As we study the scriptures, and as we make an effort to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we learn and experience doctrines that may seem contradictory. What do we do when we encounter that? How do we approach doctrines that seem opposed to each other?
We learn truth as we study and weigh all gospel doctrines. “[T]he course of the Lord is one eternal round,”1 and doctrines of the gospel are harmonized in the plan of salvation. For example, the grace of Jesus Christ is a fundamental aspect of the plan of salvation. On the other hand, we have been given our agency, and our Father in Heaven wants us to use our agency and work. While one scripture might emphasize grace, another might emphasize the importance of work. Neither doctrine stands alone, and we understand truth more deeply and fully as we learn how those scriptures complement rather than contradict each other.
The purpose of this post is not to provide answers or to explain apparent discrepancies. Whole books could be (and have been) written about many of these subjects. Instead, the purpose of this post is to emphasize the need to study and live these doctrines. As we seek learning “by study and also by faith,”2 and not just some doctrines, but all of them, we discover absolute and eternal truth. We learn how to evaluate and weigh gospel doctrines within the entirety of the plan of salvation, and we learn how to find peace in gospel paradoxes.
What is a paradox?
A paradox is “a situation or statement that seems impossible or is difficult to understand because it contains two opposite facts or characteristics.”3 It can also be described as an “apparently self-contradictory statement, the underlying meaning of which is revealed only by careful scrutiny.”4 Essentially, a paradox is made of two things that seem contrary, but are in fact both true.
As we study seemingly contradictory gospel doctrines, we often learn that they complement each other. We learn line upon line, and precept upon precept,5 and as we continue to study, as we are patient and allow the Lord to teach us in His time, we will see that these seeming paradoxes harmonize rather than contradict. We need to learn to be comfortable with complexity as we patiently wait for the Lord to teach us His simplicity.
Diligence and rest
I first recognized a gospel paradox while studying church history and the Doctrine and Covenants. After the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon were lost, the plates were taken from Joseph. When they were returned, the Lord gave him a revelation now found in Section 10 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In that revelation, the Lord taught Joseph a simple principle that contains a paradox:
Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end.6
This principle is taught in other scriptures, such as by King Benjamin: “[I]t is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.”7
In my mind, this principle teaches balance. How often do we hear people say we shouldn’t run faster than we have strength? But if we were to rely only on that statement, we could justify idleness. On the other hand, if we focused only on diligence, we would exhaust ourselves and experience burnout. Diligence and rest (or moderation) both have their place and are equally important, and as we ponder how to apply both principles, we learn how to find balance. This has been taught by many secular mental health professionals:
[B]y single-mindedly trying to accomplish more in less time, by disregarding your natural rhythms, by not balancing work with play, you’re likely to end up “running on fumes.” And sooner or later, you’re likely to be worn down and out, with nothing more to give to what once you enthusiastically undertook “on all cylinders.”8
Diligent and rest seem to be a paradox. But as we study and live both principles, we find balance, and we learn a great truth that can help us find peace in a busy life.
Obedience and repentance
In the gospel of Jesus Christ, we are taught the importance of keeping the commandments and being obedient. However, we are also taught to repent. Those teachings are seemingly contradictory: if we kept the commandments, we wouldn’t need to repent; on the other hand, because we can repent, maybe keeping the commandments isn’t that important. But both obedience and repentance are vital, powerful doctrines that complement each other. We must learn to harmonize them, rather than emphasize one over the other, or minimize the importance of either.
Alma taught his son Helaman, “how strict are the commandments of God.”9 On the other side of the paradox, the Lord has taught that “he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”10
So how do we reconcile the strictness of obedience and the mercy of repentance? The only way to do it is to study both and learn how both are true and vital principles. For example, when the Lord visited the American Continent, He taught, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”11 When we consider that repentance is itself a commandment, the paradox disappears, and we see that these doctrines are harmonious.
As we study both obedience and repentance, we learn that repentance is not simply doing whatever we want then seeking forgiveness, because repentance is so much more than simply excusing our actions: “I desire that ye should deny the justice of God no more. Do not endeavor to excuse yourself in the least point because of your sins, by denying the justice of God; but do you let the justice of God, and his mercy, and his long-suffering have full sway in your heart; and let it bring you down to the dust in humility.”12
The Lord requires obedience. But He also teaches repentance. By studying and living both principles, we learn line upon line, we strive to be obedient, and repent daily. Striving to understand both doctrines helps us find peace in imperfection, and helps us feel gratitude to the Lord for the gift of repentance.
