A few years ago, while attending a Relief Society Meeting in D.C., I sat there and listened as another visitor, a young girl from BYU-I, explained the benefits of the Wheel of Doubt. She said that doubt pushes us forward. It makes us search and grow, and moves us toward understanding the gospel more fully. Once we've arrived at this new understanding a new doubt may appear, circling us closer toward Christ.
I think their was an audible cheer from the small sea of women in attendance, and even some clapping in support of her Wheel of Doubt message.
I, on the other hand, just felt sick.
This week, after studying the book of Matthew for my New Testament class, I had to post some of my thoughts on a Discussion Board. I posted the following:
He Can Work Miracles if We Let Him
It saddens me to read the stories of Christ when He is not
accepted by those who should have known Him best. It saddens me to see His own
countrymen’s lack of faith - the effect which prohibited miracles from blessing
their lives. In Matt 13:58 we read, “And He did not many mighty works there
because of their unbelief.”
This chapter also is loaded with their doubtful questions,
“Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His
brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not
all with us?” These aren’t questions asked in faith, accompanied by a hope that
the Lord will respond. These are questions of disbelief and disregard for the
Lord’s Anointed Son, which must have broken His heart.
All of this begs the following – Am I allowing
Him to work miracles in my life? Do I trust Him? Which doubtful questions are
littering my mind, hindering Him from blessing me?
A fellow student gave a thoughtful response, telling me that doubt is good and we shouldn't be afraid of it. She told me doubt is healthy and can essentially bring us closer to Christ.
Again, this message of doubt.
And I thought, isn't it faith that brings us closer to Christ?
I worried that there was something I was missing. If people, really good people, kept encouraging me to doubt, were they right?
I couldn't remember one story in the scriptures, not one in all of the Standard Works, that highlighted doubt as desirable. I scoured through the Index, Topical Guide, and Bible Dictionary looking for one instance where doubt was applauded and beneficial. I couldn't find it.
Here's what I did find though:
Matt 21:21 - Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
1 Tim 2:8-I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
Romans 14:1 - Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Mormon 9:27 - Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.
Ether 3:19 - And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
Alma 56:47 - Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.
1 Nephi 4:3 - Now behold ye know that this is true; and ye also know that an angel hath spoken unto you; wherefore can ye doubt? Let us go up; the Lord is able to deliver us, even as our fathers, and to destroy Laban, even as the Egyptians.
D&C 6:36 - Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.
Okay, let me clarify. Do I think doubt is real? Yes. Does it happen to the best of us? Yes. If you find yourself doubting, should you seek out answers through the best books for comfort, peace, and direction? Yes. Is it okay to let people know that you're doubting and having a hard time? Absolutely. Should we look down on ourselves and others for doubting? No. But should it be a red flag? Yes.
Elder Uchtdorf, an apostle of the Lord, said,
"Some might ask, “But what about my doubts?”
It’s natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding. There are few members of the Church who, at one time or another, have not wrestled with serious or sensitive questions. One of the purposes of the Church is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith—even in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. Faith is to hope for things which are not seen but which are true."
He doesn't say doubt is good, or healthy, or something to be encouraged. He says, it happens. And then he talks about cultivating it with a seed of faith.
Can we learn from doubt? I'm sure. But it's a lot harder that way.
I wonder if our culture is getting doubt confused with simply asking good.questions.in.faith.? If you compare the word doubt to the word inquire in the scriptures the results are quite different.
Don't be afraid to inquire of the Lord. Questions are good.
Psalms 24:4 - One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
Zeph 1:6 - And them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, nor inquired for him.
1 Peter 1:10 - Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
1 Nephi 15:3 - For he truly spake many great things unto them, which were hard to be understood, save a man should inquire of the Lord; and they being hard in their hearts, therefore they did not look unto the Lord as they ought.
1 Nephi 15:8 - And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord?
1 Nephi 16:24 -And it came to pass that he did inquire of the Lord, for they had humbled themselves because of my words; for I did say many things unto them in the energy of my soul.
Alma 27:7 - And Ammon said: I will go and inquire of the Lord, and if he say unto us, go down unto our brethren, will ye go?
Jacob 2:11 - Wherefore, I must tell you the truth according to the plainness of the word of God. For behold, as I inquired of the Lord, thus came the word unto me, saying: Jacob, get thou up into the temple on the morrow, and declare the word which I shall give thee unto this people.
Alma 40:3 - But I show unto you one thing which I have inquired diligently of God that I might know—that is concerning the resurrection.
Moroni 8:7- For immediately after I had learned these things of you I inquired of the Lord concerning the matter.
Moses 1:18 - And again Moses said: I will not cease to call upon God, I have other things to inquire of him: for his glory has been upon me, wherefore I can judge between him and thee. Depart hence, Satan.
Ether 1:38 - And it came to pass that Jared spake again unto his brother, saying: Go and inquire of the Lord whether he will drive us out of the land, and if he will drive us out of the land, cry unto him whither we shall go. And who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land which is choice above all the earth? And if it so be, let us be faithful unto the Lord, that we may receive it for our inheritance.
D& 6:11- And if thou wilt inquire, thou shalt know mysteries which are great and marvelous; therefore thou shalt exercise thy gift, that thou mayest find out mysteries, that thou mayest bring many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, convince them of the error of their ways.
D& 6:14 - Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time.
JS -H - 1:18 - My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
I know, scripture overload. I can't help myself.
Believing is Good. Faith is Good. Inquiring of the Lord is Good. And doubt sometimes happens.
But, ditch the wheel of doubt.
And sometimes when the questions don't get answered remember this:
Mosiah 4:9- Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
