I was home sick from church a few weeks ago and when I got Reuben down for a nap I decided to check out the new Gospel Principles book to see what I was missing out on in Sunday School. As I read through the lesson I decided I really like the new Gospel Principles book.
I like it because it starts at the beginning. It doesn't assume or expect a large background. It doesn't feed a bunch of answers and prompt regurgitation. It's a basic, lets see where we are at and talk about what we believe sort of book.
Page 1, Question 1 - the very opening of the lesson- asks What are some things that testify to you that there is a God? I have mentioned before that I LOVE a good question and I would have loved to hear people's answers to this question. Just what makes you believe there IS a God?
I mean, I believe in God, a very particular God. And I have my reasons. But I don't expect them to be the same reasons as anybody else. Because my belief in God is related to personal experiences I have had. In a way, I believe in God to the same degree that I know God. And I know God through interactions I have had with Him. And as I have grown more familiar with God I feel like I have become better at recognizing Him and His influence.
I occasionally have times, usually when I'm thinking or praying or maybe just remembering and then there's a recognition of God. And the God I know is mostly kind and very clarifying and enlightening and BIG. Big in way that I know I'm never seeing all of what He is or He is showing me.
Big sounds very simple, but comprehending God is like trying to take a picture of a mountain you are standing on. You can take a picture of the ground and that's the mountain but it will in no way communicate where you are at. You can take a picture of the geological structure of the rocks, which will explain the formation of the mountain but that won't give a complete image either. You can take a picture of the mountain peaks far about you to try to capture and communicate the grandeur but then even though you are ON the mountain, the mountain seems cold and remote. You can take a picture of the weather patterns or bird and animals adapted to the mountain's conditions to prove how all things are effected by the mountain's presence but that still fails to capture the actual totality of the mountain. The lense -in this scenario, my personal comprehension- is only so large so I can't perceive of all of what is. It takes a lot of pictures and a lot of piecing together, and that takes time.
And that's why what I know about God is mostly lots of little pieces but I'm certain about those little pieces and they create a knowledge in me that there is a God.
So all of this was kind of a tangent to get to what I've really been thinking about, which comes from the second lesson. But lets be honest, who reads long blog posts? Who has the time? This is long enough already.
So I'm going to post what my mind has been stewing over in the next day or two when I get the chance.
5 comments:
"thinking" was an amazingly thoughtful post. I have to admit that when, as a teacher, I first looked at the new "Gospel Principles" book, I was underwhelmed. But, after having taught from it, I have decided that it will be a great year as we work through this book that reminds us of the basic, most important reasons we believe.
I enjoyed your remarkable thoughts concerning the question of God’s existence. It is such a personal but important topic. Thank you for sharing!
Oooo- this is good. Very nice analogy! I'm going to think on that for quite some time.
this is interesting. i'll have to take a closer look at the new book. i often don't get to class (since i'm usually in the library), but i need something to read while i'm in that old library.
i'm a big believer in experiential learning. i believe there are thing we can know and understand to a certain degree without experiencing them, but there's no better way to really understand something than to have an experience with it. i have a firm belief in the word of wisdom because of an experience i had. i have a better understanding of god's love and the plan of salvation because of my dad's death.
I read your post a while ago but had something distract me before I could post. I enjoy hearing your take (and the take of commenters) on the "new" Gospel Principles.
NEWSFLASH: The reason the name hasn't changed is because the book hasn't changed.
Yes, there are new pictures, etc. The book has been modernized. It's a great book.
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