“What is the role of logic and reason in the gospel?,” For the Strength of Youth, Aug. 2023.
To the Point
What is the role of logic and reason in the gospel?
Just as the Lord encourages physical health (see Doctrine and Covenants 89), He also encourages us to exercise and strengthen our minds’ thinking and reasoning (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:18–19). We should use logic, common sense, and reason to learn, make decisions, and apply truth each day.
But as President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency has said: “Human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God” (“Continuing Revelation,” Oct. 2014 general conference [Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 70]).
Our natural reason is not suited to discern spiritual things. We must rely on revelation through the Spirit for that (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). “The Spirit … speaketh of things as they really are” (Jacob 4:13; emphasis added). The Spirit speaks of a higher and more complete reality than the reality we perceive with our senses and our reason (see Isaiah 55:8–9). And if the Spirit prompts you to do something that doesn’t make sense at first, be prayerful and remember that you will always be blessed as you seek to follow the Spirit.