Meditations of a Latter-day Saint Woman: Can we know truth?

I have been thinking about a comment my husband made a few days ago.

He expressed that he was amazed that so many well educated people

seem to believe whatever they see posted online. All I could do was agree,

but since then, I have been wondering about what he said.

I feel that many people today may not have the foundational principles

to enable them to make wise decisions. In our world truth is viewed as

something which is "unknowable" and "relative". Often the longing

for truth is quelled by telling ourselves that, after all, everyone has the

right to their own "truth".

This sounds nice, but down deep it doesn't make sense.
If truth is so
"unknowable", then a lot of scientists are sure wasting a lot of time trying to
find it. I would be frightened to live in a world where everything was
"relative" and where there were not any laws to govern matter or behavior.
Scary! I need dependability. When I put something down, I depend on it
staying there. When I get on an airplane, I depend on it to go up.

Most people will probably concede that there are certain laws of matter, but

they still tell themselves that other truth is "relative". I think we are letting
semantics confuse us. Of course, we each are entitled to have our own
beliefs and those beliefs should be respected as long as they don't harm
other people. But beliefs are not the same as truths. What a person believes
may be true, or it may not be true.

For example, I remember when we sponsored a Cambodian refugee family
of seven who lived for awhile with us in our home. They did not believe in
germs. Did this prevent them from becoming ill and regularly vomiting
worms? No. There are things which are true. It doesn't matter what people
believe. What is true -- simply is true.

I like to think about this definition of truth:

24 And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are

to come; (Doctrine and Covenants 93)
Simply put: Truth is what is real; what really exists. It is reality.

Notice that I did not say that a particular "Traditional" set of beliefs is "truth".
"Traditional" teachings are based on the opinions and reasoning of many
good people. There are many true things in these teachings, but they
struggle with discerning truth because they only have part of the whole
picture.

Mankind has believed many things such as the world being
flat, or bleeding out the "bad" blood to "cure" a person, or my favorite,
"Spontaneous Generation". Beliefs, even if held by the entire world at that
time, do not make truth. What is true exists independently. It simply is.

As President Nelson* of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
explained:
"As you learn more about us, you will find that we share many of the same values.

We encourage you to keep all that is good and true and then see if we can add more.

Whether truth comes from a scientific laboratory or by revelation from God,
we seek it! The glory of God indeed is intelligence."

Does this mean that other religions can have truth? Of course!
In that spirit, the First Presidency [of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints] made the following statement in 1978: “The great religious leaders of
the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers
including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God's light. Moral truths
were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of
understanding to individuals.”

As another Church leader expressed:

"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."

Elder Uchtdorf

How can we know if something is true? This is the advice we give to
those who want to know if the Book of Mormon is a true inspired record
which testifies of Jesus Christ:

4 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.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. Moroni 10

How can we know things which are beyond our experience? The only
way we can gain that understanding is through the help of The Holy Ghost.
It can speak directly to our spirit and to our mind giving us knowledge we
could not obtain in any other way.

We all have felt flashes of insight, or moments when we "just know" that
something is right. As we pay attention to these subtle positive feelings
which God sends to help us, we can know more and more truth. For as the
apostle John said:

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8

This scripture has touched me deeply ever since I was a child. It is why
I began looking for truth and eventually became a member of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I have seen how each truth I have learned has made me a little more free;
has put me in more control of my life, and has helped me to be happier.
Knowing truth has helped to free me from destructive beliefs, behaviors, and
habits. It has given me correct principles, so I can make wise decisions. It
has helped me avoid disastrous consequences. Truth has made me eager
to learn, more tolerant, and humble as I have had to face my weaknesses. It
has given me perspective and peace. It is the "big picture". It helps me to
value the good, have faith in God and others, and build fulfilling
relationships based on correct principles. Truth has been the light revealing
my path. It is my anchor and the foundation upon which my life is built. Truth
fills my heart with love, hope, and happiness. It is something I don't want to
live without.