A Rational Theology, as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day SaintsWidtsoe, John Andreas
Religion
A Rational Theology, as Taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Widtsoe, John Andreas
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Doctrines; Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines; Theology
Man himself, through what may be called, for want of a better name,
the sixth sense, may become a great aid to his own direct senses. By
proper exertion he may intercept messages from out the directly
unknown, as completely as this may be done by man-made instruments.
Throughout history this power of man has been recognized and usually
respected. The experience or knowledge thus gained should, when
properly examined by the mind, be given an equal place beside that
gained directly through the commoner senses. Prophets, poets, men of
vision and faith, have all builded their work largely upon this kind
of knowledge or inward feeling.
**Transmitted Knowledge.** The inexhaustible universe and the limited
powers of man, make it possible for a person to discover for himself
relatively a very small amount of truth. Much effort may be saved and
more knowledge gained, if each person learn as much as he may of what
has already been learned, to which he may add the little new discovery
that he may make.
This method of obtaining knowledge has been in vogue since the first
day. What the first man learned, he told to others, and they in turn
communicated it, with the addition of whatever new knowledge they had
gained. Thus comes the present value of tradition--the spoken
record,--and of books--the written record. Men who desire to build a
safe religion or a safe science, make themselves familiar with as much
as they can of what is already known, instead of attempting to
traverse the known field as original discoverers, and to this
transmitted knowledge, they add whatever in the course of their
pursuit they may discover independently. Those who in the present day
will accept only what they themselves discover, will make slow
progress. To them the treasuries of the greatest age will not be
opened.
If, in the course of events, it becomes necessary for God to speak to
a man for the benefit of many, it would be contrary to rational
thinking that each man for whom the message was given, should directly
hear God's voice, unless, indeed, the means of communicating the
knowledge become effectually blocked. Such transmitted knowledge is
every whit as sound as that acquired by direct communion with nature.
True, the knowledge already possessed by man is so large that it can
in nowise be transmitted, in all its details, to one man. The efforts
of humanity are directed, therefore, to the devising of general
statements, or laws, which embody the meaning of a multitude of facts,
while they are yet easily intelligible to the human mind. More and
more important will become the repositories of such general principles
containing the knowledge of mankind. The Bible, in its various books,
presents such great underlying principles of our knowledge relating to
several very important phases of earth-life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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