Having previously finished a book on timelessness (see my previous post) and a book about perceiving truth through metaphor and physicality (see my ‘Oh say, What is truth?’ post), I have been pondering the words that are used by God in scripture.

In Doctrine and Covenants 93:24 the Lord says, ‘And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;’ which is often quoted with Jacob 4:13. I have included verse 12 in the quote below.

And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come? Behold, my brethren, he that prophesieth, let him prophesy to the understanding of men; for the Spirit speaketh the truth and lieth not. Wherefore, it speaketh of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be; wherefore, these things are manifested unto us plainly, for the salvation of our souls. But behold, we are not witnesses alone in these things; for God also spake them unto prophets of old.

I have been pondering why God and His prophets have used this phrasing of truth encompassing knowledge, or things, that are located in different ’times.’ Why not just say that truth is eternal or truth never changes? Why do they use this phrasing that places truth into three distinct spheres - the past, present, and future?

The Truth of the Atoning Jesus

In both Jacob 4:13 and Doctrine and Covenants 93:24 we see this phrasing in the context of the atonement of Jesus Christ and God’s plan of salvation. Jesus, having attained Godhood in the preexistence, was the one being whose acts were so certain and so powerful that they could be depended on in the past, in our present, and in posterities’ future. Listen as we see God share in verse 23 of Doctrine and Covenants 93 the context of the knowledge He is defining.

And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn. Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the Spirit of truth; And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;

We knew very early in the preexistence of Jesus’ atoning power¹. From Adam, through Isaiah, to Nephi the ancient prophets have known of the atonement and resurrection. His historical act changes all of our futures as well. The knowledge of Jesus exists in the past, present, and future. These truths are truths for all of God’s children in all space and history. The almightiness of God gaurantees that salvation through Christ can come to all. As the almighty agents of affinity, the Godhead can guarantee these truths to all people of history and future.

The Lord has defined truth as being a “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” (D&C 93:24.) God’s existence is a reality. Immortality is a reality. These realities will not go away simply because we have different opinions about them. These realities will not be dissolved just because some have doubts about them. -Spencer W. Kimball, Absolute Truth-

How the atonement affects our life is different. I have watched my knowledge of the atonement change from what I knew in the past, and I pray that I will have more understanding of it in the future. I don’t want my knowledge of the atonement to stay the same as it did in my youth. Knowledge changes as we grow (When I say ‘we’ I include prophets, churches, and people). As I have more knowledge now, it does not make my knowledge in my historical sphere wrong or faulty. We can only know what our experience and language have brought to us. That is, ‘all truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence’ (D&C 93:30).

The Evolution of Knowledge of Truth

While we must remember that Jesus, ’ [who] was from the beginning plainly manifest unto [us] ‘, is true through past, present, and future times, ’ [our] agency and condemnation’ lies in how ’ [we] receive the light.’ (D&C 93:30). The relationship of receiving is dynamic and will evolve as our relationship with God changes over our time.

Relationships are built on language. As my wife and I have learned to hear the nuance of meaning in words and phrases that each of us uses, we have grown in our communication. A straightforward example is that I call her mom. In the sphere of our home, it means something different than what mom meant to me when I was young. I am not sure I can describe the meaning in detail, but it is endearing and includes more in its definition than the use of mom in my youth. Notice how Brigham Young shares this concept concerning the gospel.

