Letter 1 — What is Truth?
Letters To A Mormon Elder
by James R. White
Monday, May 21st
Dear Elder Hahn,
I wanted to write and thank you for the time you spent with my wife and I last Friday evening. We enjoyed your company. Given that you indicated that your partner, Elder Young, would be transferring out this past weekend, I decided to write to you specifically. If you get a chance, please feel free to forward our correspondence to Elder Young, as he seemed interested in the topics we discussed. We touched on quite a number of different topics Friday evening, many of which I wanted to expand upon, but could not, given the time constraints we were under. If you are willing, I would like to go into some of those areas with you by mail, as I realize that your busy schedule will not allow you to spend a great deal of time visiting me in my home. I would like to say, however, that I would be more than willing to travel to meet with you, if you would like. Just let me know a convenient time. Before I go into any particular doctrines or teachings that were considered that evening, I wanted to talk with you about the last thing you said as we were saying good-bye. As I recall, it went something like this:
“Despite all we’ve discussed, Mr. White, I want to bear you my testimony that I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Further, I bear you my testimony that Ezra Taft Benson is a prophet of God. I have prayed about the book of Mormon, and have received a testimony of the Holy Ghost that it is true.”
At that time I just quickly mentioned to you the importance of comparing one’s feelings to the clear, inspired revelation of God, the Bible. At that point you had to leave. I would like to pick up with your testimony if you don’t mind. First, I want to say that I respect you immensely for what you do. Not many young people today would be willing to give two years of their lives to the work of their church. Even beyond this, you have obviously studied your faith, and seem to honestly desire to share that faith with others. In our world today, that is a rare attitude indeed. But, as we discussed, I do not believe that what you are preaching is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. We both know people who are honest, kind, and moral, but who teach falsehood about Jesus Christ and His Gospel. For example, we both have encountered Jehovah’s Witnesses as they go door-to-door preaching their version of the truth. You and I agree that the Witnesses are wrong in their teaching — they believe that Jesus is actually Michael the Archangel, Jehovah’s first creation. You and I agree that that is in error. Therefore, no matter how honest or sincere the Witness at my door might be, they are in error! In the same way, you believe me to be in error, though I would hope that you would admit my honesty and sincerity with regards to my religious faith. And, from my perspective, you too are in error, though I freely admit your sincere feelings regarding your beliefs.
So what I am saying is this: you can be sincere, but be sincerely wrong. I know sincere Buddhists, sincere Muslims, even sincere atheists — but they are wrong, no matter how sincere they might think themselves to be. Truth exists, and we are responsible for how we relate to that truth. If we deny the truth, even if we have been taught from childhood on up to do so, we are wrong all the same. What is right is right, what is wrong is wrong. Truth exists independently of either you or I. You do not “define” truth, and I do not “define” truth. And let us flee quickly from the all-too-common thinking of the world today, “well, you have your truth, and I have my truth….” Such is nonsense. Truth is truth, and it will be true whether I believe it to be true or not. But, I doubt we disagree about that. We both share the belief that truth exists and that it can be known. Where we disagree is exactly what that truth is.
In your testimony, you mentioned that you had prayed about the Book of Mormon, and knew that it was true. Elder Hahn, may I point out to you that I too have a testimony, and my testimony is in direct conflict with yours I believe that the Spirit has testified to me that there is but one God, and this is out of harmony with your own beliefs. How, then, are we to decide who is right You honestly say that you have experienced feelings that you interpret to be the testimony of the Holy Ghost. I say the same thing. Yet, what we feel has been “revealed” by the Holy Ghost is in contradiction. If we leave it at this, no one can ever say “This is true, this is not” since we are back to saying that each person has his or her own truth. So how can we know?1Nowhere does the Bible ever direct the believing Christian to pray about the truthfulness of any book, religious or otherwise. This however, does not mean that it is wrong to pray and ask God for guidance regarding any truth-claim, but because the Holy Spirit will only confirm that which is true, it is erroneous to assume the Spirit’s confirmation if reality conflicts with the assumed conclusion.
In essence, the test of Moroni 10:4 is a no-win situation. The one who is challenged must accept the book as true otherwise his integrity is placed under suspicion. If a person does accept the challenge (albeit unbiblical as it is) and concludes that the Book of Mormon is not of God, it is obvious to the Mormon that the person who prayed Moroni’s prayer either did not have a sincere heart, real intent, or perhaps even their faith in Christ was somehow inadequate.
