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Had a tension-filled exerience at Church on Sunday. I teach adult Sunday School, and one of the students came up to me and asked me why everyone’s always saying “I know it’s true” on Fast and Testimoy Sunday. In her words, as if they are trying to convince themselves. How would you answer?
And the next question — this woman, a baptized Mormon, has been Church-hopping for years now, and is seeking the truth. Her last Church allowed people to shout “Hallelujia” if she agreed with something someone said. In our Church, it’s all deadpan and boring, she said. She asked why we can’t do that…..
I stood there in my tension-filled world feeling like an advocate and authority of something I’m not fully engaged with right now…..just curious, how would you answer these questions from a less-active member who is essentially an investigator? Partcularly when you’re not feelin’ the passion anymore?
I probably would tell her that I have no problem with others using whatever phrase makes sense to them, even if I can’t say the exact same words. I know lots of members who say, “I believe . . .” or even bear testimonies without ever saying “know” or “believe”. I would tell her it’s ok to use whatever words fit for her personally – but realize that others probably are being sincere in what they say. As for the second one, I have told people that I sometimes say “Amen” quietly – vocally, but quietly. I haven’t been shushed or reprimanded in any way.
I would probably say something along the lines of our culture being formed over time from various influences. It is what it is, but neither of these questions refer to anything doctrinal in the church. Sometimes we learn to live (like with family members) with what we have – when we want to remain connected. …and then to what Ray said! The words “know” and “true” should be banned from testimonies. Make people work for their testimonies!
I answered the first question by saying that many people think they are strengthening the other members by affirming their belief in the Church as the “true organization”, and not as a way of convincing themselves necessarily. I tried to help her see there was a different motive than the one she was inferring. For the second question, I used the culture comment – that it’s simply the way worship has grown up in our particular Church — as a form of tradition. I asked her — what would you say if I wanted a hamburger and fries for breakfast? She commented that she cared for an older woman that ate supper food for breakfast, and that she found it strange. I commented that there is nothing wrong with eating supper food for breakfast, it’s just not a tradition in our sociey — just as being more conservative is the culture of our meetings.
The “I know the church is true” phrase in LDS culture, to me, is a lot like the “I was born again” or “saved” statement in mainline evangelical Christianity. They are both used to bolster the faith of others and the person saying them. I really don’t have a problem with either. People should explore and express what is going on inside their spirit. I think all the answers above are about how I would try to answer it too. It’s just an LDS cultural thing to talk like that. In fact, the phrase is cliche in our testimonies. People ramble on sharing something in their life or a recent spiritual event, and it is almost like a part of saying “In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen” at the end. They quickly toss in a “… and I know the church is true” right before the end almost reflexively.
Many members would like to believe that they “know” but in reality they do not. They believe, which is to hope for something. Quote:And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.
The best we can do is hope for or believe in something. We have become absolute as Mormons thinking we must know something for sure in order to be a true believer. Which is impossible since to know something as abstract as spiritual things is not possible. At least frome the experience of the average member.
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