Uncertainty is a reality of life that we all have to deal with. By acknowledging the imperfection of our own knowledge, we can still learn despite uncertainty.
“Fear is asking, ‘What if…?’ Faith is saying, ‘Even if….’” My boss once shared this quote with me during a work training, and the profundity of that statement struck me. Fear is worrying about the unknown and filling in the gaps with the worst-case scenario. Faith is focusing on what will still be true, even if life doesn’t go according to our plans. But that space of uncertainty can be difficult, even frightening, for members of a religious community who know that “it is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance” (Doctrine and Covenants 131:6).
Photo by Esra Korkmaz
In her 2019 devotional, “The Gift of Uncertainty,” Professor Amy Tanner talks about why uncertainty is necessary for our growth and how we can learn to live with it. In a speech about the relationship between uncertainty and religion, one might expect the main thesis to focus on clarifying doctrinal dilemmas or providing a list of coping strategies. But what I love about Professor Tanner’s treatment of the topic is that her answer to the question “Why doesn’t God provide more clarity on certain topics?” is simple: “Maybe we don’t know yet.” She takes her own advice and recognizes that uncertainty is a necessary starting point for any learner. She says that our lack of certainty can teach us Christlike attributes like humility and that we develop a stronger relationship with God if we have to rely on Him more. However, she still acknowledges that these won’t be satisfactory answers for all.
One of Professor Tanner’s key insights is that when we are uncertain and wonder why God would not provide more clarity on a topic so important to us, we should strive to see God where we can. She recounts that many times a seemingly low-stakes prayer, such as her plea to find lost keys or a misplaced library book, was answered right away. She then wonders “why God would answer a prayer for lost keys but not answer prayers that are far more consequential.” Her reply is profound: “I believe that an answer to a prayer about lost keys can be a message of love from our Heavenly Parents, who know that when it comes to matters of more consequence, we will struggle to see Their hands in our lives.”
As we strive to see God where we can, we will find that our uncertainty does not have to be paralyzing. Even if we struggle to find an answer to our deepest questions and concerns, we can still feel God’s love in the simple love notes he sends us through daily tender mercies. Instead of asking “What if…?” in the face of uncertainty, we can press forward knowing that even if our concerns are not yet resolved, we are loved by God. As Professor Tanner says, “To me, it is a beautiful mystery that I can fail to fully comprehend God but that, nevertheless, in my own incomprehension I can feel that I have some understanding of God’s infinite love for me.”
Read Amy Tanner’s full devotional, “The Gift of Uncertainty,” to gain more insight into the nature of knowledge and uncertainty in a religious context.
Source: BYU Speeches
—Christopher Wolfersberger, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY MAGDA EHLERA
Find more insights
Read Liz Wiseman’s devotional, “The Power of Not Knowing,” to learn more about the role of uncertainty in our growth.
Read President Emily Belle Freeman’s talk “Best Days and Worst Days” to hear about staying close to God even when it’s hard.
Read Natalie Fernsten’s article “Finding Peace in the Liminality” to find more insights on accepting the in-between phases of our faith.
Read Jamie L. Jensen’s devotional, “Faith and Science: Symbiotic Pathways to Truth,” to learn more about the nature of knowledge and faith.
I love these two different comprisons of faith!