The task of discerning truth is difficult. Because the gospel is progressive, our search for truth is unending. We cannot simply have a static list of all of God’s commandments. Instead, we will live our entire lives in an unending process of letting go of previously held beliefs as we acquire more accurate ones.
Seeking truth will sometimes lead to disproving previously held notions, but letting go of false beliefs draws one closer to God. Therefore, whether resulting in affirmation or disproof, honest questioning can only lead closer to God. We can only improve by adopting higher order truth than we presently hold.
You shouldn't fear putative truth. If it turns out false, you can be that much surer of your current views. If it turns out true, you have advanced in your knowledge and will reap the advanced benefits.
There ought not be any fear of losing what you already have—a rational mind will only replace a previous position with a more solid position. An open mind and a desire to know truth will only ever lead a person closer to God.
Fear of finding new truth is simply not well-founded. As a camera focuses, the image becomes clearer. Although the view certainly changes, the progress is always a refinement. A focused camera picture represents only information gain, not loss. Perhaps this is why Jacob said: “I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.” (2 Nephi 9:40) Jacob was no stranger to uncomfortable new truth. His life was a constant barrage of paradigm shifts. These showed him that he could always confide in God, even if it meant abandoning things he previously thought were true, or blazing paths unfamiliar to his culture and heritage.
Truth can’t be harmed by further investigation; only falsehood. The degree to which we fear hearing arguments that oppose our view is the degree to which we are not genuinely seeking the truth.
Any time we set bounds on what could be true, we limit the amount of truth we can acquire. Instead of describing our beliefs in terms of defined creeds, we ought to recognize that we expect our beliefs to change over time, and instead describe our belief as whatever is good and true.
Any religion or ideology, being lower and less than God himself, necessarily includes things that are incorrect or incomplete. Progress towards God is marked by invitations to do things you had either never before considered or things you previously thought were wrong.
God will consistently challenge your paradigms. Orthodoxy is the antithesis of seeking truth from God. The latter requires a constant search for new facts, new observations, and new theories. Ironically, orthodoxy is used as the measuring stick for apostasy, when the idea of a closed canon is itself apostate from the idea of truth.
Nephi warned that in our day many would not be interested in more truth:
27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!
28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.
29 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!
30 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; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. (2 Nephi 28)
We are told that those who adopt this position will not be given any additional truth, and thus will never reach the point where they can come back into God’s presence.
Just because you know something doesn’t mean you know everything. All the righteous ancients knew more than we do, and yet they were constantly seeking for more than they had. When we think of the over-wise, we tend to think of those who flaunt knowledge and are constantly challenging what they are told. In reality, the over-wise are those who are satisfied with ignorance:
And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them. (2 Nephi 9:42)
These are they who are too “wise” to be taught:
O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. (2 Nephi 9:28)
Pride is not knowing too much. It is knowing too little. The learned are not they who know too much, but they who believe they know more than they actually do.
The attitude of satisfaction is damning. The problem is not what you know, it is what you don’t know, and refuse to acknowledge. Awareness that there is more to know is what unlocks learning. The Lord does not despise those who acquire knowledge. He despises those who assume they know something despite their ignorance. He despises those who think they know more than God, and ignore what he tries to teach them, assuming they already know what he wants. Jacob states that the antidote to the poison of pride is to “hearken unto the counsels of God.” (2 Nephi 9:29)
No man setting his hand to the plow can turn back. Let the dead bury their dead. We must be willing to leave our dead ideas alone and move onto what is higher and better.