I really love this section of the Doctrine and Covenants. I love that the prophets gets to the point where he just really wants Heavenly Father to miraculously take him from his afflictions, because we all get to that point I think. We just want it all to go away sometimes. I wonder if the prophet was thinking of the time Alma and Amulek were in prison and it miraculously tumbled to the ground. Sometimes Heavenly Father does take it all away. But most of the time we get this response:
7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.
It may not be the easy response that we want (poof your troubles are gone!), but it is a response. From The God of all. That alone is a comfort. He is listening, He is aware, and all justice is in His hands, not ours.
Perspective of justice is one of the difficult issues during trial. We get all upset about how unfair things are: why me? why not her/him? why now? I don't deserve this. They don't deserve that. Blah, blah, blah. It is helpful to remember that:
24 Behold, mine eyes see and know all their works, and I have in reserve a swift judgment in the season thereof, for them all;
25 For there is a time appointed for every man, according as his works shall be.
We are not the ones to hand out justice or judgement. It will come, but not by our own definition or our own time table or what consequences we think are just. The point of our affliction is that they are ours. The are to develop who we are, not make us bitter about what other people are or are not. Because:
8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
Not only should we not think that our suffering is greater that the Savior's, but only He is in the position to judge and give justice or true mercy. Of us it is required to forgive all men.
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