Articles of Faith

(January 23, 2014)
My thought centered on Article of Faith 9 as I read this morning.  Sometimes, when we think of other religions, we put the matter as follows – they have some truth, but in our Church we have all the truth.  This is a comforting concept, but I don’t believe that it is correct.  What our Church brings to the world is the Priesthood authority to perform the saving ordinances and the line of authority to receive inspiration and revelation for the entire world.  Article of Faith 9 makes it clear that we don’t have the Truth, because there is yet more to be revealed.  And who are we to say that there is not some element of truth to be found in some other faith, better practiced than in our own?

This does not mean that we don’t have something worthwhile to offer the world – on the contrary.  We may not have a monopoly on truth in this Church, but this is the only true Church.  Discerning between truth and error using reason and the mind is an important process because of how it develops our minds and our spirits.  But it is ultimately futile as a mechanism for discovering Truth.  The Gift of the Holy Ghost, however, which we have in this Church empowers us to discern between truth and error, find the truth wherever it may be, and learn the will of our Father.  It empowers us to receive the revelation of the great and important things which the Lord still has to reveal to us.

Please understand that what I am saying in no way diminishes the importance of the Church, or the Priesthood, or the ordinance, or the necessity of following those who have been placed in positions of stewardship over us.  I am only saying that we still have a lot to learn, and the Lord may choose to teach and reveal that to us either through the Church or the world.  We would be hopelessly confused without the Holy Ghost to guide us, but in this Church we are blessed to receive His constant companionship (if we remain worthy of it).