How can one know?

In terms of the questions of life and people who claim certain knowledge the obvious question is ‘how do you know that is true’? or even ‘can’ certain things be known about the purpose of life, life and death and the like. For a comprehensive philosophical exploration of the question I would point people to a lecture given by Truman Madsen entitled “Belief and Knowledge” in Timeless Questions Gospel Insights.

From a less philosophical perspective, my thoughts: As I look around the world today I see a couple dominant answers: (1) an ultimate confidence in science having the answers (2) the sentiment that all religions are the same and that we can’t really know the answers, so why worry about it, or (3) the thoughtless adoption of answers according to the culture one has inherited.

(1) Science having all the answers: Strangely, I find this is a common thought of the young and uneducated, but also those with great pride in their own knowledge. The young grow up in a modern society which holds scientists in such esteem that the young assume that every scientific declaration is truth. However, those who have been around a bit longer will recognize that scientific knowledge is constantly changing. There are always new discoveries that modify previous ‘truths’. Even in my own short lifetime I have seen things I was taught in elementary school about the birth of the universe as well as the inside of the earth that have been completely reworked. I think the better scientists recognize that with each new discovery there are more new questions generated than answers given. I also think those that work in the labs would acknowledge that scientific discovery is often coupled with a sense of intuition and even luck. Science is good at giving us ‘how’ answers, the mechanisms, but it falls short in the ‘why’ questions or the ‘to what end’ questions.

(2) The sentiment that ‘all religions are the same and we can’t really know’. This is often said either to exonerate oneself from putting forth effort to study or as a disdain for the historical atrocities committed in the name of religion or as a complete frustration with the issue to change the topic of conversation or as a way of saying ‘my life is good, I’m comfortable, I have money, I worked for it, I deserve it, I’m not changing because someone else thinks I should’ or as a show of tolerance as the highest good accompanied with kindness. Multiple motivations, hence its popularity.

These are all quite dangerous responses. Two illustrations from Truman–If I go rock climbing with a friend and he has a rope that claims to support 170 pounds and I weigh 165, I might want to check the strength of the rope. Or as Pascal argued in The Wager, “If I assume God lives and I die and find out that’s it, there is no God, what have I lost? Nothing really. I lived a good life. But if I assume there is no God and that all religious experience is a delusion and I die and, low and behold, there is another world and there is a God, what have I lost?, maybe everything, so. . . bet on God.” But I agree with Truman when he adds, “simply betting on God does not change one’s life” but it does make the point that of all issues in life, this is surely one that deserves attention, not to be passively dismissed for whatever reason.

To exonerate oneself from effort: if this is really the case then let’s change the topic of conversation, there is no desire to learn and forcing ideas down someone’s throat only makes them more adamant in their refusal. The only hope is for some aspect of reality to hit them upside the head, be it having a loved one pass away or seeing poverty and innocent suffering first hand. Such realities bring up the terrible questions.

A disdain for historical atrocities in the name of religion: I can understand this sediment, and acknowledge that it is often said is support of kindness, tolerance, and peace. However, it does not rule out the possibility of truth and an understanding of things as they really are. I personally believe all such atrocities are evil distortions of religion and a failing of men to be humble and true followers of the religious principles taught in their faith. I believe it illustrates the power of free agency (the very heart of our earthly test), the corruption of power, and the delusion and confidence in the philosophies of men.

Frustration with the issue: surely it can be frustrating with all the competing voices, the various claims, the gaps in knowledge. But I have never believed in giving up, no great discoveries have been made without effort. I fundamentally believe it was designed that way.

Comfort and satisfaction: perhaps the most dangerous sentiment, it is a false security. Even if one never loses everything, as did many Americans in 1929, in Katrina, or in any number of cited tragedies around the world, natural or man-made, many people can live their entire life in prosperity– it is the norm in our society to pursue the path of aggrandizing oneself–comfort,entertainment, and pleasure being the highest ideals; however I believe it is dangerous to dismiss the voices of the past numerous civilizations who have collapsed after similar comfort and prosperity as well as dismissing the warnings of prophets who have been right before. We can wake up ourselves, wait for some life circumstance to wake us up, or risk the possibility of a rude awakening when we die.

Tolerance, albeit in kindness, as the highest ideal: I likewise believe in peace and love as the ideal of a society. I also believe in freedom of choice and in mercy and forgiveness towards people’s decisions. However, their are higher ideals than tolerance if it means accepting all people’s choices. In this life there will always be people who choose to benefit themselves at the expense of others. I think the historical record shows that a Utopian society is extremely difficult to maintain in this world and more often than not it requires a group of people to flee from the rest of the world. Therefore as a seeker I would not expect the true followers of God to be very large, it takes too much effort and they would be too much of a threat to those in power.

(3) Thoughtless adoption of philosophies based on cultural or family inheritance. I think most people follow this path because it requires the least amount of effort, and it serves a purpose in maintaining peace in the family and society. However integrity calls for one to dismiss the ways of their fathers if further light and understanding are obtained. The breakthrough is the written record, if one is permitted to read it (people in power don’t want the population educated and literate, that would be a threat), and the written record can reveal truth and light. However, even with access to the written record it will take effort and wisdom to distinguish truth from error. Sometimes there is an overabundance of voices each with different agendas, other times there is a limiting of the voices so that only certain viewpoints are heard. Sometimes popularity or academic degrees cloud the issue. A diligent seeker will have to put forth effort.

And so even after all the searching, reading, and listening to the experts, be it academic or religious, the question remains ‘how can YOU know?’

The breakthrough in my opinion is (1) experience and, this word the Mormons use-much to the frustration of outsiders, (2) revelation. To doubting Thomas, the resurrected Christ did not say, ‘check out the arguments for God’ or ‘why didn’t you listen to all these authorities’ but “handle me and see for spirit hath not flesh and bone as ye see me have.” The Mormons’ claims to knowledge and authority begin with the story of a young boy reading James, “if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God” with the promise “it shall be given him.” and ending with the witness of one who claims to have “seen” and delivery of a tangible object, a claimed ancient record which we can handle and see. The audacity of such claims demand a thorough and humble examination by honest seekers.

For me, the experience of handling and seeing the Book of Mormon, accompanied with the confirming witness of feelings I did not generate on my own, has introduced me to a world of light, truth, and understanding.