The Book of Mormon frequently quotes Isaiah, beloved by a number of Book of Mormon writers. In the following verse, found in 2 Nephi 16 of the Book of Mormon, and quoted from Isaiah 6, we find a clue as to how God wants us to study the gospel and to make spiritual decisions.
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.
9 And he said: Go and tell this people—Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes—lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted and be healed. (2 Nephi 16)
Too many people approach the scriptures with a red pencil and an academic mind. While God is supportive of academic learning, when used correctly, it is not the best way to study scriptures or religious material if you are trying to find out truth.
Have you ever done a science experiment to find out if some scientific law was true? Perhaps, as a child, you grew flowers in a dark closet and more flowers in the sunshine, in order to prove sunlight is needed for proper plant growth.
When you’ve done this type of scientific research, you can share it with the world. If they trust your research, they needn’t repeat it themselves, but can rely on your work. We all accept many scientific facts based on the research of others that we have never repeated on our own.
When it comes to the gospel, however, scientific research isn’t sufficient to help us achieve our eternal potential. One can easily race through the Bible with the above-mentioned red pencil and say things like, “Angels—not scientifically possible, so the Bible is false.”
But, of course, the Bible isn’t false. The fact that we can’t scientifically prove the existence of angels doesn’t mean they don’t exist. So why, when we can’t scientifically prove angels—and in fact, portions of the Bible seem to actually contradict science—do we still choose to believe the Bible to be the word of God?
We believe it because matters of faith require a different type of science experiment. The spiritual type of research requires us to see with our eyes, hear with our ears…and understand with our hearts, as Isaiah made clear. It’s the part about understanding with our hearts that sometimes stops people from gaining a testimony.
To know if a spiritual teaching is true, we must approach it with our hearts instead of our intellect. We must study it out in our minds and come to a conclusion on our own. This is the eyes and ears part of Isaiah’s teaching. But then we must take it to God, the source of all truth and knowledge, and ask Him if we’ve chosen well. This is the understanding with the heart part of the teaching. It must be done by each person individually. You can read the testimonies of others, but only your own “research” can convert you.
Only God knows what is true. Science can’t tell you. People can’t tell you. God can. Once you know how to listen to God for your advice, you can seek out all knowledge. He can tell you who to trust and what to believe.
Would you dare trust your eternal life to anyone less knowledgeable than God? Understanding with the heart, and not just the intellect, is the proper path to our Father in Heaven.
The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.
