A life raft in a sea of voices

[Janson]

We live in a age of where we are constantly bombarded by a veriety of voices and opinions.

It is easy to fall into following popular opinion while neglecting gospel fundementals.

We may come to think that unless we have studied and understood everything about gospel history and weighed the value of every opinion our beliefs aren't truely justified. While study can be a great way of biulding ones testomony it is mistaken to believe that a person's personal testomony is any less valuable if they haven't read and studied every topic and opinion. God Cares much more about our actions and our hearts than how well we can justify our beliefs to others. It is perfectly fine to have a ferm belief without knowing everything and even not having much knowladge at all. We should want to increase our knowlage but we must study both by knowlage and by faith. If and when we come accross things we do not know the answear to we must rely on our faith to help us through. This is why knowing truth is less important than living truth. 

How have you overcome challanges by knowledge and by faith?

How has living truth even when your knowledge or understanding or faith were under trial helped you to gain a witness of that truth?

 

[Traveler]

11 hours ago, Janson said:

We live in a age of where we are constantly bombarded by a veriety of voices and opinions.

It is easy to fall into following popular opinion while neglecting gospel fundementals.

We may come to think that unless we have studied and understood everything about gospel history and weighed the value of every opinion our beliefs aren't truely justified. While study can be a great way of biulding ones testomony it is mistaken to believe that a person's personal testomony is any less valuable if they haven't read and studied every topic and opinion. God Cares much more about our actions and our hearts than how well we can justify our beliefs to others. It is perfectly fine to have a ferm belief without knowing everything and even not having much knowladge at all. We should want to increase our knowlage but we must study both by knowlage and by faith. If and when we come accross things we do not know the answear to we must rely on our faith to help us through. This is why knowing truth is less important than living truth. 

How have you overcome challanges by knowledge and by faith?

How has living truth even when your knowledge or understanding or faith were under trial helped you to gain a witness of that truth?

 

Welcome to the forum @Janson .  I am not so sure that our age is so different from any other that we ought to apply different principles in our individual and collective quest(s) for light and truth.  I am a retired engineer and scientist in the field of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence.  Like many others in fields of science I have observed significant changes to our knowledge of things over my short lifetime.

Your symbolism of a life raft in a sea of voices is interesting.  Perhaps you will explain it more as this thread unfolds.  As to your question.  For me, the discovery of truth comes from the initial step of faith into things yet unknown.  We begin with what we think we know and establish what we think to be likely from the information we have and project into what we do not understand.  We formulate likely solutions or answers.  For me, I take my best efforts and commit my conclusions as an act of faith in my G-d as I continue my quest.  The answer to prayers happens for me in new ideas that start to enter into my mind.  I must then shuffle through these new ideas and decipher which are helpful ideas from G-d and which are distractions from a source of deception.  I take my best ideas and discuss them with others I trust and repeat the entire process.

I find my understanding of things are in a constant learning process.  I find this to be the case both in spiritual matters as well as matters of this physical universe.

Using your popular opinion concept – an example for me is the popular notion of the “Big Bang Theory”.  I have know and believed for decades that the big bang theory is flawed and needs refinement but I have accepted it in part because I have not found something better.  I have thought that G-d perhaps did something initially to organize our universe and that perhaps the big bang reveals something of that process.  With the information currently coming from the James Webb telescope we now have sufficient information that there was not a Big Bang.  All the efforts to determine initial Planck seconds (Planck second is 5.391247 x 10^-44 seconds) is now in essence wasted calculations into theoretical astrophysics.   It is likely that many things will not be understood or discovered during my lifetime.

I likewise have many spiritual gospel related principles that my understanding has required significant adjustments.  I believe that those that have not experienced adjustments to their spiritual thinking are perhaps not spiritually advancing their mortal experience. I am anxious for you to share your spiritual journey and to ask question to clarify my understanding of what I think you are adding.  I would, if I may, refer to Moroni chapter 10 concerning spiritual gifts.  Realizing you have a spiritual gift or gifts that will compliment mine – I look forward to your inputs.

 

The Traveler

[zil2]

Welcome to Third Hour, @Janson!

11 hours ago, Janson said:

This is why knowing truth is less important than living truth.

Might I suggest that "understanding" would be better than "knowing" in the above sentence?  If I know nothing about a particular truth, how can I live it?  I might live it by fluke, not knowing what I'm doing, but that's not intentional and may or may not benefit me at all - certainly, it's not exercising faith and doesn't involve testimony.  But if I know, for example, that the Church teaches modesty, but I don't understand what the big deal is, then I can intentionally exercise faith by living it without understanding.

I generally agree with the idea presented in your post - e.g. I needn't know the details of Joseph Smith's life to know that he is a true prophet of God, I don't need biological knowledge explaining why coffee or tea is bad for me to have a testimony of the Word of Wisdom, and so on.  Even if I could argue every point of Church history, it wouldn't convince anyone of anything, except maybe to not argue with me.  The Spirit converts.  The Spirit teaches truth.  There is no need for me to justify my faith to anyone; I can walk away or testify, as appropriate.

Before someone quotes that quote at me, I'll add that I'm grateful there are many very well-educated and skilled apologists for the Church out there.  I'm not one of them.  I'll just stick with serving in my callings and testifying when I can.

As to your questions, my thoughts are too personal to share.  I will simply say that even when life is bad, it's better when living the gospel of Jesus Christ (than it is when not living the gospel) - even if you have to force yourself to do it, even if some part of you wants to do otherwise.  And I'll add that knowledge is worse than useless if you don't live according to that knowledge.