Eternal Truth

Roles in the revelatory process

• God: the source of truth
• Holy Ghost: testifies of all truth
• Prophets: receive truth from God and share it with us
• Us: we should seek, recognize, and act on truth

How to recognize truths:

1. Is the concept taught consistently by prophets?
2. Is the concept confirmed by the Holy Ghost?

When seeking truth it is helpful to understand the difference between doctrine and policy. Doctrine is eternal. Policy is the application of doctrine and can change when needed.

Rely on doctrine from multiple sources. Avoid personal interpretations.

So, what is our understanding of truth in today’s world? We are constantly bombarded with strong opinions, biased reporting, and incomplete data. At the same time, the volume and sources of this information are proliferating. Our need to recognize truth has never been more important!

Our current politics demonstrate with shocking clarity that a large percentage of people, even within the church, do not know how to recognize truth and/or do not believe that truth is important in some realms of life. The problem with that attitude is that if we relegate truth to a status of low importance in one area of life we begin to lose our ability to distinguish truth in other areas as well.

God reveals eternal truth to us through a network of revelatory relationships involving Himself, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, prophets, and us.

1. God is the source of eternal truth. He and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a perfect understanding of truth and always act in harmony with true principles and laws.
2. The Holy Ghost testifies of all truth. He reveals truths to us directly and witnesses of truth taught by others.
3. Prophets receive truth from God and share that truth with us.
4. God expects us to seek, recognize, and act on truth. Our ability to receive and apply truth is dependent on the strength of our relationship with the Father and the Son, our responsiveness to the influence of the Holy Ghost, and our alignment with latter-day prophets.

If we choose not to act on truth we weaken our relationship with God and lessen our ability to recognize truth.

God reveals doctrinal truths through prophets, and the Holy Ghost confirms those truths to us and helps us apply them. We must seek and be prepared to receive these spiritual impressions when they come. We are most receptive to the witness of the Spirit when we are humble, pray sincerely and study God’s words, and keep His commandments.

Once the Holy Ghost confirms a specific truth to us, our understanding deepens as we put that principle into practice. Over time, as we consistently live the principle, we gain a sure knowledge of that truth.

The truth that such a large percentage of politically active people in the US, including church members, are ignoring and increasingly forgetting isn’t about who to vote for (although that’s an important application) but about the importance of supporting candidates with a strong moral character and the fact that character is more important than specific governing philosophies or political principles.

When seeking truth, it helps to understand the difference between doctrine and policy. Doctrine refers to eternal truths, such as the nature of the Godhead, the plan of salvation, and Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Policy is the application of doctrine based on current circumstances. Policy helps us administer the Church in an orderly way.

While doctrine never changes, policy adjusts from time to time. The Lord works through His prophets to uphold His doctrine and to modify Church policies according to the needs of His children.

Political priorities are like church policies—they are informed by eternal truths but they are not immutable because they relate to matters of implementation that are context specific.

When we obtain truth from God, He encourages us to share that knowledge with others. … Our aim is to teach truth in a way that invites the converting power of the Holy Ghost.

1. Center on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Their fundamental doctrine.
2. Stay grounded in the scriptures and the teachings of latter-day prophets.
3. Rely on doctrine established through multiple authoritative witnesses.
4. Avoid speculation, personal opinions, or worldly ideas.
5. Teach a point of doctrine within the context of related gospel truths.
6. Use teaching methods that invite the influence of the Spirit.
7. Communicate clearly to avoid misunderstanding.

In the world of politics (where 1&2 don’t have direct corollaries) virtually the entire GOP has abandoned #3 by rejecting any source, no matter how authoritative, that contradicts their preferred con-man thus they lose the ability to even recognize truth as fact-free assertions flood their echo chamber.

Truth has the best chance of blessing another when conveyed with Christlike love.

Truth taught without love can cause feelings of judgment, discouragement, and loneliness. It often leads to resentment and division—even conflict. On the other hand, love without truth is hollow and lacks the promise of growth.

Both truth and love are essential for our spiritual development. Truth provides the doctrine, principles, and laws necessary to gain eternal life, while love engenders the motivation needed to embrace and act upon what is true.