The Book of Mormon's teaching that there must be "opposition in all things" has been invoked by church leaders themselves to justify the need for criticism and challenge, even to truth claims, according to a Wheat and Tares analysis.

The piece examines how LDS leaders over the years have acknowledged that testing and opposition serve essential purposes, even when that opposition involves questioning foundational narratives. This creates a tension with more recent institutional responses to criticism.

The 2 Nephi 2:11 principle that opposition is necessary for growth and knowledge has been cited across decades of church teaching, the author notes, raising questions about how that doctrine applies to institutional accountability.