Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the News

[Portland Ute]

I've only been a father for a year but it has completely changed how I react to stories like these. It used to be rage. Now the rage is still there but it is buried beneath extreme sadness. My heart breaks and I feel like I can't breathe when I think of those poor children.

Yes. What BITF says, too.

As I get older, I also feel a degree of sadness for the individual that commits this kind of crime. No healthy, happy person does this kind of thing. I start to wonder what tormented this person. Why? Were they abused when they were a child? Were they tormented daily with sever mental illness?

Whatever it was that this guy was dealing with... you don't wish that on anybody either. How does a soul become so completely dominated by evil? By mental illness?

Anyway, to be honest, I think I've started focusing on/being fascinated by the perpetrators as a way to avoid having to deal with the emotions of the victims. It's probably a coping method. Some way to try to make sense of all this.

I just can't imagine that poor girl. I read about this last night and I tossed and turned thinking about it. Heart-wrenching. Sickening. Senseless.

[byu71]

Yes. What BITF says, too.

As I get older, I also feel a degree of sadness for the individual that commits this kind of crime. No healthy, happy person does this kind of thing. I start to wonder what tormented this person. Why? Were they abused when they were a child? Were they tormented daily with sever mental illness?

Whatever it was that this guy was dealing with... you don't wish that on anybody either. How does a soul become so completely dominated by evil? By mental illness?

Anyway, to be honest, I think I've started focusing on/being fascinated by the perpetrators as a way to avoid having to deal with the emotions of the victims. It's probably a coping method. Some way to try to make sense of all this.

I just can't imagine that poor girl. I read about this last night and I tossed and turned thinking about it. Heart-wrenching. Sickening. Senseless.

You are a better person than I. I just can't feel any compassion for this guy.

[Portland Ute]

You are a better person than I. I just can't feel any compassion for this guy.

Understandable.

Maybe I'm just soft. Or stupid. Or weird.

Also, what about his poor family? They lost loved ones, too? His children had their aunts and uncles murdered and the guy that did it was their father. How do children deal with that? Not only are their loved ones wiped from the face of the earth, it was their father that did it...

And this jackass's parents: They, too, have a lost a child. Not physically, but this guy is gone. Lost to evil, mental illness and, now, the consequences of his atrocious actions. I imagine that in Texas he, too, will soon be physically wiped from the face of the earth.

I'm not going to cry when Texas puts this guy to death. Believe me.

But I do have to believe that if we do have a loving Father in Heaven, he is somewhere weeping for the notion that one of his children chose to do such unfathomable evil. Weeping that one of his spirits is lost to him. One of his children have gone wayward.

I don't have the spiritual tool kit to help me understand this kind of thing at all.

[smokymountainrain]

There are so many people to feel compassion for here, but I can't get past the ex-wife and the surving hero daughter. Especially the hero daughter who lost her entire family and watched and heard them be murdered.

[byu71]

Understandable.

Maybe I'm just soft. Or stupid. Or weird.

Also, what about his poor family? They lost loved ones, too? His children had their aunts and uncles murdered and the guy that did it was their father. How do children deal with that? Not only are their loved ones wiped from the face of the earth, it was their father that did it...

And this jackass's parents: They, too, have a lost a child. Not physically, but this guy is gone. Lost to evil, mental illness and, now, the consequences of his atrocious actions. I imagine that in Texas he, too, will soon be physically wiped from the face of the earth.

I'm not going to cry when Texas puts this guy to death. Believe me.

But I do have to believe that if we do have a loving Father in Heaven, he is somewhere weeping for the notion that one of his children chose to do such unfathomable evil. Weeping that one of his spirits is lost to him. One of his children have gone wayward.

I don't have the spiritual tool kit to help me understand this kind of thing at all.

I don't think you are stupid, soft or weird. I saw last night a vigil going on up in Smithfield with people who knew the family and the perp. Some were expressing compassion for him. I just don't have that in me and I am not saying that is a quality.

I can understand the pain to his family. His parents had just gotten a restraining order against. He had threatened to kill his mom. Truly a tragedy.

[LiveCoug]

Tough times ahead for this family for sure, but man am I impressed with this girl

http://www.click2houston.com/news/ca...event/26923030

[Pheidippides]

Tough times ahead for this family for sure, but man am I impressed with this girl

http://www.click2houston.com/news/ca...event/26923030

I was just happy to see that she's physically okay. Bullets to the back of the head usually leave survivors with significant problems - sharp kid to have played dead. True hero in such a horrible situation.

If I'm any judge of this kind of thing, I would imagine that the newness of the emotion, her faith, and the attention she is receiving from others are buoying her through. That will end all too soon, and I'm afraid you are right - hard times ahead. I hope she gets good counseling as soon as possible - there's no reason for her to feel something like survivor's guilt, but chances are she will.

[LiveCoug]

I was just happy to see that she's physically okay. Bullets to the back of the head usually leave survivors with significant problems - sharp kid to have played dead. True hero in such a horrible situation.

If I'm any judge of this kind of thing, I would imagine that the newness of the emotion, her faith, and the attention she is receiving from others are buoying her through. That will end all too soon, and I'm afraid you are right - hard times ahead. I hope she gets good counseling as soon as possible - there's no reason for her to feel something like survivor's guilt, but chances are she will.

I guess her finger deflected the bullet. I agree with your comment about the newness of the situation are getting her through right now. It will die down and she is in for many years of therapy and will need lot's of support. The PTSD alone will be very tough to deal with. That said, she left me with the impression that she will make it. I can't even imagine the pain, but it is possible to make it. I hope this situation turns out as well (all things considered) as it did for Elizabeth Smart.

[Pheidippides]

I guess her finger deflected the bullet. I agree with your comment about the newness of the situation are getting her through right now. It will die down and she is in for many years of therapy and will need lot's of support. The PTSD alone will be very tough to deal with. That said, she left me with the impression that she will make it. I can't even imagine the pain, but it is possible to make it. I hope this situation turns out as well (all things considered) as it did for Elizabeth Smart.

Me too. I'm really glad that she has extended family close and good faith network.

[Moliere]

Tough times ahead for this family for sure, but man am I impressed with this girl

http://www.click2houston.com/news/ca...event/26923030

Tough times for sure but this is a time when it really pays to have an extended family in Mormonism (meaning a ward). I don't doubt she has a strong family that will take her in, but the hope that she'll someday see her family again is a powerful force in overcoming stuff like this. Don't get me wrong, she absolutely needs professional counseling, but just the hope and belief she'll see her family again has to be somewhat soothing to her now and will help in the future.

[Jeff Lebowski]

This is the most horrific story I can recall in a long time. Still sick to my stomach.

[Pheidippides]

This is the most horrific story I can recall in a long time. Still sick to my stomach.

I know. I can't even read most of the articles.

[Omaha 680]

This is the most horrific story I can recall in a long time. Still sick to my stomach.

I agree. I can't even think much about it without feeling overwhelmed. Reminds me of how I felt after they Sandy Hook massacre.

[Moliere]

[DrumNFeather]

Man...