The nature of truth

[Shimdidly]

I'm not sure where to begin this. What I'm about to write just may end up an amalgamation of the many thoughts and confusions I've had of late. What is truth? How do we know when one is telling truths or when they are telling half-truths or lies? D&C 93:24 defines truth as "...things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come"   Before I turned 18, my views were, for the most part, that Bush was a victim of many difficult decisions, Mitt Romney was the best candidate because he was LDS, and Rupublicans were good and Democrats were evil.  That all changed one evening when some of my dad's friends showed us "Endgame: blueprint for global enslavement". As a matter of coincidence, a few weeks later a man I had known for years gave me copies of "Martial Law" and "Terrorstorm". At first I was skeptical, but given two years I've basically become what some would call an "Alex Jones sheep PAYtriot" and others a man in the modern truth and freedom movement. Since this time I have regarded the last two years of my life as an awakening. Surely I had abandoned old propaganda based mindsets. At this point I was certain that terrorists are nothing more than an extension and tool of our own black ops, CIA, banksters and shadow government. Certainly Rupublicans and Democrats are illusions of choice to distract us and marginalize the true constitutional and freedom loving as "fringe". Barack Obama is merely a puppet and fall-man for a criminal gang behind the scenes destroying the freedoms we hold most dear, while we are pacified by mainstream media subtracting essential truths to control the concerns of the people. Of all this I was so sure. Of all this I had supposed that I had found the truth. But again I am wrong. It's just another paradigm, just as times before. I would describe a paradigm as a map. Since it is impossible to see everything at once, let alone comprehend it, we are given maps. They show a perspective that simplifies understanding, but in doing this they are incapable of showing us the whole truth. In this I must say then, all paradigms of men are flawed.   Whether you say you are of Ron Paul, of Alex Jones, of Chuck Baldwin, of Obama, of "Going green" or Lennon, it is all flawed. When I see two people on this forum pitting their beliefs against each other, I would compare it to a swiss cheese and a sponge trying to find the holes in each's argument. So where do we find the right perspective? You guessed it: in the gospel. I am reluctant to find such a simple answer to such mounting confusion I've had. The gospel sheds light and colors in between the lines of these "maps" that we use every day. The gospel is a foundation of infinitely correct principles. With the scriptures, church, prophets, light of Christ and the Spirit guiding us, Heavenly Father never intended us to go down this path of life without direction unless it is what we choose. In saying this I would council us to stop trying to find flaws in other's viewpoints as a matter of pride and proving the other wrong. Let us first understand them, and why they feel the way they do, and then provide to the best of our knowledge what will be of most value to them in their spiritual growth and pursuit of truth. 

[Original_Intent]

Whether you say you are of Ron Paul, of Alex Jones, of Chuck Baldwin, of Obama, of "Going green" or Lennon, it is all flawed

I really liked that and was thinking along the same lines before I read your post. I would add to the list "yourself" - it is very difficult, but before you can leanr anything you msut acknowledge that your own thinking is flawed. Odds are that it is very, very flawed. You may be much more awake than the average, but most likely still very far from the truth. That is the beginning of humility and the more we think we know the more unteachable we become. It is very difficult NOT to become invested in our own ideas.

[loquaciousmomma]

Amen!!

Of course, we do need to point out false doctrine when it is professed, but as far as world views and theories, we could all do well to be more understanding and open minded.