Shhh! Don’t Emphasize Questioning Heart

 General Conference, “Lord, I Believe”, April 2013; “When problems come and questions arise, do not start your quest for faith by saying how much you do not have, leading as it were with your “unbelief.” That is like trying to stuff a turkey through the beak! Let me be clear on this point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message of this scriptural account: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

Mark 9:24; “And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”

Briefly read over the statement again made by the father in our Bible verse today.

Got it? The text says, ‘and straightaway the father of the child cried out…’

The dictionary defines ‘straightaway’ as ‘right away, immediately, without delay, right this very minute…’

With that in mind, why would someone look for another way to explain to Jesus, of all people, their faith isn’t very strong?

Wouldn’t the Lord already know this? The father in the Bible seems to understand Jesus knew what was going on. Remember, you’re not in a board room negotiating some random business deal. I can remember praying this very scripture for awhile after I became a Christian.

While I had no doubts heart-wise about accepting the Lord, intellectually, accepting everything was another story. I was a living example of the father in this bible passage. It was ‘by accident’ that I came upon the verse in Mark’s gospel, and can remember the great relief knowing I wasn’t alone. It was at that time my trust in the Lord took a marked turn. I knew Jesus understood my doubts. I knew I could trust Him not to condemn me, but to help me by providing the things I personally needed to grow my faith in Him.

The poor advice so easily offered up by Jeffrey Holland sends a strong message to the Mormon people. It should tell them there’s no personal relationship with the Lord for those in Mormonism. Mr. Holland offered nothing but instructions on how to build walls between you and the Lord.

Holland’s ill-advised comment also reveals one other thing. Hiding. Just like Adam hid in the Garden of Eden when God was looking for him, Holland is trying to hide behind the truth. If he had to admit he had doubts, it’d mean he’d have to admit he needs a Savior.

This teaching/doctrine has earned itself a spot in our ‘Worst of the Worst’ category. There’s nothing worse than instructing people not to fully submit yourself to God.