Getting to Know Darth Vader

When I was little Darth Vader was the ultimate bad guy. Then during Return of the Jedi, when I was momentarily not distracted by the adorable Ewoks, I learned there was still some good buried underneath the metal and husky, breathy voice. Years later Phantom Menace came along and brought with it internal dilemma. How could the monster I feared as a child be this adorable little slave boy? As many things do, it caused crazy ideas to bounce around in my brain. In life it is rare for us to obtain insight into a person's life in the way Anakin Skywalker's journey from innocence to evil is presented. However, our Heavenly Father has that insight into all of our lives which helped me understand how God can love ALL of his children, even the really evil ones. When I think of someone like Adolf Hitler, in my mind his entire being is so engulfed in evil that they become synonymous. Yet, Heavenly Father knows of any good that still resides in our hearts. He can separate the sin from the individual in spite of the severity of the sin. That does not mean He in any way excuses the sin. We will have to pay for all of our sins if we do not repent through the grace of the atonement or if they are not covered by Christ's sacrifice. All it means is that He can still see His child. The one He will reclaim once all the sins are paid and the hurt and hate they were born of is washed away.