles crashed when one went through a red light, and six people were killed. Why would God not prevent this?

"Why should the young mother die of cancer and leave her eight children motherless? Why did not the Lord heal her?

"A little child was drowned; another was run over. Why?

"A man died one day suddenly of a coronary occlusion as he climbed a stairway. His body was found slumped on the floor. His wife cried out in agony, 'Why? Why would the Lord do this to me? Could he not have considered my three little children who still need a father?'

"A young man died in the mission field and people critically questioned: 'Why did not the Lord protect this youth while he was doing proselyting work?'

"I wish I could answer these questions with authority, but I cannot. I am sure that sometime we’ll understand and be reconciled. But for the present we must seek understanding as best we can in the gospel principles. Was it the Lord who directed the plane into the mountain to snuff out the lives of its occupants, or were\ there mechanical faults or human errors?

"Did our Father in heaven cause the collision of the cars that took six people into eternity, or was it the error of the driver who ignored safety rules?

"Did God take the life of the young mother or prompt the child to toddle into the canal or guide the other child into the path of the oncoming car?

"Did the Lord cause the man to suffer a heart attack? Was the death of the missionary untimely? Answer, if you can. I cannot, for though I know God has a major role in our lives,

"I do not know how much he causes to happen and how much he merely permits. Whatever the answer to this question, there is another I feel sure about.

"Could the Lord have prevented these tragedies? The answer is, Yes. The Lord is omnipotent, with all power to control our lives, save us pain, prevent all accidents, drive all planes and cars, feed us, protect us, save us from labor, effort, sickness, even from death, if he will. But He will not."


Then, Kimball later adds:

"God controls our lives and guides and blesses us, but He gives us our free agency. We may live our lives in accordance with His plan for us or we may foolishly shorten or terminate our lives.

"I am confident that there is a time to die, but I believe also that many people die before their time because they are careless, abuse their bodies, take unnecessary chances, or expose themselves to hazards, accidents, and sickness."

(Spencer W. Kimball, "Tragedy or Destiny?," originally delivered in sermon form at Brigham Young University devotional assembly, Provo, Utah, 6 December 1955; Kimball, "Tragedy or Destiny?," republished in "Faith Precedes the Miracle" [Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1972], pp. 95-106; Kimball, "Tragedy or Destiny?,” reprinted in "Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Spencer W. Kimball," in "Gospel Library Lessons," Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006, pp. 11-21; and Kimball, "Friend to Friend: Tragedy or Destiny?," in "Friend" magazine, Aoril 1974)
_____


In summary, folks, even though Spence could have (and should have) been more direct and honest, the simple and brutal truth is that we humans--through our own poor choices, actions or judgment, or because of the realities of accidents, mistakes or other natural circumstances that characterize life on planet Earth--cause or contribute to our own deaths. It happens to everyone, regardless of devotion (or lack thereof) to the Mormon God. Meaning that sometimes we happen to find ourselves in harm's way and sometimes that position in which we find ourselves has something to do with our own choices. On the other hand, sometimes our deaths have nothing to do with our own choices.

Meaning that God doesn't have a damn thing to do with it.

Perish the thought

Try as he might, however, Kimball tries too hard to have it both ways: God either controls our lives or He doesn't. A clearly befuddled Kimball insists that God does indeed control our lives, but then admits that we control/determine our own personal destiny through foolish decisions we make; through ill-advised chances we take; or through self-initiated exposure to hazards, accidents and disease.

Kimball is trying to have his life-controlling God and leave Him, too.

But at least Kimball makes something of an attempt in behalf of the grieving and confused among us to come to grips with life. In the end, however, he simply is too wishy-washy about it, hobbled as he is by a desire not to hurt people's faithful feelings with a cold splash of reality--not to mention being inhibited in telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth for fear of losing credibility and control as Mormonism's alleged "prophet of God" when it comes to declaring to LDS believers what God's big, divine "plan" supposedly is for them.

In reality, Kimball can answer these tough questions if he really wants to--using the authority of disciplined common sense, combined with observable, testable life experience. But, alas, he chooses not to go down that road, instead opting for religious superstition to provide him an escape from dealing head-on with the facts of life on the ground, as opposed to the fantasies that come with a head in the clouds.

This, then, is the real tragedy: Exercises in denial result when one allows religious myth to pervert an otherwise healthy, eye-opened, informed and rational world view. People end up spouting half-truths, uttering nonsense, telling lies, peddling a combination of all three or, worst of all, believing it--all of which deceives, misleads and wastes lives in the here and now.

No one should be destined for that.

For those of us here on RfM who have been unfortunate enough to have been run over by Mormonism, it could have been that we were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

End of story. To "God" goes no glory.



Edited 29 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2011 01:54AM by steve benson.

And hopefully, they'll opt for REASON!

And I love this quote:

"I wish I could answer these questions with authority, but I cannot."

Well, that pretty much sums up Mormonism: "prophets" without a clue!

Nice post, Steve. : )

Thanks Steve for posting this. When I was new in the church I came across a small pamphlet sold at a small Church store in our area, it was "Tragedy or Destiny", I thought this would for sure give answesr to my questions about the fairness of life or rather the lack of it, especially because it came from a prophet. I bought the pamphlet and read it, I guess it was SWK's talk. It gave me no answer and I actually felt disappointed that this was no different of what I already knew. However, it gave me comfort knowing that noboddy knows. These were the words which then, and now, stood out for me "I do not know how much he causes to happen and how much he merely permits"

And many times I've used those words as I've attempted to make sense of so much and discover I understand so little. I find that the phrase "I do not know" is used by SWK and GBH the same way I use it. When it comes to spiritual matters and I say "I don't know" I really mean it, I have no idea, it is supposed to make sense, it is supposed to work as I was told, but it doesn't, I am confused, I just don't know.

D

The real no-brainer stuff (but this time, meaning silly) was Kimball's attempt to mesh terra firma reality with magic Mormon mythology. It didn't work at all--and Kimball came off looking unprophetically pathetic in that enemic effort.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2011 04:17PM by steve benson.