Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge, Part 3

Seek Further Understanding through Divinely Appointed Sources

One of the purposes of doctrinal mastery is to help you learn and apply principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. This lesson can help you understand the importance of seeking truth through sources that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have lovingly provided.

Where do you search for answers?

In one minute, try to find the following information.

The weather for the coming weekend
The name of the capital city of Greenland
A recipe for a pasta or rice dish

Consider the following questions.

What sources did you (or would you normally) use to search for the information?
Why do you trust these sources for information about these kinds of questions?

Where can we find answers from God?

Where would you suggest that people search for answers to important questions about God, the Church, or the plan of salvation?

Think of any questions you have about God, the Church, or the plan of salvation. This could include information you have read or heard that you wonder about or find unsettling. Seek for the Holy Ghost to guide you in learning principles in this lesson that can help you.

Read the following passages, looking for how the sources of truth taught about in these passages can bless us.

Ephesians 4:11–14
2 Timothy 3:15–17
James 1:5–6
Paragraph 11 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2022)

What if I’m not sure how trustworthy a source of information is?

One of the most common ways to search for information today is by using the internet. Through the internet, we have access to many good sources of information. At the same time, the internet exposes us to many unreliable and untrue sources of information. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles warned:

Internet information does not have a “truth” filter. Some information, no matter how convincing, is simply not true.

(Neil L. Andersen, “Joseph Smith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2014, 29)

Read paragraph 12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document. Consider marking why it is dangerous to seek answers to spiritual questions from unknown or untrustworthy sources.

When you encounter new information about God, the Church, or the plan of salvation, it is helpful to ask yourself questions like the following about the source of the information. As you read through these questions, look for the ones that you think would be most helpful when deciding whether or not to trust a source. (You could also study each of the accompanying scripture references.)

Some questions for evaluating new information

What did I feel from the Holy Ghost when I read or heard this information? (See Doctrine and Covenants 50:23–24.)
Does this information bring me closer to Jesus Christ and His Church? (See Moroni 7:15–17.)
Does this information encourage me to keep God’s commandments?
Does it agree with what the scriptures and modern prophets teach? (See 2 Timothy 3:15–17; Doctrine and Covenants 1:38.)
Does it confirm what I have already felt the Holy Ghost tell me is true, or does it encourage me to doubt gospel truths? (See Moroni 10:5.)
Does the information come from a source that the Savior or His Church leaders would consider trustworthy?
What would my parents or Church leaders say about this information? (If I feel tempted to keep it from them, what does that tell me about its source?)
Which of these questions do you think would be most helpful for you? Why?
What other questions do you think someone should ask about information they encounter?

Choose a piece of information you have heard or a question you have about God, the Church, or the plan of salvation. Then take a few minutes to practice searching for answers using divinely appointed sources. Among other things, you might consider

praying;
searching the scriptures using the Topical Guide, Bible Dictionary, Guide to the Scriptures, or doctrinal mastery passages;
searching general conference talks, the Gospel Topics page on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, or the Gospel Library app;
reading relevant sections in Church materials such as For the Strength of Youth (booklet, 2011) or Gospel Topics, topics.ChurchofJesusChrist.org;
contacting someone you know and trust, such as a parent, bishop, youth leader in your ward or branch, or seminary teacher, to help you find answers.

Optional: Want to Learn More?

What should I do if I can’t find an answer to a question through divinely appointed sources?

Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:

Not all answers will come immediately, but most questions can be resolved through sincere study and seeking answers from God. …

Faith never demands an answer to every question but seeks the assurance and courage to move forward, sometimes acknowledging, “I don’t know everything, but I do know enough to continue on the path of discipleship.”

Immersing oneself in persistent doubt, fueled by answers from the faithless and the unfaithful, weakens one’s faith in Jesus Christ and the Restoration.

(Neil L. Andersen, “Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2015, 66)

Why should I be wary of seeking answers about the Church from those who have left it?

Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

Some insist upon studying the Church only through the eyes of its defectors—like interviewing Judas to understand Jesus. Defectors always tell us more about themselves than about that from which they have departed.

(Neal A. Maxwell, “All Hell Is Moved” [Brigham Young University devotional, Nov. 8, 1977], 3, speeches.byu.edu)

How can the sources of information I choose affect me spiritually?

Watch the video “Divinely Appointed Sources” (9:16), located at ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Look for how the youth in the video were affected by who they chose to listen to and where they chose to search for answers.

The video “In Search of Truth” (3:03), available at ChurchofJesusChrist.org, may also be useful.