Mormonism Research Ministry
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12) If we trust in our feelings, Elder Hahn, in that which we feel is “right,” we can find ourselves in grave danger. Many a man has “felt” that this or that belief or path was “right,” but the end of that path proved to be nothing but death and destruction. We cannot trust in our feelings to guide us properly. The writer of Proverbs said, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.” (Proverbs 28:26), and Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) Any man who thinks his heart a faithful and safe guide knows very little about the evil and wickedness that lurks in its dark recesses. You know how easily you can rationalize evil behavior, and how simple it is to convince yourself that what you are doing is right, when in fact, it is wrong. If you are honest with your own heart, you know this to be the case. So, how can you possibly trust your feelings with reference to the truth of your church What if your feelings are wrong? How can you know one way or the other? Thankfully, the Bible gives us the answer. There is something which is unchanging, unlike our feelings. There is something that tells us the truth at all times, again, unlike our feelings. That something is the Word of God. Listen to these passages from the Bible:
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou he found a liar. (Proverbs 30:5)
Whoso despiseth the word shall he destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall he rewarded. (Proverbs 13:13)
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Isaiah 40:8)
And we should not forget the words of the Lord Jesus, where He spoke the same truth by saying, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The sure, unchanging Word of God provides us with the basis and definition of truth itself. While we may feel one way one day, and totally different another, the Bible does not change. Its message is not altered by the changing, shifting moods of man. When Paul and Silas entered into the city of Berea (as recorded in Acts chapter 17), they preached the Gospel. The Bereans had never heard this message before — it was totally new to them. How, then, did they determine whether it was true or false? Does the Bible tell us that they dropped to their knees and prayed about it, seeking some kind of feeling to help them know? Did they trust in their feelings, and believe on that basis? Certainly not. Listen to what the Bible says:
These were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11)
Note what these Bereans did.2The Bereans have long been seen as a positive example of how a person or community should respond to biblical teaching. We are called to eagerly learn from God’s Word and, no matter who the teacher is, to investigate new teaching in comparison with the Bible. The practice of the ancient Bereans is a model for all who desire to grow spiritually today. They “searched the Scriptures daily.” Rather than looking to their feelings, they looked to the Scriptures and compared the message preached by Paul and Silas with what was in the Holy Writings. By doing this, they discovered that the Gospel was true, and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. They did just as Paul exhorted the Thessalonians in his first letter, chapter 5, verse 21, “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.” The Bereans proved the message of Paul and Silas by comparing it with the Scriptures. Note well, Elder Hahn, that the Holy Ghost will never give a testimony that is in conflict with that which He has inspired to be written in the Scriptures. The Holy Ghost is a consistent being, is He not? Is He not called the “Spirit of Truth” in John 16? Yes, He is. Then, if anyone claims that they have received a testimony from the Holy Ghost that such-and-such is true, and that belief is contradictory to that which we find in Scripture, then we can be sure of this one thing: the spirit that testified to that individual is not the Spirit of God! For example, the Holy Ghost will not testify to one person that “there is only one God” and to another, “there are many Gods.” That would involve a contradiction, an inconsistency, on the part of the very Spirit of Truth.
This is important, Elder, because I believe that the teachings of Joseph Smith are in direct contradiction to the inspired writings of the Bible. If we say that the Holy Ghost inspired the teachings of the Bible, and Joseph Smith contradicted those writings, then the Holy Ghost would never give anyone, including you, a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Before I close, allow me to answer what has, in my experience, been a very common objection to what I have just said. James wrote,
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. James 1:5)
Many Latter-day Saints feel that this passage teaches them to pray about what is true, and what is not true. They believe that it gives them warrant to trust in certain feelings that have been theirs, and certain experiences that they have had. Yet, is this really what James said? Is wisdom the same as knowledge of right and wrong? You might note first, Elder Hahn, that the verse, as it is written in the original language of Greek, assumes that it is true that men lack wisdom. It could even be translated as, “Since a man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…” We all lack wisdom, do we not? But, is wisdom the same as knowledge of what is true and false? Not necessarily. First, wisdom and knowledge are two different terms in the Greek language in which this book was written. One must have knowledge to use wisdom; wisdom is the use of knowledge. They are related, but they are not the same thing. This passage from James does not, then, teach us to trust in our feelings over what the Bible teaches. The Bible gives us true and clear knowledge of what is true about God and salvation. If we are wise, we will accept that truth, and will not pray to God and ask Him to “repeat” what He has already said.
Elder Hahn, I do not presume to know the exact nature of your “testimony”3A testimony is the keystone to LDS beliefs. A testimony is something Mormons are taught from a very young age which does not change into adulthood. This is how feelings can replace facts as any evidence or fact presented will be ignored, denied or rationalized away to protect your belief (cognitive dissonance). Our minds like to subconsciously maintain balanced feelings of joy, happiness and security. For Mormons, their joy, happiness and security are tied to the truthfulness of the church. A Mormon will subconsciously filter and reject any evidence which may jeopardize these feelings. nor the depth of the feelings that come with it. I know the feelings that are mine, the testimony of the Spirit that I have. But, as I’ve said, my feelings, no matter how special they are to me, do not make the message that I proclaim right and true. Just so, your feelings, no matter how much they mean to you, cannot be allowed to stand in the way of your examination of God’s Word and your own beliefs. We must not fall into the trap of molding the Word of God to our feelings; our feelings must be molded by the Word of God.
In light of this, Elder, I hope you will join with me in examining what the Bible says about who God is, how He has revealed Himself, and how He has provided for salvation in Jesus Christ. Shall we begin by looking at the truth about God I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely, James White
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