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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