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Ripstop Belief

I am driven to identify the false and impure belief systems in our culture. My eager interest is to expose them and their evil author for what they are, and then try to replace those weak beliefs with something doctrinally solid.

I see two common belief systems damning people (and organizations) in their spiritual progression. These pervasive beliefs are like thorns attempting to rip the fabric of our spiritual progress and development.

Blanket Belief
The first is what I call blanket belief, or chain belief. The reason people do it is because it requires little to no mental or spiritual effort. It's when someone says something like "I know this is true, so therefore that is true, and by extension that is also true". In the process, they cast a blanket over an entire set of beliefs, whether they've really been tested or not, and call them all true; or they link one belief to another, and then to another, and say in effect, "because the first link is true we can therefore assume that every link in the chain following is also true." The result of blanket belief can be a core set of beliefs based on tradition and culture rather than actual truth and doctrine. These non-scriptural views have been rehearsed so frequently in our culture that for me to counter them as impure could make me a heretic to many.

The most popular blanket belief I've heard begins with Joseph Smith as having been called of God - Who translated the Book of Mormon, and because he was a true prophet, therefore everything he said is true; and therefore the church is true; and therefore everything that has been said by prophets and apostles in the church since that time are true. This belief system casts a blanket over an entire chain of events or people without evaluating individual truths one at a time.

Blanket beliefs are not inherently wrong, but have a tendency to generate laziness in the pursuit of truth. An inherent belief in these statements, and our culture in general, is this: "I don't need to apply effort or ask questions toward certain ends, because I already know they're true."

It isn't wrong to say because Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Book of Mormon is true; but if we leave it there and never test the principles contained in that sacred book we have lost so many growth opportunities. If we say "I know President Nelson is a true prophet of God" and fail to study his ministry and apply his teachings, then we have lost opportunities to grow and gain truth. A more powerful testimony at church pulpits, than stating a knowledge of the truthfulness of the church for example, might be to state a witness of a true concept that has come through the church, or a leader, or better still, the Holy Ghost.

There is an inherent danger in blanket belief. If we assume everything under the blanket is perfectly true; the day will surely come when an uninspired leader says something contradictory to something under the same blanket. The result is confusion, and a tendency to question the entire, once highly revered, chain of truth, and possibly even apostasy.

A few years ago I discovered ripstop fabric. It is a remarkable material that is sown in a grid-like pattern to prevent ripping. Each little square stands on its own so if it gets a snag the hole will be limited to that square alone and cannot extend into the next square, thus protecting the article of clothing as a whole.

Likewise, if we protect each tried and tested belief by the power of the Holy Ghost (rather than the easy path of daisy-chaining) our testimony of truth will stand stronger when we find out we harbored a false belief as a true one. These discoveries don't need to tear into our adjacent beliefs and affect everything under the blanket. I believe this is why many leave their faith.

Hundred Percent Club
People and organizations don't need to be perfectly infallible in order to find or teach truth. I've learned to be okay with church talks that teach false or incomplete concepts. I've also learned to look outside the box of my religion for additional witnesses of truth from people on the internet that share their beliefs about a particular thing. I often hear false precepts but the spirit helps me find truth nuggets that I really cherish. This concept leads me into the second scripturally unsupported belief in our culture. I have come to think of it as The Hundred Percent Club.

Members of this group have one perception of truth, and when a package of information comes along that does not look and act like their box of truth they throw the entire thing out. Even if the information is true, as long as the source of it doesn't agree with them they cast it out, and like the Pharisees of old who rejected Truth when he walked among them, they miss the mark and fail to see the forest through the trees.

The tendency for the 100% club then is to only subscribe to a single organization, person, or belief system. It is the most damning attitude I have observed and it is rampant. It is damning because the Lord is purposely sending truths in unfamiliar packages to see if the elect will hear his voice and harden not their hearts (Doctrine and Covenants 29:7).

I know people who will only read literature that has their church's logo on it; or for the liberal hundred-percenter who might include literature from that church's official print-press. Why? They daisy-chained the belief that because the church is true, and it's leaders and appointed representatives of all its commercial enterprises are all 100% inspired, therefore everything that comes off that press is also completely true.

The Hundred Percent Club would never believe something in their box could be false or incomplete. In this line of thinking, there is an inherently damning view that anything outside their box is uninspired and not worth engaging. This mindset presents the simplest war strategy for the adversary against us - Simply sneak a few subtle false beliefs into the box, let it fester for a hundred years or more and by virtue of their culture and traditions they become your prisoner.

