"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."
1 Thessalonians 5:21
I think it is cool that the scriptures encourage us to prove all things. Obviously this can't only mean in the limited scientific way that ignores the truth of the spirit, but everything that God tells us is something that he wants us to study and seek after, and test, and find out for ourselves. Some of that will be scientifically observable, and other parts of it we are going to have to test internally and measure for ourselves--for instance, whether our experiences with God make life better or worse, happier or sadder. Moroni states it right out in Moroni 10:4-5 that his spiritual test through the Holy Ghost can be applied to anything, and Acts 17:11 (and many other verses) show us people searching the scriptures to know the truth of what they have been told. God doesn't expect us to just accept whatever we hear. Nephi inquired of God directly, and so can we. Alma 34:4 explains the "experiment" of planting the word in our hearts (which Alma 32 explains in more detail), and we are told to find truth and study the best books.
Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn't typically want us to follow blindly. We often *are* blind to certain truths, but that doesn't mean that God prefers it that way. Better, for God *and* for us, when we unblind ourselves, and we do our research and study it out and find out for ourselves. We're here to learn, not to lemming, right? So the more that we dive in and figure it out, the more we are doing exactly as we should. Note that there is a difference between studying it out and asking for a sign. Not saying sign-seeking doesn't work sometimes, but after seeing some of the signs that God gave to those Book of Mormon antichrists, I would be careful about asking for more than we can handle. And, truthfully, we have tons of signs all around us if we look for them. Better probably to ask the way that Moroni suggests... read, study, and think about it, and then pray and ask God if we're on the right track. The better we learn to listen to the spirit, the better guidance we can get about absolutely everything.
Today, let's not only study the things of God so that we can learn and prove them, but let's take a look at the things around us, and let's prove *them* as well. If we aren't going to accept God blindly, then let's not accept propaganda and earthly authority blindly either. Let's read and study and find out about both sides of whatever issue or question it is, and them let's also ask God about those things, and be open to his answers. The verse doesn't just talk about proving God. We're proving everything, and God gives us some good advice in Moroni 7:15 about discerning between good and evil. And when we figure out what is good, let's do as Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to do, and hold on to it.
1 Thessalonians 5:21
I think it is cool that the scriptures encourage us to prove all things. Obviously this can't only mean in the limited scientific way that ignores the truth of the spirit, but everything that God tells us is something that he wants us to study and seek after, and test, and find out for ourselves. Some of that will be scientifically observable, and other parts of it we are going to have to test internally and measure for ourselves--for instance, whether our experiences with God make life better or worse, happier or sadder. Moroni states it right out in Moroni 10:4-5 that his spiritual test through the Holy Ghost can be applied to anything, and Acts 17:11 (and many other verses) show us people searching the scriptures to know the truth of what they have been told. God doesn't expect us to just accept whatever we hear. Nephi inquired of God directly, and so can we. Alma 34:4 explains the "experiment" of planting the word in our hearts (which Alma 32 explains in more detail), and we are told to find truth and study the best books.
Contrary to popular opinion, God doesn't typically want us to follow blindly. We often *are* blind to certain truths, but that doesn't mean that God prefers it that way. Better, for God *and* for us, when we unblind ourselves, and we do our research and study it out and find out for ourselves. We're here to learn, not to lemming, right? So the more that we dive in and figure it out, the more we are doing exactly as we should. Note that there is a difference between studying it out and asking for a sign. Not saying sign-seeking doesn't work sometimes, but after seeing some of the signs that God gave to those Book of Mormon antichrists, I would be careful about asking for more than we can handle. And, truthfully, we have tons of signs all around us if we look for them. Better probably to ask the way that Moroni suggests... read, study, and think about it, and then pray and ask God if we're on the right track. The better we learn to listen to the spirit, the better guidance we can get about absolutely everything.
Today, let's not only study the things of God so that we can learn and prove them, but let's take a look at the things around us, and let's prove *them* as well. If we aren't going to accept God blindly, then let's not accept propaganda and earthly authority blindly either. Let's read and study and find out about both sides of whatever issue or question it is, and them let's also ask God about those things, and be open to his answers. The verse doesn't just talk about proving God. We're proving everything, and God gives us some good advice in Moroni 7:15 about discerning between good and evil. And when we figure out what is good, let's do as Paul encouraged the Thessalonians to do, and hold on to it.
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