Disease

I just graduated with a B.S. in microbiology and have been involved in a couple of discussions that prompted me to consider the following topic:

There has been the exchange of opinions concerning human suffering and disease and the station people have in life. Did they do something in the pre-mortal life that put them where they are today? Of course we believe that our life before this one influences us and who we are, but we don’t know the extent of that influence and certainly do not believe that because someone is some place that they are less faithful than others.

Just the other day my roommate asked me why God causes people to get sick. Why is there disease at all? He told me that he understands that God made the world so that animals have to eat other animals, but what about disease. Being a student of microbiology, I told him that disease caused by microbes is the same concept as animals eating other animals, just on a microscopic scale. It’s the microbes’ effort to survive. Of course, this is sort of a lame and superficial answer to his question. There are plenty of holes in this argument. What about genetic diseases, my roommate wondered? What about cancer? What good do these bring? I am of the opinion that these things and other physical human frailties are what we inherit by becoming human. They are part of the consequences of the fall of Adam and part of the test mortality. Prior to the fall there was no pain, suffering, death, or sickness. Christ’s infinite atonement redeems us from the fall, and the effects thereof.

The second article of faith states, “We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgression.” In other words, we are not blame for Adam’s spiritual or physical fall. The spiritual fall results in being cut off from God’s immediate presence, which is universally overcome via the atonement. We will all return to God’s presence, not necessarily for eternal life, but to be judged. This is an unconditional aspect of the atonement. “For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, It behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death –that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.” Though we may suffer a bit from the separation from God caused by the fall, all mankind universally redeemed from that spiritual death. The conditional aspect of the atonement is that we have to repent of our own sins that we commit every day.

Being mortal and living in a fallen world exposes us to disease, death, and other physical troubles. Like spiritual pain resulting from the fall, we may also suffer due to our mortality brought on by the fall. We are, however, universally resurrected and can access the atonement to gain comfort from our physical pains.

But what does the knowledge of these things mean for me? The covenant of baptism comes to mind. “Willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places…” (Mosiah 18:9). Despite the atonement’s availability to everyone, and the comfort that derives there from, this baptismal covenant affects all who are baptized into the church. I have a responsibility to fulfill this covenant as a card-carrying member of the church and as part of the society of eternal souls. I’m going into medicine, and my ability to comfort those suffering from physical maladies should be relatively extensive. I’ll be able to help others professionally, but hopefully in everyday life I’ll recognize the chances to do the same. Those chances are out there.