4. What comes before Ask?
• Lacking wisdom
• Curiosity
• Uncertainty
• A Question
• “The Lord can only teach an inquiring mind.” – Elder Russell M.
Nelson
6. The Quality Of
Your Life Is
Determined By
The Quality Of
The Questions
You Ask
7. A few
questions I ask
myself
everyday…
What am I grateful for and why?
What did I do well; what could I improve?
You don’t want to die “with your music still in
you,” what is your song to sing?
11. What Questions did Pontius Pilate Ask Jesus?
• Art thou the king of the Jews?
• Am I a Jew?
• What hast thou done?
• Art thou a king then?
• What is Truth?
12. What is Truth?
• A fact?
• Scientifically proven?
“It will set you free”
13. What is Truth?
The Greek word for “truth” is aletheia, which literally
means to “un-hide”.
24. Pattern for Learning
Truth
#1- Ask the right question
#2- Consider multiple perspectives. “We
see through a glass, darkly”
#3- Search, Ponder & Pray
25. Search, Ponder & Pray
• D&C 9:7-9
• “you must study it out in your mind”
(draw your own conclusions)
26. What if… you don’t
have a burning bosom
or don’t feel a stupor
of thought?
How do you know if it is the Holy
Ghost?
28. Pattern for Learning
Truth
#1- Ask the right question
#2- Consider multiple perspectives. “We
see through a glass, darkly”
#3- Search, Ponder & Pray
#4- Experiment with Faith
29. Faith
Hebrews 11:1
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen ”
How is faith different than belief?
[assurance]
[known/perceived/ discerned]
30. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
The first question
is “What is truth?”
The second, “Is it really
possible to know the
truth?”
And third, “How should
we react to things that
contradict truths which
we have learned
previously?”
31. Now, never in the history of the world have we had easier access
to more information—some of it true, some of it false, and much
of it partially true.
Consequently, never in the history of the world has it been more
important to learn how to correctly discern between truth and
error. Part of our problem in the quest for truth is that human
wisdom has disappointed us so often.
We have so many examples of things that mankind once “knew”
were true but have since been proven false.
32. Part of the reason for poor judgment comes from the
tendency of mankind to blur the line between belief and
truth.
We too often confuse belief with truth, thinking that
because something makes sense or is convenient, it must be
true. Conversely, we sometimes don’t believe truth or reject
it—because it would require us to change or admit that we
were wrong. Often, truth is rejected because it doesn’t
appear to be consistent with previous experiences.
33. When the opinions or “truths” of others contradict our own,
instead of considering the possibility that there could be
information that might be helpful and augment or
complement what we know, we often jump to conclusions
or make assumptions that the other person is misinformed,
mentally challenged, or even intentionally trying to deceive.
Unfortunately, this tendency can spread to all areas of our
lives—from sports to family relationships and from religion
to politics.
34. The thing about truth is that it
exists beyond belief. It is true
even if nobody believes it.
35.
36. Latter-day Saints are not asked to blindly
accept everything they hear. We are
encouraged to think and discover truth for
ourselves. We are expected to ponder, to
search, to evaluate, and thereby to come to a
personal knowledge of the truth.
-President Uchtdorf
37. Brigham Young said: “I am … afraid that this
people have so much confidence in their
leaders that they will not inquire for
themselves of God whether they are led by
him. I am fearful they settle down in a state
of blind self-security. … Let every man and
woman know, by the whispering of the Spirit
of God to themselves, whether their leaders
are walking in the path the Lord dictates.”19
38. We seek for truth wherever we may find it.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that
“Mormonism is truth. … The first and
fundamental principle of our holy religion
is, that we believe that we have a right to
embrace all, and every item of truth,
without limitation or … being … prohibited
by the creeds or superstitious notions of
men.”20
“Mormonism is
truth”
40. We Seek
Article of Faith 13
We believe in being honest, true, chaste,
benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all
men; indeed, we may say that we follow the
admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we
hope all things, we have endured many things,
and hope to be able to endure all things. If
there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good
report or praiseworthy, we seek after these
things.
42. Pattern for Learning
Truth
#1- Ask the right question
#2- Consider multiple perspectives. “We
see through a glass, darkly”
#3- Search, Ponder & Pray
#4- Experiment with Faith
#5- Opposition in all things
46. Genesis 2: 7
And
the Lord God formed
man of the dust of
the ground, and
breathed into his
nostrils the breath of
life; and man became
a living soul.
47. It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent that
survives. It is the one that is most
adaptable to change.
– Charles Darwin
48. We are made of star dust.
Star dust = Earth dust
“Formed man of the dust of the
ground”
Life
53. Pattern for Learning
Truth
#1- Ask the right question
#2- Consider multiple perspectives. “We
see through a glass, darkly”
#3- Search, Ponder & Pray
#4- Experiment with Faith
#5- Opposition in all things
54. My young friends, as you accept the responsibility to seek
after truth with an open mind and a humble heart, you will
become more tolerant of others, more open to listen, more
prepared to understand, more inclined to build up instead of
tearing down, and more willing to go where the Lord wants
you to go.
- President Uchtdorf
55.
56. 2 Timothy 2:23
23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
57. The Quality Of
Your Life Is
Determined By
The Quality Of
The Questions
You Ask
• Science cannot prove the disciplines of mathematics and logic because it presupposes them. • Science cannot prove metaphysical truths such as, minds other than my own do exist. • Science is unable to provide truth in the areas of morals and ethics. You cannot use science, for example, to prove the Nazis were evil. • Science is incapable of stating truths about aesthetic positions such as the beauty of a sunrise. • Lastly, when anyone makes the statement “science is the only source of objective truth,” they have just made a philosophical claim—which cannot be tested by science.
Elder Packer and Jack’s question about how do I know if it is the Spirit?
That is not necessarily a reflection of your worthiness or sincerity. There is the Lord's timing and there is a large space for hunches, hopes, and faith.
Verse 27, 33
Faith by definition is not knowing. It is a confidence or trust.
(Seen isn't about just the eyes. We all know our eyes can be tricked. Illusions, etc).
This truth is different from belief. It is different from hope. Absolute truth is not dependent upon public opinion or popularity. Polls cannot sway it. Not even the inexhaustible authority of celebrity endorsement can change it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bm479V8qPs
Spiritual answers vs. Science answers
Why?
What am I grateful for and why?
What did I do well; what could I improve?
You don’t want to die “with your music still in you,” what is your song to sing?
