I relate to your feelings of sadness at having to introduce life’s hardness to innocents. Last year we moved to our current home in a very active hurricane zone. It was a decision we made very carefully with the Lord. But I was still scared, albeit grateful for a priesthood blessing of protection.

This week I was repacking our 72 hour kits and filling gas cans for the start of hurricane season. Naturally, such conspicuous activity found me explaining to my 7 year old why God might let a natural disaster hit the homes of even righteous saints. I was trying to emphasize that he often saves the individuals, if not the property.

As my daughter was wrestling with the unjustice of it, I felt keenly (again) that all of my children came with their own “last days missions.” They came to earth specifically to bear off the kingdom in the days when “all things shall be in commotion and men’s hearts shall fail them.” And I realized that they’ve been taught before how to handle scary things and evil in their pre-earth lessons (see D&C 138); all I have to do is remind them here of who they already are.

Our very greatest desires are for our children’s spiritual salvation, much more than their temporal wealth or even comfort. Through prayer, during this last year, I have realized that even a dreaded hurricance could be a powerful blessing in the lives of my children.

Right now when they clamor for toys like our richer neighbors have, I simply try to explain that we have more children than others and need to save our money. True explanation, but lacks umph. (Actually I say “would you rather have a toy or a sister?” I’m sure this will one day misfire.)

But gosh, can you imagine how helpful it could be for kids to actually see houses demolished overnight? Talk about a powerful lifelong immunization against materialism!!! In a world hell-bent on financial success at any cost, maybe those children (saints or otherwise) who have seen disasters close up can be a little wiser, a little more set on eternal priorities.

And of course I’m deeply grateful to live in an age and location that’s fully insurable, even with high premiums.

Okay, so the kind of evil you’re talking about isn’t natural disasters. It’s the worse kind. But I think the common principle that set me off on the above tangent is that we will be true to God at any cost and in the face of any opposition whatsoever. There will probably still be future church martyrs (see Revelation), plagues, and deceptions.

But the beauty is that strong kids will have heard it all before from mom’s own mouth over PBJ, and the persecution will seem familiar and even pre-scripted because of the preludes of glory which momma also included with her sandwiches. I try to tell my children a lot about how all the world will one day be afraid of the “terrible inhabitants of Zion” because of their perfect righteousness, and how EVERYBODY who doesn’t want to “take up the sword against their neighbor” will one day flee to live with the saints, doctrinal differences notwithstanding.

The story of the crucifixion is, after all, the story of victory over evil. And the story of Liberty Jail is the magnificent revelations in the D & C (especially 88). So I tell them (and remind myself, when the weather channel makes me nervous) that the scary times mean that magnificent gospel blessings are just ahead….

Thanks for sharing.

Thank you

Blessings!