On the day of the crucifixion the Savior was brought before Pilate for judgment. Pilate asked several questions including this one: “What is truth?” In the New Testament account the Savior doesn’t answer this question, but it is answered in the Doctrine and Covenants: “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.”[1] This is a very simple but broad definition of truth. We also learn that “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.”[2] We are striving to gain more light and truth in our lives but the adversary would like to take away light and truth from us. The scriptures explain that he can do that in two ways. “And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.”[3] There is a key relationship between obedience and understanding eternal truths. Satan can’t take away light and truth from us as long as we are obedient, as we have covenanted to be.
Why would the adversary want us to lose light and truth? We know that he seeks “. . . the misery of all mankind.”[4] Misery comes because of sin and a person is more likely to sin if he understands truth less. When truth is taken away because of disobedience, things that were obvious before become more difficult to see and understand. Even people who once had strong testimonies can get to the point of doubting and wondering about basic gospel beliefs as a result of their disobedience.[5]
Disobedience leads to a loss of light and truth and also to misery, but notice the result of obedience: “He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.”[6] That is a powerful promise. Throughout our lives we can increase in knowledge of the truth if we will keep the commandments.
If we are obedient, we keep the Spirit in our lives and are able to understand eternal truths. We can also actively strive to increase our understanding of and commitment to follow truth. In the course of our lives we all are exposed to eternal truth. When we are taught the truth we can accept it, try to ignore it, or reject it. The scriptures have some clear examples of how different people respond when they are faced with truth. Let’s look at some examples in the scriptures so we can derive some characteristics of those who respond properly to truth and those who don’t.
Nephi’s brother, Jacob, taught,
"Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken."[7]
Notice that the righteous do not fear the words of truth. In fact, they love the truth. That is a powerful thought—to be a lover of truth.
Nephi warned against being angry because of the truth, “And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness.”[8] In addition to the warning he explains that the righteous receive the truth with gladness.
Referring to his own writing, Nephi explains,
"And it speaketh harshly against sin, according to the plainness of the truth; wherefore, no man will be angry at the words which I have written save he shall be of the spirit of the devil."
"I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."[9]
Those are strong words about those who are angry about truth. Knowing about Nephi’s life helps us understand what he means when he writes “I glory in truth.” I think we all sense that he did glory in truth.
In fact, let’s look at an example that contrasts Nephi’s reaction to truth with the reaction of Laman and Lemuel to truth. Lehi had the dream of the tree and had told the dream to his family. He had also prophesied of other important events, including the coming of the Messiah. What did Nephi do when he had been taught by his father? This is his own account:
"For it came to pass after I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, which I never had before seen, and upon which I never had before set my foot.
"And the Spirit said unto me: Behold, what desirest thou?
"And I said: I desire to behold the things which my father saw.
"And the Spirit said unto me: Believest thou that thy father saw the tree of which he hath spoken?
"And I said: Yea, thou knowest that I believe all the words of my father."[10]
Nephi believed the truth when he heard it and wanted to know more about it. As a result he increased his understanding of the truth through the visions he had. Let’s contrast that with the reaction of Laman and Lemuel to the same truths:
"And they said: Behold, we cannot understand the words which our father hath spoken concerning the natural branches of the olive-tree, and also concerning the Gentiles.
"And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
"And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us.
"Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts?
"Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you."[11]
After Nephi explains some of them to Laman and Lemuel we get another insight into their reaction to truth:
"And now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had made an end of speaking to my brethren, behold they said unto me: Thou hast declared unto us hard things, more than we are able to bear.
"And it came to pass that I said unto them that I knew that I had spoken hard things against the wicked, according to the truth; and the righteous have I justified, and testified that they should be lifted up at the last day; wherefore, the guilty taketh the truth to be hard, for it cutteth them to the very center.
