"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool."
The search for understanding is human nature. But an argument may be made that we as "homosapiens" aren't always the "wise men" that we suppose ourselves to be. Never before has information bombarded a generation such as ours. Mingled with biases, beliefs, and differing approaches and attitudes towards information, one might wonder if truth can be sifted out of the clutter --- something that we could all agree upon as irrefutable. But, alas, such a concordance is not so easily attained despite the truth being out there. And so, we must take into account our approach to discovering truth, realizing that it's a continuous process, and decide what we do when we encounter things that may challenge what we thought once to be true before throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I propose that science and faith are both useful instruments to get at truth, not counterparts.
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PILATE MEETS JESUS
Before Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross, He was first brought before the governmental leaders in an illegal [1] trial prompted by his increasingly many angry opponents. A three-year ministry of miracles had passed and there was no shortage of witnesses to all Jesus taught and did (See "Christ's Ministry"). He did no evil and committed no crime but still, He was brought before various government leaders in vain attempts to accuse Him. Lastly, He stood in the presence of the prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate, a Roman. Pilate began to ask questions to determine exactly what crime had been committed.
First says Pilate to Jesus, “Art thou the King of the Jews?”, wanting to see if Jesus was a contender to overthrow the Roman Emperor, Tiberius Caesar. Jesus answers his question with another question, “Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?”. Pilate responds, “Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?”. Jesus answers, “My kingdom is not of this world…”. Pilate intrigued asks, “Art thou a king then? Jesus answers... ‘To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice’.” (John 18:33-37)
Then comes Pilate’s three-word question, “What is truth?”, and there the record of the conversation abruptly ends without resolve. Pilate finds no fault in Him and wants to release Him but fails to do so for fear of the heated public, already having previously suffered ill political favor [2].
ELEPHANTS & HALF-TRUTHS
So, what is the answer? What is truth? And how can we sift out the truth from the deceit? In a conversation with His disciples just a day or less before, He said unto them, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). These were the men closest to the Lord but even they didn't always understand what He said (John 12:16)! They, like us, learned progressively, not only through sermons but also through hands-on experience. Even so, truth is typically presented in increments. An American poet once put to rhyme an old Indian parable of six men who had their own "hands-on" experience:
It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the elephant
Though all of them were blind,
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
The First approached the Elephant
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant Is very like a WALL!"
The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho, what have we here,
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a SPEAR!"
The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus, boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a SNAKE!"
Each man continues examining a different part of the same elephant, but because his truth comes from personal experience, each insists that he knows what he knows.
And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!
Most of us (likely all of us) know what an elephant is but to someone who is blind, the concept may be hard to piece together. In much the same way as the blind men of Indostan, we come to understand our “elephants”, our unfamiliar concepts, more often than not, in parts, rather than all at once. Here a little and there a little (2 Nephi 28:30). As such, we should keep an open mind, cognizant that there's something we may believe we have the full picture of when in reality, there's more we have yet to discover. I refer back to the wonderful quote at the beginning of this blog post, "The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool". The simple truth of the matter is that no person on Earth knows all and we shouldn't pretend there's nothing more someone can teach us, especially if that person is God. It shouldn't be surprising then that we may not know all there is to know about spiritual things because we typically don't experience them with our senses the same way we might an elephant.
LEARNING TRUTH
Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come (D&C 93:24). The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth (vs. 36). As mentioned previously, one of the names of Christ is "Truth" (John 14:6). In truth, it's appropriate to say that God is a God of Truth (Ether 3:12). In contrast, the devil is the father of all lies (John 8:44). We can trust in Heavenly Father because he will never lie to us, and he always fulfills His promises. God is unchanging even if the world and the opinions of the world change in opposition to Him and His eternal truth. If men are really humble, they will realize that they discover, but do not create truth.
The world is bombarded with opinions. Naturally, we may at times find ourselves in disagreement one with another, and more often than not, we default to thinking ourselves unequivocally right and the other in the wrong in almost all disagreements, even if we, in fact, are wrong. And most of us don't join debates with the willingness to change our stance, no matter the arguments made against it, even if they're good arguments. They might, but the humble and open-minded are more likely. When such occasions arise, we might use them as opportunities to educate one another in an edifying rather than a contentious manner (D&C 50:22-23). Learning can only happen when we humble ourselves enough to be teachable, like a little child. (See "Become as Little Children")
TEACHING TRUTH
In a world of opposing beliefs, we should acknowledge that even amidst good intentions and sincere convictions, some beliefs are simply untrue. Unfortunately, this sometimes includes people's interpretation of the scriptures (See "The Holy Bible: A Testament of Jesus Christ"). Well-intended false assumptions built around grains of truth can bury it deep beneath a casing of man-made doctrine. Said the Savior of the "fool who doth think he is wise", which included the Pharisees, but extends to anyone attempting to teach doctrines that they either don't believe or don't understand regardless of their intentions, “…they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matt. 15:14). You don’t have to look too far to find such groups or individuals fixed on a single scripture or belief, one part of an elephant, who yet fail to grasp the entire picture. It's unfortunate how many people do that. Who then could say who is right, where is the truth, among the philosophies of men?
