Preference to Accept Creeds Rather than Seeking Truth and Love of God

This mediated message deals with preference to accept creeds rather than seeking truth and Love of God. It describes the reasons why humans prefer to not seek or think for themselves, but instead, follow the crowd.  For a related article, go to this page as well as here.

 

What Is the Reason That Mortals Will Not Seek the Love of the Father, but, Rather,

Endeavor to Believe in the Creeds and Sacraments of the Church to Which They Belong or Are Affiliated With?

(JOHN, THE APOSTLE)

(June 4th, 1917 | Received by James Padgett)

 

I AM HERE. John.

I desire to say that you are much more in that condition of soul development that enables us to make a rapport with you than you have been, and we are pleased that this is so. For the greater the development you have, the easier it is for us to express our ideas of the higher Truths that we so much desire to disclose through you.

Well, the subject about which I wish to write is: “What Is the Reason That Mortals Will Not Seek the Love of the Father, but, Rather, Endeavor to Believe in the Creeds and Sacraments of the Church to Which They Belong or Are Affiliated With?”

Now, it may appear to you that mortals, themselves, could better tell the reason for this preference, and better describe their actions in carrying out their preferences. But this supposition would not be true because they do not really know. The knowledge of the Truth which they might obtain, and the supposed knowledge of truth which so many of them content themselves with believing that they possess, are two and very different things.

And first, they believe that the creeds of their churches contain and disclose the truths as to God and as to mortals’ relationship to Him; further, that if they follow these creeds, they will do that which is pleasing to God and in accordance with His Will. And, hence, they rest satisfied to abide in such knowledge, and they seek no further to learn the Truths of their being and of their salvation.

In most particulars, the creeds do not contain the Truths of these spiritual matters, because they are based upon error; consequently, they can have no truth as a superstructure, and, from them, mortals cannot learn the true knowledge of spiritual things. These creeds are man-made and are not based upon the real Verities that can never be changed by creeds, nor by any other thing that is the result of man’s making.

But mortals do not know that these creeds do not disclose the Truth to them. And this is one reason why they prefer to follow the teachings of the creeds and believe in them. They have nothing else to which they can resort, except the many statements of Truth that the Bible contains. And even though they should resort to these statements, yet, in their condition of mental and soul development, they would not be able to discover the Truths as therein disclosed, or to realize any distinction between such Truths and what they believe are the truths of their creeds.

For long years—generation after generation—these creeds have been accepted and believed in, and proclaimed to be the truths of the respective churches to which mortals may have belonged. And such mortals have seen their parents and grandparents believing and resting in the assurance that the creeds contained the truth. They have seen these relatives live and die apparently happy in their beliefs. And, hence, they have become satisfied to do that which those before them did: not question or search for the Truth elsewhere, or even think that it can be found elsewhere.

As man is constituted, it may be said that such a position and condition is natural. And we, or you, who know the Truth, and also that the creeds do not contain the Truth, should not be surprised.

Again, mortals prefer their creeds because, in the majority of the instances when a church or denomination has existed for a long time, those who have, as I may say, inherited these beliefs in the creeds never consider for a moment that they should do anything else than give an unquestioning belief to the teachings of their creeds, with the assurance that, in such belief, they are in the truth and are not called upon to doubt or question. And this growing up in this belief, as many do, becomes to them, in many cases, a thing of mere form, having no vitality, and creating in those who possess it no special concern as to whether their belief is well-founded or not. This belief saves them the trouble of exercising their minds to any comprehensive degree. They say: “I am content with the creed of my church and do not desire to be troubled by questioning the same.” And, hence, you will see, it is not difficult for them to make the preference; for, in fact, there is no preference—only a condition of mind existing that has in it no room for the exercise of any preference.

And, then again, this preference exists because of the social life of the people who believe in the creeds of the churches. For if they do not so believe, it is not permissible for them to become members of the churches. The creed must be subscribed to, no matter what else may be vital or required to be believed in, or declared by the mortal to be believed who desires affiliation.

The church is the greatest of social centers in the lives of men, and its influence and power are very great, and reaches further into the economy of social life than unthinking people may realize. So, when the applicant subscribes to the creed and becomes a member of the church, he usually becomes satisfied with his social position, and his thoughts of spiritual Truths are no longer plastic but fixed. And, as time goes by, he pays less attention to what the creeds may require of him, but, in a kind of automatic manner, acts upon them and rests satisfied. His position then becomes very comfortable and his mind becomes free from effort by his undoubting acceptance of the doctrines of his church creeds.

Of course, there are many exceptions to this condition existing among members of the churches. For while they subscribe to the creeds, yet, their souls are not satisfied, and they go out in longings to the Father for His Love. And many possess this Love, though intellectually they do not know what It means. But, with the majority, the preference is made because of the reasons that I have stated; and the difficulty will be great to cause an awakening from this satisfaction and feeling that in their beliefs lie the certainty of doing the Father’s Will and of their own salvation.

Now, while all this is true, yet, these mortals do not realize that it is true, just in the sense that I have described it. And the great work that lies before you and us is to cause the Truths which you are receiving to be presented to these people in such a way that they will not be satisfied to rest in the security of their old beliefs, but will be persuaded to seek for the Truth outside of the teachings of their creeds. And this I can say: that if these people will have such an awakening, and seriously and honestly seek for the Truth, they will not hesitate to believe that they have been mistaken in their beliefs, and they will not be satisfied until they learn the Truth.

I merely thought I would write this because, while it is more of a subject pertaining to the merely living of men on earth, in its hoped-for results and consequences, if men’s living is changed, the spiritual things will become the things of absorbing interest.

These creeds shut out the Truth, and men will never be able to find the Truth until they shut out from their minds and souls the doctrines of the creeds.

I will not write more tonight. So, with my love, I will say good night.

Your brother in Christ,

JOHN, THE APOSTLE.

 

For related messages and PDF download of the whole book, click here.

See also how creeds originated and how they relate to the Bible.