Sister Bingham's Message to the World - Did You Hear it?

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Wow! We truly do have incredible women serving in the General Relief Society Presidency. Last week I came across this address given by Jean B. Bingham at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday, 9 November 2017.

Her words are bold and ring with truth. This topic and these bold words are not what you would typically hear in a Sunday Relief Society lesson. Sister Bingham confidently and passionately addressed her message to an audience of scholars and dignitaries at the “Women in Faith: A Freedom of religion or belief perspective” conference. It's a powerful message. 

Here is the link to the PDF which includes the references. 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org.uk/multimedia/file/17-11-02-New-Speech-Topic-004.pdf

Women in Faith: A Freedom of Religion or Belief Perspective

Jean B. Bingham

Dear Mrs. Zábroska, thank you for hosting this very important event. Members of the European Parliament, distinguished guests, dear friends, faith plays an incalculable role in women’s lives—83% of whom are estimated to identify with a faith group.

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Religion influences these women’s lives daily, through prayer, meditation, scripture study, and even food selection. Religious devotion informs life-long decisions such as marriage, child bearing, and
end of life care. Faith informs humanity’s most basic questions such as “Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?”

These questions are felt in the yearnings of every human soul to understand his or her situation. A human being must be permitted to find meaning in life, and for the vast majority of individuals that involves investigating, adopting, and even adapting religious beliefs.5 That is why freedom of religion or belief rights are foundational human rights.

I hope to offer some understanding on why religious freedom is such a critical right to empowering women. To that end, I would first like to highlight the importance of religious devotion to women. Second, I would like to show the intimate connection between freedom of religion or belief with women’s other rights.

And third, I would like to describe how laws that mandate women’s belief or behavior can be harmful, even if well-intentioned.

I. The Importance of Religious Devotion to Women

The freedom to search for life’s meaning, and to believe that a higher power has provided that meaning, belongs to women as much as to men. Indeed, an “estimated 97 million more women than men claim a religious affiliation.”

Religious freedom is among the most important freedoms a woman can have in societies where cultural traditions might seek to impose upon her a lesser conception of her life’s meaning. Religion grounds us through life’s high points and elevates us through the lows. Such was the case for a young 14-year old girl who was captured and held against her will. Her nightmare began on June 5, 2002. She was tethered to a tree, deprived of food, forced to consume alcohol and drugs, and raped daily. Here is her story: [http://faithcounts.com/elizabeth-smart-faith-heals/]

Elizabeth Smart lived in a country where she could hold to her faith. That faith carried her through some of the worst things people can suffer. Yet, in a striking contrast, her victimization was committed in the name of religion. When she was found on March 12, 2003, she had been dressed in robes and her face veiled. Her captor claimed to be a prophet. Sadly, Elizabeth’s circumstances are not unprecedented. Women can be the victims of terrible acts supposedly committed in the name of faith. Female genital mutilation, bodily appendages being removed, and honor killings are just a few of those horrors.

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Violent acts like these can overshadow the great good that religious faith and devotion can help women accomplish in our society. If women of faith do no recapture the narrative of what their religious devotion means to them, and the negative narrative dominates, unintended consequences could occur. For example, if religion wanes in society, well-intentioned governments could override freedom of religion or belief protections in ways that harm instead of help women. As the largest group currently being proscribed in exercising these rights, women have the most to lose or gain with any changes.

II. Freedom of Religion or Beliefs Link with Women’s Other Rights

I come before you today to assert that protecting women’s freedom of religion or belief empowers them as well as the communities in which they reside. Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights reads:

1. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion;

this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom,

either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to

manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and

observance.

These rights are part of a seamless whole which cannot be delinked from women without harm to them. The World Conference on Human Rights indicated  that “[a]ll human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent.” The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief at the United Nations has highlighted the “positive interrelatedness of freedom of religion or belief and
equality between men and women.”

He goes on to say that “[a]n empirical study of 143 countries supports this idea, further noting that ‘countries with no restrictions on conversion, in particular, tend to have higher levels of fundamental freedoms, have better lives for women, and less overall armed conflict.’” Religious freedom creates the optimal environment in which to protect and enhance women’s rights.

