A brief thought on accepting truth

Several years ago, I created a profile on eHarmony and then I paid extra money to receive a full personality test from the experts behind the site, whoever they were. Never before had I completed a personality test, but the idea excited me because self-improvement and psychology are two of my biggest interests. When I read the results, I was fascinated at how specifically they pinned me down! These weren't horoscopic generalizations - these were scenario-specific assessments.

After 5 years, I grow more and more amazed at the descriptions of me in that personality profile. One in particular that relates to this post deals with the section called "Openness." This is the description in the overview of the "Openness" section:

This section looks at your school of thought to determine how firmly committed you are to the beliefs that govern your thinking and guide your behavior. It also explores your curiosity about and receptivity to new ideas - whether they energize and inspire you or do nothing to shift your existing worldview.
The range covers between being "content" or "curious," and is then divided into three more areas (information processor, inquisitive, perceptiveness), each of which are rated on a 5-point scale from "very low" to "very high."

Are you still with me? Please review that information in case you are lost. I don't want to go on without you.

My overall assessment is "curious," and my inquisitive level is "very high." Allow me to include some of the things stated about me in this assessment.

"Positive reactions others may have towards you (regarding this personality trait):

"You inspire others to take risks they might never consider and add color to what otherwise would be a "blah" world.

"Negative reactions others may have towards you:

"Your mind races too quickly and dangerously for those who prefer safe and simple thinking."

I have definitely seen these results in my life. All too often. Perhaps I won't say too often, because I rather like it this way. I love my "quick and dangerous" thinking. Furthermore, regarding my "openness," this is "Me in Five Words," as they put it:

ORIGINAL

BOLD

QUIRKY

OUT-OF-TOUCH

UNIQUE

I could live with that as my epitaph. Or I guess die with that.

On to the descriptions about my inquisitive nature. I am one inquisitive person. Or, as the profile further explains, I am "the inquisitive child who never stopped asking "Why?" Where most people would ask a question, get an answer and be satisfied, you press on."

I am not alone in this, I know. My purpose here isn't to write an exposé on what an enigma or exception to the rest of the world that I am. The intent is to paint the backdrop of an idea or behavior that I wish to highlight. The fact that I happen to be an embodiment of this idea is purely coincidental.

Because eHarmony is a dating site, the example given to me to illustrate the above assessment deals with a question that might be asked regarding the differences between men and women. It continues:

""Why do men and women deal differently with problems between them?" "Men are problem solvers and want to find a solution, while women are more interested in relating so they want to talk things through." Enough for some people. Ah, but you want to know more, like "Is this a difference in their brain structure, or is this something learned through cultural influences?" Probably some of each.

"Enough then, right? Not so fast. "But why don't cultures just alter the way we nurture women and men and try to resolve this difference?" And on and on and on. Why? Why? Why? Your curiosity keeps you stimulated, it keeps you thinking and exploring and growing.

"You're always seeking out new facts, or new interpretations of known facts, or new comparisons of various interpretations ... well, you get the point. You just keep pushing out the edges of the envelope, hungering for more information, more understanding.

"Like few in the group, you have a way of taking conversations to a higher level by asking - and sometimes answering - questions no one else is dealing with [or willing to deal with, I might add] and pushing everyone forward toward new knowledge."

As I said, I'm an embodiment of this idea, not the embodiment. I only tend toward this behavior, but due so "very highly," as they say or "almost always."

What a truly dull world to be content with one layer of answers or superficial information or superficial understanding of that information. How truly dull for me, anyway. I realize we all aren't like this. But let me point out a limitation of this "contented thinking" as it pertains to the discovery of truth in Mormonism, which is an extremely dogmatic religion and a highly-regulated one, too. And it would have to be, if it were to profess to contain or embody all the truth that exists in the universe (and it does profess as much, let me assure you).

There are those in my religion who often consider "doctrine" as only those things explicitly stated or uttered by those in the high leadership of this church. While such is certainly to be included as our "doctrine," this consideration puts the same person into the idea that unless they said it, it can't be accepted or regarded as "doctrine."

Here allow me to pose a question. What person won't admit that knowing 2x=4 means that x=2? Yet the blindness of the above approach keeps a person insisting that "we only know 2x=4. We don't know that x=2. It's not "doctrine." Show me where it says that. They've only said 2x=4." And I have known far too many people who looked me in the eye to say "such and such can't be the way things work," only to later agree with me after they heard a person in authority say it. So, it wasn't true when I said it?

I recently made a facetious comment on a Facebook post that shared an article on the EPA's "big announcement" on the harmful effects of fluoride. A friend of mine had commented with "What? The conspiracy people were right?" and I responded with "no, they were still wrong because this information wasn't true until they said it was."

Truth is truth because it is true, not because somebody you trust said it was true. We believe there are many great and important things yet to be revealed pertaining to the kingdom of God. So, will those things only be true once they're revealed? Aitch no! They're true right now and heaven forbid you discover something not explicitly stated in our cannon or by our leaders. Is this heresy? Only if I were encouraging you to believe something that contradicted what our church leaders have explicitly said. And I am advising nothing of the sort. I already stated that, as a starting point, we certainly must accept as true the things our prophets have revealed to us.

But you don't have to wait for something to be true until someone says it is. Open your eyes and dare to learn. Dare to broaden your understanding. And realize that although the prophet hasn't (and may not) reveal to us all things that are possible to be learned regarding our doctrine, we can and should still seek to learn such "hidden things" (see Doctrine and Covenants 101:33; 121:13; 76:7; 124:41; and 121:18).

Remember this bold statement by Brother Joseph, the prophet of our dispensation, in which he commanded us to seek them out anyway, regardless of who did or did not say it:

"We should gather all the good and true principles in the world and treasure them up, or we shall not come out true Mormons" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 316).

"Well, if it's doctrine then how come none of the Brethren have ever said so explicitly or directly?" you might be tempted to ask.

I respond with the following scripture. It's explicit enough that even these people can't object to its application in such a discussion.

Alma 12:9-10 (9-11)

"It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him.

"And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full."

So use your brains. Open your minds. And solve all of the functions given to us. Some are as simple as 2x=4, and some are complex derivatives that will make your hair fall out. But learn truth, and dare to stand by it. Dare to believe it even if nobody else has or will, or even if nobody in authority has stated it. Because somebody in authority has given you permission to do so, as listed above. Though, you didn't need his permission to do it, either, and he would have agreed. On that note, I conclude with another quote from Joseph Smith relative to the frustration vented in this post.

"There has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a corn-dodger for a wedge and a pumpkin for a beetle” (Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 146).