*Circumstances are Totally Neutral...

Circumstances are neutral

Siri defines a circumstance as “A fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action."

So circumstances are those things that are the facts. We might think of them as things that can be proven in court. They are the facts of what happened or is happening to us or around us (not the opinions). Circumstances are things like weather, the loss or gain of employment, something someone did or said, the number on the scale, etc. Circumstances are completely neutral. It is not until we make them mean something with our thoughts that they no longer seem neutral to us because our brain doesn't want to think neutrally about circumstances.

 So at first I totally accepted this concept until a friend of mine challenged me on it. She said she didn't believe circumstances are neutral because there is good and evil in the world. So I started delving more into it and I came to a much better understanding.

There are laws of the land and laws of God that determine what things are right or wrong, good or evil. Obviously not everyone agrees with these laws or believes that they are right or wrong. So it is our belief system and legal system that determines what is right or wrong, not the actual circumstance. The circumstance, or the facts, are simply a tool we use to help us become more aware and make sense of our feelings and results.  For example, in a fact opinion test, you would mark "He abused her" as fact and "Abuse is evil" as opinion. When we see circumstances as the facts and not our opinions of them, we can separate the two and decide how we want to think and feel about the neutral facts or circumstances that are happening around us.

We might think there are “difficult” circumstances out there that many people believe are totally negative, such as rape or abuse or murder. Of course I believe those are evil things. But it is my belief or opinion that gives a circumstance a label of whether it is good or evil, not the actual circumstance. It’s not the circumstance that is evil—it’s our beliefs and thoughts that make them good or bad to us.  It is the moment that we believe something about a circumstance that we make it mean something to us. And it is our beliefs that determine how we're going to feel about it. I believe that there are circumstances that absolutely should not be tolerated and have should have serious consequences. We decide what to think and believe about these neutral circumstances that determine what they mean to us. Does that make sense?

So here's a thought: We know that circumstances, including decisions or the choices of others and their experiences are neutral. We choose how we are going to think about it, which determines how we’re going to feel about it, how we’re going to behave. When we think about ourselves or our family or friends going through really hard things, sometimes we feel a certain way about it and want to rescue ourselves or others from these “difficult” circumstances because of what we think about it. And maybe we should, if we think that's the right thing for us to do. But when they are out of our control, it might be wise to consider that Heavenly Father gives us what we believe are hard and difficult situations, so that we will learn and grow from them. And going through hard things can make us stronger and can be a good thing. Even if really evil things are done to us or those we love, maybe the growth that can come from them could possibly be seen as a blessing in the end—it’s all in how we think about it, feel about it, and choose to respond to our challenges. The Lord said to Joseph Smith when he was dealing with circumstances that he struggled with, "If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; perils among robbers; perils by land and sea; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the billowing surge conspire against thee, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" (D&C 122:5-8) 

Was evil being done to Joseph? I believe, yes. Are there consequences? Yes! But the lord said, 'all these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good.' Notice that He refers tribulations, perils, and jaws of hell to "these things". They are just things. Just circumstances. Circumstances that we can choose to view as being for our good or not.

Siri: "What is the definition of a Circumstance"

Doctrine and Covenants122:5-8