Truth


"All learning leads to nothing unless it is centered on finding the roots of truth, which cannot be received without first becoming honest.
The only way to find truth is through uncompromising self-education toward self-honesty to see the original “real me,” the child of God, in its innocence and potential in contrast to the influence from the other part of me, “the flesh,” with its selfish desires and foolishness. Only in that state of pure honesty are we able to see truth in its complete dimension."
"Elder Enzio F. Busche" (author of "Yearning For The Living God" a fabulous life story and an excellent read!)

A recent conversation with a friend of another faith has been bothering me. She was telling me how her daughter was being shunned by another friend because she was hanging out with boys before she was 16. Now, knowing human nature and the follies of such nature, I am sure that this friend was not consciously shunning this girl because of an age restriction for dating in the LDS church. Perception of the real problem for both girls(and their mothers) was probably equally misunderstood on both sides. In my limited experience(so take what I say with the understanding that I am most definitely not an expert in human nature or in things of a spiritual nature) there are usually two sides to every problem and somewhere in the middle lies the actual truth to what is going on. What bothered me was my friends perception of what the LDS people place importance on. From her perspective it seemed that the friend and her mother were placing greater importance on the council to not date before 16 than on the value of her daughter, her thoughts and her feelings. She felt that they were being unfair in holding her daughter to a standard of behavior that her daughter has not committed to.
Living in Utah I have come to recognize that having so many members of the LDS church live here has also made it the culture of living here. Quite possibly many of our members may even attend church and perform certain acts because it is culturally proper to do so. This brings me to the point of my picture above.
The LDS church has many parts to it, similar to that of a set of Russian Nesting Dolls. At the heart of the many programs, inspired council, callings to service, and acts of personal dedication, lies the truth upon which this church was founded upon. If someone's focus, knowledge or testimony is primarily on one of the outside layers, then that person's response to problems and trials is dangerously weakened. Depending on what they are facing the end result could be spiritually shattering.
Like Elder Busche stated in the above quote the only way to find truth is to strip away the layers of false perceptions, walls of protection, or favored popular views that hinder our true and honest knowledge of certain truths. When I really try to get down to the bare bones of who I am, I cannot deny in anyway that there is a God in Heaven, and that His son is Jesus the Christ. There are certain truths that are not tangible in the same way that programs and people are but they are truths just the same. When I keep these truths at the heart of my response to my trials and problems, I feel a greater strength than that of my own helping me, guiding me and training me in this school of life.
I truly wish I could say I do this all the time, but since this blog is mostly about the things I learn in life then it becomes obvious this is a new revelation to me. I take hope that I can be a good student and apply what I learn, and I hope that others, who's views and beliefs are different from mine, will see that my intentions and actions are not hollow.


"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).



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