"Why?"

Several days ago, my wife and I returned to Utah when it appeared that our friends from Germany would soon be able to return home. Medical arrangements were made to ensure as much as possible their safe passage from a hospital in Salt Lake City to a medical facility in Berlin. We returned to be with them at the end of their stay in the United States in order that proper good-byes might be said, to assist in any way possible with the particulars of their departure, and to personally thank those who have assisted this couple in our absence.

As we reminisced over the events of their "vacation" in America that was ending in a manner inconceivable just a month ago, her husband concluded that they had learned several important "lessons" from this horrific experience, one that is still far from over. The most important of these was "that asking 'Why?' is not appropriate." He explained. “We try to live the best lives that we can and then have faith that our Father in Heaven is in control. We cannot know why some things happen as they do, but we have faith that from our experiences we will learn the lessons He intended for us.”

His insight is compatible with Elder Richard G. Scott's remarks quoted in a recent blog post entitled, “Job: Our Exemplar Amidst Trials and Tribulations.” “When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help?” (Elder Richard G. Scott, Conference Report, Oct. 1995, 18).

Having been with them through the most trying days of this prolonged experience, we too share in his "lesson learned."