"And now my brethren, if ye were righteous and were willing to hearken to the truth, and give heed unto it, that ye might walk uprightly before God, then ye would not murmur because of the truth, and say: Thou speakest hard things against us."[12]
The guilty take the truth to be hard. You may have heard the saying “the hit bird flutters.” Lehi even told his rebellious sons that what they called anger was the truth.[13] If the truth clashes with our behavior or some of our strong personal beliefs we may not want to hear it. This is a typical reaction you can even see in small children. Sometimes if you correct a child for something he is doing wrong he may say something like, “You’re yelling at me!” even if you are speaking in a calm tone. To a guilty person the truth seems harsh.
I have a three year old grandson named James. My daughter had been teaching him to be careful about strangers. She was quizzing him to see how well he had listened to her and asked him, “James would you ever get into a car with a stranger?” He answered, “No.” She continued, “What if he said he would give you candy? Then would you go with him?” James thought for a minute and finally said, “I’m not telling.” My daughter became a little alarmed and said, “James, you never go with a stranger even if he has candy. It is very dangerous!” James then said, “Don’t talk to me mommy!”
The book of Acts records the people’s reaction to Stephen’s pointed testimony. “They cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him.”[14] Sometimes if we are guilty we just don’t want to hear the truth.
Abinadi boldly taught the truth to the people of King Noah. Noah, most of the priests and most of the people rejected the truth from Abinadi. They were also angry with him. In fact, they were so angry that they killed him, the bearer of truth.[15] But there was one of the priests, Alma, who believed Abinadi’s words. He repented, began to teach the truth to others and organized the Church of Christ among those who believed.
The sons of Mosiah had, at an earlier stage in their life, rebelled against the truth, but they repented. Alma says of them:
"They had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God."
"But this is not all; they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God."[16]
These young men had become lovers of truth and put forth great personal efforts to learn the truth.
Korihor was one of the anti-Christs in the Book of Mormon. He resisted the truth when evidences were given him. He eventually admitted that he knew the truth and explained some personal history that lead to his problems:
"But behold, the devil hath deceived me; for he appeared unto me in the form of an angel, and said unto me: Go and reclaim this people, for they have all gone astray after an unknown God. And he said unto me: There is no God; yea, and he taught me that which I should say. And I have taught his words; and I taught them because they were pleasing unto the carnal mind; and I taught them, even until I had much success, insomuch that I verily believed that they were true; and for this cause I withstood the truth, even until I have brought this great curse upon me."[17]
Korihor believed Satan’s lies and withstood the truth.
The range of reactions to truth we read about in the scriptures is also apparent in our own time. Some people love the truth and some people resist it. Missionaries can teach people in the same town and some accept the truth and others reject it. I noticed a couple of passages in my great-grandfather’s missionary journals that showed the difference in people’s reactions to the truth. He went back to his native England in the 1880s to serve a mission. He tells a story of preaching in a meeting of another faith to a congregation of about 200 people. He explained:
"I spoak (sic) for more than an hour on the literal fulfillment of prophecy, and restoration of the Everlasting Gospel to the prophet Joseph Smith, concluded by baring (sic) a strong testimony to the Truth of the work of God. Some of the people were very much interested and wished me to come again, others wiggled in their seats a good deal, when I bore testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God."
He had another experience that was more extreme. He was speaking in a town hall to a large group of people. Things were going well until they were just ready to close the meeting. Then an apostate and a group of agitators from a neighboring town came into the meeting. The apostate began speaking to the people and telling them lies about missionaries and the church. In my great-grandfather’s words:
"He continued to tell the blackest and foulest lies that ever was (sic) uttered by fiends from the lower region and called on the people of Ginnislake, to drive us out to drown us, that we were worthy of death. There was tremendous excitement and uproar in the meeting and the mob kept pinching us and pulling our hair and insulting us by the most foul insinuations. I finally got upon the table and asked the people to listen to me for a short time. The place was densely packed and more than 500 people present by this time a good many of whom wanted to hear me."
