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| CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH? |
What is truth?
“And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they
were, and as they are to come” (D&C 93:24).
“For behold, and lo, the Lord is
God, and the Spirit beareth record, and the record is true, and truth abideth forever and ever. Amen.”
(D&C 1:39)
From Dictionary.com we get the following definitions for the
word TRUTH :
2. conformity with fact or reality; verity:
3. a verified or indisputable fact, proposition, principle,
or the like: mathematical truths.
4. the state or character of being true. 5. actuality or actual existence.
6. an obvious or accepted fact; truism; platitude.
7. honesty; integrity; truthfulness.”
Our definition of terms matters a great deal. So if we are going to consider the definition of Truth, I most like the definition found in D&C 93:24. If you are reading this and you consider the D&C a valid source of scripture, then we can agree on this definition. Those things we call TRUTH are a knowledge of those things describing them as they are now, as they were in the past and as they will become in the future. And from the first chapter of D&C, we also understand that “truth abideth forever and ever.” So if it is a reality today, and it was a reality yesterday, and it will be a reality tomorrow, then it is something we can consider as TRUE.
Simple enough.
Now let us say you have never heard of Doctrine and
Covenants or you have heard of it and for several reasons, you have decided
that you will not qualify it as scripture.
Can we still agree on this definition of TRUTH?
Truth is things as they really are.
And if we are talking about a time frame, truth is things as
they really were in the past or really will be in the future.
Is that definition of Truth accurate enough? If not, please provide your own definition
because in a discussion such as this, we really need to know how the
individuals involved in the discussion define the words. We think we are speaking the same language,
but in all reality we attach different meanings to words and quite often we are
miscommunicating and talking over each other or talking through each
other. Rather than descending into ad
hominin attacks, for example, assuming that the other person has some
unrepentant sin in their past because they just can’t see how I define some
thing called the Gospel of Jesus Christ the same way that they do; I ought to
rather determine just exactly how they are defining the terms. I ought to be more understanding and patient.
And most valuable of all, when I am having that conversation
with God, I ought to determine just exactly how He defines the terms.
If we can’t agree on scripture interpretation, we can at
least agree on one thing, if there is a God, that God must be a God of
Truth. Whatever scale you place the
scriptures on, God must be a God of Truth. On one side of the believability
scale you may say the scriptures are a work of fables and on the other side of
the scale it is the Word of God directly from the mouth of God, or somewhere in
between. Where ever you are on that
scale, can we at least agree that God is a God of Truth? And for those who are still trying to decide
if there might be a God, would you agree that if there was a God, that God
would necessarily have to be a God of Truth?
Several quotations from the scriptures describe that God is a
God of Truth.
“And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the
truth, for thou art a God of truth,
and canst not lie.” (Ether 12:3)
“The Spirit of truth
is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He
received a fulness of truth, yea, even
of all truth;” (D&C 93:26)
“That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless
himself in the God of truth; and he
that sweareth in the earth shall swear by
the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because
they are hid from mine eyes.” (Isaiah 65:16)
“The glory of God is
intelligence, or, in other words, light
and truth.” (D&C 93:36)
Those who claim to have some kind of relationship with God
will often describe the characteristics of that God and one of those prime
characteristics is Truth (See the Lectures on Faith in The Doctrine and
Covenants 1835 edition for a complete description on the characteristics of
God). God is concerned with Truth. God is preoccupied with Truth. God is attempting to teach us something about
Truth. God is Truth. And therefore, we need not fear or get angry
or react indifferently to something that challenges our beliefs. We ought to embrace that challenge. We ought to apply some kind of test to that
new found assertion. If the new
assertion holds up to the first test. We
ought to test it again for it is written that the Lord will provide at least
three witnesses. We can do this because Beliefs can be wrong, but Truth can never be wrong. Truth is simply the way things are. Beliefs are the way we think things are. So when our beliefs prove to be wrong and we acknowledge that error and embrace truth, what we are really doing is demonstrating our desire to take upon ourselves one of God's primary characteristics. When we cling tenaciously to our Belief even when Truth proves it to be wrong, then we are in reality demonstrating that we would rather reject God and recreate the world in our own fashion. Therefore it is worthwhile to examine our Sacred Beliefs and cross check them against the evidence to determine if they are aligned with Truth. Otherwise, what good are your Beliefs if they do not lead you to God who is only a God of Truth?
“And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen
him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto
them that my words are true. Wherefore, by
the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses,
and he proveth all his words. Behold, my soul delighteth in proving unto my
people the truth of the coming of Christ; for, for this end hath the law of
Moses been given; and all things which have been given of God from the
beginning of the world, unto man, are the typifying of him.” (Jacob 11:3-4)
And when we have come to a satisfactory conclusion that the
new line or precept is actually a True thing, then we can rejoice in that Truth
and gladly discard the old understanding which is proven to be a lie.
For that reason, I cringe when I hear a member of The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints say something to the effect of the
following: “I don’t waste my time reading stuff like that. I once had an old companion who got into the
history and he left the church. I just
don’t want to risk it.” Truth can
withstand the scrutiny. It can hold up
under pressure. If the concept crumbles
under the test, then it wasn’t really Truth was it?
Another cringe worthy saying is the following, “There are
some things that are true that are not very useful.” This is a dismissive and evasive response to questions
being sincerely asked by a community of people who are searching for
Truth. Truths that are not very useful
are things unrelated to the topic at hand.
When the topic at hand is actually a person or organization that claims
to provide my eternal salvation and the questions and answers are directly
related to that line of topic, then the Truth regarding those issues are indeed
very useful.
Truth in history does matter. Truth in scriptural interpretation does
matter. Examining the claims made in the
name of Truth is useful.
It is said that “All truth can be circumscribed into one
great whole”. Therefore, you do not need
to compartmentalize the facts from one field of study and hold it separate from
the other. If the two facts in their
separate spheres do not fit together, then what is needed is to expand your
understanding of reality rather than outright reject one of those spheres of study. When something
does not make sense in the puzzle of life, we can set the confusing piece aside
for a moment and go to work on another portion of the puzzle. The confusing puzzle pieces may be set aside
for a time as we work on meaningful connections which are available to us. Eventually, we can revisit the old pieces and
see if they will now fit in as our vision of the greater whole expands. The great mistake is in burying the confusing
pieces so deep that we never revisit them.
Or worse, forcing the piece to fit into a connection that is “close
enough”. Some have gone so far as to cut
the pieces up to try and make the puzzle fit the picture of their own vision.
You can turn to God in this process and He will answer you
(James 1).
No matter how difficult I may find the Truth, I want to
accept it. That is all I really want…The
Truth.
Therefore, I say read everything, pray over everything, study
it out, ponder over it. There are
answers out there to be found and I welcome your contradictory points and
counter-arguments because at the end of the day, if there is a God of Truth
that God of Truth will provide the correct answer. I will humble myself before the God of Truth
and willingly change my old beliefs if they do not pass the reality test.
Define TRUTH:
Truth is knowledge of things as
they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. Truth abideth forever and ever. Truth is one of the characteristics of God
and therefore, we ought to receive Truth from any source in which we may find
it for it be true then it is of God.
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