Usually it is the simplest thing that eludes our perceptions such that, what we think we see or understand is actually not the truth.
Life holds many such experiences, yet people take these experiences and facts of life (in mortality) for granted. Not realizing that these simple things have profound affects on our minds and hearts.
One such event came into my life years ago when I was beginning my membership into the Church. At that time I had no experience with the gospel, but had my own ideas and beliefs about spirituality and life. Of course, these personal ideas and beliefs were born of the world.
At that time, I was given a free copy of the Holy Bible, King James version. I read it and made notes with small sticky note tabs on the pages. One such note I made was in references to Ephesians 4:13. Here is that passage,
Ephesians. 4:13
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
The notation I made regarding that passage, as I understood it then was,
“Ephesians 4:13 – oneness of religions”
Once I made that notation I stuck the sticky note on that page and carried on with my reading.
Years passed since that day. That copy of the Bible was replaced with another copy I purchased from the Church, so that first copy was placed aside on the book shelf. After years past, I did return to that copy of the Bible and started looking through it, reading my notations and read that notation I made regarding Ephesians 4:13.
When I re-read that notation I sat wondering how I could be so wrong. I knew that was a time when I first began my study of the scriptures, but on further reflection I realized that my ideas and beliefs have drastically changed in the years since. My ideas were quite different back then and how I read or “read into” the scriptures was greatly affected by my background, my beliefs at the time, and what experience I had regarding the scriptures, which includes spiritual experiences.
Over the years since that notation I learned quite a lot and experienced quite a lot as well. That reshaped me, my mind and heart. Through the many prayers, afflictions, personal revelations and personal changes, I changed and how I understand the scriptures changed with it. That notation now reads as an error. What that passage actually spoke about was the making of “one faith” in God. The faith that God declares as correct, with the same beliefs, same knowledge, same understanding and same state of mind and heart. The same refers to the “father and I are one”, which includes the “same purpose”. That passage had nothing to do with unification of religions.
At that time of that notation I honestly believed that Bible passage referred to the unification of religions and bringing together the different faiths from around the world. A very altruistic viewpoint, but a very uniformed, unrealistic and misguided idea.
At that time I made the scripture mold itself to what I wanted to believe, rather than read the scripture for what it is and change myself accordingly. I believed, at that time, that God would unify the world religions, to bring all the different doctrines into one, but over these past years I learned that such a belief and viewpoint was not scriptural and not of God. It was merely my own personal idea about something. In truth, there will be no such thing as “unification of religions” because God will not unify false doctrines with his truth and gospel. The idea of “unification” or blending beliefs is a “doctrine of men”, a philosophy that is born of men’s very limited and un-edified mind and most of all, a “spiritually unprepared” mind and heart.
Is that not what occurred with Christendom after the Early Christian Church fell into apostasy? Where there was all the “reform” and attempts to unify philosophies, beliefs and contradicting doctrines. I did what the “world” did to the Christianity given by Jesus Christ. Is this not an example of “adding to or diminishing the word of God”? Is this not what so many other Christian’s do?
This simple experience showed me how a person who is unprepared by God, going by way of his/her own personal beliefs, under their own power, even by their own pride, can easily misunderstand and sorely misinterpret God’s written word. Reading into the passages something that is not true or not there and taking the passage or meaning of it totally out of context as well.
This also says that we should always review our own beliefs and any notes we make to ensure that we eliminate the falsehoods that we believed before. To trash the errors or move such things to a journal of experiences to show the change and new understanding.
This life example shows how un-edified beliefs can mislead and cause a person to take up false doctrines so easily and how a person can actually make claims the false belief is truth, not realizing the error they are making. A passion for something does not provide a surety that what we believe is right or correct. There is more to ensure correctness, but unfortunately too many people lay heavily on their passionate beliefs rather than the actual truth and the Holy Spirit.
All of this shows the seriousness and importance of God’s warning to us to be as a child and humble ourselves. To remain silent until we learn the right way and seek to obtain his word as it is written and through his Spirit before we open our mouths proclaiming something as true when it is not or attacking someone else’s beliefs. Unfortunately Anti-Mormon;s will not listen. They refuse to seek God’s word through the Spirit and refuse to be patient for God to show them their serious errors.
No person is perfect and when we keep that in mind for ourselves, to temper ourselves appropriately, then we are doing quite well.
It is important to believe, but be careful of what you believe as your own beliefs, if they are in error, can mislead you. Be patient and learn the correct way as this Church teaches.
Amen
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