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Are the two yellow lines different sizes?

(Think for a couple of seconds)

Often in life we focus on the wrong things, ignore truth, and as such, come to incorrect conclusions and faulty perceptions. The biggest objection to religion that I've come across is related to the existence of pain and suffering in life. Pain and suffering are a part of life, there's no question about it. But, there is another fact of life that can be, and in many cases is, ignored. That fact is that our life has a purpose and a plan.  The suffering and pain that people endure, no matter how intense it is, has a purpose.

One purpose, probably the central purpose, of life is to learn. We need to learn about good and evil, and especially to learn how to distinguish between the two. Another thing we need to learn is how to recognize and have joy.  The Book of Mormon is quite clear on learning about joy. Early in the Book of Mormon, Lehi tells his son Jacob that there is opposition in all things. (2 Nephi 2: 11-13)
Consider this: how do you know what something sweet tastes like? Or, how do you know what something bitter tastes like? If you haven't experienced bitter, you don't truly understand what exactly sweet is.  If we never experience a bad car, we don't truly understand, let alone appreciate a good car. It is the same with happiness.  If we never experience a single moment of misery, we do not understand what happiness is. Without the opposition in all things, existence is pointless for us since all things would be the same.  We would never learn, since we could never compare one thing to another.

This means that everyone is to experience tough times, opposition, and trial in the course of their lives.  The presence of hard things, ugly scenarios, and tragedy does not mean that God is not there or that he does not love us.  Sometimes, our tests and trials are the results of our choices. Sometimes, they are the results of the choices of others, and sometimes, they are simply a curve thrown at us.

We may never fully know why some people seem to have it easy, seem to get ahead in life, seem to be rewarded when they don't deserve it, and why others who deserve to have an easy life have everything fall apart. There is a reason that philosophy has been around as long as it has. This is because there are a number of questions related to life's meaning and purpose that any man is simply unable to scientifically, empirically demonstrate to another human.

Truth is truth, no matter how it is learned. I do not claim to know everything.  I try to write only about that which I do know. I can, and do, speculate at times, but when I do, I generally make it known that it is speculation only.

 I know that God exists, and that, as harsh and tragic as life seems, there is purpose and plan behind such events and experiences. I know that the harsh things that have happened in my life have taught me to appreciate the good things more than I did.  Those events have also given me a measure of insight, sympathy, and empathy.

I love to learn through any method I can. The use of the academic methods, centered around logic and reasoning, are great for teaching a lot of things of this world.  But learning by revelation is much more definitive, since that which I learn by revelation will always be true, while the academic concepts taught may be discredited later in life due to new discoveries or a different line of logic/reasoning. Also, there are some things that can only be understood by having the Spirit reveal them to you.(1 Corinthians 2: 9-14) and (Jacob 4:8). The thing with learning by revelation is making sure you understand what exactly you received.