The Depths Where it Glittering Lies
I ran across a quote from Brigham Young that set me a-thinkin':
We believe in all good. If you can find a truth in heaven, earth or hell, it belongs to our doctrine. We believe it; it is ours; we claim it. (BYU Studies, vol.46, p.193)
This reminds me of Elder Scott's recent General Conference address in which he referred to two ways of knowing truth, but that's not my main point here.
Mankind has always tried to look to heaven for truth. Ever since the earth's earliest days this has been the standard. Those who have been through the temple ordinances know how ardently our father Adam adhered to it.
In recent centuries, however, things have changed. As truth has been poured out from heaven, we have seen men taking credit for the revelations of God and developing means of discovery which they believe to be independent of divine influence. These means have become the contemporary standard for truth. Of course, I'm referring to the scientific method. Conventional wisdom has become that if it can't be scientifically proven, it can't be known. Even the scientists, however, admit that their methods only point to what is likely, and never guarantee any sort of absolute surety. This is what I would refer to in the context of brother Brigham's quote as truth from earth.
The thing that intrigues me most, however, is the idea of finding truth in hell. I'm reminded of the statement of the Doctrine and Covenants that visions of the suffering of the ungodly are rarely given and immediately shut up again. Perhaps this is because what good (truth) can come from such a vision is not enhanced by prolonged exposure.
I would argue that, just as we have seen mankind shift from heaven to earth in its search for truth, it is now shifting, in some measure, from earth to hell. Many of the popular movies and TV shows feature as heroes creatures of darkness. Among the most obvious of these are Hell Boy, Ghost Rider (who is the devil's messenger), and some years ago Spawn (i.e. of Satan). Only slightly more subtle is the constant use of mysticism, appeals to the dead, sorcery, and other kinds of wizards that peep and mutter in both popular media and popular culture. People clearly long for supernatural influence in their lives, but to find it they are looking down, rather than up. There are other manifestations of this turning as well, but all of it begs the question, is there any truth to be found in hell?
Clearly, we're not going to find the source of truth there, but it seems reasonable that those who are suffering the consequences of their misdeeds may be able to teach us something. Think of A Christmas Carol. Also, while we know the devil is the father of lies, we also know that he is so masterful at it because he mingles truth and falsehood so convincingly. Theoretically, we should be able to extract from his methods some useful truths that would protect us against him. Else, why do the prophets occasionally warn us of his tactics?
The Book of Mormon gives us an interesting study in people who turned to hell for truth. They generally became known as Gadianton Robbers or anti-christs. I'm thinking of the delclaration at the end of Korihor's life that the devil never supports his children, even those who look to him constantly for guidance. From the Bible we learn that the first man had not passed from the earth before the same phenomenon had taken root among his own children, and it has resurfaced in each generation to some extent or the other. I think it's understandably easy to do and may be more common even than looking to earth, since we're so painfully aware of our own and each others' shortcomings. Brigham Young said some interesting things in his time, but I don't think many, if any at all, were without reason.
So is there truth in hell? I would argue that there is, but whether we ought to go there to get at it is a different question entirely.
We believe in all good. If you can find a truth in heaven, earth or hell, it belongs to our doctrine. We believe it; it is ours; we claim it. (BYU Studies, vol.46, p.193)
This reminds me of Elder Scott's recent General Conference address in which he referred to two ways of knowing truth, but that's not my main point here.
Mankind has always tried to look to heaven for truth. Ever since the earth's earliest days this has been the standard. Those who have been through the temple ordinances know how ardently our father Adam adhered to it.
In recent centuries, however, things have changed. As truth has been poured out from heaven, we have seen men taking credit for the revelations of God and developing means of discovery which they believe to be independent of divine influence. These means have become the contemporary standard for truth. Of course, I'm referring to the scientific method. Conventional wisdom has become that if it can't be scientifically proven, it can't be known. Even the scientists, however, admit that their methods only point to what is likely, and never guarantee any sort of absolute surety. This is what I would refer to in the context of brother Brigham's quote as truth from earth.
The thing that intrigues me most, however, is the idea of finding truth in hell. I'm reminded of the statement of the Doctrine and Covenants that visions of the suffering of the ungodly are rarely given and immediately shut up again. Perhaps this is because what good (truth) can come from such a vision is not enhanced by prolonged exposure.
