Question
Dear Gramps,
Your article about the 6 yr. old not being accountable for the death of another child: What about those who are driven to suicide because of the actions of another, or are mentally unstable and commit suicide? What is their accountability?
Sherry
Answer
Dear Sherry,
God is the judge of all, and he is a righteous judge because he knows “the thoughts of the heart” of every individual. We, who see by the actions of others, only the external evidence of what a person is thinking, or is capable of thinking, and who know next to nothing about the various influences that mold opinion and decision, have no possible way of acting as judges.
We do know from the scriptures that the great atoning sacrifice of the Savior paid the price to the eternal bar of justice for all the misdeeds of those who are not responsible for their actions, whoever they may be, including all those under the age of eight; and thus those who are mentally incompetent are free from the consequences of their inappropriate actions. However, those who are mentally competent are alone responsible for the decisions that they make, regardless of the influences around them.
Gramps
