Here is an essay from one of my children that I thought was worth reading.

Is Our Understanding of Truth Ever Final?

Some think that some things in their understanding are unquestioningly true. Is our understanding of truth ever final?

Our understanding of truth is never final because truth itself is an infinite continuum that has no end. While truth is absolute and immutable in reality[1], what humans possess is merely a perception of truth that must change as awareness increases[2]. To claim that one's understanding is complete is the very definition of damnation, as it effectively seals up the gate to advanced knowledge and puts an end to progress[3].

Truth can be compared to a decimal point number where one can always add another digit to the right-hand side to increase precision. A representation of two digits may be "true" in a general sense, but to someone possessing ten digits of precision, that initial understanding is seen as insufficient or even downright wrong for advanced applications. Because truth is infinitely expanding, it is impossible to know everything about everything. The closer one looks at reality, the more complicated it becomes; there is no limit to its complexity. For example, Mandelbrot proved that classical geometry, such as smooth lines and simple shapes, is a oversimplification. Objects in reality, such as clouds and coastlines, have "fractional dimensions." The closer you measure a coastline, the longer and more complex it becomes, approaching infinity as your measurement scale gets smaller[4]. Therefore, a true search for truth requires a consistent rational evaluation of new evidence and a willingness to frequently displace current understandings with something better.

God reveals this infinite truth "line upon line" and "precept upon precept," giving individuals packets of information only as they are prepared to receive them[5]. This process involves three categories of new information: additional truth, which is independent of current beliefs; expanding truth, which adds complexity to existing models; and replacement truth. Replacement truth is the most valuable but hardest to receive because it requires an individual to let go of a previously held belief to grasp a higher belief. Most people are highly resistant to this, attempting to cross the monkey bars of progression without ever letting go of the current rung[6]. However, sanctification is a continuous process that does not end until an individual is exactly like God[7]. If you are not yet like him, your learning is not finished[8].

This flow of revelation is governed by the law of heed and diligence. God grants truth only in strict proportion to the persistent effort and obedience an individual applies to the light they already possess[9]. Those who harden their hearts or stop obeying current instructions receive a "lesser portion" of the word until they eventually know nothing of God's mysteries. Conversely, those who are true and faithful are promised the "greater portion." This makes individuals accountable for all the truth they have access to, whether they choose to look at it or not. For example, in the Parable of the Talents, the servant who buried his talent (his "access" to increase in understanding) was condemned. He didn't lose what he had, but he was held accountable for the "more" he refused to seek[10]. Often, God uses suffering and disillusionment to shake an individual out of a static paradigm[11]. Disillusionment is not a failure but a discovery. It is the revelation that what you sought cannot be found on your current path, effectively moving your aim closer to reality.

To maintain this upward trajectory, one must remain a "premise person" rather than a "conclusion person." Most people live in conclusion mode, where they throw away the premises of their beliefs and refuse to shift. To reach the ideal mindset for truth, one's positions must be falsifiable, meaning they must have defined circumstances under which they would believe their current assertions were wrong[12]. This requires a balance between a wide "aperture" of open-mindedness and a strong "filter" of discernment[13]. A person who can take in a broad range of ideas while testing them against reality and prior evidence can effectively discard the noise of false traditions.

In summary, our understanding of truth is a continuously improving process, not a final event. Dogmatic assertions that one has the "final answer" are characterized by ignorance because they ignore the reality that all mortal understanding is incomplete. To avoid damnation, which is the cessation of learning, we must reconcile our desires and reasons to the light as it is revealed, accepting that the search for truth is a journey that continues forever.

[1] - Truth is…things as they really are, and things as they really will be. (Jacob 4:13)

[2] - For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. (1 Corinthians 13:12)

[3] - And wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! ... From them shall be taken away even that which they have. (2 Nephi 28:27–30) "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things..." (Articles of Faith 1:9)

[4] - See Mandelbrot’s book “The Fractal Geometry of Nature." (1982)

[5] - For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more. (2 Nephi 28:30)

[6] - Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out... but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. (Matthew 9:17)

[7] - See the Author’s essay "Sanctification."

[8] - Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect. (3 Nephi 12:48)

[9] - And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. (Alma 12:10)

[10] - See Matthew 25:14-30.

[11] - For instance, Alma the Younger only turned to Christ when he was struck dumb and became so weak that he could not move his limbs for three days and three nights, stating that he was "racked with eternal torment, for my soul was harrowed up to the greatest degree and racked with all my sins." (Alma 36:12)

[12] - And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness... for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12:27)

[13] - Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) Seek learning, even by study and also by faith... seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith. (D&C 88:118)