Growing Faith into Perfect Knowledge

     Last week this blog focused on Alma’s comparison of the first sprouts of growth from a seed to confirmation of our faith.  I imagine you are perfectly aware that, when we plant seeds, we are hoping for something far greater than a little shoot of growth peaking up from the ground.  So the growth of a seed doesn’t stop there.  Alma’s analogy didn’t either.

     As we continue studying Alma’s analogy, found in The Book of Mormon:  Another Testament of Jesus Christ, we come upon a passage of scripture that seems to contradict itself.  It reads, “And now, behold, because ye have tried the experiment, and planted the seed, and it swelleth and sprouteth, and beginneth to grow, ye must needs know that the seed is good.  And now, behold, is your knowledge perfect?  “Yea, your knowledge is perfect in that thing, and your faith is dormant; and this because you know, for ye know that the word hath swelled your souls, and ye also know that it hath sprouted up, that your understanding doth begin to be enlightened, and your mind doth begin to expand. 

     “O then, is not this real?  I say unto you, yea, because it is light; and whatsoever is light, is good, because it is discernible, therefore ye must know that it is good; and now behold, after ye have tasted this light is your knowledge perfect?  Behold I say unto you, Nay, neither must ye lay aside your faith, for ye have only exercised your faith to plant the seed that ye might try the experiment to know if the seed was good.”  (Alma 32:33-36)

     So it seems Alma first states your knowledge becomes perfect after you see the sprouts growing out of the ground, and then later states your knowledge isn’t perfect.  Yet, as you stop and ponder upon his meaning, you realize the small phrase “your knowledge is perfect in that thing” is quite different from “perfect knowledge”.

     Let me illustrate with another analogy.  Imagine you’ve developed an idea for the recipe of a new drug that you believe will prove valuable in fighting some common disease.  You decide you want to see if your idea will work, so you hunt down funding, facilities, and other necessities for developing the drug.  By your choice to act, you’ve turned your belief into faith.  Your hard work in finding the funding, facilities, and other necessities allows you to plant your seed of faith and see what comes of your idea.

     Next you start combining the ingredients for your new drug.  This step can bring failure as different ingredients may prove incompatible for the results you were seeking.  But you persevere through any failures that come and finally reach your first success.  You have a mixture that combines as you hoped they would.  You have your first sprout of evidence it may work. 

     At this point, you have a perfect knowledge that it’s possible to get a mixture of ingredients that combines in the manner you were looking for.  Yet you don’t know if this mixture you’ve developed will actually work as you expect it to, nor do you know if it’s even possible to produce a mixture of ingredients capable of doing what you want.  So your knowledge is perfect in part of the matter, but it isn’t perfect in regards to the entire matter.  Fortunately, your faith in your ability to achieve what you ultimately desire is increased.

     So you move on to testing the product.  There are several different stages of testing that must be passed.  Each one presents new challenges and could result in starting over at step one.  Yet every success increases your knowledge and faith.  Success at review boards grants knowledge your drug meets the approval of others and increases your belief you can create an effective drug.  Successful clinical studies prove the drug can be effective against controlled populations and increases your belief it can be effective in the general population.  Yet you don’t have a perfect knowledge the drug can help the general public until it is sold on the open market and actually helping people.

     So it is possible to have a perfect knowledge relating to one matter without having a perfect knowledge about the entire subject.  This is essentially what Alma is saying in the above passages of scripture.

     The same truth holds for each principle the Lord has given unto the children of men.  We can obtain a perfect knowledge that we can pray to God without having a perfect knowledge of the power and importance of prayer.  We can then learn a perfect knowledge in God’s ability to hear our prayers without having a perfect knowledge in the power and importance of prayer.  So our knowledge of prayer grows one step at a time until it becomes perfect.    

     God has declared He teaches His gospel through “…precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little…”  In other words we can obtain perfect knowledge about the matters of God and His word as we exercise faith, yet we can’t reach perfect knowledge all at once.  We must learn a little here and a little there, one step at a time, until the time comes that we reach a perfect knowledge and become like God.