Question
Gramps,
Why does God not make this world perfect?
Owen
Answer
Owen,
It is natural, even essential, to ask: “If God really created and designed this world, would He not have made it perfect? Why, then, do we experience natural disasters and suffering? Is God making this happen and making us suffer on purpose?” These are not new questions; they have accompanied believers from antiquity through the modern era, from the words of Job to the outcries of contemporary believers facing earthquakes, famine, or the unfathomable grief of losing a child.
At the heart of the question lies a tension between God’s perfection and the manifest imperfection of our world. Is God powerless to change things, unwilling, or do we lack the perspective to understand His wider plan? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland once said in his talk “Like a Broken Vessel” that struggling with suffering and injustice is not a sign of weak faith, but can be the crucible in which faith is forged.
Let us examine why, according to the teachings and reasoning of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, God allows suffering at all.
A foundational principle in the doctrine of the Church is that this life is a time of testing, growth, and agency. Far from being a random sequence of events, or a “mistake” on God’s part, the challenges, risks, and tragedies of mortality are inseparable from our reason for being here.
The scriptural narrative consistently frames earthly life as a period where our capacity for growth hinges on our ability to choose—a principle often referred to as agency. As taught in the Pearl of Great Price:
And it is given unto them to know good from evil; wherefore they are agents unto themselves…” (Moses 6:56)
God has granted us the unique capacity to “act for themselves and not to be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:26). In other words, humans are not designed merely to react like animals to outside stimuli, but to choose, reflect, and develop character. Without opposition, hardship, or temptation, this ability would never be exercised, much less refined.
If God’s goal were to create cushioned, untested followers, He could have sheltered us from all harm and made adversity impossible. Instead, this world with all its imperfections is indeed ‘perfectly suited’ for the purpose for which God intended this world to be.
This is not to suggest suffering is good in and of itself, or that God delights in our pain. Rather, hardship can forge unique virtues:
Compassion and Service: In the wake of tragedies like earthquakes or wildfires, we often see an outpouring of helping hands and donations, a testament to the “human spirit” that is only forged in adversity.
Endurance and Faith: The Apostle Paul, ancient prophets, and even Jesus Christ—who “suffered more than any of us will ever suffer”—testified that opposition can cultivate patience, resilience, and a kind of spiritual depth unattainable in comfort.
The Church teaches that to remove suffering would also undermine the very purpose of creation. President Spencer W. Kimball explained:
Could the Lord have prevented these tragedies? The answer is, Yes… But he will not. We should be able to understand this, because we can realize how unwise it would be for us to shield our children from all effort, from disappointments, temptations, sorrows, and suffering. The basic gospel law is free agency and eternal development. To force us to be careful or righteous would… make growth impossible.
Thus, suffering is not a design flaw or evidence of God’s indifference. It is essential to the plan that allows us to become not just obedient, but wise, compassionate, and reflective souls—fit for the eternal joys God promises.
No discussion of suffering is complete without addressing the heartbreaking reality of innocent suffering—especially that of children. How can a loving God allow the innocent, who have little or no agency in their circumstances, to endure pain, illness, and early death?
It is deeply humbling to acknowledge that our perspective is limited. We see “through a glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12). What appears deficient or unfair in this life may look different in the context of eternity.
The Pre-Earth Life and Consent to Mortal Risk: One insight from Church doctrine is the idea that “if we were involved in the deliberations that culminated in creating and peopling this world, then we are not passive victims of providence. We would have entered into the conditions of this mortal state aware of the harrowing hazards mortality entails.” This means our spirits knew and accepted the risks because the rewards—growth, love, and eventual resurrection—would outweigh temporary suffering.
Recompense to the Innocent: The doctrine is clear that children who die before moral accountability are redeemed and inherit glory in the celestial kingdom—a “recompense far greater than the suffering that they had to endure.” All who suffer unjustly “will be recompensed for their suffering, such that it will accrue to their good.”
The Gift of Agency is central, but it bears a sobering reality: others can, and do, use their agency to hurt the innocent. Crimes like abuse, murder, or neglect are not willed by God but permitted so that agency may be preserved. To prevent all evil would require stripping agency from all. As heart-wrenching as this is, the Church teaches that “if God were to intervene and prevent all bad things from happening, he would have to rob men of their agency and thus frustrate the great plan of happiness.”
God’s justice matches His mercy. Those who inflict suffering unjustly are subject to repentance or the full price to “the demands of an eternal justice for all their wrongdoing.” Meanwhile, God provides healing, peace, and—ultimately—redemption to those who have suffered. As scripture promises:
All things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord. (Doctrine & Covenants 98:3)
Not all face the same tests. Some live long, comfortable lives; others endure hardship or die young. The Church acknowledges that God’s plan is not “fair” in the sense of identical experiences but is “perfectly tailored” for each individual’s growth and salvation. Our call is not only to endure our trials but to trust that God will use them for our eternal good—even when that purpose feels mysterious or absent in the moment.
God does not always remove trials but provides resources, answers, and comfort. “He also will not relieve us of the burden of His commands. Comfortingly, it is evident that He is capable of strengthening us to the tasks assigned.” Lehi’s family, for example, were not rescued from the wilderness but strengthened to bear it, and “the Lord provided means for us while we did sojourn in the wilderness.”
Gramps
