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Elder Holland’s video “Wrong Roads” raises some very interesting possibilities. If God may deliberately give us “wrong” answers to our prayers because we need to learn something from that experience, then it opens up everything we ever thought we knew to re-interpretation. I don’t think most members like the implications. I don’t want to share it here because I did on FB and I can be paranoid in that way for confidentiality, but if anyone here would like to:
My own take is that God allows us to walk “wrong roads” as part and parcel of mortality and our limited understanding, but I personally don’t believe he proactively places us on those roads. Thus, I don’t believe he gives us incorrect answers to our prayers. I might be wrong, but that’s how I see it. It just fits my own belief in the nature of God better. Having said that, it makes perfect sense for someone who sees God as more of an interventionist God than I do – and it can be the only thing that would make sense for some people who thought they received answers to prayers that they followed into situations that caused pain and felt wrong to them. I also am completely open to the idea that God will do that for some people who need to learn from mistakes but won’t choose them on their own – those, for example, who mare more inclined to put their head down and live a Law of Moses life, letting others tell them exactly what to so. I can see God directing them off that path in order to get them to the right one, even if that means they walk a hard road to get there.
However, I do believe that God opens doors to us at times and arranges opportunities that we can take or not take. That’s how I see my own life, since I can’t deny the incredible ways that the path of my life appears to be “directed” in various ways. There have been a couple of moments/periods in my life that I only understand in hindsight as what was necessary to get me to the next place my family needed to be, so, in that sense, I can understand the idea of being on a “wrong path” to get to the “right path” – even though I wouldn’t phrase it that way.
My experiences lead me to believe in the less interventionalist God. There is enough learning opportunities for us all in life without God intervening. Perhaps it is my Star Trek background, and the Prime Directive…don’t mess with other civilizations, even if we think we are helping. I think God could operate like that…any time He might intervene…it seems it could just create more problems then not intervening and letting nature take its course. So…I’m not sure there are “wrong” roads or answers to prayers…because there would have to be one correct way in order for other ways to be wrong.
I am going the rounds with my new bishop on this line of thought. I think things will be OK if we wander, although there are risks, we learn things. Therefore, we each have our own journey and path. What turns out good is “right” for us, even if others label it “wrong” because it would not turn out good for them.
Most members would have a hard time accepting that, and instead say that is heretical and say I’m just allowing anything to be good and there is no sin.
Perhaps I’ll learn differently some day. But for me, its a tough thing to see God giving individual “right” or “wrong” answers for my life.
Yes, I think I am really with both of you for the most part in my own feelings. My thoughts on the video were not so much being concerned myself as Elder Holland’s son expressed his question about the “answer” they received, …but I love the “space” that thinking about the message of this video might produce. Imagine someone that knew those desert roads observing the pause and the prayer, and the choice of the “wrong” road; what judgments might come to their minds? I love the message that it gives in that case that their choice was careful and prayerful, and for them going some length down a path that was not taking them where they intended to go was the “right” productive and prayerful and even spirit led path for them at that moment — regardless of what an outside observer may think.
Summary:
Quote:We cannot know what path is “right” for anyone in a particular moment or circumstance.
I love that this message can be derived from a member of the 12.
Amen, Orson. A-freaking-men. I’ve changed my views about life: that it’s an adventure, not a test. We’re here to build a story and have an experience, not to be tested to see if we will obey without questioning. When it’s all said and done, we’ll sit around campfires or in banquet halls in the “Celestial Kingdom” taking turns telling each other our stories of adventure. We’ll laugh together and cry together. Who knows, many of us might even want to set it all up again with different variables and go on another adventure together. So all that was a long way of saying: I don’t think God sends us on “wrong” paths. But I could see him answering our prayers with an amused grin “Sure, give that a try if you think it’s right, and see where that story takes you.”
Yes Brian, I don’t view life as a test. I see it as an opportunity to gain experience, and all experience is for our benefit. Hopefully we will learn something as we go and be able to direct our life more in a direction that will help us feel the most fulfilled. I kind of like the point of the video that it in a way negated the word “wrong.” He called it a wrong turn, and I think the recognition is outside observers would judge it as a wrong turn, but in context he realized it was a beneficial path to travel.
Orson wrote:… I think the recognition is outside observers would judge it as a wrong turn, but in context he realized it was a beneficial path to travel.
Yes…that’s what I think. Wrong becomes the stage 3 view that there is “our way = right, their way = wrong”. But to the individual, there can be benefit.I think my daughter has made turns that I cringe at. But she is so young (18), and is in the middle, she seems to learn from it and move on. Who knows how that will play out to impact who she becomes as she grows up, but she is certainly getting experiences.
There is something to the idea that the wisdom of the ages says there are “more wise” roads than others, that in general, those “wise roads” help avoid or reduce suffering. That can be good. But I still lean more towards Brian’s view that life is to experience things. It isn’t always all about doing what others tell you is wise.
I think the mormon culture has the 3 kingdoms of glory that place fear in people’s hearts…that damnation for eternity is the result of the “wrong roads”. There is too much fear, I think, of allowing ourselves to experience things.
I think when we get to the other side, we’ll see that some things labeled as “wrong roads” were not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
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