Why the Fire???

This week……..

- We have been busy preparing three different families to go to the temple. This has kept us quite busy and inspired. This is such a great work!

- On Saturday, we went to the temple with Sister Rebischke. She hadn’t attended in over 16 years! We were so happy to be able to help her prepare and then attend with her.

- For fun this week, we took an excursion on the “Skunk Train” up into the Redwood-covered mountains. It was a great break and provided some much-needed relaxation and rejuvenation.

We are heart-broken and devastated by the horrible fire storm that is burning to the Northeast of us. The smoke here is toxic and thick. I included pictures of one of the Latter-day Saint buildings being burned. This seems like an almost sacrilegious picture to share. But I share because it shows the extent of the damage and how out of control the fire was. Nothing was spared. The following is an excerpt from my journal that I wrote days after the fire about why God allows such tragedies to occur. Rereading the talk and revisiting the subject at this time has given me new strength and hope and is helping me deal with my own trials in a better manner, although my trials are nothing compared to those of the fire victims.

Why does God allow horrible things to happen to good people? Nearly the entire city of Paradise burned to the ground this week. Two wards of people there. Nearly every single home burned to the ground. Both church buildings burned to the ground. Nearly all of their businesses that they worked at, burned to the ground. And the fire came so quickly with such speed and force that they had very little time to get out. Many lives were lost. Hundreds are still missing. Why? And the speculation and blame has started for the fire itself. I’ve heard and seen where they think it was the power company, human caused, wind caused, even alien caused. It doesn’t matter. God allowed it to happen. Why? Don’t the people there pray? Worship? Serve? Read their scriptures? Beg for protection? Arm themselves with the armor of God? They did! And their lives were still devastated.

I looked to a recent talk by Apostle Elder Neil L Andersen to find some answers. Here are some parts of that powerful talk:

“Although the details will differ, the tragedies, the unanticipated tests and trials, both physical and spiritual, come to each of us because this is mortality.

We search for happiness. We long for peace. We hope for love. And the Lord showers us with an amazing abundance of blessings. But intermingled with the joy and happiness, one thing is certain: there will be moments, hours, days, sometimes years when your soul will be wounded.

Wounds of the soul … are part of the learning we receive from this mortal experience.

The Apostle Peter said, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”⁷ Along with the bright colors of happiness and joy, the darker-colored threads of trial and tragedy are woven deeply into the fabric of our Father’s plan. These struggles, although difficult, often become our greatest teachers.⁸

When telling the miraculous story of Helaman’s 2,060 young soldiers, we love this scripture: “According to the goodness of God, and to our great astonishment, and also the joy of our whole army, there was not one soul of them who did perish.”

But the sentence continues: “And neither was there one soul among them who had not received many wounds.”⁹ Each one of the 2,060 received many wounds, and each one of us will be wounded in the battle of life, whether physically, spiritually, or both.

Never give up—however deep the wounds of your soul, whatever their source, wherever or whenever they happen, and however short or long they persist, you are not meant to perish spiritually. You are meant to survive spiritually and blossom in your faith and trust in God.

God did not create our spirits to be independent of Him. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, through the incalculable gift of His Atonement, not only saves us from death and offers us, through repentance, forgiveness for our sins, but He also stands ready to save us from the sorrows and pains of our wounded souls.¹⁰

The Savior is our Good Samaritan,¹¹ sent “to heal the brokenhearted.”¹² He comes to us when others pass us by. With compassion, He places His healing balm on our wounds and binds them up. He carries us. He cares for us. He bids us, “Come unto me … and I shall heal [you].”¹³

At a time of enormous suffering, the Lord told the Prophet Joseph, “All these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.”¹⁶ How can painful wounds be for our good? In the crucible of earthly trials, patiently move forward, and the Savior’s healing power will bring you light, understanding, peace, and hope.¹⁷

Pray with all your heart. Strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ, in His reality, in His grace. Hold on to His words: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”¹⁸

Look forward. Your troubles and sorrows are very real, but they will not last forever.²² Your dark night will pass, because “the Son … [did rise] with healing in his wings.”²³

Even with your own painful wounds, you will instinctively reach out to others, trusting in the Savior’s promise: “Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”²⁷ The wounded who nurse the wounds of others are God’s angels on earth.

… it is my promise to you that increasing your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will bring you added strength and greater hope. For you, the righteous, the Healer of our souls, in His time and His way, will heal all your wounds.³² No injustice, no persecution, no trial, no sadness, no heartache, no suffering, no wound—however deep, however wide, however painful—will be excluded from the comfort, peace, and lasting hope of Him whose open arms and whose wounded hands will welcome us back into His presence. At that day, the Apostle John testifies, the righteous “which [come] out of great tribulation”³³ will stand “arrayed in white robes … before the throne of God.” The Lamb will “dwell among [us] … and God shall wipe away all tears from [your] eyes.”³⁴ This day will come. I so witness… “