"Opposition in All Things"

General Conference Applied

S3 E32 – Sunday, October 6, 2024 | “Opposition in All Things” by Elder Mathias Held; April 2024 General Conference

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Podcast Episode Outline

Introduction

Bio

“Elder Mathias Held was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018, at age 57. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy in the South America Northwest Area. He served at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City in various committees and assignments. He currently serves in the North America Northeast Area Presidency.

“Elder Held has served in several Church callings, including high councilor, high priests group leader, elders quorum president, counselor in a stake presidency, and counselor in a bishopric.

“Elder Held received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, in 1983. In 1985 he received a master’s degree in business administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business in Canada. He worked for more than 25 years for Mercedes-Benz in different countries such as Germany, Guatemala, and Brazil and most recently in Colombia as general manager. In 2017 he began working as general manager of LED Industrial Group Colombia.

“Tomas Mathias Eduardo Held was born in Bogotá, Colombia, on June 5, 1960. He married Irene Jungkurth in 1985. They are the parents of three children.”
This was Elder Held’s second general conference address:
- “Seeking Knowledge by the Spirit” – April 2019 General Conference: “My dear wife, Irene, and I joined the Church 31 years ago when we were newly married. We had both grown up in Colombia, but a few months after our marriage, my career took us to live in Germany. We were very young and had great hopes and expectations; it was an especially exciting and happy time for us.
  
  “While I was concentrated on my career, Irene was feeling that we would receive some kind of message from heaven, without knowing how or when. So she started letting into our home all kinds of door-to-door salespeople with encyclopedias, vacuum cleaners, cookbooks, kitchen appliances, and so on, always waiting for that unique message.
  
  “One evening she told me that two young men in dark suits had knocked on our door and that she had felt a very clear and distinct impression to let them in. They had said that they wanted to talk to her about God but would come back again when I was also at home. Could this be the expected message?
  
  “They began to visit us, and with their guidance, we read in the scriptures and came to understand the crucial importance of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Redeemer. We soon regretted that we had been baptized as little babies, which had not been a conscious covenant. However, being baptized again would also mean becoming members of this new Church, so first we really needed to understand everything about it.
  
  “But how could we know if what the missionaries were telling us about the Book of Mormon, about Joseph Smith, and about the plan of salvation was actually all true? Well, we had understood from the words of the Lord that we could ‘know them by their fruits.’ So, in a very systematic manner, we started examining the Church by looking for those fruits with the eyes of our very rational minds. What did we see? Well, we saw:
  
  “Friendly and happy people and wonderful families who understood that we are meant to feel joy in this life and not just suffering and misery.
  “A church that does not have a paid clergy but one in which members themselves accept assignments and responsibilities.
  “A church where Jesus Christ and families are at the center of everything, where members fast once a month and donate to help the poor and needy, where healthy habits are promoted, teaching us to abstain from harmful substances.
  
  “In addition:
  
  “We liked the emphasis on personal growth, on education, on hard work and self-reliance.
  “We learned about the remarkable humanitarian program.
  “And we were impressed by the general conferences, with the wonderful music and the profound spiritual principles shared there.
  
  “Seeing all this, we could find no fault in the Church. On the contrary, we liked everything we saw very much. However, we still could not decide to be baptized because we wanted to know everything before doing so.
  
  “But, even in our indecision, the Lord was patiently preparing us, He was molding us, and He was helping us to discover that we should learn to discern the truth not only through our rational minds but also through the very still and small voice of the Spirit, which speaks especially to our hearts.
  
  “That voice and the resulting feeling came one evening after 10 months of learning the gospel, when we read in Mosiah 18, ‘As ye are desirous to … bear one another’s burdens, … and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, … if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord?’
  
  “That passage from the Book of Mormon entered our hearts and souls, and we suddenly felt and knew that there was really no reason not to be baptized. We realized that the desires mentioned in these verses were also the wishes of our hearts and that those things were what really mattered. They were more important than understanding everything because we already knew enough. We had always relied on the guiding hand of a loving Heavenly Father and were confident that He would continue to guide us.
  
  “So, that same day, we set up a date for our baptism, and soon we were baptized, finally!”

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “Let us constantly make a very conscious effort to see both sides of every coin allotted to us in our lives. Even though both sides might sometimes not be immediately visible to us, we can know and trust that they are always there.”

Find the silver lining in your challenges.
“Remember that we are agents and not objects. …

“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.

