Yin and Yang - Can there be good in bad?

I once had an experience where a friend and I were talking about the yin and yang sign, and this person had so much misunderstanding and dislike for the sign.

"The principle of Yin and Yang is that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites, for example, female-male, dark-light and old-young. The principle, dating from the 3rd century BCE or even earlier, is a fundamental concept in Chinese philosophy and culture in general."

As we talked, this person made it clear they they did not agree with the fact that there is a little good in bad things and a little bad in good things. I like to think of it in two ways.

1. To have the good, you have to have the bad. Adam and Eve were only good in the Garden of Eden (bad did not exist, bad was not an option). If they had not given that up, the only good existence they lived, they never would have known good AND evil or had the ability to progress. Lehi, in 2 Nephi 2:23 says, "...wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." Sometimes, by doing something bad, we find something good, like understanding and knowledge.

2. There is always something good in a bad situation. Even when we are down and worn out, there is always something good that we can find.

For example, Abinadi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, was led to call the people of wicked King Noah to repentance. He testified boldly of keeping the the 10 Commandments that Moses received from God, and he prophesied the coming of the Savior. As the story goes, King Noah and his wicked priests didn't appreciate being called out in their sins and they sentenced Abinadi to death. A bad situation, no?

One man was changed because of Abinadi doing his best to do good in a bad situation, Alma. Alma fled from his fellow wicked priests, repented of his sins, and wrote down the words of Abinadi, who at this point had been killed. Alma teaches the people in secret and, "he did baptize every one that went forth... they were i number about two hundred and four souls..." God allows agency and does not always interfer with that; however, he can take any situation (however horrible is seems) and bring forth goodness.

Dallin H. Oaks stated:

“God rarely infringes on the agency of any of His children by intervening against some for the relief of others. But He does ease the burdens of our afflictions and strengthen us to bear them. … He does not prevent all disasters, but He does answer our prayers to turn them aside. …

“Through all mortal opposition, we have God’s assurance that He will ‘consecrate [our] afflictions for [our] gain’ (2 Nephi 2:2).”

Let us take this Christmas season and see the good in the bad, give light to those who need it, and let the love of the Savior come into the world.

-Julia

#anditcametopass #singlelife #oppositioninallthings #lighttheworld #sharegoodness #yinyang #yourewinningatlife