Rejection or Acceptance

Some thoughts about people rejecting or accepting truth or counsel.

For most members that served full time missions, we can distinctly remember receiving a lot of rejection…

In essence, the message being rejected is nothing more than a rejection of truth. Maybe 999 times out of 1,000 people said things like: “Sorry, but no thanks.” Or something like: “I’m happy where I’m at, really.” I heard this one a few hundred times: “I’m a good person, and I’m confident that in the end God will take care of me.” And this one too: “The way I understand it is that there are many roads to heaven, we all have our own way, and if that’s our goal, we’ll eventually get there.”

These kinds of comments and a thousand more like them happen for just about as many reasons. Rejection can come from other sources as well. Some people are confused – and its no wonder as there are so many different interpretations of the same concepts; some have been taught and accepted incorrect doctrine; some have independently created their own beliefs; some have had terrible experiences where they’ve lost loved ones, been through serious health struggles, accidents, natural catastrophes, made unwise decisions and suffered life-altering results, been victims of crimes, or even worse. Many have reacted to these experiences both consciously and unconsciously with a deep anger toward God causing some to hold a grudge for His lack of concern or just because He allows these kinds of ill-fated events to happen. Reasons like these can be used (incorrectly) as justification for rejection of truth.

Some people have this continuous question playing in the background of their thoughts: “If there is a God, how could he allow this to happen?” and deduce (again, incorrectly) that because bad things happen to good people, to innocent people, that either 1) there must not be a God, or 2) He’s out of touch with mankind, or 3) He must really not love us very much. Some have strong convictions that life is blatantly unfair, that they’ve gotten the short end of the stick, and that they’ve been cursed with more than their share of trials. And thoughts like these can also lead people down incorrect paths and used as justification for turning from truth when presented to them.

It isn’t surprising that these attitudes are not exclusively maintained by nonmembers. Realistically, most members of the Church have one or more of these thoughts at some point in their life. These attitudes are tools of the Father of Lies and he uses them without discrimination. The reality is that when members of the Church are not proactively growing our testimonies, understanding the real purposes of our lives, comprehending the role that trials and tragedy have in our lives, we are susceptible to falling for the lies of the Evil One. And just as in our missions, the people we tried to teach the good news of the Restoration of the Gospel rejected it with minimal thought, we also allow ourselves to reject truth.

As members of a ward come into the bishop’s office or meet with him or other priesthood leaders in various settings and hear spiritual truths offered, they are left with a choice – accept or reject them. They can listen, heed, and incorporate – or they can turn a deaf ear, disregard and reject. The result of that choice is a simple measure of their faith. Some will exercise more faith now and reap the blessings sooner, others choose to be more stubborn and have to learn lessons over and over and over, settling for a downward cycle of consequences and misery, instead of a life of peace and growth.

This dichotomy can be a mystery to priesthood leaders. Why do some members grasp truths and correct doctrine more easily and more willingly than others? Why do some members seem to be perfectly comfortable with living in the gray areas, measuring truth only by their own wisdom and experience, and accepting of the less-than-desired outcomes? Many times the members of latter group find themselves full of misery, blaming anyone and anything for their circumstances, and yet are repeat offenders at rejecting true doctrine and true principles – doctrine and principles that would lift them out of darkness and into light and bring happiness and contentment.

The real dichotomy is that as members of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we have more truth and more true doctrine, more scripture and more revelation than any other people on the planet, and yet many saints persist in kicking against the pricks. Sometimes it seems that free agency has its downside. In reality, the downside of free agency only happens when we make choices in contrast to truth – when regardless of circumstance or reasoning, we reject truth.

The Book of Mormon is an incredible testimony of this concept. Over and over the Lord tells the people of the BoM to: "...keep the commandments (the application of truth) and you will prosper in the land (and you will have peace, and love, and unity, and spiritual and temporal wealth). But if you choose to not follow the commandments (the rejection of truth), you will not prosper in the land (and you will have wars, and contention, and hate, and dis-unity, your families will fall apart, and you will bring upon yourself your own destruction both temporally and spiritually)..."

Priesthood leaders have a sacred stewardship and a myriad of responsibilities. One of the primary duties of a leader is to teach. Successful leaders will follow the promptings of the Spirit, helping others feel the love of the Lord in their lives. They consistent remind us of our royal, heavenly lineage. They acknowledge the hand of God working divinely and diligently and continually in our lives. They continually teach us of our majestic, God-like potential.

Priesthood leaders are consummately positive because they know the plan is true. They know the plan works and they know Who is controlling every faucet of it. Priesthood leaders are consistently optimistic because they know that as part of the master plan there is a master timetable in place, one that has been in place for longer than most of us can comprehend. And priesthood leaders know without equivocation that the plan has an Owner, and that He is perfect, and that the owner is God, the Master.

Priesthood leaders remind people that behind the chaos in life that the Adversary wants us to see and focus on, is a well thought-out plan – the perfect plan. It’s a plan that we helped design and organize. A plan that we agreed to. A plan that we enthusiastically sustained. A plan that has an ample share of tragedy, pain, confusion, suffering, sickness, death, and destruction. But also a plan that is filled with hope, love, understanding, experience, learning, growth, life, and progression. A plan where good wins over evil, every time – EVERY TIME. A plan of happiness, a plan of salvation.

Most of the rejection and confusion and apprehension in this life comes from a lack of understanding of this great and eternal plan, and a lack of relationship with its Author. We would do well to equate the challenges of life as being part of the plan.

President Packer talks about the test of life:

“The greatest decision of life is between good and evil.

“We may foolishly bring unhappiness and trouble, even suffering upon ourselves. These are not always to be regarded as penalties imposed by a displeased Creator. They are part of the lessons of life, part of the test.

“Some are tested by poor health, some by a body that is deformed or homely. Others are tested by handsome and healthy bodies; some by the passion of youth; others by the erosions of age.

“Some suffer disappointment in marriage, family problems; others live in poverty and obscurity. Some (perhaps this is the hardest test) find ease and luxury.

“All are part of the test, and there is more equality in this testing than sometimes we suspect.”

Many mistakenly believe that there is a plan, but that everything is supposed to run smoothly, without a hitch in the plan – at least from our limited, human perspective. That when there is a challenge, that God should come to our immediate rescue and instantly right every wrong. That philosophy, however comforting it may seem, is incorrect doctrine. God is not necessarily in the fixing business, but He is definitely in the teaching business.

As part of the plan, we have a clear responsibility to learn. We agreed (enthusiastically, mind you) to the plan, regardless of the twists and turns, the peaks and valleys, the good and bad. We agreed to it because we knew the ultimate outcome was that we would be able to learn and experience things like God does, and that through that experience, we could ultimately have the opportunity to become more like Him. We agreed to it because we trusted God. We trusted Him to put faithful priesthood leaders in place that would continually and repeatedly teach truths. We trusted Him to allow us each a completely unique set of circumstances, in a completely unique sequence of events, that if eventually triumphed over, with the help of a patient and loving and encouraging Savior (and priesthood leaders), that God would bring us back home to Him.

So, just as when we were in the mission field, whether it’s one out of ten or one out of a thousand, that one, the one that sees the light and embraces the truth, that one makes all of the other effort worthwhile. It puts all of the rejection in perspective. And we become witnesses of miracles – miracles of how the integration of gospel components blesses lives. Amazing what accepting a little truth in our lives can do.

Hope this helps.

Wm. Calvin Hughes

January 7, 2008