Can We Know the Truth of All Things?

Can we know the truths of things? I mean really know? I say yes, because there are things that I know that I know that are true. Many would argue that I don’t really know that I know, but I will say it again that I know. People believe that you can believe things but that you still don’t really know, it is just faith.

I know that there is a God. I know that Jesus Christ is His son. I know that the Bible and Book of Mormon are true scripture from God. I know that I exist. I know that I am a child of God. I know that God created all things. I know that He loves me. I know that I existed before this life. I know that I will exist after this life and that I will live forever. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church which is directed by Jesus Christ himself. I know that there is a prophet of God on the earth who, under the direction of Jesus Christ and through revelation leads the church.

So how do I know these things?

There is a scripture that can sum up my experience. It is found in The Book of Mormon, in the book of Moroni chapter 10 versus 3-5:

“Behold, I would exhort you that when ya shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord has been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ya shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

“And when ya shall receive these things, I would exhort you that you would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto by the power of the Holy Ghost.

“And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

One night when I was fourteen I sat in my room about to go to bed and had the thought that I didn’t know if The Book of Mormon really was true even though I had grown up in The Church. I knelt down and addressed my Father in Heaven and He sent down the most beautiful and indescribable feeling that filled me with light and an absolute knowledge that The Book of Mormon was true.
Through the Spirit I have come to know many truths. God has given me a way that I can know with a surety what is true and what is not. It is not by the ways of man that I know these things to be true. Men have the need to have proof. Proof that God exists and everything else. The problem with the way that men seek truth and facts is that there is error in our methods. Some will prove one thing to be true then decades later it will turn out to be false. Take Pluto for example. It is in all textbooks that it is a planet and now they say it is not.

The Book of Mormon is believe to be fiction because there is no “proof” that the people who wrote is existed or came to live on the Americas the way that it is recorded in the book. There have been things found that mirror things in The Book of Mormon as well as sacred oral histories about a white god coming from the heavens that are as old as the book themselves and yet the account of Christ coming to the Americas in The Book of Mormon are not credited as true.

Mosiah 4:9

“Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend.”

We might not comprehend all things right now, but God has given us a way that we can know all things. It’s possible because God knows all things and is willing to impart to us the knowledge that will make it easier for us to become like Him and return to Him someday.

It is a lie that we can believe something is true but never really know something. I don’t even understand that statement although I heard someone say it the other day. There are two scriptures that come to mind about faith.

Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance (assurance) of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Alma 32:21

“And now as I said concerning faith– faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.”
So faith is to believe in something that is true even though it is not seen.

So there is faith, which isn’t a perfect knowledge. I surely don’t have a perfect knowledge of things, but I know they are true.

The great thing is that one day I will see God. Even seeing Him I know that I will not comprehend all things, but I am on an eternal journey and will forever learn and grow through my God. And I am so grateful that in this life He has given me His spirit to rely to show me the way back to Him.

Is There a Father of Us All?

For many this is a question beyond all questions that has been asked a trillion and a half times, at least. I know that for some it is hard to believe and for others it is easy. Personally I have never known or remember a day when I did not believe that there was a God in Heaven. My life from the time that I was young was centered around the belief that there is a God and that He is my Father. It was taught to me by my parents and I love them so much for that. But my belief goes far beyond the things my parents taught.

Every time I pray, every time I think of Him and remember all that He has done for me I am filled with peace and know of His love for me. He answers my prayers. Sometimes the answer is quick and other times it comes at a time I least expect it, but He always answers.

I have always felt close to Him and knew that He loved me. There was a time, though, that I didn't understand the role of His son Jesus Christ in my life. I didn't feel any connection to Him. I was so sad about it, but for whatever reason I just didn't understand why I needed Him in my life if I felt such a connection already with the Father of my spirit. 

I prayed about it constantly. I asked everyone I knew if they had ever felt this. They would tell me that it was strange for them to hear me ask this question when they could see that Christ and His teachings had influenced my life so much and that I displayed so many of the qualities that He had shown us.

I guess I was sad the most because Christ and His role as our Savior and Redeemer are what we learn about every Sunday in church and every time we read in the Bible or Book of Mormon. In the Book of Mormon you can even turn randomly to just about any page and you will find teachings about Jesus and His mission by the prophets of the American Continent. 

At this point in my life I understood well the commandments and how to live my life, but I guess I didn't understand why I was living that way. My Father in Heaven was so gracious to me and began to teach me from that point on the most precious truth I have ever known. 

