Eternal Truth

Hello Friends and Family!                                  

Throughout this week I have been reflecting on the short statement found in Doctrine and Covenants 93:24, "And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;". We meet countless individuals on the mission who say things like, "You believe what you believe, and I'll believe what I want. Either way, it's the same"; or they might say things like, "I believe in whatever you believe in, truths are different but as long as we believe in the same God we are the same." I have reflected a lot on these sentiments and wondered how others don't understand something we call Eternal, or Divine, Truth.  The Bible teaches that truth must be the same from time to time. In Psalms 117:2 it says, in part, "...truth of the Lord endureth forever." We also know from the scriptures that, "[God is the] same yesterday, and today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8). Not only does the Bible teach us that God exists, and so does His truth (which He Himself embodies), but The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ also teaches this very same truth. We read from Alma 7:20, "I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that 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." Truth of our Heavenly Father is Eternal, and does NOT change based upon the individual, civilization, or time period in which a person lives. As an example of this, God does not change from being a Greek Goddess in ancient times to a modern-day idol found in a person's home.  In the same light, our God does not change from the Trinity in one denomination to three distinct separate beings in our own sect. Simply. God does not change. However, the beliefs of mankind do based off of their surroundings, circumstance, and era in which they live.  To be sure we see it clearly: God is unchangeable, but mankind's beliefs in Him does change. It is critical a person understands that God is unchangeable, or else they will never see the need to convert to the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The question naturally comes next, "So how do we understand the true nature of God?" From the Bible we receive the answer, "For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." (Proverbs 2:6) It makes logical, and scriptural sense, that knowledge about the nature of God would stem from God Himself. It is just as critical as understanding the unchangeable nature of God for conversion, as is understanding discovering how God reveals His truth. In Doctrine and Covenants 91:4, we read, "Therefore, who readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;". We can see how as someone reads the scriptures, and as we strive to understand them, that the Spirit will manifest to us the truthfulness of who God is, His Nature, and Plan for each one of His children.

In the end, any individual that accepts that 1) God is the same and never changing 2) God is the holder of all truth 3) the Spirit and scriptures can reveal the true nature of God; will always come to the next question of, "What is the purpose, or reasons, for wanting to understand Eternal Truth?" The Scriptures offer great internal insights. In Jacob 4:13 we read that truth is given by the Spirit "for the salvation of souls". We must understand, and deeply acknowledges, that our very understanding of truth will affect the salvation of our souls. If someone believes in a false God, they will not be saved in truth. Or, if someone follows a false belief system they will never feel the fullness of Joy that comes by understanding and living the Restored Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel. Not only is truth essential for our individual and collective salvation, but in Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21 we learn that all blessings from God are predicated upon obedience to eternal law AND truth. Not only can we be saved with true knowledge and a true God, but we can also come to more fully receive all the blessings in this life, and the life to come, by understanding more fully the God from where those blessings stem. 

Above all, we learn from John 8:31-32 that the truth will always set us free. God is not a God of captivity, confusion, disorder, or disarray. Instead, He is a God that truly desires our salvation and eternal exaltation with Him. He is a God that desires us to truly understand who He is, because this brings freedom to a sin-sickened soul, and peace to a cluttered heart. 

Understanding Eternal Truth is the great quest of our lives. 

Joseph F. Smith himself once declared, "“The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as one God, are the fountain of truth. From this fountain all the ancient learned philosophers have received their inspiration and wisdom—from it they have received all their knowledge. If we find truth in broken fragments through the ages, it may be set down as an incontrovertible fact that it originated at the fountain, and was given to philosophers, inventors, patriots, reformers, and prophets by the inspiration of God. It came from him through his Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, in the first place, and from no other source. It is eternal” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 30).

I testify that the greatest sources of discovering Eternal Truth is the Scriptures, Prayer, and the Holy Spirit. I know that when studied in faithfulness, these resources will open to our minds and hearts the Eternal Truths of our Father in Heaven, who is "without end" (2 Nephi 31:21)

Until Next Week-

Elder Robb