The Hundred Percent Club wants its leaders to speak truth 100% of the time. Earlier in church history it was often taught that church leaders were infirm. Consider this statement by Joseph Smith:
a prophet [is] a prophet only when he [is] acting as such" (Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 5:265). 
Or this statement by Brigham Young:
I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him. … Let every man and woman know, by the whisperings of the Spirit of God to themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates, or not.” (JD, vol. 9, p. 150. cited here).
My point in sharing those quotes is to say that it is possible to whole-heartedly sustain someone as a prophet of God, (or somewhere else in the priesthood line of authority) while believing they can speak uninspired words on occasion. If you only stay in your faith because its leaders are one hundred percent correct, one hundred percent of the time, well... there wouldn't be much of a church left.

Quorums are an inspired way to ensure the channeling of truth to the people. Any individual can have false or incomplete beliefs. Like the spiritual ripstop fabric metaphor, a quorum is a way to ensure a single person's false beliefs in church leadership won't tear into the greater whole of the fabric of the church. It seems to be for this reason Joseph Smith was reported to have said:
I will give you a key that will never rust, if you will stay with the majority of the Twelve Apostles, and the records of the Church, you will never be led astray." (Quoted in Young Woman’s Journal, Dec. 1906, p. 543; see also Ensign, June 1994, p. 15)
I have learned for myself this will become a real obstacle in the future, and a prophetic utterance by our dear prophet Joseph Smith.

There is an expectation for church members to sustain their leaders. I recently heard of a Bishop who had been involved in human trafficking and other deplorable activities that would hardly be sustainable by his congregants. At what point does it become okay to stop sustaining a priesthood leader? Although it isn't spoken or even really implied, when raising my arm to sustain any man or woman, I must mentally add the phrase "...as long as they hearken to the voice of Father".

One of the coolest things I've learned about Truth, and the Fountain of all Truth (Father), is that He loves to scatter truths all over the place, knowing His Truth seeking children will find them regardless of their source; meanwhile those who limit His ability to do so will never find those truths. The scattered truth system created by Father is evidence to me of His remarkable intellect, wisdom, and constant giving and lifting. I often feel His smile upon me for being open to more than the contents of the box.

Jesus tried to encourage Palestinians to expand from the prevailing belief box of their day. Using the hundred-percenter approach, He could have said, "Just follow Peter when I'm gone", giving them a perfect box to climb into and requiring little faith. Or, using a daisy-chain approach He could have said "Because I am the true Messiah and appointed Peter to lead my church, he will therefore always be right. Because I gave authority to my apostles, they and their successors will always be right." He didn't speak like that. The Savior was The Way, The Truth, and The Life, and therefore recognizing the source of all Truth would soon be removed from them, He gave this simple universal key to finding truth: "by their fruits ye shall know them".

The simplicity of His direction is profound. There are no belief blankets, no belief chains, no specific hundred-percenter guarantee's. His direction suggests we need to do the work to examine the fruits of our information sources. Then as other prophets have taught, "By the power of the Holy Ghost, ye may know the truth of all things" (Moroni 10:5).

The greatest rewards of truth and knowledge come by concerted effort. When we put our trust in God (2 Ne. 4:34) we avoid being ripped apart by the philosophies of men. By evaluating truths individually, and confidently standing upon our witness given by the Holy Ghost, our spiritual ripstop fabric will prevail when the shafts in the whirlwind are strong (Helaman 5:12). By avoiding hundred percent philosophies and being open to truth from any source, we will find hidden treasures of knowledge and find ourselves closer to heaven than we would be otherwise. (D and C 89:19).

Comments

  1. I can’t say enough how much I love the analogy of the ripstop fabric.

    As far as I can recall, I’ve never given conscious thought to the importance of each individual truth’s ability to stand independent and not only in conjunction with other truths in order to be whole. Writing that out I’m thinking: “Duh!! Of course truths are supposed to be able to stand all on their own as well as fit together.” It’s just such an ingrained habit to skip the step of testing them in this way.

    You’re truly a slayer of false beliefs. :)

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    1. Thank you Stephanie! I like how you're highlighting truth individually, but part of a greater whole. I think I failed to emphasize that point in this post. Best wishes!

