An Opposition In All Things

Long has been the story told about how there must be an opposition in all things. From the pre-existence there was Satan, Lucifer the Son of the Morning. In the beginning we were with God in his presence. We learned all we could while there. Until the moment we couldn’t progress any more, we were unable to become like God. So, we were given the opportunity to come to Earth to gain a body. A Savior would be provided to atone for our sins enabling us to come back to the presence of God.

The idea that an opposition must be in all things comes from 2nd Nephi:

For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn 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. 1

It was Satan who did not understand the mind of God.2 He caused 1/3 of the hosts of heaven to leave the presence of God, to be banished down to Earth without a mortal body and to endure life without the possibility to achieve Godhood and the Celestial Kingdom.

Now some would say that God created evil, I’m on the fence about this. God created Satan, yes this is true. But Satan chose his path. God did not tell Satan to follow the path which he chose. He and his followers were punished for choosing to fight against the Lamb of God.3

So, what was the opposition that landed Satan into hot water exactly? I mean, he must have ticked God off pretty good to be sent to Outer Darkness and banished to the Earth without a body, labeled a Son of Perdition.

It’s quite simple.

And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor. 4

Satan wanted to save everyone, no matter what would happen during this life. He wanted all to be able to come back to God and live with God forever. God wanted his children to have agency and to choose for themselves the path which they would walk. The concept of agency has been around since before the beginning of the world was.

Because of agency Satan was able to stand before God and the rest of God’s children and present his idea for the plan of salvation. One which did not require an atonement. In fact, Satan wanted to destroy man’s agency.5 In return, Satan wanted God’s honor. We learn that those who follow God in righteousness is attributed to God’s power and glory. His honor as it were. Surly Satan wanted people to follow him, and follow him they did right down to hell.

Because of this, Satan spends all his days trying to lead the children of God down to hell. He is miserable and wishes God’s children to be miserable like he is.6 He has his minions working for him for they too are miserable.

So, God created the Earth and populated it with Adam and Eve. Satan was allowed to roam among them where he enticed them to partake of the forbidden fruit. Because an opposition was needed, God needed Satan to tempt Adam and Eve. He needed them to eat of the fruit so they would be kicked out of the Garden of Eden in order to follow God’s commandments to multiply and replenish the Earth.

We learn that before they partook of the fruit and fell, blood didn’t flow through their veins.7 They were unable to have children and the spirits of God wouldn’t be able to come to Earth thus putting a stop to God’s plan. But, Satan did his job and Adam and Eve partook of the fruit; and here we are because of it.

I wonder if God would have found another way to accomplish His plan of salvation had Satan not turned against Him. But one can only speculate in regards to that.

There are other examples in the Bible of an opposition in things. The betrayal of Jesus comes to mind. Judas was needed to betray Jesus to be arrested and hung on the cross at Calvary. It was all done because it had to be done. There could no other way be for the purposes of God to be accomplished and finished according to the law.

Throughout the ages of the world, there have been those who have been in opposition to the work of God. But the work of God will not be disturbed or halted, no matter what happens. His ways are eternal and will forever be moving forward like a stone cut out of a mountain without hands and it will continue until it covers the whole Earth.

1. 2 Nephi 2:11

2. Moses 4:6

3. Revelation 12:7-9

4. Moses 4:1

5. Moses 4:3

6. 2 Nephi 2:27

7. When Adam was in the Garden of Eden, he was not subject to death. There was no blood in his body and he could have remained there forever. This is true of all the other creations” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:76–77).