{"chapter_no":"1","chapter_title":"Spheres of Knowledge","book_id":"5","book_name":"Truth Management","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"713","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":3,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 1<\/p>

Spheres of Knowledge<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

Knowledge on earth and heaven is organized into three spheres—Our reasoning ability and
man's extensive<\/i> database of <\/i>earthly <\/i>knowledge offe<\/i>r<\/i> no significant value to our testimony<\/i>.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

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The combined knowledge of all men on earth, and the knowledge which is shared with
man from heaven, might be organized into the following three spheres:<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sphere-1, the spiritual layer.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sphere-2, the light of Christ—the common sense or basic reasoning layer.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sphere-3, the raw data and information layer.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sphere-1, the spiritual layer, could itself be broken into two separate sections of its own.
The first section is faith in God, and the second section is love of God. The primary goal of this
book is to help us as a people move from faith in God to love of God.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sphere-2, the light of Christ, is the main operational layer of our mortal existence on
earth. Here, we reason things out in our minds, make decisions about right and wrong, and try to
make sense of everything that comes to us through our five senses. Here, also, is where we
decide whether to make use of (or lay aside) any spiritual knowledge we gain in life.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

Sphere-3 is the raw data we receive and digest every day, the vast knowledge of the
world compiled by man over many centuries; everything that is available to us through the
media, on the internet, in discussions with family, friends, and neighbors, and in our classes at
school, at universities, and at church; all earthly sources of information; all facts, theories,
opinions, and non-facts; everything that is important, and everything that is trivial. Included in
these are the arguments and evidences presented by some that challenge our faith in Christ and
our testimonies of the restored gospel<\/span>. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Empowered by the light of Christ, we become managers, decision makers, and
information consumers as we grow from child to adult. Scientists, philosophers, political leaders,
commentators, news anchors, schoolteachers, teachers of religion (including Latter-day Saint
ones), and other purveyors of information are like employees or staff persons that report to us,
providing detailed information about the world. Much of what we experience in life is good, <\/span><\/p>

insightful, and helpful to our growth in mortality, but there is a great deal that is not. We need to
manage both the good and the bad through close supervision every day<\/span>.<\/p>

 <\/p>

A conclusive witness of the existence of God, and with it, a strong testimony of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is based solely on spiritual knowledge available to
us in Sphere-1. If our testimony depends upon our reasoning powers of Sphere-2, or some fact or
combination of facts discovered by us in Sphere-3, it is built upon a sandy foundation and may
not last. <\/p>

 <\/p>

We do, however, depend upon the light of Christ to steer us and help us make good
choices and righteous judgments. We are born good. Many in life have good parents and are
raised in a loving home, while others are not so lucky. But the reward in heaven is greater for
those who overcome the world when facing a higher degree of difficulty. As human beings, we
should follow our natural, God-given instincts to choose the right, to seek out the truth to the best
of our ability, and to be good and honorable people. If we do this, we'll find ourselves on the
pathway to eternal life.<\/p>

 <\/p>

The vast database of man's knowledge offers little value to our testimony of the Church.
The extensive work done by friend or foe in Church history, in scripture or doctrine analysis, or
in archeological work, can be quite fascinating, but the reality is this information sits
independently in a knowledge sphere of lesser importance where God has placed it, being of
secondary value to our lives. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Albert Einstein was an excellent chess player, but he was probably beatable by any
grandmaster of his day. Had he dedicated his life to the game and practiced all day long, he
might have become a leading grandmaster himself, or maybe even have been good enough to
compete for a world chess title. He recognized, however, that chess was just a game, and the
mastery of it would require him spending time and gathering knowledge that was of secondary
importance. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Each of us have great minds, too, and we can bless the world with the special gifts of God
we have each been given. We can't hope to outthink the Albert Einsteins of the world in an
intense game of chess on scientific theories of the beginning of the universe or the origin of life
on earth, but we don't have to. Albert, all the great thinkers of history, and all the great thinkers
and researchers of today are our employees in a sense. They provide management reports for us
to analyze and make decisions about. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The chess game of mortality is easy for anyone to learn the rules and play. Our
accomplished opponent is not Albert Einstein, but Lucifer, the enemy of mankind. To win the
game, we need to be led by the Spirit when making our moves; otherwise, we are left alone with
our limited understanding of the chess pieces and all of the many combinations of moves that can
be done on the chessboard. If we attempt to succeed in life without the gifts of the Spirit, that is
clearly a losing strategy.<\/p>

All questions of faith are resolved in heaven through direct revelation and not in
contemplation of the precepts of men. An angel appearing to man is a Sphere-1 transaction. The
testimony of the Holy Ghost in our hearts is a Sphere-1 transaction.<\/p>

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In which of these three spheres of knowledge do our testimonies reside?<\/p>

 <\/p>

If we shy away from a spiritual witness of God, trying to reason or research our way to
salvation, we put our souls at risk. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Formal education we receive on earth is good, but it is nothing compared to the education
received from on high. Spiritual knowledge has a multiplier effect on all earthly knowledge that
we obtain in this life. It is also the most desirable and valuable of all the spheres of knowledge,
and it exceeds all earthly things<\/span>. <\/p>

 <\/p>

As Joseph Smith once said: Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know
more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

The same is true of the earth. Five minutes gazing into heaven will tell you all you need
to know about this earth and everything thereon which you want to accomplish in your life.<\/p>"}