BEGINNING OUR QUEST

As the celebration of the end of my 8th decade of mortality rapidly approaches I find it takes only small indicators to get me reviewing my life. This week as I was reading some of the words which Limhi shared with Ammon from the Record of Zeniff in the tenth chapter of Mosiah my mind started reviewing how with the passing of the years the way I had perceived reality and truth had shifted and changed.

As a toddler – which I recall now by observing my great grandchildren – I must have viewed the world and all its inhabitants as sources for my life’s sustenance, comfort and happiness!

As a youth – I found it expedient to accept what those who were older and wiser said with a shallow OK – and then just went forth living the life my friends and I found enjoyable!

As a teenager – I spent a lot of time in a state of confusion – because what I heard at home – what I heard at church – what I heard on the news – what I heard spending time with my peers – seldom fit into one box of reality – and one truth was usually contradictory to other sets of truth!

As a young adult – My life was centered in the fundamental truths taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – and I found great comfort in attempting to explain to others these fundamental understandings of the Plan of Happiness!

As the next couple of decades passed – I went through a phase which I will facetiously call – the period of absolute knowledge – for example – I knew with assuredness that the second coming was near – time passed – adjustments were made!

A calming period of shortening the list of what I knew to be absolute – I have a Father in Heaven – sincere prayerful communication is possible – of all we do in life there is nothing more important than loving one another!

As a wizened person – What we believe to be true is probably a product of the culture we were born into – what we believe to be absolute is but a pittance of Omniscience – most of what we base our beliefs on are products of hope and faith and seldom fall into the category of knowledge!

The verses which started this review of my 8 decades of mortality are found in Mosiah 10: 12, 13. It is amazing to view the gulf between the perceived realities and truths of the Lamanites verses the Nephites as described by Zeniff.

The Lamanites – were a wild, and ferocious, and a blood-thirsty people, believing in the tradition of their fathers, which is this—Believing that they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem because of the iniquities of their fathers, and that they were wronged in the wilderness by their brethren, and they were also wronged while crossing the sea; and again, that they were wronged while in the land of their first inheritance, after they had crossed the sea.

The Nephites – Because Nephi was more faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord—therefore he was favored of the Lord, for the Lord heard his prayers and answered them, and he took the lead of their journey in the wilderness.

Zeniff spends many more verses describing how he views the wrongness of the Lamanite interpretation of truth and defending the Nephite understanding of truth.

It only takes a tiny bit of open mindedness to come to the understanding that people in our day establish their beliefs in different truths depending on what network they watch their news on, the predominant political views espoused by the majority of those they are surrounded by in their current residence, along with a plethora of other influences which tend to sway our belief systems.

To conclude this sabbath day I offer the following scriptures to ponder as you consider where you are in your life concerning those ideas you consider to be absolutely true.

Proverbs 3: 5-7: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
Doctrine and Covenants 5: 21: And now I command you, my servant Joseph, to repent and walk more uprightly before me, and to yield to the persuasions of men no more…

Romans 1: 16–25: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Moroni 10: 3-5: Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

Doctrine and Covenants 93: 24-31: And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come; And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning. The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth; And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments. He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.

Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.

Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light.

At this beginning point on my eternal journey I feel comfortable that there are a few teachings which I have gained an assurance of their truthfulness, I am secure that what I know as absolute truth is a small fraction of the knowledge of my Heavenly Father, I know that I have been given sufficient understanding to complete the purposes of this phase of my existence, the Holy Spirit has blessed me with the absoluteness of knowing the completeness of the mercy and love attending the Atonement of the Lord Jesus the Christ will with His grace overcome the deficiencies which are inherent in living in this Telestial environment.

May the Lord bless us to be content with the truth which has been given us and the desire continue in our quest to be added upon is my sincere prayer.


THOUGHTS FOR A SABBATH DAY – WILLIAM L. RILEY

EDITED BY – KATHLEEN W. RILEY