I acknowledge that each of the blind men of Indostan “was partially in the right”. Partial truth is good but leaves room for error. Sometimes we’re like that, some of us more than others; not entirely off the board but not quite hitting the bullseye either. Just the same, we should never belittle those who don't know what we know. They may hold their "part of an elephant" as near and dear to their heart as we do to ours. As a young man, I once heard a missionary wisely say, “Missionaries don’t tear down faith, they add to the truth that is already there”. Tearing down isn’t what sharing truth is about and it doesn't invite the Spirit of Christ, also called, the Spirit of Truth (John 15:26). It isn’t about proving others wrong or inferior. True religion isn’t a battle of wits. There is nothing noble in belittling another. Jesus taught, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35). Who are we to judge unrighteously? In the end, our neighbor may have a mote [8] in his eye and we with a beam [9] in ours but in the end, we are both without an eye [10]. Both of us are a little blind. That is why we need more than intellect to discover spiritual truth, more than our own opinions and preferences.
In one way or another, even though we are all partially “blind”, Heavenly Father is omniscient, knows all from the beginning to the end (Acts 15:8; 1 Nephi 9:6; Words of Mormon 1:7; D&C 38:2). Because He loves us, He continues to communicate and teach us. He appoints prophets, “watchmen on the tower [3]” (Isa. 52:8), who can "see" things we can’t so that we don’t have to guess who God is and what He wants of us and for us. God may not reveal the whole “elephant” at once, but He will reveal what we need to know at that moment. Because we have living prophets, Heavenly Father can continue to reveal things to us, here a little and there a little as we need it. Prophets are an absolute essential blessing in our day. They're evidence that God lives and loves us. (See "Prophets and Callings to Serve")
ABSOLUTE & RELATIVE TRUTH
de Absolute truth is independent of opinion and convenience. Popularity cannot modify eternal truth, nor does the legalization of sin make it acceptable to God. Believing that absolute truth is relative undermines God and His commandments as well as the severity of sin. Truth is truth whether anyone believes it or not. Eternal truth isn't a choice, it's immutable. Like the Law of Gravity. Weights will not suspend themselves in the air, but when released will fall earthward. Fire is hot. Nothing we do will change that. We observe these truths and science helps explain them. But not all things can be seen nor touched. Sometimes other approaches are required to discover the truth.
STUDYING TRUTH
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints continually search for truth and knowledge “of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad…” (D&C 88:79). That same passage reads, “…Seek ye out the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (vs. 118). Both secular education and spiritual education have value.
Education is among the best investments a person can make, both for themself and for the society they wish to contribute to. It is for this reason that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints owns and operates a number of educational institutions including Brigham Young University (BYU) Provo, BYU Idaho, BYU Hawaii, BYU Pathway Worldwide (Which offers vocational courses online), and Ensign College. Additionally, "Seminaries and Institutes of Religion" falls under this category with the core purpose of offering religious education in latter-day saint doctrine although it doesn't operate like a university campus would; furthermore, a person may begin taking seminary or institute courses while highschool age. While most students enrolled in these institutions are members of the Church, it is not a requirement. In my experience, as an alumnus of BYU, it is the aim of these Church operated educational institutions that secular study and faith-building experiences prosper together.
Past prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley counseled members of the church, "Education is the key to economic opportunity...You must get all of the education that you possibly can...Get all the training that you can...sacrifice anything that is needed to be sacrificed to qualify yourselves to do the work of the world. That world will in large measure pay you what it thinks you are worth, and your worth will increase as you gain education and proficiency in your chosen field...The Lord wants you to educate your minds and hands, whatever your chosen field." There is more to learn in the world than only what is found in the scriptures, and we are encouraged to seek them out. We are encouraged to seek “words of wisdom” wherever they are found, whether that be in textbooks or elsewhere. It may not always be scripture, but God is the author of all truth in any form it’s found. Even though we might not always realize it, "All things unto [Christ] are spiritual, and not at any time [has He] given unto [us] a law which was temporal" (D&C 29:34), and "the Lord God, created all things...spiritually before they were naturally upon the face of the earth" (Moses 3:5). With this perspective, you might even call eternal scientific and secular truths spiritual at the root of it.
