By Dawn Norton

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare

Humans are curious, often contradictory creatures. We struggle to feel content. We fixate on our circumstances. We compare ourselves to friends, neighbors, and strangers—and somewhere along the way, we decide we’re falling short. And so we suffer.

In modern America, the wealth gap between rich and poor is undeniable. But step back and compare our poorest citizens to the rest of the world, and a surprising truth emerges: America's poor are wealthier than approximately 70% of the global population. In fact, the poorest in the U.S. live on par with the wealthiest in India.¹ This isn’t to discount the very real struggles people face—it’s to illustrate the Law of Relativity at work.

This law teaches us that no experience is inherently “good” or “bad.” Everything is understood through contrast. We feel poor when we compare ourselves to the rich. We feel fortunate when we compare our lives to someone suffering greater loss. Pain and joy both become visible in the light of each other.

The Law of Relativity also carries a built-in promise: every adversity comes with an equal or greater blessing. It’s not always immediate, and it’s rarely obvious, but if we stay open, we start to see how those painful experiences stretch us—how they spark creativity, deepen wisdom, and uncover inner strength we didn’t know we had. It’s as if every challenge plants within us an acorn—small, but bursting with the potential to grow into something mighty.

That strength comes through faith—in God, in the order He established, and in the unseen compensation already on its way.

When I was a little girl, my grandmother took me to Christian Science Sunday School, where I first learned about Jesus. I remember the deep ache I felt when I heard about His death. I couldn’t understand why someone with all power would have to die. Why would my Jesus suffer? Why would He not choose to live forever?

I didn’t yet understand the compensatory nature of the Law of Relativity.

For Christians, the story of Jesus is the greatest example of this principle. Every force of darkness worked against Him. The betrayal, the suffering, the cross—all of it seemed like a loss. And yet, in the divine equation, those moments of agony laid the groundwork for eternal joy. What looked like defeat was actually the greatest victory the world has ever known.

God created life on this Earth and a plan for that life. Those He created chose mortality through their actions. Because of those actions, they fell from God’s presence. Because of that fall, a rescue was needed to bring them back into His presence. Jesus was that plan. He was willing to live as we lived, and subject Himself to mortality and agency, so that the distance could be closed from Hell to Heaven. The love of Jesus Christ, and His willingness to be the bridge across that distance, by laying down His life as a willing sacrifice, gave every person who ever lived the opportunity to repent and return home. Because of Him, the price has been paid for the judgment on our heads, and instead of punishment, we receive mercy, grace, love, freedom, joy, and happiness. Ultimately we receive “all that the Father has.” That’s some amazing compensation!

As an adult, I’ve had experiences that allowed me to apply the Atonement to real pain—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Through loss, grief, and every kind of suffering, I’ve come to know why He did it. And I know He rose again—not just to conquer death, but to be able to reach me, to lift me, and to love me in a way no one else can.

The little girl in me still wishes He didn’t have to suffer. But the woman I am now is deeply grateful He did. Because I’ve seen what it makes possible.

No matter what hardship you face, it is not the end of the story. If you love God, you can trust that “all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28–30). The Law of Relativity whispers this truth into our everyday moments: in every challenge is the seed of a miracle. In every worry, an answer waits. If the mountain is steep, the view at the top is breathtaking.

And sometimes, the very act of believing that is what guides us there.

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