Elizabeth Smart

As you are probably aware, Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights also provides protections against individuals that may seek to abuse this freedom. Individuals cannot destroy public order, health or morals, or infringe on the rights and freedoms of others. These limitations did not allow Elizabeth Smart’s captor to justify his actions for religious reasons. He had claimed that he was a prophet and received a divine revelation to kidnap this sweet, innocent, 14-year-old girl from her
bedroom. He now serves a life sentence without parole. His actions were not recognized nor protected as religious freedom rights.

In my own faith’s scriptures, the Book of Mormon, we read of a righteous people who established religious freedom, yet were also able to punish harmful practices, without any contradiction: “[T]here was a law that men should be judged according to their crimes. Nevertheless, there was no law against a man’s belief; therefore, a man was punished only for the crimes which he had done.” (Alma 30:11). It is entirely possible to protect religious freedom but punish the perpetrators of harmful practices against women.

In countries with a good track record of protecting religious freedom, these types of exceptions are well established. The principle of religious freedom does not condone crime, including crimes against women. In fact, faith can be, and often is, a vital comfort to those who are victimized, who are disproportionately women.

III. Mandating Acts of Women’s Faith Can be Harmful

Government bodies are vital to enacting provisions that protect victims. However, if we are not careful, those same provisions can also potentially strip those victims of the solace and peace that they find in their beliefs. Remember what Elizabeth said, about how her belief in God made her a survivor.

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At times, some seek to restrict religious freedom with the aim of protecting women. However well-intentioned, intervention sometimes does more damage than good. Let me share a couple of examples where interfering with religious freedom rights also inhibited women’s rights; then I’ll explain why it’s so important to make room for empowered women of faith in our societies. Out of concern that certain clothing might be forced on Muslim women, a city enacted a law banning the so-called “burkini,” a garment that allowed women to participate in sports activities such as swimming while still honoring their religious commitments to modesty.13 Previous to this time, there was no
religiously acceptable way for them to do so.

Even if the law had good intentions, it did not give women greater freedom but merely imposed a different restriction. Banning their swimming wear isolated women and put them in danger of violence and hostility if they tried to access public spaces when wearing it. Although the nation’s judicial system quickly ruled that such a ban was illegal, courts nor legislatures have always been so quick to recognize when they have erred.

Another example of a woman who was limited by religious restrictions is Meriam Yehya Ibrahim. In 2014, Meriam was put on trial by her government and sentenced to death. Although raised as a Christian by her mother, a court considered her to be Muslim due to her father’s religion. Because of her father’s religion, the court found her marriage to a Christian to be invalid. In their view, Meriam had committed both adultery and apostasy. Imams visited her daily to recite the Koran to her and pressure her to renounce her Christianity.

Eventually Meriam was freed, but not until after spending several months in prison, where she also gave birth to her daughter. When asked about her experience Meriam said "I would never leave my faith. [I]f you don’t have faith you are not alive.”

These struggles remind me of the words of Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who wrote:

“Violence is what happens when you try to resolve a religious dispute by means of power. It cannot be done…. Just as might does not establish right, so victory does not establish truth.”


Instead of governments compelling what women do, how to do it, and when to do it, we must make sure their human rights—including their right to the religious beliefs of their choice—are respected.
Empowering women should be a priority for all, because they are a potent force for creating a society where peace, religious freedom, and human rights can truly thrive. Carla Kopell, former Senior Gender Advisor at USAID, notes that the potential of women is one of the most underappreciated tools to counter violent
extremism.

Women often have unique and powerful influence in the home and family. Kopell observes that “[a]s community members frequently left behind in conflict zones to maintain the home and care for children and other family members, women and girls often have information and insights that can provide early warning of conflict or the potential for violence. Because they often maintain families under siege, women can help de-radicalize and enable successful reintegration of former extremist group members.”

