When reality hits you

This morning, I woke up to a quick kiss from Danny. We said a prayer together and then he left for work. I spent a few moments trying to decide whether I'd wake up or go back to sleep and decided to get moving for the day. Imagine my shock at finding the news about the Colorado shootings. Perhaps you felt it yourself.

For those of you who haven't heard, there was a brutal shooting in Aurora, CO at the midnight premiere of the new Batman movie. I've literally spent all morning obsessing over the news story, and trying to come to terms with the fact that this could easily have happened to any of us, anywhere in the world.

There's a part of me that wants to panic, to never attend a midnight showing ever again, and to refuse to even go see the new movie, no matter how good I've heard it is. It brings to mind speeches and talks I've heard of where violent movies/video games were discussed as a potential cause of violent behavior later in life.

We all make choices in life. It's up to us to accept the consequences for those choices. But I find it hard to see why it is that other people's bad choices have to affect us directly or indirectly in such negative ways.

I've found a few answers to these questions and confusing feelings as I've thought about the events of last night: just basic gospel principals (for those of you who don't know, I am a Mormon):

1. God knows each of us here on Earth by name. He knows our deepest thoughts, fears, and desires. He also knows what we are capable of handling by way of trials in our lives. It is up to us to meet the refiner's fire, no matter how hot or heart-wrenching it feels, and live our lives the best we can, relying on our Savior every minute of every day.

2. It is not our place to judge. No matter how terrified, how sad, and how confused I, or any of you, feel about the man's actions in Colorado, it is not for us to decide if he will be saved or not. It is our obligation to obey the commandments of God, and forgiveness is one of them:  

"Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin. I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men." 

Doctrine and Covenants 64: 9-10

3. We are all Sons and Daughters of our Heavenly Father. Our Spirits "grew up" together before we chose to come to Earth. Whatever relief I feel that this terrifying event didn't take place in a theater near me, that it didn't happen to me or my family, I find myself realizing that at some point in my pre-mortal life, it is likely that I knew some or all of the people involved--they are a part of my family: my spiritual family. My heart goes out to them. 

I pray with all of my heart that the families involved will find comfort they seek. I know that there is life after death. In the words of Albus Dumbledore, "death is just the beginning." Whatever the world says, death is NOT the end. Our Spirits and our bodies will be reunited one day in total perfection, to prepare to meet our God and our Savior. We ALL will live again, will have the chance to be reunited with lost loved ones, and will have the opportunity to meet those ancestors who passed away well before we were alive. Christ will come again and we will be judged according to our actions here on Earth. I know each of these truths without a doubt.