Finding Balance in an Unsteady World

by Greg Christiansen

I once had some kind of virus that threw off my equilibrium, creating the strangest sensation where it felt like the whole world was sideways. Suddenly, even the simple task of walking down the hallway became challenging, because I could not quite tell which direction was down. Every task became more difficult, because of it. The doctor prescribed me something to address the equilibrium problem, but the side effect was that it made me extremely drowsy. The drowsiness was so bad that it took nearly all of my mental effort to stay awake, to the point that I quit taking the medication because to me the drowsiness was even worse than the equilibrium problem.

Recently, I cannot help but feel like the world has given me the same problem again, but on a more spiritual plane. The signs of the times are abundant, and the amount of speculation, preaching, prophesying, and accusing that are being broadcasted to us from all over the globe are enough to make your head spin and your heart sick. In a sense, it has at times made me feel out of balance, where things which were once simple and easy in life become suddenly complicated because it is hard to tell which way is up and which way is down.

The worldly remedies for such a problem are just like the doctor’s pill, which offers to restore your balance at the cost of putting you to sleep. After all, it is quite easy to stay balanced when you are asleep, except that the reality is that the cure is worse than the disease. The Book of Mormon warns of these worldly cures, saying that the Devil will say to some, “All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well” (2 Nephi 28:21). In other words, just relax. Everything is fine. There is a vaccine to take away all our troubles. The other cure he offers comes in another message. “Others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none.” Certainly, we will feel much more balanced in our lives if we no longer need to worry about the enemy. We can simply tell ourselves that there is no cabal, no Gadiantons, no plot to overthrow our freedoms, and no pending calamities.

Yet although such deceitful ideas might make it easier to feel functional in our lives, the last thing we want to happen as the turmoil of the last days builds around us is to fall asleep. To the contrary, we want to be wide awake so that the enemy does not catch us by surprise, or so that the Master does not return and find us sleeping. After all, I am sure that Peter and the other apostles felt some measure of shame in Gethsemane, when the Savior found them asleep for the third time, and they were awakened only to realize that the enemy had come in the night with swords and staves to rob them of their Lord.

So what do we do when it feels like our lives are somehow out of balance, and yet when we do not want a cure that will put us to sleep? Surely, balance is a key part of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Often, we see the concept of balance in divine pairings. For example, God created man to be both male and female, and only together is there a balance, for “neither is the ​​​man​ without the woman, neither the ​​​woman​ without the man, in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:11), and as the Lord said, “it was not good that the man should be ​​​alone” (Moses 3:18).

Similarly, justice and mercy exist in such a divine pairing. Justice without mercy would create an imbalance, and equally mercy without justice would be imbalanced. As Elder Ellis T. Rasmussen taught, “His mercy shall not rob justice, but neither will justice rob His mercy” (Old Testament Student Manual). The two things go hand in hand, and together create a balanced whole. Indeed, I would argue that a world which did not allow for mercy would be unjust, and a world that did not provide for justice would be merciless. Without one, the other would cease to exist. Together, justice and mercy protect us. Apart, they would only abuse us. Even mercy would only become an abuser, because all mercy and no justice would give evil free reign to go unchecked. Mercy must sometimes give way to justice, and justice must sometimes give way to mercy. Indeed, it may very well be that no principle of righteousness exists in isolation, but that they all are part of a great whole, and are intertwined in relationships like one large and glorious family of truth.

Taking Things to the Extreme

Even as an avid and sincere student of Christ’s gospel, it is easy to become imbalanced in this world. Perhaps the most common way it happens is when we pay too much heed to one principle at the expense of another. Because the principles of righteousness exist in a harmonious balance, taking something good to an extreme can easily become a thing of evil. For example, consider the principles of authority and autonomy. On the surface, they may seem to exist in opposition to each other. If someone else is given a measure of authority over me, then it would seem that I have by consequence lost a measure of my autonomy.

Yet consider what would happen if you took the principle of autonomy to the extreme, eliminating all positions of authority from the world. The result would be anarchy, as there would remain no organized system to govern the collective community. In such a condition, we would likely find that we would have far less autonomy than we would have in a more organized society, as the world would by default resort to a survival of the fittest scenario, where might makes right and there are no laws to protect us from the evils of others.

At the same time, if we take the principle of authority to the extreme, creating a system of governance that removes all autonomy from the citizenry, we will have simply created an institution of slavery against which every citizen would be inclined to rebel to the extent that they are able until the whole system falls apart and all chains of authority have been destroyed. In other words, logic should inform us that authority and autonomy are symbiotic, and that both principles thrive the most when they exist in a harmonious relationship. When the people respect the authority of their leaders while the leaders also respect the autonomy of the people, there is opportunity for balance. The leaders are not there to act upon the people, but to act for the people, and in a balanced government the leadership simply executes the will of the people in an organized system.

