Problem of Evil

There is a common fallacy among the worldly related to the problem of evil. Because the peoples currently considered wicked by today's spiritual leaders still exist, it is assumed that God isn't actually displeased with them or worse, that God does not exist. The first conclusion is what this post focuses on.

Presumably, the people who contend that God is not displeased with them believe that God instantly punishes those who disobey his laws. This is a naive and unfounded premise. Very rarely is a people punished for their sins in the moment that they commit them. We members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understand this concept as a time of probation. "This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God," and we are not expected to live a perfect life in the process. In light of this fact, the observation that evil societies exist is no more surprising than receiving scripture from a God who wants to lead us.

The difference this time around is that society is changing at such a fast pace, that what would formerly happen in generations is now taking place in weeks. In light of this, it is not unexpected to assume that God would pick up the pace and smite those who turn away from him with increasing swiftness. However, as the length of a human life is about constant as is the time-scale of human reflection , I contend that the time-scale of God's punishment will remain about the same, and that those who violate His laws will receive their just deserts in the due time of the Lord. 

Do not misunderstand me. This is not to say that calamities will not accelerate as we approach the end times. The time-scale of God may be constant, but the punishments themselves tend to be clustered. Furthermore, I only contend that the rewards for our actions will follow at the same speed relatively independent of how fast we fall, but not necessarily independent of how high we fall from, "for of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation."

The heart of this error in judgement is a fundamental misunderstanding with regards to the nature of God. Somehow, despite all scriptural witness to the contrary, God is often viewed as a spiteful and vindictive judge, who loves nothing more than to torture those who step out of line for even the slightest moment, but nothing could be further from the truth. The predominant attribute of God is love, and it is because of His love that we are given a chance to turn away from our wickedness and be cleansed by the atoning power of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. As a God of justice and order, God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance, but as our Father, He has prepared a way for us to return to Him