Truth
Boyd Packer has been a source of quotes for us here at LAM because of the contradictory and heretical teachings that come from his mouth while standing at a pulpit. And this time his teachings have proven themselves to be no different than other times.
On Sunday evening, November 6, 2011 the Deseret News published an article highlighting the speech he gave to an audience of young LDS members eager to hear some prophetic and wisdom filled words from the Mormon apostle.
While the kids in attendance probably weren’t old enough to even know about another speech he gave back in 1981, we thought we’d point it out for those who’d like to compare the words of this self proclaimed “man of God”.
On Sunday the apostle Packer made the comment; “All truth is worth knowing. Some truths are more useful, but there are truths that are most worth knowing.”
While the focus of his speech needs some serious attention we’re foregoing that part for now because Melissa’s working on an article about it.
The words he used in this latest speech completely contradict a major speech he gave in 1981 called “The Mantle is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect”. Here in part is what he said then and now.
Boyd K. Packer, “The Mantle is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect”, 1981, BYU Studies, Vol. 21, No. 3, pp. 259-271; “Church history can be so interesting and so inspiring as to be a very powerful tool indeed for building faith. If not properly written or properly taught, it may be a faith destroyer…There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not…Some things that are true are not very useful…Teaching some things that are true, prematurely or at the wrong time, can invite sorry and heartbreak instead of the joy intended to accompany learning.”
“All truth is worth knowing. Some truths are more useful, but there are truths that are most worth knowing.”
While the Mormon reading this will jump all over it to tell us that he didn’t contradict himself, allow yourself to contemplate these things for a moment before you rush to stand up for this guy and the things he says.
I don’t write these things to bash or ridicule the Mormon people. This makes my heart sad that someone with such authority would falsely teach young impressionable kids. His lies to this people group are outrageous and someone in Mormonism ought to hold him accountable.
Is the truth worth knowing and is it worthwhile? Absolutely! Truth doesn’t have to hide, nor does it ever have to lie. Jesus told us the truth would set us free! John 8:32. So when would the truth ever not be useful Mr. Packer? And how could the truth ever be a faith destroyer? If anything it clears the air and allows fresh insight to come in; i.e. His Holy Spirit!
Pray that someone in that audience heard this man’s words and will know that twenty years earlier he was preaching another story.
With Love in Christ; Michelle Grim
“Truth is a heady wine, my friend. Do not over estimates people’s capacity for it.” The 300 Spartans (a movie)
Now, as to President Packer’s quotes, there is no contradiction. Me saying this comes as no surprise, as you have clearly stated that people would. so let me explain why there is no contradiction.
Here are the two basic quotes again.
“All truth is worth knowing. Some truths are more useful, but there are truths that are most worth knowing.”
“Some things that are true are not very useful”
First, notice that in the second he is not saying some truths are completely useless, but that they care very little use in them.
For instance, it is true that I ate a Hot Pocket for lunch today. That is true, but how useful is it? It may be useful if I got sick, as it is a possible cause. It may also be useful if I died to establish what had occurred today. However, its usefulness is severely limited.
Now, this is a silly example, but it illustrates the point.
President Packer also said that “Teaching some things that are true, prematurely or at the wrong time, can invite sorry and heartbreak instead of the joy intended to accompany learning.”
Notice again that he is not advocating that the truth never be known, but that it be taught in its proper time and place. In the article sited he gives the examples of chemistry and sex-education. Both are learned by degrees, or “Line upon Line” as the bible puts it. So, but the same reasoning, history and religion must be learned in the same manner.
A person cannot understand the actions of a person until they understand the historical and cultural contexts of those actions.
So, what we really have is President Packer stating at one time that all truth is worth knowing, though some are more useful than others; and at another time proscribing the method of acquiring the knowledge one seeks.
To conclude I would like to answer the questions at the end of the article.
“When would the truth ever not be useful?”
“How could the truth ever be a faith destroyer?”
To answer the first I will give an example from the movie “Tremors.”
Near the end of the movie, when the creatures have them cornered, the people all decide to make a run for it to the protection of the rocks. A man expresses the opinion that the creatures are too fast and is unwilling to go. So a man hands him a gun saying “This will make them think twice.” Having the gun the young man willingly runs for the rocks, only to find that when he tries to use the gun it is not loaded. When they are all at the rocks he yells at the man for giving an unloaded gun. The man replies “It got you moving didn’t it?”
In this example we see that a certain truth, that of the gun not being loaded, was with held from the young man. If he had been told the truth at the first would he have run? Most likely not, as he would still have had no faith. By not giving the full truth, but letting the young man believe he was safe, it enabled him to run the required distance. So the full truth was not useful in this situation?
As for the second, the answer is easily seen in the Bible. In John chapter six Jesus gives one of the greatest discourses on his divinity and role as the savior. After teaching the people the truth of this we read in verse 60 that “Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” And then later we read in 66 that “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.”
Christ had born testimony of the truth, and there were many who could not bare it and left the faith because of that truth.
Truth that is taught to the unprepared can be one of the greatest causes of destruction and heart ache.