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  2. Amen. The Lord has brought me to His Truths in many locations, even through darkness. As a Latter-day Saint who follows Christ, the Lord's Truth can be found in all of His creations. This is how we take the Holy Spirit as our guide, using His discernment to bring us to His Truths.

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  3. Such truths spoken here will lead each one of us as individuals to greater light, knowledge and understanding.
    Salvation is for each, as an individual, and is not found under blankets.
    One cannot survive the adversarial attacks that come with receiving greater light and knowledge by borrowing the light of others "under the blanket"
    hope is seeking the door, faith is knocking on that door ( JST James 2:14–22 Faith without works is dead and cannot save. works is also dead ) Doors will be ooened . Faith is action to hope to that which is unknown, the friuts will be manifested by your labors.
    D&C 9
    7 Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.
    8 But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.
    This subjuct is the downfall of a righteous people. Sadducees and Pharisees in the time of Christ, or The Book of Morman "Pride cycle"
    seek that which is good , follow the spirit, let the holy ghost testify of truths no matter where you find them. For if you seek they will be placed before you.
    Don't be afraid to follow promptings you will be amazed where they lead you
    Thor

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    1. I love your use of scriptures Thor. I can see you are a truth seeker! Thanks for commenting!

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  4. I think another reason people may fall in to these traps is because of fear masquerading as faith. Sometimes people are afraid of being led astray or of being deceived, so they unwittingly hide under the “blanket” or within the “club,” and proclaim their faith in the “blanket” or “club” keeps them safe. Safety is found by replacing our fears with faith focused fully on Christ. Like you’ve said, He promised we can know truth for ourselves by testing the fruits.
    I don’t mean to be judgemental in any way, because each of us is learning and growing at our own rate. I just feel bad for those who are facing fears and getting stuck in their progression. As always, Christ can and will help them, just as He continues to help me with the different ways I’m stuck in my progression. He’s the best!

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    1. I feel the truthfulness of your comments on fear. Thanks RayDean!

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  5. Love this post and the comments. There will be pains before the birth of the Church of the Firstborn. It's the time where you cannot live by 'borrowed light.'

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    1. Heather, I love the way you've tied in the Church of the Firstborn! Thanks for commenting!

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  6. Thank you, Eric. You answered another prayer. I Have always gone with , “by their fruits ye shall know them.” I seek for truth wherever I can find it and much truth will not be found on the shelves of Deseret Book nor published by their corporation. I just lost a close friendship with someone who became so afraid of being led astray that she declared she would only read material by the 12 apostles. I could not agree to the same and because I could not, she must have seen me as a threat to her testimony. The friendship has bit the dust. Sad. But yet, in a recent blessing my Bishop gave me, I was told that the Lord is pleased with my desire to study and learn. To each his own.

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    1. Victoria, I'm sorry to hear about your friend. Matt. 19:29 comes to mind from your comments. Wishing you all the best! Thanks for vsiting!

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  7. Thank you so much for writing this. It has given me greater understanding and courage.

    Growing up, I lived under the blanket beliefs (excluding the deepest yearnings I had that made me uncomfortably different than the rest). In the last few years I have had many moments of slight panic as I stepped out from under the blanket. It has caused me confusion at times, and so I am grateful to have read this post because of the understanding it gives.

    I'm growing increasingly more comfortable following my heart as it is purified by the Light of Christ and to be a truth seeker, rather than a blind follower. Before, it felt less stable to not be a part of the blanket chain. Now, I don't ever plan to go back.

    Onward to Zion.

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    1. Thanks for visiting and commenting! Best wishes!

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  8. EricI Iappreciate your brilliant posts...your understanding of "the greater portion of the word" is both comforting and enlightening..You are agreat voice for the reinforcement of pure doctrine..and the mysteries of Godiness

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    1. Thank you! I can tell you must love the scriptures!

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  9. Your post speaks volumes to me as I stepped away from Church in 2012 because I felt I was hitting a ceiling of sorts. I had a lot of questions and didn't understand some things that I felt couldn't be answered within my circle of friends in church. I was told by my visiting teacher then that she could no longer visit me because she was afraid my questions would influence her away from church. That wasn't my intention but it proved to me that she was afraid to look outside of church for spiritual growth. When I stepped away I did a lot of praying and crying and Heavenly Father lovingly told me it was okay to step away and that He would still love me.