I am a very independent person by nature and the circumstances in my life up to that point had made me even more resistant to reaching out for help from anyone. At the time this included my Savior Jesus. I began to read a lot about why Christ came to earth. How he came to save us from death and from sin. It was every thing that I had learned all my life. Then one day I was reading from a book called, "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage that helped me to understand from my Heavenly Father's point of view why I needed the Savior in my life:

"The Eternal Father well understood the diverse natures... of His spirit-offspring; and in His infinite foreknowledge made plain to Him, even in the beginning, that in the school of life some of His children would succeed and others would fail; some would be faithful and others false... and that men, shut out from His presence and left to themselves, would sink rather than rise...It was necessary that a means of redemption be provided."

In that moment I knew more than ever that my Father in Heaven loved me. He taught me how so very important His Son was to me and to all of His children. Gratitude filled my heart more than ever before for my Savior. I knew that even if there was a chance that only one soul would accept the sacrifice His Son had made He would still have sent him. And I am so glad that He did and that I can follow His Son and choose to live my life like Him.

There is a God, and He loves me and He loves you and He sent His Son so that we can be cleansed from our sins and return to live forever with Him some day. 

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect." Matt. 5:48

God cares about the little things

I had a really hard day the other day, but God reminded me that He is mindful of me in every way. 

I went to start the dishwasher when I realized that a vital piece was missing. Frustrated that I had no idea what the piece even looked like, I found myself looking for it all over the house. I even looked through the trash in the kitchen like 3 times, the whole time hoping that the baby didn't eat it:) I finally broke down and ordered the piece. But while I was looking through the appliance manual I found that I had that morning picked up a piece of plastic that looked just like the piece I was missing. Why I hadn't thought of that before bothered me. Now I was even more bothered because the very piece I had been looking for I had held in my hand and now I could not find it. So I found myself praying and praying and looking through the trash even more. But I didn't find it.  I started to doubt my own faith and wondered why God wasn't helping me. It wasn't until I let it go and put it out of my mind that the thought came to me that my faith didn't lack, its just that God wasn't helping me find it for His reasons alone.

Then later that day I was sad again because my 2 1/2 year old, who used to be potty trained, but is now not potty trained, reminded me how capable, but unwilling he is to use the potty. I was tired and I was sad and I said another prayer to my Father that he would just comfort me; and as I was picking up the diaper bag that was on the counter in the kitchen, where I had spent all morning looking for the dishwasher piece, there it was- a little white piece of plastic. It was like a ray of hope in the moment that I needed it. The timing was perfect, because my God is perfect. He loves me and cares about me and my needs as He does for us all.

How God has led me in a simple way

There have been many times in my life when I have felt what I would call "promptings" to do something or not to do something. I wish I could say that I always follow them, do what I feel I should do, but there have been many times that I push the feeling aside, thinking that I must be crazy or the thought is silly. But God really does watch over us and bless us if we will listen to those whispers and nudges. 

I remember a time in high school when one of these promptings was so strong. I was in class and it was time for silent reading. We were given the option to read anything, from a personal book to the newspaper. Mostly I would use this time to study a religious book called The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Christ. But on this particular day I really wanted to read from the newspaper. 

As I reached for the newspaper I felt a kind and gentle feeling that I should read from The Book of Mormon. I pushed it aside wanting to read the other. As I sat down and opened the comics the feeling came again a little firmer, to read from the Book of Mormon. A second time I tried to push it away. The third time it came I decided to listen. About a minute into reading it, a schoolmate of mine turned around and asked me what I was reading. I handed it to her and she looked through it. I asked her if she wanted a copy and she did. The next day I brought her one.

I know how much The Book of Mormon has blessed my life and has drawn me closer to my savior, Jesus Christ, and am so grateful that I was able to share it with her that day. Sometimes I reflect on how I could have missed out on that opportunity if I had continued to push that prompting away. 

The promptings don't always have to do with something spiritual, but they are always for our benefit or for the benefit of others. God does lead us and guide us and hopes that we will listen and be led safely home to Him again. 

Questions in my life

Throughout my life I have had so many questions—about everything. Questions about life, about God, family, and so forth. And then there are the questions about the truth of these things. Everyday we are learning. Everyday we have the chance to be taught by God, from him directly. I want to share the things that He teaches me and the path that He is leading me on. 

Please feel free to comment, to ask questions, to share with your family and friends. 

And may God guide us all back to Him.