Mothers of the 2,060 Stripling Warriors

There are many examples of women already combating violence and extremism from all around the world. For example: In Somalia, the cross-clan linkages women gain through marriage [make them…capable of mediating across clan lines]. In Central America, women [have been] key voices in… discouraging young people from joining criminal gangs and committing crime. Along the Tajik and Afghan border,…the Austrian NGO Women Without Borders is establishing schools for mothers to educate them on how to prevent the radicalization of their sons. So far, they have trained over 150 mothers, who report reconnecting with distant sons and daughters, persuading them not to attend illegal meetings or read radical material.

These contemporary examples parallel a powerful story in the Book of Mormon, our companion set of sacred scriptures to the Holy Bible. There is an account of a small army of young warriors faced with the task of defending their homeland and people from invaders. These attackers are seeking to deprive them of their freedoms, including the freedom to worship according the dictates of their own sconscience.

Though they were young and untrained, these valiant warriors went off to battle and, miraculously, all returned victorious in the defense of their people. When asked why they had taken on such a formidable task instead of fleeing, they replied that they knew God would strengthen and protect them. They added, “We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” They had been taught by mothers of faith, which helped them develop the faith needed to carry them through their own challenges.

IV. Conclusion

If all individuals understood that the world improves when the situation of women improves, there would be far less heartache in this world. A powerful religious insight in this regard comes from the Bahai, who teach, “The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female.
So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; … When the two wings . . . become equivalent in strength,
enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of humankind will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary.”

Ladies and gentlemen, friends and colleagues, a bird with one wing will never soar. I invite each of us to look at our own circles of influence and find ways to encourage women’s right to freedom of religion and belief. Let us do all within our reach to empower our sisters, and society, to take wing.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Something incredible I have learned about gratitude, is the real power it has to transform. It can transform a moment, a circumstance, a life, a relationship, a person, and a heart. The real power happens when expressing it towards anything you might feel normally inclined to complain about. If something goes “wrong” praise God that He is still in control and express gratitude for His will. This shows Him that you trust His plans for you. Express gratitude in ALL things especially the things that hurt the most. Express gratitude and praise for the things you are being taught from the unexpected road bumps in life. It might be a health challenge, a financial trial, a difficult relationship, or an act of unkindness from a complete stranger. Complaining will only pull you further down the path of despair but gratitude and praise towards the Lord will quickly pull you to a higher level where you can feel peace and where you can have a higher perspective from the Lord’s point of view. From this place you can look down upon the “valley of the shadow of death” and see its value and purpose in blessing your life. A unique perspective and understanding that only can come from a place of peace. God has an interesting way of turning what we deem as “bad” into some of our greatest blessings! Even when we don’t see it in the moment, if we exercise trust by genuinely thanking Him in those moments when it seems hardest to do, we often find that suddenly those trials become lighter and often times resolve and disappear much more quickly than we could have imagined. This is something I have learned over the last four years. Gratitude truly is powerful and can take us from the valleys and depths of despair to those beautiful peaks of peace and joy!

New York's Attorney General Quotes Joseph Smith!

I absolutely love this!

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, a devout follower of Judaism who has written cogently in the defense of religious freedom for all people, was honored with the Visionary Leadership Award from the New York Latter-day Saint Professional Association (NYLDSPA) for his ongoing support of religious freedom. A group of some 400 people, including Elder Von G. Keetch, Elder Gordon H. Smith and Elder David L. Buckner of the Seventy, attended the interfaith gathering at the nondenominational Riverside Church in upper Manhattan.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave the evening’s honorary keynote address, praising Schneiderman as a “strong voice in defense of religious freedom here in New York and abroad," as he was honored for his ongoing efforts to prevent religious discrimination in the workplace.

At about 3:30 into the video Schneiderman says,

“As I've spoken out often against the rise of bigotry and intolerance and hate speech in recent years, I have often enjoyed quoting New York's own Joseph Smith when he said, ‘If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a "Mormon," I am bold to declare before Heaven that I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or a good man of any denomination,'"

He then added, "It always throws people, when I throw in a Joseph Smith quote." to which the audience laughed.

Here is a link to the full article: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-york-attorney-general-religious-freedom-for-all

When the Lord Knocks

We are always taught to ask and receive, knock and it shall be opened - but what about when the Lord comes knocking, and He asks of us? Do we recognize the ways in which He knocks and are we letting Him in to hear His message?