“These opposites are all like the two sides of one same coin. Both sides are always present. …

“Our world today is often characterized by fear and anxiety—fear of what the future might bring for us. But Jesus has taught us to trust and ‘look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not.’ …

“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.

“When in health, cherish and be grateful for it every moment. When in sickness, seek to patiently learn from it and know that this can change again according to God’s will. When in sorrow, trust that happiness is around the corner; we often just cannot see it yet. Consciously shift your focus and elevate your thoughts to the positive aspects of challenges, because they are undoubtedly always there too! Never forget to be grateful. Choose to believe. Choose to have faith in Jesus Christ. Choose to always trust God. Choose to ‘think celestial,’ as President Russell M. Nelson recently taught us!” -Elder Held
Christlike Attribute: “I face adversity with patience and faith. (Alma 34:40–41)” (Patience)
Questions:
1. Who else shared a similar principle in recent general conference addresses?
  - “The Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives Every Day“, Elder Joaquin E. Costa, October 2023 General Conference: “When our pain or the pain of someone we love is so much that we can’t bear it, remembering Jesus Christ and coming unto Him can lighten the burden, soften the heart, and ease the pain. This is the power that enabled a father beyond his natural capacity to sustain his daughter through the physical and emotional pain of losing her leg. When Elder Soares visited Argentina last June and asked Flavia about her tragic accident, she faithfully replied, ‘I experienced turmoil, bitterness, anger, and hate when [this happened]. Something that helped me was not to ask, ‘why me?’ but ‘what for?’ … This was something that brought me closer to others and the Lord. … Instead of distancing myself from Him, I had to cling to Him.'”
  - “All Things for Our Good“, Elder Gerrit W. Gong, April 2024 General Conference: “A Chinese story begins as a man’s son finds a beautiful horse.
    
    “‘How fortunate,’ the neighbors say.
    “‘We’ll see,’ says the man.
    “Then the son falls off the horse and is permanently injured.
    “‘How unfortunate,’ the neighbors say.
    “‘We’ll see,’ says the man.
    “A conscripting army comes but doesn’t take the injured son.
    “‘How fortunate,’ the neighbors say.
    “‘We’ll see,’ says the man.
    
    “This fickle world often feels tempest tossed, uncertain, sometimes fortunate, and—too often—unfortunate. Yet, in this world of tribulation, ‘we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.’ Indeed, as we walk uprightly and remember our covenants, ‘all things shall work together for your good.'”
  - “Trust in the Lord“, Elder Paul B. Pieper, April 2024 General Conference: “After I finished law school in Utah, our family faced the important decision of where to work and make our home. After counseling with each other and the Lord, we felt directed to move our family to the eastern United States, far from parents and siblings. Initially, things went well, and we felt confirmed in our decision. But then things changed. There was downsizing at the law firm, and I faced the prospect of no job or insurance at the very time our daughter Dora was born with serious medical challenges and long-term special needs. While confronting these challenges, I was extended a call to serve that would require significant time and commitment.
    
    “I had never faced such a challenge and was overwhelmed. I began to question the decision we had made and its accompanying confirmation. We had trusted in the Lord, and things were supposed to work out. I had fallen backward, and it now appeared that no one was going to catch me.
    
    “One day the words ‘Don’t ask why; ask what I want you to learn’ came distinctly into my mind and heart. Now I was even more confused. In the very moment I was struggling with my earlier decision, God was inviting me to trust Him even more. Looking back, this was a critical point in my life—it was the moment when I realized that the best way to learn to trust in God was simply by trusting Him. In the subsequent weeks, I watched with amazement as the Lord miraculously unfolded His plan to bless our family.
    
    “Good teachers and coaches know that intellectual growth and physical strength can happen only when minds and muscles are stretched. Likewise, God invites us to grow by trusting His spiritual tutoring through soul-stretching experiences. Therefore, we can be sure that whatever trust we may have demonstrated in God in the past, another trust-stretching experience lies yet ahead. God is focused on our growth and progress. He is the Master Teacher, the complete coach who is always stretching us to help us realize more of our divine potential. That will always include a future invitation to trust Him just a little bit more.”
2. What needs to change in my life so that I can better follow Jesus Christ’s invitation to ‘look unto [Him] in every thought; doubt not, fear not’?
3. How could I have a better attitude about the challenges I’m currently facing?
  - “How Rich People Think” by Steve Siebold (this book was a recommendation that my cousin included in his book “5 Steps to A Million“): “The rich use their brainpower in addition to the brainpower of others to hone in on ultra specific solutions their competitors have given up on. While the middle class makes simple problems seem complex, the world class makes complex problems seem simple. Their ability to reduce any problem to an elementary level allows them to see solutions most academics wouldn’t even consider. The wealthy aren’t interested in the means, only the end. Solve the problem, get compensated, and repeat the process until you’re rich. End of story. This single-minded focus always pays off sooner or later, at which time the masses will call it luck. …
    