Faith and testimony
Faith and testimony are an apparent paradox, as one teaches that we must move forward without knowing, but the other teaches that we must gain knowledge.
Alma taught that “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”13
But we are also taught that we should strive to gain a testimony, which means we know that certain things are true. Job testified, “I know that my redeemer liveth.”14 The Lord has promised that “he that believeth these things which I have spoken, him will I visit with the manifestations of my Spirit, and he shall know and bear record. For because of my Spirit he shall know that these things are true; for it persuadeth men to do good.”15
In perhaps the most famous scripture in the Book of Mormon, sometimes known as Moroni’s Promise, Moroni told us that if we will read, ponder, and pray, then “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”16
Faith is moving forward even though we don’t know. But the promise is that we can know. Both promises and principles are true, and the only way to know that they’re true is to live them, and learn by experience. In reality, faith and testimony ultimately aren’t paradoxes. Faith is a precursor to testimony. This is a great example of how we can harmonize seemingly opposite doctrines. They often complement, rather than oppose each other.
Revelation and agency
The Holy Ghost is a revelator,17 and so as we receive the Holy Ghost, we receive revelation and knowledge from God. On the other hand, we are taught that we have our agency, and we need to use that agency to seek knowledge. Is it a paradox that God gives us knowledge, but we’re supposed to search out knowledge? Or is this one doctrine viewed from different perspectives?
There are many scriptures that teach us that God gives us knowledge:
- D&C 8:2, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”
- 1 Nephi 4:6, “And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do.”
- Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
- D&C 121:26, “God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost.”
- Luke 12:11-12, “[T]ake ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.”
- D&C 84:85, “Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.”
Based on these scriptures, it seems that God gives us knowledge through revelation. But there are also many scriptures that teach that our knowledge comes through our effort:
- D&C 58:26-28, “For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.”
- D&C 88:118, “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
- 2 Nephi 2:16, “Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.”
Perhaps this seeming paradox is the most easily reconciled of everything that has been discussed so far. In addition to scriptures teaching that we gain knowledge from God, and that we must work for knowledge, there are many scriptures that teach us that we must ask to receive revelation. In other words, the work we must do is to seek revelation, then that knowledge comes as a gift as we strive to learn:
- Matthew 7:7-8, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
- Alma 37:37, “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.”
- D&C 9:7-8, “Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.”
The greatest knowledge we can gain comes from God through revelation. But it is also true that we must strive to gain that knowledge by asking for revelation. Revelation and agency, although they may seem to be paradoxes, are in fact complementary, as we must exercise our agency to receive revelation:
These four words—“Receive the Holy Ghost”—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon (see 2 Nephi 2:26). The Holy Ghost does not become operative in our lives merely because hands are placed upon our heads and those four important words are spoken. As we receive this ordinance, each of us accepts a sacred and ongoing responsibility to desire, to seek, to work, and to so live that we indeed “receive the Holy Ghost” and its attendant spiritual gifts.18
Grace and works
Are we saved by grace or by works? This simple question sparks significant debate. Certainly, we cannot be saved without the grace of Jesus Christ. But He also commands us to exercise faith, repent, and keep His commandments. Aren’t these works? As we consider the entirety of the scriptures and the totality of the plan of salvation, we can learn that grace and works are not opposite doctrines. But if we take just a few scriptures at a time in isolation, there does appear to be a paradox.
Many scriptures emphasize that salvation comes by the grace of God:
- Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- Titus 3:4-7, “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
- Romans 3:23-28, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; . . . Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.”
There are also many scriptures that teach the importance of works:
- James 2:24, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”
- Matthew 16:27, “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.”
- Revelation 20:12, “the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
It is true that we are saved by the Savior’s grace. But it is also true that the Lord has given us commandments and that He requires obedience. So how do we reconcile the application of the Lord’s grace and our own works?
If we focus too much on the Savior’s grace, then it could cause us to feel like it’s not as important to be obedient, and perhaps agree with Nehor who said “that all mankind should be saved at the last day, and that they need not fear nor tremble, but that they might lift up their heads and rejoice; for the Lord had created all men, and had also redeemed all men; and, in the end, all men should have eternal life.”19
On the other hand, too much emphasis and focus on works could cause significant anxiety, or make us feel like it’s not possible for us to be saved. An understanding of the Savior’s grace brings peace and joy. An understanding of the importance of obedience and good works helps us strive to live good lives. Both sides of this paradox are true, and an understanding of both doctrines can bring us tremendous peace as we recognize and experience the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.
