Know God

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

As I’ve been on this journey of striving to decipher truth from error in both historical and doctrinal contexts as it applies to religion, a very perplexing construct has emerged. I’ve met many people who’ve held strong beliefs in certain aspects of religion, both practicing and promoting them as definitive truth. When they come to find out they’ve been lied to—or think they’ve been lied to—they have a tendency to become atheistic rather than transitioning to a new set of moral standards and retaining their belief in Deity. Instead of simply setting aside the false beliefs (the lies) they remove the entire belief system altogether and replace it with a system of non-belief. In modern language, they’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater. So why is this?

One possible reason is that a person’s belief system was set too heavily upon the precepts of men and not upon a personal relationship with God. This isn’t surprising btw, how often have men in positions of authority told their followers that they speak for God in all things? How often do they tell their followers that they can never lead them astray, that God won’t allow it? To me, this is the epitome of pride, for a person to feel so highly of themselves that they cannot err through transgression. History has proven this over and over again.

We often hear that God is a terrible tyrant and an unjust God. Why would God allow many of the atrocities that have occurred throughout history? Why would God promote such evil, vile, and abominable practices? The question that we don’t often ask is, “Did God in reality support and promote these people in their actions?” Supposedly preaching or prophesying in the name of God does not mean God sanctioned it. One of the greatest tragedies today is for men to take on the appearance of righteousness and yet within they are ravening wolves. D&C 121 teaches us that, “it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”

Evil men, speaking on behalf of God, have caused great confusion in the world. And rightly so. It is important for us to realize that all scriptures that are considered to be the “word of God” will have inherent flaws, bending of truth, or even outright lies. To the contrary, God is also merciful and loving by inspiring men and women who in turn teach and enlighten those around them. And please remember that both you and I can be blessed with the gift of prophecy and revelation. Through faith, all gifts of the Spirit are manifest. (Moroni 10)

The Savior was quite clear about when we should or shouldn’t follow the precepts of men. He taught in JST Mark 9 that there are 3 main categories of people who influence us. The “Hand” is someone who is in a close nurturing relationship. The “Foot” is someone we are striving to become like or who we are following. And the “Eye” is someone whom the Lord has inspired to teach light, knowledge, and wisdom. All three of these categories of influencers have the capacity to lead us astray, no one is exempt, even prophets. And what does the Savior teach us we should do in the event any of these people encourage us to follow them in their transgression? We are to cut them off. Now that sounds a bit harsh, right? This doesn’t mean that we stop praying for and being kind to these people, but it does mean that it is ok to stop listening to and following their counsel if we feel it to be inappropriate. I believe the scriptures that teach that man will be “cursed” if they heed any counsel in which they do not first receive a confirming witness from the Spirit.

If we build our belief system solely upon the precepts and constructs of men, it will eventually crumble and fall, for all men are subject to the wiles of the Devil, regardless of what men say to the contrary. In fact, that is probably the first sign of trouble, when a man or woman tells you they cannot lead you to err and that God approves of everything they say.

My objective in this essay is simple, come to know the Gods for yourself. Yes, I used Gods in the plural form. Come to know your Father in Heaven, your Mother in Heaven, the Savior, and the Holy Ghost. Learn all you can about them from the scriptures, realizing that there are also many writings outside of the collections we call the “standard works.” And while in this process of lifelong learning, take the time to approach them, speak with Them, and learn from Them personally. We will comprehend only a fraction of who They truly are through the words of others, at some point we must each make our own personal journey of discovery and enlightenment.

Please know that our Creators, our Parents, are loving and kind. They value agency and have a perfect balance between justice and mercy. They recognize the need for opposition in all things. If not, creation would cease to exist.

Shalom

Disclaimer: Only a small portion of my thoughts and feelings are contained within this essay. It is nearly impossible to condense a lifetime of study, thoughts, and impressions, into a few paragraphs. I value and encourage the need for altering perspective as new light and knowledge is acquired. One of the best ways to know a person’s heart is to sit down and talk face-to-face, perhaps while consuming a mild barley drink.