    “After studying millionaires for 26 years, I can state with authority that their biggest advantage is their focus, dedication and hard work. While on the surface this seems self-evident, the hard work I’m referencing is not back breaking toil. Hard work to the rich is applying persistent thought day after day to solve seemingly unsolvable problems. The rich know their most valuable asset is their ability to think, and because they use their mental powers so often, they become very good at it. So while the construction worker, roofer or millwright labors away for relatively little compensation, the professional thinker is the highest paid worker in the world. The more proficient they get, the wealthier they become. This is the non-linear approach to getting rich most people don’t understand. When the masses refer to hard work it usually involves physical labor at some level. A millionaire’s hard work is often staring out the window in deafening silence thinking of how to solve a problem. They know few problems can defend the assault of sustained thought. When most people clock out at five, the great ones may physically leave the building but are still mentally engaged. Some of their best thoughts and biggest ideas are conceived in the shower, at the movies, or during their daily exercise routine.”
  - Embrace challenges – they help us grow!
4. What are scriptural examples of those who embraced the importance of challenges?
  - Compare Laman and Lemuel’s responses to Nephi’s responses:
  - 1. Obtaining the Brass Plates: 1 Nephi 3:4-7 – “[4] Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me that thou and thy brothers should go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness. [5] And now, behold thy brothers murmur, saying it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord. [6] Therefore go, my son, and thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured. [7] And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”
  - 2. Breaking the Steel Bow: 1 Nephi 16:18-20,23,30-32 – “[18] And it came to pass that as I, Nephi, went forth to slay food, behold, I did break my bow, which was made of fine steel; and after I did break my bow, behold, my brethren were angry with me because of the loss of my bow, for we did obtain no food. [19] And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food. [20] And it came to pass that Laman and Lemuel and the sons of Ishmael did begin to murmur exceedingly, because of their sufferings and afflictions in the wilderness; and also my father began to murmur against the Lord his God; yea, and they were all exceedingly sorrowful, even that they did murmur against the Lord. [23] And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did make out of wood a bow, and out of a straight stick, an arrow; wherefore, I did arm myself with a bow and an arrow, with a sling and with stones. And I said unto my father: Whither shall I go to obtain food? [30] And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did go forth up into the top of the mountain, according to the directions which were given upon the ball. [31] And it came to pass that I did slay wild beasts, insomuch that I did obtain food for our families. [32] And it came to pass that I did return to our tents, bearing the beasts which I had slain; and now when they beheld that I had obtained food, how great was their joy! And it came to pass that they did humble themselves before the Lord, and did give thanks unto him.”
  - 3. Building a Ship: 1 Nephi 17:8-9,17-18 – “[8] And it came to pass that the Lord spake unto me, saying: Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters. [9] And I said: Lord, whither shall I go that I may find ore to molten, that I may make tools to construct the ship after the manner which thou hast shown unto me? [17] And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters. [18] And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.”
5. Is it wise to pray for challenging life experiences? Or should we instead be seeking for a life of ease?
  - “Let me give an example from our own life. Getting married, forming a family, and having children brought to us the greatest moments of joy we have ever experienced in our lives but also the most profound moments of pain, anguish, and grief when something happened to any one of us. Infinite joy and bliss with our children were sometimes also followed by recurring periods of sicknesses, hospitalizations, and sleepless nights filled with distress, as well as finding relief in prayers and priesthood blessings. 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. These experiences helped to shape us in wonderful ways, and it has all been totally worthwhile. Is this not what we came here for?
    
