Atonement

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I hope that I am never so closed minded that I can't look at the many sides of an issue! I hope that I am always on God's side of things but that I can see where others are coming from. Understand what happened in their lives; choices, circumstances, etc. to make them believe, act and be a certain way. I do believe there is right and wrong. I do believe that one is happier when choosing the right. I do believe the best way to influence people is by love and loving perseverance and not by hate or by insisting that you don't understand the atonement or implying somehow that you somehow aren't righteous enough to truly apply the atonement to your life and overcome whatever challenge you might have.

Here was my response to someone:

I hear what you are saying. I do. Do you realize though the hundreds (and that's just that I know of) of people that deal with SSA that have spent decades fasting, praying, reading their scriptures and applying the atonement to their life and are still SSA. I do believe that God does take SSA from some, just like he takes cancer from some, saves lives of some, protects some, etc. Bad things do happen to good and even the best and most righteous of people.

I believe that God allows us to have challenges and trials to learn what we need to learn and/or to help others that we need to help.

If God took everything away from us; all trials, challenges, hardships, how could we become better people? How would we learn the things that we need to learn? I don't believe that God sent us down to earth for him. I believe we are here on earth for us; to gain bodies and to learn and grow and become more.

I do not believe the atonement of Jesus Christ is there to save us from the hardships of life. Nor do I believe it is there to take away all challenges, trials or difficulties. I do believe it is there to make them ok. We can be given perspectives, guidance, and peace that all will be ok. God hasn't taken away challenges that I have but he has given me perspective about how I am given these to help me understand, so that I might help others. He has given me peace when I needed it. He has helped me wade through and make it to the other side at times that I didn't think I could. I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ.

I am actually very grateful for my husband's SSA. Not that it isn't challenging at times but overall, it has shaped him into the amazing man that he is! So many other people are grateful too. He has touched more lives than I think we will ever know. By him being open we have received countless notes from people and friends thanking us and him for being open with the struggles of his life because though they have different (or the same) struggles and challenges, it helped them with their challenges and know that they aren't the only one with struggles.

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