Healing and mortality
This is perhaps the most challenging gospel paradox discussed in this post. Sickness and health problems have a tremendous impact on our lives. Miraculous healings, while real, are not often experienced in the dramatic ways we read about in the scriptures. This becomes a very practical paradox as we struggle with health issues and wonder why we aren’t healed.
We are taught in the life and example of Jesus Christ that He has the power to heal, and if we exercise faith in Him, we can be healed. And yet, we get sick, we suffer, and an unalterable aspect of the plan of salvation is that our mortal lives will end in death. The paradox of healing and mortality can be quite painful.
We read many examples of the power of the Savior to heal, the power that He gives his disciples to heal, and that this power seems to be exercised in accordance with our faith:
- Luke 7:22, “[T]he blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised.”
- Mark 9:21-23, “And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him? And he said, Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”
- Luke 10:1, 9, 17, “[T]he Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, . . . And heal the sick that are therein, . . . And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.”
- Mormon 9:24, “And these signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover.”
- Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, “Chapter 33: The Spiritual Gifts of Healing, Tongues, Prophecy, and Discerning,” “In July 1839, when the Saints had recently moved to Commerce, Illinois, and there was much sickness among them, Joseph Smith recorded: . . . ‘I spoke, and admonished the members of the Church individually to set their houses in order, to make clean the inside of the platter, and to meet on the next Sabbath to partake of the Sacrament, in order that by our obedience to the ordinances, we might be enabled to prevail with God against the destroyer, and that the sick might be healed. All this week chiefly spent among the sick, who in general are gaining strength, and recovering health.'”
The scriptures and the history of the Church are filled with stories of people being healed. And yet, we also see examples of people remaining in their sickness, or dying:
- 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
- 2 Timothy 4:20, “Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.”
- 2 Kings 13:14, 20, “Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. . . . And Elisha died, and they buried him.”
- David A. Bednar, “Accepting the Lord’s Will and Timing,” August 2016, “[D]o you have the faith not to be healed? If it is the will of our Heavenly Father that you are transferred by death in your youth to the spirit world to continue your ministry, do you have the faith to submit to His will and not be healed?”
This topic hits quite personally. As my wife and I get older, we are dealing more and more with health issues. We pray, fast, exercise faith, and hope for healing. While we see miracles and recognize the Lord’s blessings, we have dealt with the same health issues for years. It’s hard not to wonder whether we’re exercising enough faith, or whether we’re worthy, or whether we would be healed if we were more righteous.
And yet, the peace to understand this paradox comes over time in small and simple ways. It can be hard to accept, but as we study and trust, the answers are there: “But behold, it was appointed unto man to die.”20 “For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection.”21 As difficult as it might be to accept, a primary purpose of mortality is to die, that we might be resurrected through the atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. And so, we experience sickness and health problems, and at some point we reach the end of our mortality and die.
As we live through it, we can struggle to understand why we have to experience health problems. But as we study, exercise faith, seek revelation, and trust the Lord, we can experience the peace that comes from knowing and understanding His truth (even if it’s hard).
Blessings and trials
We are taught that we will be blessed if we keep the commandments. These promised blessings can be temporal or spiritual, temporary or long-lasting. On the other hand, we are also taught that in mortality, we must endure trials. So when we are going through trials, how do we know if it’s because we’re not being obedient, or if it’s just because we are facing a mortal trial? If we don’t see promised blessings, how do we avoid doubting the promises?
In the scriptures, we learn of many promised blessings that flow from obedience:
- 2 Nephi 4:4, “For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.”
- Mosiah 2:41, “I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual.”
- Malachi 3:10, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
- Mosiah 2:24, “[H]e doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you.”
- D&C 89:18-20, “And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint.”
Despite these promised blessings, we also see many examples of people who do their best to follow God, but suffer. We see it in the scriptures, we see it in the lives of the people around us, and we see it in our own lives.
- D&C 121:1-3, “O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? . . . Yea, O Lord, how long shall they suffer these wrongs and unlawful oppressions, before thine heart shall be softened toward them, and thy bowels be moved with compassion toward them?”
- Alma 14:8, “[W]hosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire.”
- Jacob 7:26, “[O]ur lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days.”
- D&C 127:2, “[T]he envy and wrath of man have been my common lot all the days of my life.”