I love this week's video message, and it's no surprise that the Adversary is already working hard to take it down. As soon as I clicked on "publish" in YouTube, an instant copyright claim popped up from a Middle Eastern musician. It took me to the frame in the video where the copyright violation was, and it was a frame of me talking about a scripture in D&C. I filed a dispute. Watch it while you can! It's an important message :)

The "Science" of Happiness

I am so excited to be able to finally share this here! Because it's about "the science of happiness", I hesitated sharing it here on my spiritual blog, after recently having a prompting to do so. 

Just a little background story: I created this workshop a couple of years ago (upon request), and it was designed to focus on the science of happiness - as it was designed for a non-religious setting. I would travel to teach it at state and government organizations to their employees. However, when I made the private recording of it in early 2016, I was able to add a bit of my own personal beliefs to it.

What I loved about teaching this workshop, was that in a round-about way, it would bring people to Christ. It would get the wheels turning in their minds and people would come up to me after the class and want to talk about the gospel. They would tell me that they "felt something" and wanted to talk more about it. I would bring up scriptures that they recognized and suddenly they had this new excitement to go dust off their Bible and read it. Though I never mentioned the gospel, there are subtle annotations that point to it such as the scientific law of "like attracts like" which is essentially the "Parable of the Sower" that Jesus speaks of in the New Testament. 

Keep in mind that this workshop has nothing to do with religion or doctrine, it is pure science and research (though I do add my own spiritual thoughts and insight throughout). It's great for explaining how science and Christianity testify of each other. God is the creator of science and as we study the science of happiness (feelings and emotions) we can see and feel His hand in it!

Because I was hired (to create and teach this workshop) I was paid very well for doing so, and therefore was unable to share it for free. When workshop participants requested to have continued access to it, I decided to make the private recorded online series that I have been selling in my store for $40.00. A couple weeks ago, I had a strong prompting to no longer sell this workshop and offer it for free to all on my YouTube channel. I took a break from speaking this year, and have decided if I pick it back up again, I'll design another workshop on a new topic. :)

One thing I'd like to add is that happiness and joy are two different things. This workshop focuses on the science behind the actual feeling of happiness. Many things can help us feel happy, but joy is something of a more eternal nature. It is everlasting! That's something I have touched on this week's video message that I'm still editing. Stay tuned...

Enjoy!

Developing a Personal Relationship With Jesus Christ - Powerful Testimonies

This topic seems to be growing in great interest in many circles as of lately. I couldn't refrain from sharing what the Spirit has taught me. 

Did you know there are about twelve experiences recorded in the New Testament of Jesus personally visiting his apostles and disciples in between His Crucifixion and final ascension into Heaven? In fact, during one of those visitations He appeared above a group of 500 bretheren all at the same time. Paul tells us of some of those accounts,

"And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time."  1 Corinthians 15:4-8

When Jesus finally ascended into Heaven there were two angels that said to His apostles,

"...Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." 

As we reflect on the timeline and process of Jesus' ascension we see that His final ascension into Heaven was preceded by many visitations in the flesh. If He is to return in the same manner that He left (from the Heavens), would that mean that the process might also be the same? A succession of visits and appearances in the flesh to His chosen servants leading up to His final return and descent to the earth?

When the Savior ministered for 40 days following His crucixicition, He was preparing His disciples for their approaching missions. Luke states that during the 40-day ministry the Savior spoke “of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God,” Mark concurs that Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples included the charge to go “into all the world, and preach.” Mark 16:15 Could it be that prior to His return, He will in likewise manner appear unto His disciples all over the world and give them instruction for their last days missions, to gather in the final harvest? Will He again share precious things pertaining to the Kingdom of God?

In the Book of Mormon it is recorded in Third Nephi that during 34 A.D. the resurrected Savior visited the American continent and ministered to the Nephite people in the flesh. He spoke of many things that "no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things" (seen and heard). 3 Nephi 17:17   Could the Savior have been speaking in Heavenly tongues? And might this have created the powerful event as the veil was opened and angels ministered unto the people? They too were taught many beautiful truths pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 

In 3 Nephi 18:25, Jesus commands them to feel Him and to see Him, then to likewise go unto the world and preach this commandment.  

