“What you are saying may be true, but it doesn’t matter.”

I would occasionally share spiritual insights with a good friend of mine in Japan from another development team, hoping it would arouse curiosity in him about this important component of his life that seemed missing, but he would downplay these spiritual things, saying that what I told him may be true, but it really didn’t matter. I responded, “Please understand your position. To me, I assume that you simply don’t believe what I share, and that is up to you because your beliefs are a very personal matter, but if it is true, it matters very much.” He persisted, again saying, “Oh, it may be true, but it doesn’t matter.”

I called him by name, saying, “You are an engineer. How can you say truth doesn’t matter? You design industrial lasers that operate on true principles and if you don’t follow true principles, your laser won’t function. Spiritual knowledge is the same. We receive spiritual blessings only if we care enough to understand and live true spiritual principles. If the principles are true then they matter!”

When Truth Matters Less…

Let me concede that my friend’s response actually touches on a powerful principle. Truth doesn’t matter much if it is treated with mere curiosity or simply ignored. If the word “matter” is taken to mean “make a difference”, then the answer to the question, “Does truth matter?” becomes very personal. Does it matter… to me? Do I care? If the Lord did speak to me, would I listen?

Finding Truth

“Every person born on this earth is blessed with the Light of Christ, which helps us to know the difference between right and wrong. Light, truth, intelligence, and Spirit are synonymous…

Pilate asked the Savior, “What is truth?” This question had been the result of Jesus Christ having answered Pilate’s question, “Art thou a King?” to which the Savior replied, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” John 18:37-38″

Bountiful Temple Presidency

And so, the crux of the matter is whether or not we will hear our Savior’s voice. Crowds of angry people are not likely to be filled with light and truth. They weren’t in the day my Savior walked the earth. And if we are preoccupied with polishing our own crowns and not watching over others, we will likewise find it hard to look to a man wearing a crown of thorns. Yet, that is who we must look to. I love Him.

In a week from today, we will have a chance to listen to men and women set apart with sacred callings to guide the Lord’s church in these the latter days. They will have prayed with all their might, mind and strength to speak the Lord’s word and to soften our hearts. I speak of the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. If we will listen, I believe we will hear His voice through them.

Come and see! For if what they say is true, it matters. I hope it will matter to each of us.

Truth matters!