“Life just isn't fair!” How often have we heard these plaintive and disheartening words? How often have we ourselves said or at least felt like saying something of the kind? Would it be fair to say that few, if any of us, have moved through the daily ups and downs of life without feeling that we have been unjustly dealt with at some time or another?

Of course the prospect of finding ourselves in a fretful and troubling situation is constantly just around the corner and the possibilities are almost without number.

It may be that we will lose a job or a treasured keepsake. Perhaps someone will slander our good name or, in a more mundane situation, break the speed limit and make it through the oncoming traffic light while we who are keeping the law sit for ever waiting for the light to turn green. Perchance we will suffer through loss of mobility or a friendship or agonize with the devastation of debilitating disease or the inevitable test of death.

When these seemingly unjust ordeals occur, and often without apparent provocation or merit, we may feel at least somewhat justified in asking; “Why me?” “Why now?” “Why this?”

Asking “Why?”

There are those among us who counsel that in our moments of perplexity, confusion and despair, resulting from the apparent unfairness of life, we should resist asking the question “why?” — because the question begs an answer where often there seems to be none and is therefore counterproductive.

There is undoubtedly some value in that kind of reasoning, but by and large I am inclined to march to a different drummer. For someone to not ask why suggests to me two likely possibilities: either he may have been bludgeoned by life to such extremes that there is little left in the tank to bring about recovery, or, he has adopted the position that every event in one's life and the lives of others is scripted out and therefore beyond anyone's control or understanding. Of course there are other reasons, but these two appear to be the most common conditions that bring about a lack of healthy questioning.

Elder Keith McMullin of the Presiding Bishopric gave this counsel on the matter:

Author Anne Perry provides another point of view as regarding our reaction to the vicissitudes of life, when she writes:

Her advice carries with it much hope and promise. From time to time however, some of our troubles are so overwhelming that it is almost impossible to successfully manage our responses as we know we should, for there often appears to be nothing at all in the nature and wrath of the affliction(s) that could possibly be termed as fair or worthwhile.

These severe tragedies often require more than textbook solutions or even the admonishing words of the scriptures. In many cases these tests necessitate that the afflicted possess or seek to obtain a deep internal commitment to knowing and loving God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and being willing to submit to God's will — a not so easy task in itself.

With the foregoing in mind, as we progress through the remainder of this article, let us reach for greater understanding as we reason together on this often troubling matter.

Reasoning Together

If, on the one hand, as a beginning premise, we would say that our individual testimonies are on shaky ground; that is, we have not acquired or cultivated an immoveable witness that God lives; that Christ is our Savior; that God is perfect in every conceivable and inconceivable way; and that we are His literal offspring and therefore are loved by our heavenly parents with a love beyond any mortal capacity, then we are in a excellent and even seemingly reasonable position to look upon all the pain that surrounds us with a genuine conviction that indeed, life is not fair.

If, on the other hand we begin with the condition, that we have been blessed with and have continually sought to strengthen a firm and sure witnesses that God lives; that Christ is our Redeemer; that God is perfect; that we are his actual children; and that His love for us is deeper and purer than any love of which we are capable, then we are in an excellent, reasonable and blessed position to behold all the afflictions of this life with a genuine assurance that indeed, life is fair. In fact, we may say that this conclusion is as reasonable and inescapable as the arithmetic proposition that one plus one equals two or as a law of nature explains, that for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.

For is it not far less conceivable to imagine that a truly loving parent would inflict or allow to fall upon his children unfair burdens and trials, without regard to justness and mercy, than to imagine that He would?

If this assertion makes sense, then as we begin to build upon this latter contention, that is, that God is not only fair and just and aware, but also perfect in those qualities, we may become acutely conscious that part of the test in this finite state of being, with all of its mortal limitations, is that we are not permitted to ascend to God's level of understanding. Therefore, we are inexorably led to the great and first principle of the gospel — faith.

Faith

It has seemed to me that our faith is often at its lowest ebb when our trials are at their most grievous and perplexing. Adversity, especially that which seems to have no cause and effect as relating to our or another's behavior, is especially puzzling. However, when our lives are turned upside down and when our world seems to be adrift in a sea of mindless misery, then it is that we most need our faith to sustain us. Not just our faith, but more particularly and more necessarily our faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew recorded this moving invitation as Jesus reaches out to each of us with great tenderness and love:

It is by and through our faith in Him who suffered the pains and sorrows of all men from Adam to the last, that we have our finale hope and ultimate redemption.

In reference to the prophet Joseph Smith's agonizing experience in the Liberty jail, Elder Richard C. Edgley of the Presiding Bishopric made this observation:

When our faith rests in Jesus, then all questions are either presently answered or are placed upon the shelf of time to be brought down for answering when The Father deems it appropriate.

