Friday, September 23, 2016

Truth as eternal in nature


24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
25 And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning. (D&C 93:24-25)

I love how truth is defined here. Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” almost 2000 years ago, and this is the best definition I’ve seen. It is a principle that doesn’t change over time.

I was a bit puzzled by the corollary that anything more or less than that comes from Satan. It is easiest to see that anything less than timeless would not be universally applicable, but what falls under the head of “more”?  What could be “more” than eternal?

Eventually I realized the “more or less than this” referred to the scope of the principles rather than their time frame (although time frame has already been made a factor). It refers to under-done and over-done principles.

Under-done principles do not give the benefit of discipline that they promise. It cheats us out of true progression. Over-done principles promise greater holiness, but actually they take away freedom and opportunity for growth by narrowing our views. So they both lie about their benefits.   Satan would  prefer that we disobey, but he will also try to persuade us to under-do or over-do our obedience.

Thus, we have to seek the Spirit to know how we can best receive truth and improve our lives.

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