    In that period of growth I learned so much! I didn't lose my testimony of Jesus or the Book of Mormon (although there were times that I questioned some things that could have pulled me away, easily) but Heavenly Father knew what He was doing when he lovingly gave me permission. I view everything so different now! You could say that lid of the box was blown off! Before that I was hitting that lid constantly and felt stuck in this box. I now have a deeper understanding of things, of church, and more. I am thankful that Heavenly Father lovingly gave me permission to explore what was outside of the box. My mind is more open now and I am less judgmental. I see the teachings of the prophets of old and new differently and yes, I have a better understanding that even prophets make mistakes, because they're human. It's no surprise why President Nelson is pushing us to really learn how to gain personal revelation even for the things he has preached to us.

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    1. Thanks for commenting Myda. I've seen that tendency to fear the church and its leaders. I don't that fear is intentional, but it's a real concern for many. I relate to you being more open and less judgmental of others when they don't fit the cultural box. So grateful for our prophet, like you. Best wishes! Nice to hear from you

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  10. Thank you for theses wonderful analogies. I too have found many profound and precious truths as I have search outside the traditional box of “gospel truth.”

    You have also forever changed the way I look at my hiking backpack and much of my camping gear. The concept of ripstop fabric is a wonderful representation of how we should build many strong foundations of testimony.

    Thank you for sharing your gifts, talents and knowledge.

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    1. Thanks for commenting! And happy Hiking!! ;-)

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  11. My heart was singing as I read this post and then, as I saw the picture on the front of the Ensign that just came in the mail today, the Spirit completely filled me! The "Road to Emmaus" seemed like the perfect illustration for this post. The Spirit will witness when we find Truth! And sometimes it comes unexpectedly!

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    1. Thank you for visiting and commenting. I LOVE those unexpected truths!!

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  12. Thank you for your thoughtful and articulate essay. I really appreciate you voicing these thoughts which I believe will help so many.

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    1. That's a very kind thing to say. Thanks and best to you!

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  13. Thank you for sharing the guiding influence inspirited from personal sacrifice. Over the last few years, I have been directed to verify truth and weed out false traditions or more symbolically, removing the sand so as to build a more sure foundation. This has resulted in writing articles and eventually combining those writing into a book. I have not published the book for distribution as that it contains many "outside the box" truths that others are not yet ready to receive. My exercise in identifying and collecting truth has brought me closer to Father in ways I could previously only imagine.

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  14. I find it so interesting that within the LDS church - the prophet encourages us to ask for and receive personal revelation, and yet if we truly receive it and it takes us outside the "box" then we can be treated differently, shunned, or even as I have seen lately in some - be excommunicated. If that does not create fear or despair - I am not sure what does! To be a part of Christ and His "fold" is the desire of most of us Christians. To be loved as we are, and allowed to be where we are - with no judgement, criticism or need to control - is what I believe Christ intended within His church. As you mentioned - He taught - by their fruits ye shall know them. This one idea has inspired and brought me through many challenges and decisions in my life where the "blanket" absolutely did not fit. Yet if I stayed beneath the blanket, the very individual that my Heavenly Parents want me to be would have been smothered and lost. The concepts of jumping out of the boat - lest you die...is not working for us. There are many boats, many fish, many islands on the horizons. God created all of them. The greatest gift of coming here was that we could choose. Can we really choose and be accepted? I believe through Christ - yes. More of us should be talking like this! Wouldn't it be amazing if these kinds of conversations could be had over the pulpit?

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  15. That is a wonderful point at the end, that Jesus didn't tell the people to trust in man but to know good people by their fruits. I also know that the truth is a sure foundation.

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  16. I so appreciate this essay. I have come to some of the same conclusions from the Lord. One of the beautiful things about understanding that God gives truths everywhere and that it is so important to seek, knock and ask the Lord directly, is that I have begun to see each person as a child of deity with a very personal and customized journey. It has opened my eyes, it has opened my heart, it allows for the gift of charity to be fully functional in my life. Because really, it allows for less fear and more faith--less worry that others are going apostate and less self-righteousness, and more understanding that each person is in a different place and sees things differently. Seeing with the Lord's perspective and doing what He would do in every circumstance requires revelation. I am better able to listen, ask questions and try to understand. I am less likely to stay in judgement. And the best gift, is that I know where my source of redemption comes and that He adores me despite all of my many mistakes and sins. That is priceless. That is why I serve Him--so others can have that same relationship if they desire it. And if not, I am learning to love them anyway. I would never get to this point if I sat back and let my church leaders do the thinking for me.

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