More Light – Sunday, November 24, 1940
One of the eminent young scientists of our day recently wrote, “We are learning more and more the high cost of discovering the truth about anything. Our subject matter is so complex that we never reach more than half-truths, and first approximations.” This wholesome admission offers a viewpoint which scholarship in all its fields would do well to keep in mind. Also, it is very comforting and significant to the layman. Theories are useful as scaffolds in the building process; they are a means to an end, but they must not be mistaken for the basic structure, itself. New discovery is constantly unseating those things which were scientifically thought to be fundamental until today or yesterday.
A college text book from a generation ago is today, in larger part, a collection of odd and outdated misinformation. What some of our instructors once readily assured us was the final word in many fields and in many instances it now seems was not the final word at all — but merely the best guess someone could make at that time from the evidence then available. And even among the so-called experts — among the qualified men of science themselves, and among the qualified men of religion too, for that matter — there is so much contradiction, so much difference of opinion, so much variance, that we would do well to reserve our judgment and not let controversial issues disturb our peace, or unbalance our reasoning until we have more light. Much as we know, we know so little compared with the great unknown. It is doubtful if a man by his even unaided senses can positively know the truth about anything without first having placed himself in touch with the source of all truth. He must work in harmony with that spirit which “giveth light to every man that cometh into the world-” (Doctrine and Covenants, 84:46) — even the Spirit of all truth, which emanates from God our Father in Heaven. if we do this, and if we reserve dogmatic declarations until such time as we have more light, many foolish and endless controversies will dissolve themselves and we shall have a good deal more energy to devote to constructive thought and purpose. Blessed is the man who has the courage to say “I do not know,” when in reality he doesn’t know but only supposes. When we commit ourselves to this attitude, those half-truths and first approximations, of which our eminent scientist spoke, may lead us to fundamental discoveries and in the meantime we do not stand in danger of having to reverse ourselves by reason of our dogmatism. And this we should also know: While we are learning the high cost of discovering truth, we should also remember the high cost of not accepting it once it has been revealed and established by the Highest Authority —
November 24, 1940
Broadcast Number 0,588