Indeed, we see this balance of authority and autonomy in the Creation, as the Lord sometimes invited things to happen, while at other times He caused things to happen. Yet in this world of opposition, it stands to reason that the balance of things is continually shifting. This world does not often maintain a perfect harmony of justice and mercy, authority and autonomy, labor and rest, and so forth. Evil forces are continually at work to push the scales to one extreme or another. It is my opinion that this is why revelation and calculation are such a key part of determining a righteous course. The landscape is constantly shifting, creating unique times and circumstances to be dealt with. Joseph Smith summed up this idea when he said, “That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. God said, ‘Thou shalt not kill;’ at another time He said, ‘Thou shalt utterly destroy.’ This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted–by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire…” (TPJS p. 256).

In other words, the course of righteousness is often defined by time and circumstance. It is plain that in life it often requires some degree of divine measurement for the proper course to be determined. When the Lord says to Nephi, “It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief,” He is doing some form of measurement on the scales of righteousness. And Nephi also does some calculating of his own when he afterward lists reasons why the death of Laban might be justified, saying, “he had sought to take away mine own life; yea, and he would not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord; and he also had taken away our property” (1 Nephi 4:13).

I would propose that perhaps every governing principle of the Gospel is tempered by another counterbalancing principle, or perhaps sometimes by several counterbalancing principles. We cannot simply take a principle of the Gospel and apply it to every situation. It was righteous for Nephi to ask Laban for the plates, giving Laban the opportunity to support the Lord’s will. It was also right for Nephi to attempt to buy the plates, when Laban chose not to give them up. And in the end, it was right for the Lord to deliver Laban to be slain, when Laban sought to frustrate the Lord’s purposes. Each choice was right in accordance with its circumstance, and would likely not have been right if done in a reverse order. The balance of righteousness had shifted with each choice that was made. 

Surely, there is also a need for divine measurement in everything that we do as well. For example, we must seek further light and knowledge, and yet we must do so without looking beyond the mark. We must love our fellow men, but we must do so without supporting them in wickedness. We must care for the poor and the needy, while somehow promoting their self sufficiency so that the idler does not “eat the bread of the laborer.” We must turn the other cheek and sue for peace, while also defending the sanctity of life. We must allow people to make their choices, while also standing against those who seek to overthrow the freedoms of the land.

The list goes on and on, to the point that the scriptures give us many paradoxes to unfold. With every paradox, there is somewhere a balance to be found. For example, concerning the giving of alms the Lord counseled us to “let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; That thine alms may be in secret” (3 Nephi 13:3-4). Yet if we applied this same principle to all righteous action, we would by consequence ignore His other counsel when He said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). There is a balance to be found in these two things which the Lord taught. One teaches us not to seek after the glory of men, and the other teaches us to not be ashamed to glorify God and to openly be doers of righteousness. Yet if we simply view the first as a prohibition against any form of public righteousness, we will have missed the point and will become an abuser of truth rather than a champion of it.

Today is the Day, and Now is the Hour

Similarly, we might see a seeming contradiction between other counsel which the Lord gave, which helps us see another way in which our lives can get out of balance. On the one hand, He said, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient is the day unto the evil thereof” (3 Nephi 13:34). This verse teaches us not to worry and be anxious about the future. Yet on another occasion, the Lord advised his disciples that they should be mindful of the tribulations to come, saying, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). 

Again, we see the need for balance. The Lord has counseled us to not worry about having sufficient food and clothing in the future, but to put our focus on today. At the same time, we have received repeated counsel from Him to prepare for the future, to include things like the long term storage of food, clothing, and other necessities, just as He counseled Pharaoh to prepare for seven years of famine. Preparation is important, and as the Lord has said, “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear” (D&C 38:30). Logically, we cannot simply reject one principle and choose only to conform to the other, but we must be judicious in how we apply true principles, seeking the place of balance. Applying the Lord’s counsel to the extreme when he said not to worry about our future needs would cause us to neglect other counsel about being prepared, yet if we take both forms of counsel in perspective, seeking the proper balance between them in accordance with our time and circumstance and the whisperings of the Spirit, we will find the greater fullness of truth. We will both set goals and make preparations as we are able, heeding the Lord’s warnings while also maintaining our focus upon the present circumstances of our lives rather than getting lost in our anxieties about the future or our regrets about the past.

Indeed, it seems plain that not being sufficiently mindful of the here and now is one other way which our lives can get out of balance. When we put too much focus on the things of the future, it can be easy to be overcome with anxiety and fear. When we put too much focus on the events of the past, we can become lost in feelings of regret, guilt, and even nostalgia for the good things we miss. Our lives should have their greatest focus on the here and now. The struggles of each day are almost always quite manageable, while looking forward to the struggles to come can easily be overwhelming. We should regularly be asking questions like these: “What should I be doing right now? How can I make today a good one? How can I serve someone today? What can I do today that will make tomorrow better? What does the Lord desire that I do today?“

After all, if we are unwilling to do our righteousness today, what makes us think that we will do it tomorrow? Now is the time to do our good works, however small or simple they might seem (Alma 34:35).

The Crutches We Lean Upon

Perhaps a third way that our lives become unbalanced is when we lean too much upon the things of this world. Do we lean too much upon the counsel of our friends? Do we lean too heavily upon the guidance of our leaders? Do we lean upon the warnings of the political analysts and doomsday theorists? Do we lean upon the opinions of those who claim prophecy, or who interpret the scriptures? Do we make crutches of the abundant counsels and opinions of this world, seeking understanding by inundating ourselves with the voices of others? Any such crutches could cause us to fall in the day their counsel and opinions prove to be folly.

