Work to Understand the Past

Studying Church history can help us see God’s hand in the lives of His children. It is rich with stories of the faith, courage, and goodness of Latter-day Saints of the past. At times, it also reveals their human weaknesses and reflects the difficulties we all face as we strive to follow Jesus Christ. Encountering the complexities of Church history or learning about things in the past that don’t match our expectations can challenge our faith.

Each of us responds to new information about history differently. Questions that upset one person might energize another. We all bring different assumptions, expectations, life experience, and knowledge to our quest for understanding. Applying the following principles as we study history can help us see the past more clearly and constructively:

Recognize the limits of our knowledge. Histories are interpretations of the past based on the limited sources that remain. There are many things we can say with confidence about the past. But there are many things we just don’t know. And the information we have almost always allows for more than one interpretation. When we remain humble about what we think we know, we will be more open to new explanations as additional sources emerge. Remember that sometimes we have to live with some ambiguity or uncertainty, even on questions that seem important.
Expect change. When we study the past, we sometimes find that practices, teachings, and ideas we thought were unchanging have actually changed quite a bit. Core principles of the gospel are eternal, but the ways they are understood and expressed over time reflect the line upon line nature of revelation and the constant change of human culture. The principle of continuing revelation helps us navigate these changes. You might find that learning more about the many things that have changed makes it easier to discern the things that are enduring.
Place things in context. Someone once said, “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.”¹ People in the past had different assumptions about the world than we do. They used different imagery and words to describe their experience. If we want to better understand the words and actions of those in the past, we also need to understand the culture and context in which they occurred. That doesn’t mean we can’t reject things about past cultures. In fact, there are some things from the past the gospel calls upon us to reject. But understanding historical context helps to keep us from imposing our present views on people of the past in a way that prevents understanding.
Remember that humans make mistakes. When we tell stories from Church history, we tend to focus on heroic actions and happy endings. It is good to remember people when they were at their best. But we sometimes forget that Latter-day Saints of the past, including early Church leaders, were human beings. Human beings have weaknesses. They make mistakes. They sin. Remember that God uses imperfect people to accomplish His work. We can learn from both their contributions and their mistakes. And while it is good to look squarely at the challenging aspects of Church history, don’t focus on them in a way that causes you to lose sight of the good and the beautiful.
Watch for suspect interpretations. Not all interpretations of past events are equally valid. People make many claims about Church history, both favorable and antagonistic, that fail to meet standards for accuracy, reliability, and fairness. This is especially true in an age when anyone can publish their views with the click of a button. The Lord directed us to seek wisdom “out of the best books.”² As a student of Church history, you can use both the tools of scholarship and the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Key scriptures: 1 Nephi 11:17; Doctrine and Covenants 88:118