"But if all the sick were healed, if all the righteous were protected and the wicked destroyed, the whole program of the Father would be annulled and the basic principle of the gospel, free agency, would be ended.
"If pain and sorrow and total punishment immediately followed the doing of evil, no soul would repeat a misdeed. If joy and peace and rewards were instantaneously given the doer of good, there would be no evil - all would do good and not because of the rightness of doing good. There would be no test of strength, no development of character, no growth of powers, no free agency, no Satanic controls.
"Should all prayers be immediately answered according to our selfish desires and our limited understanding, then there would be little or no suffering, sorrow, disappointment, or even death; and if these were not, there would also be an absence of joy, success, resurrection, eternal life, and godhood"
From Book of Mormon Student Manual Religion 121 and 122, p79 (1989, 1996 edition)
Quote by Spencer W. Kimball, "Tragedy or Destiny" 1966;
( When trying to find that manual online, I see that there is a 2009 edition of that manual and this quote is found on p196, and also in "Faith Precedes the Miracle"
That newer manual is online, here, and looks great. My old book has the last item listed in the Contents page, Subject Index on page 170 and the new book has that same item on page 417, so there must be much more added to the book. I think I'll finish my study with my old manual but then buy the new manual and start over. I love good study helps.)