"And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation."

As we think about the many lands and nations upon the earth that forbid proselyting, evangelism, and the practicing of Christianity, we might wonder how these people will ever learn of Jesus Christ and know that He is their personal Savior? Could it be that the Lord will work upon them in like manner as He did the Nephite people, Alma the Younger, or the Apostle Paul?

As scripture says, the apostle Paul (prior to his conversion) was traveling on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus on a mission to arrest any who were preaching of Jesus Christ, when the resurrected Jesus appeared to him in a great light. He was struck blind, but after three days his sight was restored by Ananias of Damascus and Paul began to preach that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah and the Son of God.

Could the Lord appear to those who have not known Him, and choose them to His ministry? To gather in the fold from their part of the world to prepare for the greater gathering that is to come? Could this be the first step toward their receiving the fullness of the gospel? Could the Lord already be preparing His people right now? 

As you ponder that question, I'd like to share with you some scripture, followed by some of my most favorite interviews of those who did not know Jesus was their Savior until they had their own Divine encounters with Him. We are talking  Jews, Muslims, atheists, occult members, and those in communist countries where Christianity is forbidden. 

Just how can we explain people of diverse or non-Christian faiths having such encounters, conversions, and callings? In Moroni 7:24-26 Moroni tells us, 

"And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them.

Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.

And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you."

In Moroni 7:30 Moroni tells us the purpose of ministering angels and just who they visit;

"For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.

And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men."

No, they do not focus on those who are near perfect, rather they call the imperfect to repentance. He declares His word unto those whom He chooses (whom he has called to repentance) so that they may bear testimony of Him. And let me tell you, these kinds of conversions make the best testimonies, and often lead to even greater conversions. He does this to prepare a way for men to have faith in Him, so the Holy Ghost may have a place in their hearts. This prepares the way (the desire to receive) to the fullness of the gospel and the covenants. 

Just as there are diverse ways that He manifests truths to the children of men Moroni tells us there are also diverse ways that He administers gifts of the Spirit to all men. He reminds us that God cannot be put in a box. As we encounter others (using our gift of discernment) who have received spiritual gifts in a manner that seems "outside the box" He reminds us that they (all good gifts that bear good fruit)  are all from the same God. We need not fear or doubt them. These gifts are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God in which He has said are manifested in different ways. 

"And again, I exhort you, my brethren, that ye deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God. And there are different ways that these gifts are administered; but it is the same God who worketh all in all; and they are given by the manifestations of the Spirit of God unto men, to profit them."

These scriptures I have shared contain a wealth of treasure and I encourage you to ponder them with sincere prayer. 

I hope you enjoy the videos of the beautiful testimonies (shared below) as much as I have, but before you watch them, I'd like to share some of my most favorite quotes from the recent General Conference about attaining our own personal relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. Per the Stake President's message shared at our recent stake conference, that's the most important thing we should be seeking right now. I have felt a strong witness of the truth of that. It has been the theme of my stake conference as well as General Conference. Did you hear it too?

“'Thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.' Do we trust Him enough to abide in Him and walk with Him?" Neill F. Marriott

"If you will hear Him, He will speak to you this very day."  President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"...we must bring the Savior into our life—into our very being—that we may be one. How does this happen?

...spend much time in secret with Jesus alone

...If we yearn to dwell in Christ and have Him dwell in us, then holiness is what we seek, in both body and spirit." Elder D. Todd Christofferson

"Make time and take time to come to know Jesus Christ..." Jean B. Bingham

CONCLUSION

Could the apostles be encouraging us to seek the Lord so that we might come to know Him in a way that we never imagined possible? So, that when He comes to us we will know Him because we will be like Him? The imagination is a powerful gift that the Lord has given us, are we using it enough? If we can visualize it first, we can bring it to life with faith. The Lord calls many to His work, but few say "yes Lord". It is my prayer that with great zeal we say "yes" when He calls.  

Peace in All Things - And How I Spent October 31st!

