I know that I shouldn't say this, but I take some issue with some parts of Elder Ian S. Ardern's talk. In his talk, Seek Ye Out of the Best Books, he warns us against taking information from the wrong sources. The way he said it, "we must do all we can to fortify ourselves spiritually against words of opposition and deception." This raised a small red flag in my mind, but even more alarming was a claim that he made later in his talk: "There is nothing to be gained in exploring the views and opinions of the less informed or disenchanted."
I disagree.
I believe that truth can be found almost anywhere. Certainly, there are great truths taught in the Gospel and great falsehoods about the Gospel taught elsewhere, but that doesn't mean that we should "turn away" from those who mock and demean us, as Elder Ardern advises , or that there is nothing to be learned from them. Elder Ardern is right to say that "We live in a day in which misinformation about our beliefs abounds," but I'm not sure that closing our ears to that misinformation is the best response to it.
Of course, I may be misrepresenting Elder Ardern's views. It's possible that "spiritually" is a key word in his advice to "fortify ourselves spiritually against words of opposition." Maybe we should engage our detractors in conversation, but maybe we should do so from a place of spiritual strength, so our faith can withstand the conversation. This reminds me of a character gaining experience and levels to prepare himself for a tough encounter, but my main point is that the character will gain experience from the encounter itself, just as we can gain knowledge and experience, and even faith, from faith-shaking conversations.
We shouldn't shy away from questions. Truth withstands scrutiny. And even amongst lies and insincere questions, we can find kernels of truth and begin sincere searches for truth, which can be quite fruitful. Naturally, the scriptures are among the best sources of truth, but that is not to say that truth cannot be found elsewhere. In our searches for truth, we shouldn't be afraid to consider difficult questions or alternative perspectives or sources of information.
Yet, I agree that, while we search for truth, we should try to have the spirit of discernment with us so we can sort out the truths from the falsehoods. Personal revelation is essential. I think that there are very few sources that should be wholly trusted or distrusted. Every nugget of information should be checked with the Spirit for confirmation, regardless of its source.
As we search for truth, the most important consideration is not where we search but how. We should search for truth virtually everywhere, in my opinion, because truth can be found anywhere. No one has a monopoly or utter depravity of truth. We should, however, search carefully, and we should always search with the aid of the spirit of truth. He can help us find spiritual truths, even those hidden in places where we may also find falsehoods, and He can help us identify falsehoods, even those tucked away in places where we also find truths. In short, look for truth wherever you can, but don't label anything as being true or false until it has been deemed so by the spirit of truth.
3 comments:
Yes and no.
For myself, I know I do not spend nearly as much time studying confirmed and reliable sources of truth. Which means I am not as well educated as I should be and am therefore less prepared to sort and sift through questionable sources. Also, I should not spend precious time on what I know to be iffy sources while neglecting more important studies.
We should be willing and open to learn, but we must also be aware that Satan and his (sometimes unknowing) helpers can be very clever in their logic and reasoning, can sound like they are trying to do right, but can be very, dangerously wrong. We must be very careful not to be deceived.
Calm discussions with those who see things differently is one thing. Sincere questions - ours or otthers - are good. But studying and following the wrong guides because they almost certainly have some truth can be dangerous.
If Satan presented only blantant falsehoods, few would follow. But by cleverly using some truth and mixing in misleading agruments supposedly of fairness and reason, he leads us away carefully.
I totally agree with Mom. It is dangerous, and therefore foolish, to try to find truth in places that we know, or even just suspect, are false. Including in people who are trying to push their own thoughts/opinions/agendas. That would be like me going to a bar because someone told me they serve good hot wings. I MIGHT just get the hot wings without any other incident, but it is NOT likely. And why risk danger or exposure to things I do not want in my life when I can get perfectly good hot wings at a safer and more appropriate establishment?
There is a difference between happening upon something positive/uplifting from an unexpected source, and intentionally seeking those things out from unreliable sources. We've all found ourselves in some sort of undesirable situation at some point, and hopefully we did learn from our experience, and maybe even found a way to turn it into something positive. But that doesn't mean you purposefully put yourself in danger or harm's way in the hopes you'll learn some kind of positive object lesson. It is seriously unwise to intentionally go into that situation/environment just to try to find something good.
If someone you know or encounter has a sincere question, discussion is good. There is nothing wrong with sharing beliefs and hearing others'. But Elder Ardern is right; we should not go looking for enlightenment in places that are shady or uncertain. And we certainly should actively protect and fortify ourselves from any exposure we are going to encounter, whether we sought after it or not.
I agree with Mom & Sariah. I don't spend enough time studying the scriptures & conference talks, and thinking about how to implement the things I learn from them, so why would I want to look for info from sources that are less pure?
The impression I got from the talk is that he is warning against things like anti-mormon blogs. I think something to note is that he warns agains "exploring" those opinions. Seeking them out is very different than talking to someone with those views, and answering / discussing sincere questions and viewpoints.
You are right that "we should engage our detractors in conversation, [when we are able to] do so from a place of spiritual strength, so our faith can withstand the conversation." And that "We shouldn't shy away from questions."
I agree with how you said it's important to search for truth and engage in discussions with the aid of the spirit. I have encountered some things and immediately had a bad or dark feeling about it. On the other hand, I have talked with a person who felt very strongly against the church, but I could tell that she was sincere in her belief. I believed her when she said she prayed for us each time she drove past our church. I said, "I can use all the prayers I can get!" and commended her for standing up for what she believes in. I didn't feel any hate or dark feelings coming from her. I could tell that she was a little nervous--just as we often are when sharing our beliefs--and I thought she was very courageous to share her testimony. I believe she will be blessed for doing what she believed was right.
One of the ways we can use the help of the spirit is acting on the direction that we have already received, such as the advice given in General Conference talks.
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