Bill Richard, father of eight-year-old Boston Marathon bombing victim told the Boston Globe, “My dear son Martin has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Boston. My wife and daughter are both recovering from serious injuries. We thank our family and friends, those we know and those we have never met, for their thoughts and prayers. I ask that you continue to pray for my family as we remember Martin.”
The tragic irony of Martin’s heinous death is the poster he made in school last year that reads, “No More Hurting People.” A simple admonition in the simple words of a then seven-year-old boy.
Martin’s message is fully consistent with gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Joseph Smith translation of the Psalm 11:5, David proclaims, “The Lord loveth the righteous, but the wicked, and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth.”
That the bomber or bombers are subject to some form of divine condemnation is no surprise.
Perhaps we should look deeper into Martin’s counsel and the guidance we find in the scriptures so as to discover where our hearts and minds should be following this tragedy.
To begin, we find relevant counsel in the Sermon on the Mount, wherein the Savior says, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It is hard to argue that we are peacemakers if our personal rhetoric is all retribution and vengeance. As Paul records in his epistle to the Romans, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”
It is not our place, not my place, to counsel the Richards and the other victims of this or any other terrorist attach, but to the Saints who wish to mourn with the mourning and comfort the grieving, it behooves us to be peacemakers.
President Gordon B. Hinckley quoted from the Sermon on the Mount in General Conference, “Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
President Hinckley added, “Those are very strong words. Do you really think you could follow that injunction? They are the words of the Lord Himself, and I think they apply to each of us.”
He went on to share a story of Victoria Ruvolo, who had nearly been killed by a 19-year-old young man who threw a 20-pound turkey through her windshield while she was driving. Despite her suffering, she pushed prosecutors to accept a plea from the assailant, Ryan Cushing, who received a six-month sentence that in place could have been a 25-year-prison sentence.
President Hinckley went on to say, “What a great story that is, greater because it actually happened, and that it happened in tough old New York. Who can feel anything but admiration for this woman who forgave the young man who might have taken her life?
“I know this is a delicate and sensitive thing of which I am speaking. There are hardened criminals who may have to be locked up. There are unspeakable crimes, such as deliberate murder and rape, that justify harsh penalties. But there are some who could be saved from long, stultifying years in prison because of an unthoughtful, foolish act. Somehow forgiveness, with love and tolerance, accomplishes miracles that can happen in no other way.”
Certainly we can agree that the Boston bombing is an “unspeakable crime” that justifies “harsh penalties” and that the perpetrators be locked up. We can be grateful that law enforcement officials have that responsibility. We, as a broader rule, can choose to focus on helping the victims and forgiving the perpetrators.
President Hinckley added, “The great Atonement was the supreme act of forgiveness. The magnitude of that Atonement is beyond our ability to completely understand. I know only that it happened, and that it was for me and for you. The suffering was so great, the agony so intense, that none of us can comprehend it when the Savior offered Himself as a ransom for the sins of all mankind.”
As President Hinckley noted, “It is through Him that we gain forgiveness.”
Devin Thorpe’s book, Building Wealth for Building the Kingdom addresses financial topics for Latter-day Saints; you can connect with him on his blog at BuildingWealthForBuildingTheKingdom.com. Be sure to share your experiences in the comments below.
Wayne DequerApril 25, 2013
Wonderful article and timely article. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth mentality leads to vendetta and an endless cycle of violence. Yes, we do need to incarcerate those who will continue to be violent. But, we generally need to do good to those who hate us and even despitefully use us. Today I read of Jean Valjean releasing Javert at the Barricade in the novel Les Mis