The True, the False, and Mere Conjecture

A good friend a mine keeps a blog that very few folks know about.  He is a gifted gospel student.  After years of friendship, it's clear to me there is nothing that matters more to him than pursuing further light and knowledge in his attempt to come unto Christ.

He recently posted something that was touching to me because it is the complete opposite of what we find all around us.  As he points out, there are many "voices clamoring" to be heard.  Many claim to speak for Christ, but do not know him.  We are proud that we have the truth.  We know what nobody else knows.  

When you humble yourself, the Lord is able to teach you by revelation.  

Some time during the beginning of this repentance process, one of the first revelations that is given you is that the philosophies of men are getting you nowhere.  The traditions of your fathers are getting you nowhere.  Cultural trappings are blinding you.  Other men's unbelief has spread to you like a disease.  It is clothed in the language of the restoration, but marvelously incapable of conferring any power or revelatory understanding that will ever save you.  We must repent further, and seek Christ.

I've asked and received his permission to post what he wrote.  What follows is his:

If there is anything that I have learned through an ongoing study of the gospel, it is that I know very little, possibly nothing.  I have facts and some theories and some trivia stored away in my brain, but not much that is abiding or saving.  That kind of knowledge comes in the way God has shown us in the temple.  I have written a lot of things over the past few years, some theories and ideas, that have come to describe my perception of religion and of the world around me.  I concede that these may each be false, even better, may probably be proven false if held up to a different definition of the gospel.  I don't really care, because the important thing to me is not that I am right on all counts, but that I am open and willing to accept my own folly, the incorrectness of my traditions, and even more difficult in some cases, the traditions of my fathers.  It is important to me not to stagnate upon one singular and narrow way of looking at a thing, but to keep the channels of my mind open in honest evaluation, not that I may be blown about by every wind of doctrinal uncertainty, but that I may be willing to accept truth when it finally makes its way into my field of view.  If we develop and stagnate in false views of Christ, we will not recognize Him when He attempts to approach us.  We will think Him a fraud.  It is very easy for Satan to subsequently give us the Christ we want, cheapened and watered down.  Therefore, with little exception, my mind remains open to change and reevaluation.  I don't want to be branded a believer of my false theories, because ten years from now I may not believe them myself.  I will consider anything the Spirit wishes, and I accept that the evolution of my knowledge may be a process that spans years and which may weave at times through some false ideas.  This does not bother me.  I have faith that the Lord will help me to sort out this confusing mess of voices clamoring throughout the world to be heard.  I live with the hope that the one that will prevail is that which is still and small.  I am happy to acknowledge that my ideas are nothing more than my own philosophies mingled with scripture.  I am not qualified to bring you saving news.  I only really write in order to record my stream of thought, and to remember those things which I consider to be potentially important.  If you benefit from sideline observance of my ideas, that is wonderful.  If not, that's fine too.  I don't accept you as my student because I am unqualified to be your teacher.  But I hope that through the scriptures, through revelation, and through humble prayer, our worship may be made perfect and we may gain that knowledge which will save us.