Your idea of God’s character is far less than his actual character, no matter how lofty your idea of his character may be.1 Anyone who is not God still has a great deal to learn about him.2 You must avoid the temptation of believing that all you know is all—or even most—of what there is to know. You can't receive greater joy from God without learning more about God. As long as you remain satisfied with your current beliefs about God, you will never learn more about him.
True disciples of Christ readily recognize the limitations of their understanding, firmly believing that even their most supported beliefs are incomplete, if not incorrect. They constantly test their beliefs against their observations of reality, and stand ready to open-mindedly listen to the ideas of others. They gratefully acknowledge when someone offers them constructive criticism. They emulate the humility of the Lord by yielding to any idea that is shown to be better than what they already believe, and adopting it as their own.
While few would admit that they believe that they know everything there is to know about God, many act this way by spending little to no effort searching for new or better ideas about him and by ignoring or persecuting those who present them. Even those who have spent a lifetime diligently searching for and rigorously testing the beliefs they hold should be willing to search out and listen to the ideas of others. If this is the case, how much more humility should be exercised by those whose religious beliefs are so simple and unsupported that they can be adequately conveyed within a few sessions of a child’s Sunday School class? Even with such shallow exposure to scripture, these professed Christians ought to realize how little resemblance they bear to the believers described there, either in their discipleship or the fruits that always follow,3 but they don’t seem to notice or care because they are taught that God’s most valuable blessings are already theirs but will only show up after they die.
Remembering that there is always much more to learn and become4 will help you be as prepared as possible to learn more from God no matter who or what he uses to teach you. You will continue learning more about God the same way you learned what you already know: through searching for more information about him and by living everything that you learn.5
Footnotes
- 1. For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. (Isaiah 64:4) ↩
- 2. Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13) ↩
- 3. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:20) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35) And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:17-18) ↩
- 4. And again I say unto you as I have said before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye have known of his goodness and have tasted of his love, and have received a remission of your sins, which causeth such exceedingly great joy in your souls, even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily.... (Mosiah 4:11) ↩
- 5. And now, my beloved brethren, I know by this that unless a man shall endure to the end, in following the example of the Son of the living God, he cannot be saved. Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which witnesses of the Father and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive. And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life. And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. (2 Nephi 31:16-21) ↩