We, as humans, don't have the brain capacity to understand everything in the Universe. It's simply impossible. However, with the limited brain use we have, we try to understand the world around us. We try to understand things such as politics, science, and religion. Who's idea is best? Who's idea is right?
Let's talk about religion.
I truly believe that our Father in Heaven wouldn't subject his children to an impossible test. He's not that cruel. In fact, cruel isn't in his nature. As a missionary, I would often tell the people I was teaching that God is just and wants His children to succeed. Then why is it so hard to discern the truth?
Let's take the spirit--a described feeling that is found in many religions. The bible, in 1 Cor. 12:3 says, "no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." Why? Right before it says that "no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed". Analyzing that simply, I get two facts:
1) If you are saying something by the spirit, it must be true.
2) You cannot speak truth (such as Jesus being the Lord) without the spirit (according to the bible).
So let's look at something confusing for a moment. Other religions feel the spirit in the same manner that we do. So how are they supposed to differentiate between complete, partial, and non-truths when the spirit is there? How are we supposed to know that our religion is correct when we feel the same things as they?
"It is useful to remember that it is not the ritual that has ever brought anyone to transcendence, but only the constant desire of an individual seeker to experience the eternal compassion of the divine. Flexibility is just as essential for divinity as is discipline. God responds to the sacred prayers and efforts of human beings in any way whatsoever that mortals choose to worship-just so long as those prayers are sincere."
Let's be honest with ourselves. How often do you feel an overwhelming feeling of the spirit when you're taking the sacrament? Or other rituals? Yes, we believe these rituals are key in our exaltation. I'll give you that--but it's not necessarily rituals that give us spiritual experiences. Which is why so many people have felt the spirit NOT in our church buildings, NOT in our temples, and NOT with our doctrine.
Another question is WHY do people feel the spirit when they are listening to doctrine that's in contrast to ours? As much as it wounds our testimonies believe--it happens.
Here's an interesting statement from another blog (http://www.mormonthink.com/testimonyweb.htm):
"There is circular logic to the spiritual witness paradigm that is accepted in the church. How do you know that the transcendent feeling, that burning in the bosom, that feeling of calm is a witness from God? Because you have been taught that from the scriptures and from the leaders and teachers within the church. How do you know that the leaders and teachers are teaching truth? Because it says so in the scriptures. How do you know the scriptures are true? Because you have received a witness. The circle continues with no foundation.
Members of the LDS church seem to think that there is this irrevocable law established eons ago that says you can discern the truth by having a good feeling about it. That has never been established. If it was an eternally established principle then we mortals wouldn't be so confused about everything from what religion to join to deciding whether or not someone is guilty of a crime."
You can go one of two ways with this. People here are praying to know the Book of Mormon is true--and you could base it off Corinthians and deduct that if something is said in truth, it is because the spirit is there. Thus, if you are feeling the spirit, it is because it is true. However, you can also note that the bible could be potentially made up. So, Joseph Smith could have used this sort of religious background when he "wrote" Moroni's promise. If we assume this, there really is no correlation between feeling the spirit and automatically assuming that means we're reading/hearing truth. It could potentially mean we were just having a spiritual experience--or an emotional one.
So if our own method of ascertaining truth can be discredited, why believe?
Because I want to. Because I choose to. By going to church and acting upon the principles found it in, I find comfort, joy, and hope. Hope that there is something more than this short existence. Hope that one day I won't have a messed up body. Hope that my family can be together forever. A hope that there really is a perfect type of love out there.
I once asked my mission President how I could be preaching the gospel to people when I didn't know for sure. Yes, I believed it, but I wasn't 100% sure. He responded that that was better--that meant that I had faith. If I knew, it wouldn't be a test.
But how can I just sit here with the facts against it? Like I said at the beginning--as humans we can't fully understand the world around us. I've had times in my life where I was upset because I thought something was wrong. Later on, once I had more information, I realized that it was right after all--but merely just looked wrong because I didn't have all the facts. That's how I feel about religion. There's so many things to support it, and so many things to discredit it, as well.
But God doesn't give unfair tests. So here's what I say to do: pick a religion, and live it. Live it to its fullest. Be the best possible person you can be. We are judged by our thoughts, our actions, and especially our hearts. So if we're doing our best to do what we think God would have us do, I really believe that we won't get jipped. Why? Because God is perfectly just and merciful.
So is my religion the only true church? I believe so, but I'm not sure. But if I don't live up to what I feel is right, I'm not doing my part. It's better to do all you can, than to give up.
I choose to have faith.
I once asked my mission President how I could be preaching the gospel to people when I didn't know for sure. Yes, I believed it, but I wasn't 100% sure. He responded that that was better--that meant that I had faith. If I knew, it wouldn't be a test.
But how can I just sit here with the facts against it? Like I said at the beginning--as humans we can't fully understand the world around us. I've had times in my life where I was upset because I thought something was wrong. Later on, once I had more information, I realized that it was right after all--but merely just looked wrong because I didn't have all the facts. That's how I feel about religion. There's so many things to support it, and so many things to discredit it, as well.
But God doesn't give unfair tests. So here's what I say to do: pick a religion, and live it. Live it to its fullest. Be the best possible person you can be. We are judged by our thoughts, our actions, and especially our hearts. So if we're doing our best to do what we think God would have us do, I really believe that we won't get jipped. Why? Because God is perfectly just and merciful.
So is my religion the only true church? I believe so, but I'm not sure. But if I don't live up to what I feel is right, I'm not doing my part. It's better to do all you can, than to give up.
I choose to have faith.
