The Value of Opposition
07/12/21 08:00
In a lecture to his children, Lehi talks at length on the need for opposition in all things. He doesn’t directly talk about things that oppose you, but more about contrasts and choices. The root of his argument is: how can you appreciate good if you never experience bad?
There is a world of value in this concept with many applications in our day to day lives. In this hyper partisan time, a good example is this: if all you hear are progressive or conservative voices, how will you be able to honestly appreciate the strengths or weaknesses of each position if you don’t also hear the arguments of the contrasting side? Without the “opposition” Lehi spoke of, the best that can be said of your life is that you live in blissful ignorance! There is value in withholding judgement on something till you have made the effort to listen to all sides of an issue. This requires personal courage, for learning all sides requires a willingness to admit your initial position on a topic is wrong and that you need to change your mind.
Another application, which Lehi alluded to is you can’t be good if there’s no opportunity or enticement to be evil. It’s easy to be good when you’re surrounded by good. It’s much more noble and challenging to be good when surrounded by evil. This isn’t to say we should strive to live among evil, but rather to credit those who remain good in evil environments or those who achieve greatness when starting from severely disadvantaged positions. These are the great battles of our day, where good people remain good or continue to do the right thing when the world tells them they are wrong.
Another equally graphic example is a thought experiment. Consider for a minute if all the world was white, with no shade of any contrasting color. How could you identify shapes? How could you even see the world around you? All would be a mesmerizing white. Shapes would be elusive for there would be no shadows (they’re dark after all) to give a hint at form. Just as there is value in contrast in this example, there is value in having an eclectic knowledge of the world and events.
To summarize:
1. Opposition is also contrast and empowers choice.
2. Understanding opposing views helps us better appreciate our own.
3. This contrast of views helps us more clearly perceive the world around us.
To understand the milieu of the Book of Mormon, follow this link.
There is a world of value in this concept with many applications in our day to day lives. In this hyper partisan time, a good example is this: if all you hear are progressive or conservative voices, how will you be able to honestly appreciate the strengths or weaknesses of each position if you don’t also hear the arguments of the contrasting side? Without the “opposition” Lehi spoke of, the best that can be said of your life is that you live in blissful ignorance! There is value in withholding judgement on something till you have made the effort to listen to all sides of an issue. This requires personal courage, for learning all sides requires a willingness to admit your initial position on a topic is wrong and that you need to change your mind.
Another application, which Lehi alluded to is you can’t be good if there’s no opportunity or enticement to be evil. It’s easy to be good when you’re surrounded by good. It’s much more noble and challenging to be good when surrounded by evil. This isn’t to say we should strive to live among evil, but rather to credit those who remain good in evil environments or those who achieve greatness when starting from severely disadvantaged positions. These are the great battles of our day, where good people remain good or continue to do the right thing when the world tells them they are wrong.
Another equally graphic example is a thought experiment. Consider for a minute if all the world was white, with no shade of any contrasting color. How could you identify shapes? How could you even see the world around you? All would be a mesmerizing white. Shapes would be elusive for there would be no shadows (they’re dark after all) to give a hint at form. Just as there is value in contrast in this example, there is value in having an eclectic knowledge of the world and events.
To summarize:
1. Opposition is also contrast and empowers choice.
2. Understanding opposing views helps us better appreciate our own.
3. This contrast of views helps us more clearly perceive the world around us.
To understand the milieu of the Book of Mormon, follow this link.
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