Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Believe Versus Know

While listening to a recent speaker in our Young Adult Sacrament Meeting I was touched by the spirit to understand more fully the process of “knowing” truth. I had read the passage the speaker referred to many times before, but for some reason this time the clarity of the meaning simply rang loudly in my mind, and my heart became enlarged.

The discourse given in the Book of Mormon by the prophet Alma which compares faith to a seed is one that most are probably familiar with. The scripture that jumped out at me that day is contained in that lesson in Alma 32.

33 And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.

The words that caught my attention were “beginneth” and “ye must needs know”. I guess for some reason I always thought you had to SEE the whole plant to really know, but the process of feeling that enlargement of your heart is simply enough.

FOR EXAMPLE:

In the process of creation a “seed is planted” ... if it connects with the cultivated soil, or the egg... then it begins to grow. As I mother I can testify, that when you feel that swelling of the “seed” in your stomach, you KNOW it is a baby. You can know without seeing. When the baby is finally born...you then have a FULNESS of knowledge or PERFECT knowledge, but before that process is revealed, you can still KNOW it is a baby.

It may sound simple, but for me... I can know without seeing, that Jesus is the Christ.

And I do...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good post. The Lord lets us know in so many small but amazing ways. It is like the small thing to look at the brazen serpent. Such a small thing, but what happened was amazing.

By the title, I thought your post was going to be much, much different.

Lori said...

What a great explanation. Simple. Will save this for when my class studies Alma 32. Awesome, D.

Heather@Women in the Scriptures said...

Oh, I really love this. On Sunday I bore my testimony and I said that I "knew without a doubt" that Joseph Smith is a prophet. After I sat down I began to doubt myself-- did I really "know". But you are right when you can feel that seed and know that it is growing then you "know without a doubt". Do you mind if I link to this post on my blog?