Looking for peace in your marriage? Peace in your job? Peace in your family? Peace in your ward? Peace on social media? Peace in the world? Then I think you are going to like this week's video message. Also, see how I spent October 31st!

Have a great weekend!

What is Truth?

A few weeks ago I contacted Samuel Hislop who is a writer for Deseret News, Church Public Affairs (MormonNewsroom.org), LDS.org, and has been featured on the Mormon Channel. I wrote him:

Hi Samuel, for the longest time I have wanted to thank you for your Hope Works message on unity among faiths. It's a message I've also been sharing for quite a while and I was so delighted to find your video. It's refreshing to hear another witness of this important message. Here are two posts I wrote this year of a similar message. Thanks for sharing the thoughts of your heart!

https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-power-of-open-mind.html?m=1

https://allstandtall.blogspot.com/2017/08/unity-among-churches-part-of

Samuel replied back and shared with me his most recent article that is similar to the message of his Hope Works video. It's titled, "What is Truth?" 

I very much enjoyed this article and wanted to pass it along to you. It's awesome to see that the Church shares and supports a message that is so important in this day and age that we live in. My favorite quote from the article is highlighted in yellow. Hope you enjoy!

“What is truth?”

Pilate’s question to Jesus before His death never loses relevance. Though we do not all agree on what truth is or where to find it, the search for it cannot be avoided.

But today truth seems to have fallen on hard times. We live in what many are calling a post-truth age. Oxford Dictionaries selected this as its 2016 word of the year, defined as circumstances in which “objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” The endless loops of memes, opinions and aspersions spread mistrust through social media and require more effort to discern fact from fiction. People seek answers that only confirm their existing biases. Partisans in ideological combat pursue victory over truth.

Despite this confusion, the truth of things is not something we’re wired to ignore. Aristotle was right — “All men desire by nature to know.” But if there were no truth there would be nothing to know. Our reasoning faculties would forever spin. There must be a solid foundation.

Joseph Smith

Of course, our world is full of diverse individuals. Truth claims do and will continue to diverge, but they need not violently clash. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ founder Joseph Smith aspired to a better way: “If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in his own way if I cannot persuade him my way is better; and I will ask no man to believe as I do.”

D. Todd Christofferson

The Mormon view of truth is grounded in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, but that doesn’t mean truth is limited to the Mormon experience. As Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, “Truth is scattered liberally across the globe.” And it was Joseph Smith who encouraged us to “get all the good in the world”and to “receive truth, let it come from whence it may.” Truth has many aspects — spiritual, physical, philosophical, historical — and in the end they all fit together into one great whole.
                     

Hugh B. Brown

President Hugh B. Brown, then a member of the Church’s First Presidency, said in 1969 that even with the Church’s many important and unique truths, “there is an incomprehensibly greater part of truth which we must yet discover. Our revealed truth should leave us stricken with the knowledge of how little we really know. It should never lead to an emotional arrogance based upon a false assumption that we somehow have all the answers — that we in fact have a corner on truth. For we do not.

Indeed, as one Mormon scripture teaches, God “will yet reveal many great and important things.”

B. H. Roberts

The Mormon approach to truth trusts in the unchanging truths of the gospel while acknowledging the many unknowns. Mormon general authority B. H. Roberts (1857–1933) taught that this Church was established “for the instruction of men,” and God “is not limited to that institution for such purposes, neither in time nor place.”

In that spirit, the First Presidency 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.” 

So, according to Roberts, “God raises up wise men and prophets here and there among all the children of men, of their own tongue and nationality, speaking to them through means that they can comprehend.” Thus, he continues, “wherever God finds a soul sufficiently enlightened and pure; one with whom his Spirit can communicate, lo! he makes of him a teacher of men.”
                       
Because truth is scattered among all nations and peoples, Mormons believe in learning “out of the best books” of things that “have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and perplexities of the nations, … and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms.” Such knowledge helps Latter-day Saints be not only better citizens and neighbors but also better Mormons.

An expansive vision of truth can bring more depth, clarity and love into our lives and make us more willing to listen, more able to understand and more inclined to build up rather than tear down.

All of Samuel Hislop's work including the above article can be found here:  https://samuelhislop.com/writing/