Agency

Now, let us speak of another contributor to the fairness of life — agency.

Agency, or the freedom to think and act for ourselves, is a most remarkable doctrine. We sink or swim according to its genius. In the beginning, the very beginning, we learned how it worked. We observed how by using agency improperly or unrighteously, great and eternal consequences resulted such as when Lucifer and his minions were denied mortality and thereafter a kingdom of light.⁵ On the brighter side we saw and experienced how the righteous use of agency brought the gift of mortality and the eventual possibility to return to the loving arms of our Father and Mother in Heaven.

The principle of agency is an eternal proposition. This doctrine was demonstrated to us by The Father in its most perfect form when He gave his beloved spirit children the exercise of it as described above. How grievous and how heartrending it had to have been for our parents to have witnessed one out of every three of their children choose to rebel and consequently be expelled forever from their presence.⁶

Could Heavenly Father have changed the rules to make certain that all of His children would be blessed with mortality as well as to forego the pain of their disobedience and eternal damnation? Thankfully, even God, the greatest of all, must abide by eternal and everlasting rules and regulations. And because this is true, we are assured that His every act avoids capriciousness and is fair, compassionate and consistent. ⁷

When we come to a more clear understanding of His nature we recognize that He has always given mankind the right to choose. Here on earth we continue to operate under the same supernal principle. At times it is quite clear to us that our choices bring either joy and happiness or sadness and remorse. At other times the results of our actions are delayed and seemingly unrelated. Nonetheless, we can be sure that the principles of agency and justice demand an inevitable and appropriate consequence.

It is clear that we will continue to experience calamities, and it is also clear that unrighteousness will intensify in these the latter-days.

Abundant Gifts of God

And finally, let's consider one more supportive contributor to the proposition that life is fair. I will call this the Abundant Gifts of God.

The words of a hymn give us a clue as to the nature of this final category:

I can testify that these words describe a true principle. It has become habitual for me to daily reflect on the many blessings I have received in my life. As I have gone through this mental/spiritual exercise, I have experienced a renewal of mind and spirit that has lifted me out of occasional bouts of depression and discouragement. Indeed, I have not only been lifted but more importantly I have found a renewed determination to reach out to others in Christ-like service and compassion.

What are some of these blessing of which I speak? I will name a few that are important to me. You will undoubtedly find others that have affected and enriched your life.

Some of the blessings listed may or may not find their way on to your list. Sadly, I have known of some who would not include any of these in their very limited catalogue of blessings.

This listing is in no particular order except for the final entry of which I would like to speak further.

It would not be an overstatement to declare that without this final entry, Jesus Christ, all the rest would not exist or would exist to no eternal purpose;¹⁰ and more to the point of this writing — without Jehovah and His transcendent life, our life would most assuredly not be fair. Such a bold and declaration deserves further examination and elucidation.

Let us focus our attention briefly on three elements of the Savior's mission and responsibility: His sinless life; His Resurrection and atonement; and His role as advocate and judge.

From the premortal moment that Jesus was chosen to be the Savior and Redeemer of the world, it was clear to Him that his life on earth would have to be impeccable — sinless. If it were not so He would be unable to fulfill His contract with the Father. For the eternal set of conditions that had to be met included the seemingly impossible mandate that no blemish of wrong doing could mar His life. Gratefully, He was valiant and true to His commission.¹¹

A particularly significant component of Christ's covenant with the Father brought Him to the agonizing trial of the atonement. This was the moment of confrontation and overcoming for which He had been preparing throughout His life. He was called upon to bear up under the aggregate weight of all our sins, sorrows, pains, and disappointments. This confrontation with the works of Lucifer brought suffering unknown to any other as evidenced by the extrusion of blood from every pore.

By and through this miraculous process He was able to purchase the whole of mankind and thereby provide an avenue of salvation to all who would repent and come unto Him. Likewise, by his resurrection, every mortal soul was promised a glorious and personal resurrection. ¹²

Because He has paid the price, which secured his place as advocate with the Father,¹³ He has likewise been granted the role of the great and eternal judge whereby all men will receive of His just sentencing mitigated by His compassion and mercy.¹⁴

In light of all that the Savior has done for us through the atonement and resurrection, and what He is now doing for us by way of being our advocate with the Father, and what He will do for us at the judgment seat as He brings to bear a perfect ruling, fair in every aspect of justice and mercy, can we say that indeed, life is fair?

Even in its extremities where life and limb are not spared can we say that by the strength of our testimonies of Him and our faith in Him and the Father that we will be able to put our trust in them because we know that they are fair and want for our mortal and eternal success?

My conviction is that we not only can trust them, but we must. For with whom is the Lord much displeased? “Those who confess not His hand in all things”¹⁵. And to whom does He promise the gift of eternal life? Those who come to “…know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” ¹⁶

Footnotes