Stockholm Syndrome with God

In your argument, I am assuming you are comparing the hostage to people of religious beliefs, God as the captor, and all those openly against religion as the police and other authorities, if I understand you correctly. I argue that this equation is incomplete, incorrect and missing essential variables for complete understanding. First things first: we learn from modern-day revelation that we existed as spirits in the Pre-Earth Life with our Heavenly Father and CHOSE to come here to this Earth Life to be tested. We can"t remember the Pre-Earth Life by design. Joseph Fielding Smith said: "In the pre-existence we dwelt in the presence of God our Father. When the time arrived for us to be advanced in the scale of our existence and pass through this mundane probation, councils were held and the spirit children were instructed in matters pertaining to conditions in mortal life, and the reason for such an existence. In the former life we were spirits. In order that we should advance and eventually gain the goal of perfection, it was made known that we would receive tabernacles of flesh and bones and" pass through mortality where we would be tried and proved to see if we, by trial, would prepare ourselves for exaltation. We were made to realize, in the presence of our glorious Father, who had a tangible body of flesh and bones which shone like the sun, that we were, as spirits, far inferior in our station to him." https://www.lds.org... Our Heavenly Father loved us very much, and wanted us to experience all the joy and glory that does. So the plan was made that we would live this mortal life to learn right from wrong and happiness from misery so that we could choose for ourselves if we wanted joy and exaltation or misery and woe. A very interesting scripture is found in Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." There is a scripture listed in the Book of Mormon in the book of Alma, 14th chapter, 10th and 11th verse. Alma and Amulek, two prophets are preaching to a people that react extremely violently to their teachings. All of the believers, their wives and their children were all cast into a fire with all of their religious records. Alma and Amulek are bound with cords and taken to the place to witness the genocide. Verse 10 and 11 states: And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day. In other words, the evil was allowed that the guilty might stand guilty at the judgment bar of God. Most evil or misfortune that comes to us is not wished upon us from God, they are inspired from Satan and from men. God has nothing to do with it, He only allowed it to happen to allow the necessity of free agency. He gives us strength and direction if only we ask for it, He is more than happy to provide it in times of need. We often fail to recognize that this life is a test. From tests we gain strength and knowledge. The purpose of this life is to learn the difference between right and wrong, and become like our Father who is in Heaven and our Saviour Jesus Christ. As we rely on them, we can gain peace and direction in this life despite the trials and once again enter into their presence as a heavenly family unit. Jesus makes promises to those who suffer in Matthew 5: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 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. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven..." When Christ suffered in the garden of Gethsemane, He not only suffered for all of our sins and afflictions, He suffered EVERY pain and trail of EVERY human being that has and ever will live. In Alma 7:11-13 in the Book of Mormon, it reads: "And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me." Therefore, all the unfairness and everything that is wrong in this life will be made right in the next through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. (Atonement literally means "at-one-ment", it means to reconcile all men [who will receive it] to the demands of justice, thus allowing mercy to be bestowed upon all those who accept Christ in this life or the next, and allowing man to live with God once again, being washed clean through the blood of Christ.) All of the trials that we experience in this life are blessings under heavy disguise. Only with the aid of Heaven can our eyes be opened to see the true meaning behind trials. They are ultimately for our good. There is almost nothing more challenging than losing a child to death"s grip. The devastation of such tragedy leaves the heart heavy and wanting. There is yet hope and solace that we can draw from the word of God. Joseph F Smith, a modern day prophet, quoted Joseph Smith Jr., another prophet of God. They spoke and testified of this amazing, divine doctrine: ""the infant child that was laid away in death would come up in the resurrection as a child; and, pointing to the mother of a lifeless child, he [Joseph Smith] said to her: "You will have the joy, the pleasure, and satisfaction of nurturing this child, after its resurrection, until it reaches the full stature of its spirit." There is restitution, there is growth, there is development, after the resurrection from death. I love this truth. It speaks volumes of happiness, of joy and gratitude to my soul." "If we have received the testimony of the spirit of truth in our souls we know that all is well with our little children who pass away... for the reason that so long as man is in the world, clothed with mortality, surrounded by the evils that are in the world, he runs chances and is subject to risks, and there are responsibilities resting upon him which may prove fatal to his future prosperity, happiness and exaltation." We don't always understand the meaning of all trials, but that is where faith comes in.