There is only one person we should be leaning on, and His name is Jesus Christ. He is not a crutch, but He is a sure foundation. “Remember that it is upon the ​​​rock​ of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your ​​​foundation​; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty ​​​storm​ shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall” (Helaman 5:12).

That is surely the most important answer we can be given, if we feel that our lives are out of balance. If we have found over the years that we have developed the habit of leaning on a great many crutches, then perhaps today is the time to cast them all aside and to remember who it is that establishes our feet upon firm ground. When it comes to the world, we can listen to opinions without leaning on them. We can hear advice, without relying upon it. We can learn from the experiences of others and support the good efforts of our leaders, without idolizing them as new gods to displace our Lord, Jesus Christ. Christ is the nail in the sure place, which we can rely on. He is the living embodiment of charity, which charity never faileth. “But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away… For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:8-13).

We need not rely on our own dim sight. We need not rely upon the powers of this world and we need not fear those who conspire to ensnare us in chains, for Christ has told us that it will not be the strong things of this world which will determine the outcomes which are ahead of us. Those things shall fail. He has said, “The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh—But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world” (D&C 1:19-20). Here again we have an interesting paradox, where the Lord on the one hand seems to say that we should not try to steer the course of our brethren, while on the other hand He seems to say that we should all have the privilege of speaking counsel to each other with the greatest authority that there is, which is His authority.  We are both cautioned against worldly counsel, and called upon to become prophets, every man and woman of us, that we might speak the counsel of the Lord. Surely, it is the Lord’s role to counsel us, and it can be our privilege to be proxies for Him, as we learn to speak by His Spirit and not by our own worldly wisdom.

In Summary

So if our concerns are for the things of this world, or if we are doing righteousness for all the wrong reasons, surely we will find that we are perpetually out of balance and our path will be confused. Yet if we will find ways to make the Lord our foundation, and to sincerely make His purposes our purposes, caring for the poor and the needy, and freeing the captive souls, we have a glorious promise delivered to us by the mouth of Isaiah:

“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am…then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Isaiah 58:8-12).

Ultimately, it stands to reason that maintaining our balance in an increasingly chaotic world is of great importance. Perhaps some of us are unbalanced because of overindulgence, having become drunk upon the things of the world with all of its many entertainments and pleasurable distractions. There are likely as many ways to become unbalanced as there are fish in the sea, both spiritually and physically speaking. Drunkenness, illness, malnutrition, overexertion, overspending, pride, neglect, procrastination, earthquakes of all kinds, and so forth. Perhaps you have at times felt like I have, when you are not quite sure which way is up and which way is down, and it feels like at any moment you could tip over and fall. We need not remain so. The Lord is solid ground, if we will make Him our foundation.

It is also worth clarifying that finding balance in life is not about seeking neutral ground in the war of good versus evil. To the contrary, it is about more fully establishing yourself in the cause of righteousness. Sometimes, finding balance means taking the difficult path. When I think of Captain Moroni taking arms against the Lamanites and then executing those Nephites who were subverting freedoms, I see a man who was taking extreme action in order to maintain important balances in the Nephite society. He was protecting the people’s autonomy by the sword, which was in many ways a necessary contradiction because true freedom does not mean an absence of governmental authority but the proper balance of authority and autonomy. For Captain Moroni and his fellows, finding balance did not mean finding a lukewarm place between action and inaction, but it meant taking extreme actions to tip the scales back where they belonged, defending a righteous institution of government while opposing more wicked ones. And when I think of Alma preaching to the people around that same time, I think of a man who was seeking to do a similar thing, though in a different way and perhaps for different purposes. Moroni and Alma were like two different organs in the body, each trying to maintain the equilibrium of good health, and each having a completely unique function in society.

While the world has its many theories about how maintaining balance may be accomplished, the better news is that there is a Physician, and He has the cure. It is my belief that if we will always remember to seek the Lord and His righteousness with full sincerity of heart, and if we will learn to listen to the Spirit of Truth and to heed its voice, then even the strongest earthquake will not be able to shake us off our feet. For again, the Lord is solid ground, and His Spirit will always give us our equilibrium so that we can always be firmly established on the right side of the battlefield.

Similarly, it is also my belief that for every situation we are confronted with there are principles which need to be measured and weighed on eternal scales to determine the righteous course. The Lord often tells us to go and do, but He rarely tells us exactly how to go and do it. Surely, the Lord desires for us to do some of the calculating ourselves, as we try to figure out what we should do, just as Nephi and his brothers had to try and figure out how to get the plates of brass. As the Lord has said, “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” (D&C 58:26). At the same time, when it comes to the truly difficult math that is beyond our limited ability to calculate, we can rest assured that the Lord will prepare the way for us to pursue a righteous course, providing the answers when they are needed, just as He prepared the way for Nephi, if we will simply press forward with faith in obedience to His commandments.