"O, God, Where Art Thou?"

i, like most people, am having a hard time wrapping my mind around what happened in Connecticut on Friday. how could this happen to such precious, innocent children? 

how could someone ever think, let alone do, such a horrendous thing? 

i remember when i was younger asking my parents, "If God loves us so much, why does he let bad things happen to good {and innocent} people?" 

no matter how many times i hear someone try to answer that question, it still leaves me a little confused/frustrated/heartbroken... i mean you hear of miracles happening all.the.time where someone or something was stopped from hurting another. so why do those miracles only seem to happen sometimes in what seems like smaller situations and not in more traumatic incidences? 

why are tragedies allowed to happen? 

i still don't know. and i'm quite certain i never will. or at least i'll never be able to understand in this life.

but even though i may not know exactly why things are the way they are, i have found peace in the words of Christ which help strengthen my testimony and comfort me in times of sadness.

these are just a few scriptures that came to mind after the events on Friday [after i had time to calm down a little bit...]

"1. O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? ....
7. My son [and daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thing adversity and thing afflictions shall be but a small moment," Doctrine & Covenants 121:1-7, emphasis added  

"21. [...] And he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.
22. And when he had done this he wept again;
23. And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones." 3 Nephi 17:21-23, emphasis added  

"10. And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames.
11. But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory..." Alma 14:10-11, emphasis added 

:: i know that through all the horrible things in the world, the Lord is always there to help comfort & heal those who are going through hard times.
:: i know He and His angels were with those children and teachers in Connecticut
:: i know He welcomed those innocent victims with loving & open arms
:: i know He will help us through all the tests & trials that we face, no matter how hard they may be. He will be there to the very end, even if the very end is seeing Him face to face.
:: and i know we can live with Him and all of our loved ones again.

"All of us suffer some injuries from experiences that seem to have no rhyme or reason. We cannot understand or explain them. We may never know why some things happen in this life. The reason for some of our suffering is known only to the Lord. but because it happens, it must be endured. President Howard W. Hunter said that 'God knows what we do not know and sees what we do not see.' 

President Brigham Young offered this profound insight that at least some of our suffering has a purpose when he said: 'Every calamity that can come upon mortal beings will be suffered to come upon the few, to prepare them to enjoy the presence of the Lord. ... Every trial and experience you have passed through is necessary for your salvation.'" -President James E. Faust, The Healing Power of Forgiveness 

i pray that the families involved in the Connecticut shooting can feel the Lord's love in their lives and be comforted during this horrific time. i pray that we can all come together, no matter our faith or beliefs, to buoy them up in strength and in love. and i pray that all of us who are going through our own trials can feel at peace and continue to have hope in all things.