"He keep shaking his fist in my face and saying "You are a Liar” “You are a liar" "You’re a liar" "If I had you in America I would shoot you" "I would kill you" "I would put my little pop gun against your head" & c & c. He repeated those sayings a great many times and great many people heard him say it. I got on the table 3 or 4 times during the evening and defended our cause and ourselves as best I could and there was the greatest possible confusion. The police had come into the meeting soon after the row began and we placed ourselves under their protection and I must say the police did the best to preserve the peace, but their efforts were not of much avail for there was the greatest excitement for about 1 3/4 hours."
"The Police thought they could conduct us to Bro Jackman’s house in safety, but no sooner had we got outside the rabble laid hold of us, but we each laid hold of a Policeman and hung on with all the power we had, but we and the Policeman had great difficulty in keeping our feet, the policeman using their sticks pretty freely. We finally got through the mob who followed us and threw stones and tufts of grass and other things at us. The police did their uttermost to drive them back all the time. I was struck pretty hard on the shoulder by a stone and one of the Policemen and another friend were also struck. We arrived at our destination, however, all safe without serious injury."
It is amazing to see how violently some people react to the truth. We see from the scriptures that when a people gets wicked enough—ripened in iniquity—they may even seek the blood of the prophets.
Just a few years before the Savior was born the Nephites had become very wicked and the Lord had sent a prophet to prophesy to them and warn them. The prophet was Samuel, the Lamanite, and he explained how wicked people react to prophets. In his words:
"Yea, wo unto this people, because of this time which has arrived, that ye do cast out the prophets, and do mock them, and cast stones at them, and do slay them, and do all manner of iniquity unto them, even as they did of old time.
"And now when ye talk, ye say: If our days had been in the days of our fathers of old, we would not have slain the prophets; we would not have stoned them, and cast them out.
"Behold ye are worse than they; for as the Lord liveth, if a prophet come among you and declareth unto you the word of the Lord, which testifieth of your sins and iniquities, ye are angry with him, and cast him out and seek all manner of ways to destroy him; yea, you will say that he is a false prophet, and that he is a sinner, and of the devil, because he testifieth that your deeds are evil."[18]
Samuel prophesied many things to the Nephites and was very direct in testifying of their sins and iniquities. The Book of Mormon records two different reactions from the people:
"And now, it came to pass that there were many who heard the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, which he spake upon the walls of the city. And as many as believed on his word went forth and sought for Nephi; and when they had come forth and found him they confessed unto him their sins and denied not, desiring that they might be baptized unto the Lord.
"But as many as there were who did not believe in the words of Samuel were angry with him; and they cast stones at him upon the wall, and also many shot arrows at him as he stood upon the wall; but the Spirit of the Lord was with him, insomuch that they could not hit him with their stones neither with their arrows."[19]
Those who believed and loved the truth repented and sought the prophets and those who rejected the truth fulfilled Samuel’s prophecy and even sought to kill him. Let’s never be in a position where we mock the prophets or figuratively cast stones at them. If we love the truth we will never find ourselves in that position.
What are some of the reactions to the truth we’ve seen by people who are not lovers of truth?
They are not willing to hearken.[20]
They view the truth as sharpness and react with anger.[21]
They murmur.[22]
They revile against the truth.[23]
They tremble because of the truth.[24]
They take the truth to be hard.[25]
They want to mock, attack or even kill the messenger.[26]
They resist and withstand the truth.[27]
They might even wiggle in their seats when they hear the truth.
The following are some of the reactions of those who are lovers of truth:
They want to learn more about what they’ve heard.[28]
They study, fast and pray to learn more.[29]
They repent and are baptized.[30]
They don’t fear the words of truth.[31]
They receive the truth with gladness.[32]
They glory in the truth.[33]
How can a person tell if he is a lover of truth? Are there indications we might be able to see in our own lives?
