Our Elder's Quorum lesson really bothered me today. The lesson was great and really like the Brother that gave it, but at the same time it brought up some very difficult and contradictory ideas.
The story he told goes like this:
This brother had seizures when he was an infant. He received a blessing that stated, "If he (the infant) would dedicate his life to God's service, God would heal him." The infant grew up to be an obedient and somewhat successful youth. He had money to go on a mission, was morally qualified, and would soon turn 19. When asked by the SP if he would go he replied, "I should, but I'm dating this girl and not sure if I want to go." The young man prayed about it and he said he Jesus in his minds eye at judgment day. Jesus asked why he did not serve a mission. The young man did not have a good answer. Jesus stated, "Just as I restored your faculties, so can I make your health as it was before."
I've often wondered about this idea of bargaining with the Lord when we get sick. I've seen people get very active in Church when they get sick in hopes that God will heal them, maybe quicker because of their increased obedience.
My question is whether or not this thinking is correct or if it is even healthy to think this way. In my experience God seems very unpredictable in who He heals and who He allows to suffer. So my question is, "Is it true? Does God bargain with people on health cases like this?" Is it good to step up our obedience in times of trial in hopes that God will be more likely to help us, or does God consider the issues separate?
Is this just a way of getting inside the heads of young men and putting more pressure on them to serve? Go on your mission or you'll be back on your way to getting half your brain cut out. The fairness of it doesn't add up. On the one hand LDS/Christianity seem to want to appease converts and tell them that they're worthy of everything people who worked and sacrificed in Church for all their life, yet on the other hand they want to threaten the current members with blessings or cursings if they don't do the job well. It just doesn't add up to me, and I've sadly come to the conclusion that these beliefs were simply made up for one purpose alone, filling the pughs, tithing envelopes etc. It has nothing to do with truth or helping people cope with life's challenges.