In the middle of Lehi's blessing upon his son Jacob, we find the words "for it must needs be that there is an opposition in all things" (2 Nephi 2:11). Concerning this statement, Marilyn Arnold makes the following commentary:
Unlike the scientist of faith, who studies the work of the Creator every time he or she enters the laboratory or the field, the English teacher studies the product of the human mind, relentlessly pursuing meaning and delight in the written word. To the onlooker there may seem to be little connection between literary studies and religious faith; but to me there is an almost inseparable bond. In fact, it was not until I began to read sacred texts with the skills I had acquired in studying nonsacred texts that the eyes of my understanding truly began to open. . . .
Perhaps I can illustrate briefly how my academic preparation translates into "seeing." . . . readers might not notice the aptness in the positioning of Lehi's discourse [on opposition and the plan of salvation]; it is delivered in the patriarchal blessing pronounced upon Jacob, a younger son who has painfully witnessed firsthand the opposition between Nephi and his older brothers. Indeed, Jacob's whole existence has been marked by opposition; I think Lehi wants him to understand that, despite its concomitant pain, opposition makes possible the exercise of agency and is therefore a vital aspect of the plan of salvation. [Marilyn Arnold, "Unlocking the Sacred Text," in Susan E. Black ed. Expressions of Faith: Testimonies of Latter-Day Scholars, pp. 193, 196-197]