Opposition in All Things

One of the podcasts I listened to this week (Unshaken Saints) pointed out that the content of Doctrine and Covenants sections 111-114 contrasts sharply with the two sections (109-110) that we studied last week. In 109-110 the saints have experienced a spiritual high with the Kirtland Temple dedication (109) and the subsequent heavenly beings that visited the temple one week after the dedication (110). But on the heels of these two spiritual experiences, we get sections 111-112 where we read about a lot of trials among the Saints with financial struggles (111) and dissention among the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (112).

The principle we can learn from this contrast is that often after coming away from spiritual experiences we are soon after confronted with feelings of fear and doubt; that after spiritual highs there will be an accompanying low--as if life (or Satan) wants to break up our spiritual momentum so we start to second guess those spiritual experiences.

I really appreciated understanding this principle more fully this week, especially after general conference. General Conference has become a spiritual high for me every six months, but within days (or even hours) after listening, I start to experience what Sister Joy D. Jones called "general conference overwhelm" and I start to doubt my capabilities of being able to follow through on all the personal revelation I received throughout the conference.  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave some wonderful advice for this when he said "I wish to encourage every one of you today regarding opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose...The reminder is that we cannot sign on for a moment of such eternal significance and everlasting consequence without knowing it will be a fight—a good fight and a winning fight, but a fight nevertheless"(Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence). 

I love the thought that we need to fight back when that opposition comes; that we need to push through that opposition and have confidence in the spiritual experiences and feelings that we've had. We should not be surprised by the opposition that we face in these moments, but instead we should expect it. In that same talk Elder Holland said: "Face your doubts. Master your fears. 'Cast not away therefore your confidence.' Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you." As we trust the Lord's promise that he will "order all things for our good" (111:11), we will be blessed with the peace of mind that comes from putting the details of our lives into the hands of an omniscient Father who wants nothing more than to have us follow His son Jesus Christ so we can return to live with Them someday.