    “In the scriptures we also find some interesting examples:
    
    “1. Lehi taught his son Jacob that the afflictions he suffered in the wilderness helped him know the greatness of God and that ‘[God] shall consecrate [his] afflictions for [his] gain.’
    “2. 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.’
    “3. Finally, Jesus Christ’s infinite sacrifice was certainly the greatest example of pain and suffering ever seen, but it also brought about the wonderful blessings of His Atonement to all of God’s children.” -Elder Held
  - “Mountains to Climb“, President Henry B. Eyring, April 2012 General Conference: “I heard President Spencer W. Kimball, in a session of conference, ask that God would give him mountains to climb. He said: ‘There are great challenges ahead of us, giant opportunities to be met. I welcome that exciting prospect and feel to say to the Lord, humbly, ‘Give me this mountain,’ give me these challenges.’
    
    “My heart was stirred, knowing, as I did, some of the challenges and adversity he had already faced. I felt a desire to be more like him, a valiant servant of God. So one night I prayed for a test to prove my courage. I can remember it vividly. In the evening I knelt in my bedroom with a faith that seemed almost to fill my heart to bursting.
    
    “Within a day or two my prayer was answered. The hardest trial of my life surprised and humbled me. It provided me a twofold lesson. First, I had clear proof that God heard and answered my prayer of faith. But second, I began a tutorial that still goes on to learn about why I felt with such confidence that night that a great blessing could come from adversity to more than compensate for any cost. …
    
    “My mother fought cancer for nearly 10 years. Treatments and surgeries and finally confinement to her bed were some of her trials.
    
    “I remember my father saying as he watched her take her last breath, ‘A little girl has gone home to rest.’
    
    “One of the speakers at her funeral was President Spencer W. Kimball. Among the tributes he paid, I remember one that went something like this: ‘Some of you may have thought that Mildred suffered so long and so much because of something she had done wrong that required the trials.’ He then said, ‘No, it was that God just wanted her to be polished a little more.’ I remember at the time thinking, ‘If a woman that good needed that much polishing, what is ahead for me?'”
6. How often do I thank Heavenly Father in prayer for the challenges I’ve faced and I am currently facing?
7. Why is it so important ‘to see both sides of every coin allotted to us in our lives’?
8. When I’m healthy, am I ‘grateful for it every moment’? When I’m sick, do I ‘seek to patiently learn from it’?
  - “Think Celestial!“, President Russell M. Nelson, October 2023 General Conference: “As I have wrestled with the intense pain caused by my recent injury, I have felt even deeper appreciation for Jesus Christ and the incomprehensible gift of His Atonement. Think of it! The Savior suffered ‘pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind’ so that He can comfort us, heal us, rescue us in times of need. Jesus Christ described His experience in Gethsemane and on Calvary: ‘Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore.’ My injury has caused me to reflect again and again on ‘the greatness of the Holy One of Israel.’ During my healing, the Lord has manifested His divine power in peaceful and unmistakable ways.”
9. In my life, what does it look like to ‘consciously shift [my] focus and elevate [my] thoughts to the positive aspects of challenges’?
10. Do I believe Elder Held’s statement: ‘It is our attitudes and choices that define us much better than our challenges’?
  - Alexander Hamilton lyrics:
    “Alexander Hamilton. My name is Alexander Hamilton. And there’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait, just you wait.
    
    “When he was ten, his father split, full of it, debt-ridden. Two years later, see Alex and his mother bed-ridden half-dead, sittin’ in their own sick, the scent thick. And Alex got better but his mother went quick.
    
    “Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide. Left him with nothin’ but ruined pride, something new inside. A voice saying, Alex, you gotta fend for yourself. …
    
    “Oh, Alexander Hamilton. When America sings for you, will they know what you overcame? …
    
    “The ship is in the harbor now, see if you can spot him. Another immigrant comin’ up from the bottom.”
  - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Russell M. Nelson – Chapter 4: Faith in Jesus Christ – “Faith will not prevent life’s problems but will help when things go wrong. Bad things happen to good people. Accidents occur. Some married couples may not be blessed with children. Others may not marry in this life, or they may find themselves married to one who fails to keep the commandments of God. The Lord is aware of these circumstances. He will bestow all the blessings that He has in store for His faithful children—in His own way and in His own time [see Doctrine and Covenants 130:20–21]. Be righteous, be patient, keep an eternal perspective, and you will be protected.
    
    “Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord ‘shall suffer persecution’ [2 Timothy 3:12]. That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.
    
    “How you deal with life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth. …
    
    “I testify that God is our Father. Jesus is the Christ. His Church has been restored to the earth. His truth, covenants, and ordinances enable us to overcome fear and face the future with faith!”

Take Action

How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?

Conclusion

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