This Monday’s Times and Seasons post went live a little late, but it’s live now. The title is The Assurance of Love, and if you want to see how a Mormon who talks about the dangers of epistemic humility works out a particularly tough pro-certainty talk (in this case, President Hinckley’s October 1981 General Conference address: Faith: The Essence of True Religion), well then here you go.
I didn’t really explain the image I picked in the post. It didn’t fit. But I’ll provide the explanation here. It’s a painting of Thomas doing his doubting thing (The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Hendrick ter Brugghen), and I went with it because President Hinckley’s talk made me self-conscious about not having enough faith. Of course, I’d like to have enough faith. But maybe I don’t, and maybe that’s my fault. And, if so, then Thomas is my hope. He caught a talking-to, but He was still allowed in the presence of His Savior.
I hold close the prayer of the father with the possessed child to Jesus, who has seen many failed attempts at exorcising his child:
“I believe; help my unbelief!”
I say it often. And of course Jesus’ preceding words, when asked if he can do anything:
“If you can! All things are possible to him who believes.”
It’s hard for dudes like us who spend all day in our heads to have that kind of faith. But I *know* that we have been commanded to have faith like children, at some point to stop doubting and believe in the promises of the Lord, even when we can’t figure out how the Lord is going to make things work. We have seen signs enough already in our lives. Why then do we still doubt? “No longer Thomas then denied. He saw the feet, the hands, the side. Thou art my Lord and God, he cried. Alleluia!”