Newtown, Connecticut: Why Bad Things Happen

On December 14, 2012, the world suffered a terrible tragedy. This was the day that a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, USA, and massacred 28 people, including 20 children. It is not my intent to in this post to recreate what happened or to discuss the recent political war that has begun to rage in consequence of this event, but to explore the doctrine behind the aftermath of the events.

First of all, it may seem like there can be little good found in a situation such as this. 28 families lost loved ones on that day. Obviously, there are many bad things that have come in consequence of this tragedy, but there are many good things too, not the least of which is a renewed uniting of America at this Christmas season. But, since it is not my intent to go there, let's first explore what this means for these people doctrinal-wise. Unfortunately, this situation is not new to world. Let's turn to an event in the Book of Mormon about 82 years before the coming of Christ.

The situation is this: Alma the Younger, a prophet of God in ancient America, has come to a wicked city called Ammonihah. Joined by a resident of the city by the name of Amulek, the two men stand against the city's wise men and lawyers and testify powerfully of the Savior. The wicked people of the city take the two missionaries into custody and banish the husbands and fathers of the believers from the city. After several days of brutal interrogation, Alma and Amulek are taken to a place in the city where the wicked men proceed to throw the families of the believers into a vast fire along with their scriptures. It is not known if Amulek's family was a victim of this treachery, but even if they weren't, these were his kinsfolk being destroyed in the flames.

He cries out in agony, "How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames."

Alma, just as pained as Amulek, gives probably one of the greatest phrases of why bad things happen to good people. "The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."

The full account of this event can be found in Alma 14. About 20 years later, a military commander named Moroni also spoke of this in an epistle to the chief judge. "For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God." This is found in Alma 60.

 Alma and Moroni speak of two specific things in their comforting words. One is that the righteous are received to the Lord despite their deaths. The other is that the wicked will be judged for their actions.

I wish to address the latter point first. It is not our job to decide Adam Lanza's fate. That is left up to the Lord. But he will be judged for the things he has done. This applies to all people who have ever wronged us. Even if wrongs are not made right in this life, we can be rest assured that through the Atonement of Christ, all that is unfair about life will be made up in the eternities.

Moving on to the first point, prophets all throughout history, especially in the Book of Mormon, have talked about tragedies happening to the best of people. Every single event records that although the people mourned the loss, they knew that the Lord had taken them into His arms. This is especially true in the case of this terrible event. All 20 children killed in this event were under the age of 8, which, as we know, is the age of accountability. Doctrine and Covenants 137:10 offers the following:

And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven.

 Why is this? Moroni 8 is very enlightening on this topic. I will pick out several verses that illustrate the most important parts.

 8 Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them; and the law of circumcision is done away in me.

 12 But little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a respecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

 13 Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

 19 Little children cannot repent; wherefore, it is awful wickedness to deny the pure mercies of God unto them, for they are all alive in him because of his mercy.

 22 For behold that all little children are alive in Christ, and also all they that are without the law. For the power of redemption cometh on all them that have no law; wherefore, he that is not condemned, or he that is under no condemnation, cannot repent; and unto such baptism availeth nothing—

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I declare that Charlotte Bacon, Daniel Barden, Olivia Engel, Josephine Gay, Dylan Hockley, Madeleine Hsu, Catherine Hubbard, Chase Kowalski, Jesse Lewis, Ana Marquez-Greene, James Mattioli, Grace McDonnell, Emilie Parker, Jack Pinto, Noah Pozner, Caroline Previdi, Jessica Rekos, Avielle Richman, Benjamin Wheeler and Allison Wyatt
 are, according to the scriptural promises, heirs of the celestial kingdom of our God.

Let's not forget the adults that died in this event too: Rachel, D'Avino, Dawn Hochsprung, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Rousseau, Mary Sherlach, Victoria Soto and Nancy Lanza. Once again, I will not recreate the event, but I have heard some incredible stories of heroism that these people displayed in trying to save the lives of these children. I am sure that without their actions, there would be many more families with empty rooms. The Savior declared in John 15:13: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

Let us not forget what the Savior has done for us this Christmas season!