Doctrinal Mastery: Finding Answers to My Questions: Lesson 165
Turning to Divinely Appointed Sources to Help Find Answers
The Lord’s Divinely Appointed Sources
Visit “Studying the Scriptures” to help prepare yourself spiritually to learn.
Can you trust what you see in the mirror? The answer is yes and no. A mirror can be considered generally trustworthy for showing your physical appearance, but it’s important to remember that it reflects a reversed 2D image. That is, how you see yourself in the mirror isn’t exactly what you look like. Factors like lighting and the mirror’s size can also distort your perception and often don’t reflect reality. For example, in Madrid, Spain, the Espejos del Callejón del Gato, or Cat Alley Mirrors, are curved to distort reality intentionally. Because we live in a time when many “call evil good, and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20), it can be difficult to recognize truth. However, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have provided the necessary help.
Lesson Purpose: To help you seek truth from sources that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have lovingly provided.
Learn How
What is real?
Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord warned of a problem we would face in our day that would make it hard to recognize truth.
Read Isaiah 5:20, marking what the Lord taught.
When have you seen something evil called “good” or something good called “evil”?
To help us understand the need for caution when discerning between truth and error, President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency explained:
We live in a time of greatly expanded and disseminated information. But not all of this information is true. We need to be cautious as we seek truth and choose sources for that search. We should not consider secular prominence or authority as qualified sources of truth. We should be cautious about relying on information or advice offered by entertainment stars, prominent athletes, or anonymous internet sources. Expertise in one field should not be taken as expertise on truth in other subjects. (“Truth and the Plan,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 25)
truth, divinely appointed sources
What sources do you usually go to when you have a Church-related question? How confident do you feel in your ability to recognize truth?
Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you and want to help you recognize what is real and what is not. Throughout today’s lesson, pay attention to whisperings of the Spirit to help you recognize what They have provided for you.
Divinely appointed sources
Read paragraphs 11 and 12 of the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section in the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023) and mark teachings you feel are important to know when seeking answers to your questions.
Tag paragraph 11 as “divinely appointed sources.” You may also want to make a note here with the following truth: The Lord will help me discern truth from error as I turn to His divinely appointed sources, including seeking guidance from the Holy Ghost.
Respond to the following in your notebook:
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Why do you think it’s important to rely on the Lord’s divinely appointed sources as we seek answers to our questions?
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How can turning to divinely appointed sources bless your life? How can it bless those around you?
Discern between truth and error
The scriptures have many accounts of people who relied on the Lord’s guidance to discern between truth and error.
In Moses 1, Moses showed how the Lord can help us discern between truth and error. After Moses spoke with God face to face, Satan came and attempted to deceive Moses into worshipping him (see Moses 1:12).
Read Moses 1:13–16. Mark phrases that show how Moses was able to discern between Satan and God.
Next to verse 15, make a note with your response to the following question:
How can we relate Moses’s experience to our lives as we choose sources to find truth and answers to our questions?
If it is available, you might also watch the video “In Search of Truth” (3:03). This video shares accounts of youth in our day and how they find and follow truth today.
Practice
Choose one of the following false statements, or choose one of your own:
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False: God doesn’t really care how we live as long as we don’t hurt others.
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False: This life is all there is. We didn’t exist before we were born, and we won’t exist after we die.
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False: We really don’t need the Book of Mormon since we already have the Bible.
Using divinely appointed sources, find statements that correct the false statement you chose. Record what you find in your notebook.
The following are examples of divinely appointed sources you may consider using:
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Topics and Questions at ChurchofJesusChrist.org
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General conference addresses
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Your parents or a Church leader
With a family member or friend, share what you learned today about the divinely appointed sources that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have lovingly given us.
Share Your Thoughts
Lesson Purpose: To help you seek truth from sources that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have lovingly provided.
Share the following with your teacher or class:
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What you found from divinely appointed sources to counter the false statement you studied.