After dealing with many days of smog and cold, it's hard not to wish, and yearn with your whole soul, for spring. However, I was reminded a few days ago by my sister of a quote that helps us get through these days. I keep telling myself winter helps us appreciate the spring. John Boswell said, "Winter, a lingering season, is a time to gather golden moments, embark upon a sentimental journey, and enjoy every idle hour." I think I find much more time to read during the winter months. Or, perhaps it's the recent barrage of new books that lends itself to that. I don't complain. I find escaping into a fictional world or being enlightened with new knowledge a very envigorating experience.
In fact, I have wondered a lot lately about acquring truth and how it is done. (*warning: this may lead to something philosophical and boring. You may stop reading here, if you wish.) I find it interesting that many, particularly those who try to disprove religion, are not in the pursuit of gaining knowledge. Rather, they are in the pursuit of proving something wrong. I wonder, what have the disprovers gained? Not knowledge, for sure. An absence of knowledge perhaps. In fact, I would venture to say many "philosophers" and "critics" use proving something false as an escape from seeking real knowledge. It is much harder to find truth than it is to find an absence of truth, I think.
I may be completely off my rocker on this one, but I heard an interesting discussion the other day about Alma 32. Instead of the usual faith reading, which is wonderful in itself, the speaker used the symbol of a growing seed to gaining truth. It is much like the scientific method, he said. We start with a hypothesis, we experiment, and then we draw a conclusion. If our first experiement seems to lend us to believe our hypothesis is true, we continue to experiment to make sure. It's a never-ending process. If we find our hypothesis is false, we adjust the hypothesis and continue to experiment. You never see to prove something is not true using this method. How interesing. All of the phases the seed goes through as it grows can be compared to our different senses of knowing truth. If the seed is good, it swells (v. 28), which may be compared to a swelling within us--a spiritual and physical response that tells us it's true. It enlarges our soul (v. 28) which may be compared to a behavioral change in us. We want to act a different way because we believe something is true. It enlightens (v. 28, 34), which may be an intellectual response. Our view has been broadened and our minds enlightened. And last, it begins to be delicious (v. 28), which means we desire more truth.