The laws of science are absolute truths although discovery and invention change our understanding from time to time. Were it not that way, I could get a full refund for my old textbooks instead of replacing them with new editions. Furthermore, with this in mind, it's worth realizing that not all published research is perfect or infallible anyway, and that includes scientific research. What we know to be true today may not have always been the case in history. Think about it! Once the world was considered flat [4]. We now know that the sun and planets don’t revolve around the Earth [5]. Man, actually can fly, even break the sound barrier [6]. Man has been on the moon [7]. Wireless communication allows information to travel across the world instantly. Virtual reality is becoming common recreation and self-driving cars are an emerging reality. Think of the things birthed into the world during your lifetime. The laws of physics and chemistry haven't changed, but our understanding and practice of them are always improving just like our understanding of eternal spiritual laws as God continues to reveal things to us. God created all things and knows all things. To me, it doesn't seem like a big leap then that God often works through natural, often scientific means to bring about His purposes, but that fact doesn't lessen the miraculous nature of His work. If we understand the root of the word "science" to mean "knowledge", then perhaps we might even consider Heavenly Father the greatest scientist there is.
I think it's also worth noting that among the members, including the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, there are individuals who come from all kinds of occupational and educational backgrounds, including many scientists, and doctors, and so forth. This includes our current prophet, Russell M. Nelson (2021), who was a world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon. I talk more about our stance on medicine and faith in a later post which I invite you to check out called, "Administering to the Sick and Afflicted".
LAWS & CHANGE
Spiritual laws are eternal truths. New revelation may change bits and pieces of practice occasionally, like how the Law of Moses was fulfilled and now we offer willing hearts instead of animal sacrifices; the spiritual law of sacrifice remains in action although the specifics of practice were modified by God (See "Great Sacrifice"). We continue to learn in a changing world but God's love is constant. “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ says:
“…He cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round” (Alma 7:20).
Because God is constant and cannot lie, we can have perfect trust in what He says. His path is straight. His gospel: faith, repentance, baptism, confirmation of the Holy Ghost, and perseverance will never change. Therefore, we need not dispute if new revelation changes what we previously understood or practiced. Indeed, that is why we have living prophets, to be that conduit, to keep us current with God’s will which no longer restrains us to revelations that were given thousands of years ago, or even decades ago. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet. The eternal gospel principles and laws of God last forever though practices may vary, and it's in those eternal things where we'd do best to anchor our faith, in being true and faithful to the commandments of God, in acting patiently with faith even when we don't yet see the entire "elephant", and in letting absolute truth prevail.
DISCOVERY
If you look at something with one eye and alternate covering eyes, you will see something similar but not identical. It is through the combination of two eyes that comes depth perception and a wider field of vision than any eye by itself could provide. Science and faith are like the vision seen from your two eyes in that they support and complete each other. Both give us a greater understanding. Truth is truth whether we know it because of science or because of faith. We must use both knowing they do not compete with each other but complete each other. Faith is more than belief; if you look at the root of the word, it's a trust in God. Seeing is not always sufficient. With all the fake news and digital effects nowadays, we can’t say that we can trust everything we see or hear anyways.
***If you want to read an awesome talk about faith and reason, I'd highly recommend this link to a devotional given by Richard Williams, a former professor and doctor of Psychological Sciences, at BYU in 2000 entitled, "Faith, Reason, Knowledge, and Truth".
Consider the electromagnetic spectrum. The human eye can see wavelengths between about 400 and 700 nanometers which we call “visible light”. Compared to everything else ranging from gamma rays and radio waves, the human eye can only see a pitiful fraction of what is out there.
Consider too the wave frequencies we perceive as sound. A young person can hear between 20 to 20,000 hertz. A middle-aged adult can only hear between12,000 -14,000 hertz. But consider something like a dolphin or a bat that can hear up to 100,000 Hertz. On the other extreme, some whales can hear sounds as low as 7 Hertz. Again, we adults only have a 2,000-hertz gap of sound we can hear in a world of up to 100,000 detectable hertz frequencies.
What am I trying to say? There is more out there than what our feeble human senses can process. Just because we can’t see or hear something, doesn’t mean it’s not true or doesn’t exist.
Science is a field of discovery. Religion is also a field of discovery. We know more today than anybody in the past ever did! But we don’t know everything. We don’t know how everything works but what we don’t have to question is that it does works.
