We live in an ever-changing world, but gospel truths remain constant and help build our faith in God.
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The world is filled with doubts and misconceptions, especially when it comes to religion. In his 1980 Brigham Young University devotional address, “The Seven Deadly Heresies,” Elder Bruce R. McConkie reminds us of the importance of seeking a correct understanding of gospel truths.
Referencing the seven deadly sins as outlined by early Christians, Elder McConkie pointedly addresses his own list of seven deadly heresies—not heresies of early Christianity, but rather misconceptions that have infiltrated today’s society.
These heresies address the inaccuracy of beliefs surrounding (1) the nature of God, (2) evolution, (3) temple marriage, (4) the doctrine of salvation, (5) the process of eternal progression, (6) mankind’s relationship to Adam, and (7) the necessity of perfection.
Elder McConkie acknowledges that inaccurate notions about these particular doctrines are not commonly held among Church members. However, such heresies can nonetheless be destructive and should be dispelled for the sake of our eternal progression.
As we come to understand vital truths, we can better find peace and happiness in this life and in the life to come. “We have the obligation to find out what is truth,” Elder McConkie affirms, “and then we have the obligation to walk in the light and to apply the truths that we have learned to ourselves and to influence others to do likewise.”
Read Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s full article, “The Seven Deadly Heresies,” and learn about religious misunderstandings and their correct truths.
Source: BYU Speeches
—Margaret Willden, Mormon Insights
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Find more insights
Read or watch President Boyd K. Packer’s talk “From Such Turn Away” to learn more about the danger of falling prey to religious misconceptions.
To discover how a testimony of truth can bless your life, read or watch President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s address “Receiving a Testimony of Light and Truth.”
Read Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s talk “Balancing Truth and Tolerance” to learn how to both champion truth and be tolerant of others’ beliefs.
This is definitely something that is good to be mindful of. Satan is really good at twisting truths and making it seem like the church is changing, or that it should change to match the world. But God is constant, and I appreciate the stability that comes with making him the center of our lives.