Perhaps one of the difficulties of this particular paradox is not just that we suffer, but that often our suffering is outward and seen by others, causing them to question our sincerity or our faithfulness. For example, the entire book of Job is about a righteous man who underwent significant trials, and his friends accused him of sinfulness, because “who ever perished, being innocent? or where were the righteous cut off?”22 In Jesus’ time, there were many who believed the Galileans were sinners, “because they suffered.”23 And in the Book of Mormon, the promise of prospering if we keep the commandments caused many to think that their wealth came from their righteousness, and poverty came because of wickedness.24
It is true that God blesses us when we are obedient. But it is also true that one purpose of this mortal life is to experience trials. We know that. But when we live through trials, it can cause us to question whether we’re doing enough, or whether God cares, or maybe even to begin to doubt and wonder if the promises are true. However, if we continue in patience, endure, trust in God, and continue to study, we can gain peace through the Comforter. If we humbly seek the Lord, we will see that He does bless us, most often in small and simple ways, to help us through our trials, not necessarily out of them.
How do we approach gospel paradoxes?
What do we do when we encounter truths that seem contradictory? There isn’t an easy answer, but we can find peace as we study both doctrines on either end of the paradox, and as we seek to live in faith and with patience. As we learn line upon line, we begin to see that these seeming paradoxes are not paradoxes at all, but are in fact part of our Heavenly Father’s perfect plan of happiness. Together, these doctrines form a beautiful pattern:
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a magnificent tapestry of truth “fitly framed” and woven together. As we learn and link together revealed gospel truths, we are blessed to receive precious perspective and increased spiritual capacity through eyes that can see the Lord’s influence in our lives and ears that can hear His voice. And the principle of gathering together in one—even in Him—can assist us in changing the traditional checklists into a unified, integrated, and complete whole.25
If we focus on singular truths in isolation, without considering the totality of the plan of salvation, it can sometimes appear that the gospel contains paradoxes. But the truth is that all gospel doctrines are complementary. All are part of the plan of salvation. The more we study and live the gospel, seek to have the Holy Ghost with us, and endure patiently, we will learn line upon line and begin to see how the plan of salvation is a remarkable tapestry of eternal truths.
References
- 1 Nephi 10:19. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 88:118. ↩︎
- Cambridge Dictionary, “paradox,” https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/paradox. ↩︎
- Britannica Editors. “paradox.” Encyclopedia Britannica, June 19, 2026. https://www.britannica.com/art/paradox-literature. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 28:30. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 10:4. ↩︎
- Mosiah 4:27. ↩︎
- Leon F. Seltzer PhD, “To Save Time, Go Slow!” Psychology Today Website, September 25, 2014, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/evolution-of-the-self/201409/to-save-time-go-slow. ↩︎
- Alma 37:13. ↩︎
- Doctrine and Covenants 58:42. ↩︎
- 3 Nephi 27:20. ↩︎
- Alma 42:30. ↩︎
- Alma 32:21. ↩︎
- Job 19:25. ↩︎
- Ether 4:11. ↩︎
- Moroni 10:3-7. ↩︎
- David A. Bednar, “The Spirit of Revelation,” April 2011, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2011/04/the-spirit-of-revelation?lang=eng&id=p8#p8. ↩︎
- David A. Bednar, “Receive the Holy Ghost,” October 2010, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2010/10/receive-the-holy-ghost?lang=eng&id=p18#p18. ↩︎
- Alma 1:4. ↩︎
- Alma 42:6. ↩︎
- 2 Nephi 9:6. ↩︎
- Job 4:7. See also D&C 121:10, “Thou art not yet as Job; thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.” ↩︎
- Luke 13:2. ↩︎
- Jacob 2:13-14, “the hand of providence hath smiled upon you most pleasingly, that you have obtained many riches; and because some of you have obtained more abundantly than that of your brethren ye are lifted up in the pride of your hearts, and wear stiff necks and high heads because of the costliness of your apparel, and persecute your brethren because ye suppose that ye are better than they. And now, my brethren, do ye suppose that God justifieth you in this thing? Behold, I say unto you, Nay.” It is worth noting that President Dallin H. Oaks has used this as an example of the deceitfulness of riches: “The possession of wealth or significant income is not a mark of heavenly favor, and their absence is not evidence of heavenly disfavor.” Dallin H. Oaks, “The Parable of the Sower,” April 2015, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2015/04/the-parable-of-the-sower?lang=eng&id=p14#p14. ↩︎
- David A. Bednar, “Gather Together in One All Things in Christ,” October 2018, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/gather-together-in-one-all-things-in-christ?lang=eng&id=p12#p12. ↩︎
