Study Guide for "Opposition in All Things"

In his talk, Elder Mathias Held discusses the concept of opposition in all things, drawing from his personal experiences and teachings from the scriptures. He emphasizes the importance of making choices and how these choices, whether right or wrong, contribute to our growth, development, and progression towards eternal life. He also discusses how oppositions, or opposites, complement each other and how we can learn from them.

Before Reading

Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:

What does Elder Held mean by "opposition in all things"?
How does Elder Held relate the concept of opposition to our choices and actions?
How does Elder Held suggest we should respond to opposition and trials?
What examples does Elder Held give of opposition in his own life and in the scriptures?
What is the role of Jesus Christ in helping us through opposition and trials?

Topics

Understanding and Experiencing Opposition

Elder Held explains that opposition is a part of life and is necessary for us to exercise our agency. He emphasizes that we have been given the ability to choose between good and evil and that we learn from both right and wrong choices. He also discusses how opposition can come from our own actions or from circumstances beyond our control.

Life is all about making choices. Our Father in Heaven gave us the divine gift of agency precisely so that we could learn from our choices—from the right ones and also from the wrong ones.

To be able to exercise our agency, we need to have opposing options to consider.

Even though we usually cannot choose between these kinds of situations because they just happen, we are still free to choose how to react to them.

What does it mean to have agency?
How do we learn from our choices?
How can we choose to react to situations beyond our control?
Can you recall a time when you learned from a wrong choice you made?
How do you usually react to situations beyond your control?
How can you apply the principle of agency in your daily life?

The Complementary Nature of Opposition

Elder Held discusses how opposites complement each other and how experiencing one side of the coin helps us appreciate the other. He explains that we wouldn't be able to identify joy unless we've experienced sorrow, or truth unless we've seen lies.

Lehi said that there "must needs be … an opposition in all things." This means that opposites don’t exist apart from each other. They can even complement each other.

We would not be able to identify joy unless we had also experienced sorrow at some point. Feeling hungry at times helps us to be especially grateful when we do have enough to eat again. We would not be able to identify truth unless we had also seen lies here and there.

What does Elder Held mean when he says that opposites complement each other?
How does experiencing one side of the coin help us appreciate the other?
Can you think of a time when experiencing an opposition helped you appreciate its opposite?
How can you apply the principle of complementary opposition in your life?

Responding to Opposition with Faith and Trust in God

Elder Held emphasizes the importance of responding to opposition with faith and trust in God. He encourages us to seek the positive aspects of challenges and to always choose to believe and have faith in Jesus Christ.

We can rest assured that our difficulties, sorrows, afflictions, and pains do not define us; rather, it is how we go about them that will help us grow and draw closer to God. It is our attitudes and choices that define us much better than our challenges.

Choose to believe. Choose to have faith in Jesus Christ. Choose to always trust God.

What does it mean to respond to opposition with faith and trust in God?
How do our attitudes and choices define us better than our challenges?
How can you respond to challenges with faith and trust in God?
Can you recall a time when your attitude or choice helped you through a challenge?

The Role of Jesus Christ in Overcoming Opposition

Elder Held discusses the role of Jesus Christ in helping us overcome opposition and trials. He emphasizes that Jesus Christ has promised to help us and that we can choose to build our foundation on Him.

Let us never forget that Jesus promised to "take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people … that he may … succor," or help, us as we turn to Him.

We can choose to build our foundation on the rock that is Jesus Christ so that when the whirlwind comes, "it shall have no power over [us]."

What is the role of Jesus Christ in helping us overcome opposition?
How can we build our foundation on Jesus Christ?
How can you turn to Jesus Christ in times of opposition?
Can you recall a time when Jesus Christ helped you overcome a challenge?

Learning from Opposition

Elder Held discusses how opposition can teach us valuable lessons and help us grow. He shares examples from his own life and from the scriptures to illustrate this principle.

These contrasting experiences taught us that we are never alone in moments of suffering, and they also showed us how much we can carry with the Lord’s succor and help.

During Joseph Smith’s cruel incarceration in Liberty Jail, the Lord told him that "all these things shall give [him] experience, and shall be for [his] good."

How can opposition teach us valuable lessons?
What examples does Elder Held give of learning from opposition?
Can you recall a time when you learned a valuable lesson from opposition?
How can you apply the principle of learning from opposition in your life?