Even though we don't know everything, we can still recognize truth and light! We can still discern good from evil (Moroni 7:12-19). We know enough to stay on the straight and narrow path. The devil dabbles in doubt. Learning spiritual things involves the intellect, but that is not enough. We only comprehend spiritual things by the Spirit. And we can only invite the spirit to help us learn through gospel living and this includes scripture study and humble prayer. The entire purpose of the Holy Ghost is to bear testimony of truth. Yes, Jesus even taught, “the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me” (John 15:26). (See "A Still, Small Voice")
A PROCESS
Personally, not knowing everything is one of the things I love about the gospel. It excites me. When Paul wrote the Corinthians, he kept things simple to digest. Said he, “I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able” (1 Cor 3:2). Said Jesus to Nicodemus, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” (John 3:12). In any case, we don’t need to know everything at once. We eat one bite at a time. We don’t bite off more than we can chew lest we choke. We don’t put the roof up until the foundation is there to hold it up. We don’t learn calculus until we master basic arithmetic. We don’t learn to run until we can walk. Every person learns at a different rate. We cannot, therefore, expect to obtain a God-like level of knowledge before first mastering the basics of faith, obedience, and so forth. There is much that we don’t know but that doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t start learning.
We can learn so much more quickly by doing than we could ever by just watching videos or reading books. I believe that the strongest testimony comes from personal experiences living the gospel. A doctor who never uses her hands could never expect to successfully perform a surgery. A painter can never make art without touching the canvas. I believe that that is one of the greatest reasons why “works” is so emphasized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints because we gain so much by being doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22). It is then that our testimony is not just a secondary source but a primary one.
I don't pretend we know all but I trust that independent of my comprehension of how things came to be, are, or will be, that they are real. I am content with the prospect of being a lifelong learner. I unite with what the prophet Nephi said, “I know that [God] loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.” (1 Nephi 11:17)
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AWESOME FOOTNOTES:
[1] Every aspect of Christ’s arrest, trial, and sentence was illegal according to Jewish law. For starters, the arrest of Jesus was carried out by night as was the private examination before Annas and Caiaphas. In large measure, it was the timing of the whole process that made it illegal not to mention the false witnesses and accusations lacking criminal evidence against the sinless Son of God.
[2] It was the policy of Rome to be gracious and conciliatory in dealing with the religions and social customs of conquered nations. Pontius Pilate had violated this liberal policy from the early days of his procuratorship. In utter disregard of the Hebrew antipathy against images and heathen insignia, he had the legionnaires enter Jerusalem at night, carrying their eagles and standards decorated with the effigy of the emperor. Again, he gave offense in forcibly appropriating the Corban, or sacred funds of the temple to the construction of an aqueduct. Anticipating public protest, he caused armed Roman soldiers to disguise themselves as Jews in the crowds. At a given signal, these soldiers assassinated a great many innocent Jews.
[3] Watchmen were sentries stationed on a wall or in a tower in order to look out for and warn of dangers approaching from afar. They were employed to protect cities as well as vineyards, fields, or pastures. The elevated perspective of the watchmen allowed them to see oncoming dangers people on the ground could not see. Ezekiel 33 explains more. If the people heed not the sound of the trumpet’s warning, their blood falls upon their own head. If the watchman does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, their blood falls upon his head.
[4] The concept of a spherical earth actually dates back to the early Greek philosophers including Aristotle around 350 B.C. http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160126-how-we-know-earth-is-round but it wasn’t until around the 1500s that explorers like Ferdinand Magellan supported experiential evidence by circumnavigating the globe. And still, there are some who sincerely affirm a “flat earth” model. It’s astounding to contemplate the thousands of years that man has studied the stars and there can still be no global unanimous consensus despite the evidence. Seeing isn’t always believing.
[5] The heliocentric model of the universe wasn’t completely accepted until Sir Isaac Newton’s work on gravity came about in 1687 although Nicolaus Copernicus first proposed it in 1515 (over 150 years earlier)! https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/OrbitsHistory
[6] December 17, 1903 is recognized for the Wright Brothers’ first successful airplane test flights. That really wasn’t that long ago. Contemplate all the advanced aircraft that have been invented since then! Only 44 years after the first successful plane designs, Chuck Yeager became the first human to break the sound barrier at Mach 1.0 (343 meters per second or 767 miles per hour). The fastest planes, however few of them, can exceed Mach 3.0 which is 3765 km/hr or 2283 miles per hour). In a hundred years, this is the speed of technological advancements.
[7] The first moon landing occurred in July of 1969. My dad was 4 years old. And as of June 2019, NASA has announced a project called “Gateway” to be accomplished by 2024. This project hopes to establish a permanent space station to orbit the moon which will enable further deep space exploration, including missions to Mars.
[8] A mote is a small particle of something such as dust or a splinter.
[9] In Greek, the beam refers to the kind of wooden post used in construction, not to be confused with a beam of light.
[10] According to the Law of Moses, it was requisite that transgressions be returned with equal justice (Lev. 24:20), thus the saying “an eye for an eye”; nowadays it’s called the Law of Retaliation or Lex Talionis. However, on Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He put forth a “higher law” of mercy (Matt. 5:38-39; 7:1-5) and counsels us to turn the other cheek. Human rights activist and peace advocate Martin Luther King Jr. is quoted as saying, “That old law about an ‘eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind”.
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