Language, to convey all the truth, does not exist. Even in the Bible, and all books that have been revealed from heaven unto man, the language fails to convey all the truth as it is. Truth, wisdom, power, glory, light, and intelligence exist upon their own qualities; [D&C 93:30] they do not, neither can they, exist upon any other principle. -Brigham Young, JD 1:117-

Notice how Brigham states that truth exists on its own qualities. It does not need any other principle. Could I go so far as to say that consistency can end up being one of those ‘other principles’? Ralph Waldo Emerson has an essay on Self-Reliance that includes a few famous quotes about consistency.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said today. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance-

…

There will be an agreement in whatever variety of actions, so they be each honest and natural in their hour. For of one will, the actions will be harmonious, however unlike they seem. … Your genuine action will explain itself, and will explain your other genuine actions. Your conformity explains nothing. Act singly, and what you have already done singly will justify you now. Greatness appeals to the future. If I can be firm enough to-day to do right, and scorn eyes, I must have done so much right before as to defend me now. Be it how it will, do right now. … I hope in these days we have heard the last of conformity and consistency. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance-

I think we see this concept of truth as knowledge in the moment showing itself in multiple scriptural events. I will share just a few.

Nephi and Laban

Bible students will remember that the same Moses who received on Mount Sinai this very commandment against one man taking another’s life also sang that the Lord could kill as well as make alive, wound as well as heal (Deut. 32:39). Indeed, Moses himself, descending from Sinai’s summit with the Ten Commandments as fresh in his mind as they were in his hands, immediately caused 3,000 Israelite idolaters to be slain. Looking with an unbiased eye, one simply cannot disparagingly grimace when Nephi takes Laban’s sword and, for the protection of an entire nation, slays him, and then with a change of facial expression, enthusiastically applaud when David takes Goliath’s sword and, for the protection of an entire nation, “drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith” (1 Sam. 17:51). The Bible and Book of Mormon are clearly shoulder-to-shoulder on such an issue. -Jeffry R. Holland-

Abraham and Isaac

In Genesis 4:10-11, we hear the story of Cain’s murder of Abel, which surely must have been known by Abraham. God valued life and had shown Abraham the value of life in his youth. Yet in Genenesis 22 Abraham accepts a command from God to murder his son and lived that command in his current life as it was true. He and we realize that God then changed this decree.

This story and Nephi’s above provides two clear examples of truth being much more than the ‘foolish’ consistency of killing another person being wrong. In both cases, ’truth [was] knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;’

Truth as a relationship

I am not trying to say that truth can be whatever we want it to be. However, I am saying that truth is much more than the consistency of knowledge. Ellen Charry shares a powerful quote that articulates truth as a relationship

It is an inadequate argument that sets forth an understanding of knowledge as one in which either knowledge passes through the knower, leaving no trace, or that knowledge is ‘out there,’ merely revealed or disclosed or located by the knower. Rather, strong knowing is a dynamic and interactive process in which both the known and the knower are constantly shaping each other. … Knowing is a spiritual craft or art by means of which the soul grows by God’s grace. -Ellen T. Charry, Walking in Truth-

In Abraham’s, Moses’, Nephi’s, and Joseph’s prophetic journeys, we see this type of relational truth. We see a child that is struggling to learn the language and path of God over time. To Moses, the Lord proclaimed, ‘The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth’ (Exodus 24:6). The greek word for truth also translates as faithfulness. Notice how Dennis uses this concept of faithfullness to explain truth as past, present, and future.

Truth here involves a character or reliability and trustworthiness in relationships over time, grounded in past experience and extending in confidence into an as yet unseen future. -Dennis T. Olson Truth and the Torah-

I believe the scriptures testify of a relational truth². I hope we see this significant meaning of truth as more than a knowledge of facts. These verses are not stating that God knows all detailed events of time as His history. He wants us to see the Truth of Jesus Christ and the Truth of our relationship with Him. He wants our knowledge to be more than consistent. He wants it to grow. He wants it to be more!

If knowing well, sometimes gently and sometimes harshly, (trans)forms us through - and even at times into - itself, it is indeed true that knowledge cannot be directed other than toward wisdom or toward folly. … The knowledge of which we speak here is wisdom; it is what remains in the soul after observation is complete. It is what stays with us after the impression that the encounter with the text or the lesson leaves behind - sometimes consciously and sometimes not. These insights nourish and expand us for good or ill. -Ellen T. Charry, Walking in Truth-

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