I would argue that, just as we have seen mankind shift from heaven to earth in its search for truth, it is now shifting, in some measure, from earth to hell. Many of the popular movies and TV shows feature as heroes creatures of darkness. Among the most obvious of these are Hell Boy, Ghost Rider (who is the devil's messenger), and some years ago Spawn (i.e. of Satan). Only slightly more subtle is the constant use of mysticism, appeals to the dead, sorcery, and other kinds of wizards that peep and mutter in both popular media and popular culture. People clearly long for supernatural influence in their lives, but to find it they are looking down, rather than up. There are other manifestations of this turning as well, but all of it begs the question, is there any truth to be found in hell?
Clearly, we're not going to find the source of truth there, but it seems reasonable that those who are suffering the consequences of their misdeeds may be able to teach us something. Think of A Christmas Carol. Also, while we know the devil is the father of lies, we also know that he is so masterful at it because he mingles truth and falsehood so convincingly. Theoretically, we should be able to extract from his methods some useful truths that would protect us against him. Else, why do the prophets occasionally warn us of his tactics?
The Book of Mormon gives us an interesting study in people who turned to hell for truth. They generally became known as Gadianton Robbers or anti-christs. I'm thinking of the delclaration at the end of Korihor's life that the devil never supports his children, even those who look to him constantly for guidance. From the Bible we learn that the first man had not passed from the earth before the same phenomenon had taken root among his own children, and it has resurfaced in each generation to some extent or the other. I think it's understandably easy to do and may be more common even than looking to earth, since we're so painfully aware of our own and each others' shortcomings. Brigham Young said some interesting things in his time, but I don't think many, if any at all, were without reason.
So is there truth in hell? I would argue that there is, but whether we ought to go there to get at it is a different question entirely.
Comments
I really don't think my treatment of this quote was exhaustive by any means, but I do think you made the right point by referencing Elder Packer's counsel about stayin away from the cliff edge. We err on the side of safety, but we certainly can learn from evil. In fact, we have to learn certain things related to it.
You know, I think we are faced with this dilemma to a large extent when it comes to consuming popular media. There's a lot of good available, but where do you have to go to get at it?
The key, which you pointed out, is the most overlooked part of Alma 7. Verse 13 begins, "Now the Spirit knoweth all things."
In the context of this verse, it means that the Savior didn't need to suffer for sins to know how to succor sinners, He could have gotten that from the Spirit. The reason He suffered, as the rest of the verse explains, is to satisfy the demands of justice by providing a perfect sacrifice - it was to fulfil the requirements of divine law.
What this verse means for us, I think, is that we can learn all we need to know without descending below all things as did the Savior. We go just below the dust of the Earth, and there we stop. Because of Christ we don't need to go to the depths, and without the other perfections possessed by Him, we can't without becoming tainted by them.
I don't know if you picked up on the reference in my title to this post, but I'm not convinced that hymn (O Say, What is Truth) is asking us to go on a fact-finding expedition to hell.
On the other hand, one of President Hinckley's favorite songs says that it is a virtue "to be willing to march into hell for the Heavenly cause."
I think we'll have help with knowing when such things are called for. Until then, I'm with you in saying stick to the wall.
Here's a thought: Instead of "shifting" (from heaven to earth to hell) where we're looking for truth, I tend to think mankind is just "enlarging" their truth pool (as religious thought is diversifying and growing; science is still burgeoning; and hell, well, it's becoming more prevalent, too). To me, nothing seems to be decreasing; rather, everything seems to be increasing.
As for hell, I'm thinking there's no need to explore it too much. As Jacob noted, the Holy Ghost can do the job just fine (Moses 6:61). But it sure is hard to avoid it, isn't it?
Lastly, I shared some quotes about truth in a recent post on my site (entitled "Thinkin' about truth"). They might be useful as you continue to conceptualize this stuff.
Or do you prefer Ty?
I saw your post today as I was exploring your blog. I didn't have time to read it carefully, but I will.
I think your way of putting it (expanding rather than shifting) is probably better. We do see much more seeking to heaven, as well as looking the other direction.