At General Conference time lovers of truth would do everything possible to hear all the sessions, and if they could not watch the sessions live they would try to catch it on a rebroadcast or find some way to hear it later. Someone who wasn’t a lover of truth might look at General Conference weekend as a time to vacation.
A lover of truth wouldn’t let personal study of the scriptures get squeezed out of his life because of a busy schedule.
A lover of truth would listen carefully to his stake president and bishop and willingly accepting their counsel.
A lover of truth wants others to know the truth and is willing to share it.
If a lover of truth ever caught himself becoming angry because of the teachings of the Brethren he would repent speedily and ask the Lord to help him understand.
A lover of truth has faith in the Lord and His teachings and doesn’t tremble because some teachings of the world seem to conflict with gospel truths. When there are issues that seem to contradict the teachings of the Lord the lover of truth is patient and knows that truth will prevail.
Lovers of truth are very careful not to expose themselves to unworthy media. They know it affects their ability to see truth clearly and drives the Spirit from their lives.
A lover of truth understands the link between obedience and gaining true knowledge. A lover of truth doesn’t try to push the limits of the commandments or see how close to the line he can walk, even with issues like dress and grooming standards.
A lover of truth does not resist the promptings of the Spirit, but learns to feel the Spirit and act on the inspiration.
As part of a great promise in the last chapter of the Book of Mormon, Moroni explains that, “by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”[34]
The Holy Ghost as a source of truth is such a powerful influence in our lives. We choose how we react to the truths that come from the Spirit. If we can learn to love those truths and live worthily to receive more truth we can eventually know the truth of all things.
Not long ago I was in a country that has had missionaries only in the last 15 years or so. The member of the church who was driving me to a meeting made a comment as we drove past a cathedral. “That’s where I first felt the Spirit” he said. He went on to explain, “When I was a boy I went in that cathedral and as I was looking at the paintings and thinking about Jesus I suddenly knew that he was real and that what I had heard about him was not just a fable but was true.” He said that years later when the missionaries came he felt the same thing again as they taught him. He learned the truth by the Spirit and loved the truth. It has made all the difference in his life. He has an eternal marriage and is finding true joy raising his young family.
I pray we will determine to be lovers of truth. If we will our lives will be bright and our futures unlimited.
I want you to know that there are some things I know to be true. I know we have a loving Heavenly Father. I know that his son, Jesus Christ, lives. I know that the atonement of Jesus Christ is real and infinite. It is powerful enough that we will all be resurrected and powerful enough that we can be cleansed from all our sins. Joseph Smith was an instrument in restoring the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth and the church is led today by a living prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Doctrine and Covenants 93:24
[2] Doctrine and Covenants 93:36
[3] Doctrine and Covenants 93:39
[4] 2 Nephi 2:18
[5] Alma 12:9-11
[6] Doctrine and Covenants 93:28
[7] 2 Nephi 9:40
[8] 2 Nephi 28:28
[9] 2 Nephi 33:5-6
[10] 1 Nephi 11:1-5
[11] 1 Nephi 15:7-11
[12] 1 Nephi 16:1-3
[13] 2 Nephi 1:26
[14] Acts 7:57
[15] Mosiah 13:1
[16] Alma 17:2-3
[17] Alma 30:53
[18] Helaman 13:24-26
[19] Helaman 16:1-2
[20] 1 Nephi 16:2
[21] 2 Nephi 1:26
[22] 1 Nephi 16:3; 2 Nephi 1:26
[23] 2 Nephi 9:40
[24] 2 Nephi 28:28
[25] 1 Nephi 16:2
[26] Mosiah 13:1, Helaman 13:24-26
[27] Alma 30:46, 53
[28] 1 Nephi 11:1-4
[29] Alma 17:2
[30] Helaman 16:1-2
[31] 2 Nephi 9:40
[32] 2 Nephi 28:28
[33] 2 Nephi 33:7
[34] Moroni 10:5