Opposition in all Things

"Opposition in all things," is an interesting, and yet hard to understand, doctrine of the gospel which has caused members of the Church to search for understanding.

Many questions have been raised related to this doctrine, such as; Why do bad things happen to good people? I have paid my tithing faithfully all my life, why do I struggle financially? I have been nice to others, why are they mean to me? Why doesn't Heavenly Father protect me from evil?

To understand this doctrine lets look in the scriptures and quotes from General Authorities:

2 Nephi 2:11 - For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

President Joseph Fielding Smith - It is not opposition that is so dreadful. The dreadful thing is yielding to it; but the opposition to righteousness helps to make us strong. Every time you resist temptation you are building up your strength. When the Lord sent man into this world, what else did he do? He let Satan come here Did you think of that? Satan came with the determination on his part of destroying the sons and daughters of God, to lead them away to everlasting destruction. So we have to resist him. That is what makes us strong. So I repeat, the Lord says there must needs be opposition in all things. We would not accomplish anything if we did not have opposition, and that is what makes us strong and gives us power to overcome.

3 Nephi 12: 10-12 - Blessed are all they who are persecuted for my name's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; for ye shall have great joy and be exceedingly glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.

President Wilford Woodruff - There are two powers on the earth and in the midst of the inhabitants of the earth—the power of God and the power of the devil. In our history we have had some very peculiar experiences. When God has had a people on the earth, it matters not in what age, Lucifer, the son of the morning, and the millions of fallen spirits that were cast out of heaven have warred against God, against Christ, against the work of God, and against the people of God. And they are not backward in doing it in our day and generation. Whenever the Lord set His hand to perform any work, those powers labored to overthrow it. 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - We must not give up, "for [we] are laying the foundation of a great work." That "great work" is ourselves—our lives, our future, the very fulfillment of our dreams. That "great work" is what, with effort and patience and God's help, we can become. When days are difficult or problems seem unending, we must stay in the harness and keep pulling. We are all entitled to "eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days," but it will require our heart and a willing mind. It will require that we stay at our post and keep trying.

Personally, I don't know all of the answers as to why we have to suffer much, while others seem to have an easier road. This I do know, the trials and challenges I have had in my life have molded me and helped me to grow. For me, this growth has been necessary to push me along the path of learning patience, love, faith and long suffering.

We are told in Moroni 7:46 we are told, "...if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail." The characteristics of charity reflect the the action verbs of overcoming opposition.

"And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." (Moroni 7:45)

To summarize, opposition is part of God's plan for us which helps us to grow and become more God-like, so that we some day may become as God is. As we encounter more challenges, trials and opposition in our lives, know that God is working to mold and shape us. Each trial should be seen as a blessing and not a punishment.

Heavenly Father molded one of the greatest prophets in the history of the world when he put Joseph Smith through intense trials and challenges. The Lord said to him "... all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." (D&C 122:7)

So when you are in the middle of challenges and trials, as you may be now, know that the Lord loves you and wants you to be like him. He wants you to have all that He has. This is the road, and the only way for you to achieve this promise He has made to you.

Love, Dad