Paradox

There are many insightful lessons that seem unituitive, or run contrary to expectation. The commonality of these examples means that I'm probably right less often than I think. The models for pattern matching that I've built up in the world fail in so many cases, that it makes more sense to question and challenge my beliefs in as many cases as possible.

They are riddled throughout the scriptures, as well as lessons taught by prophets/apostles/leaders:

in losing your life through service to God you can find it

Matthew 10:39

39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

man is nothing in the immense and infinite universe, yet we are everything to God

Jesus came to make the blind see, and those that claim to see be made blind

John 9:39

39 ¶ And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

Israel is made up of people not from Israel

Romans 9:6

6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

our garments (or sins) can be made white by being washed in blood (of Jesus Christ)

Ether 13:10

10 And then cometh the New Jerusalem; and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph, who were of the house of Israel.

Alma 5:21

21 I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.

"Consecration is the only surrender which is also a victory" -Neal A. Maxwell

Love your enemies

The adversary actually faciliated God's plan by trying to thwart it

The Jews crying out they have no king but Caesar as they urged Jesus to be crucified

champions of moral relativism claim standards are an issue of personal preference are often the harshest critics of those who don't accept "correct thinking"

I think it's fascinating that so many lessons and examples in the world are less obvious like this, and use this as evidence for the need to observe the world carefully.

Referred in

Stillness

The idea is that the most valuable and memorable times in life tend to be sublime moments of stillness, like when a chlid is born, or an…

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