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Many of you probably feel inadequate in your testimony of Jesus. I am willing to bet that at least some of you have never felt the burning in the bosom (D&C 8, 9) or have heard his voice speak to your mind or heart. This can lead to feelings of frustration or disappointment. It can cause feelings of doubt, especially when others who scoff at those who believe in Jesus seem so sure in their position. It’s fine to rely on the testimony of others until you can reach a point of being able to stand on your own. While we might smile and laugh a bit at young toddlers learning to walk, nobody seriously teases and mocks them for their lack of ability. We all know that with practice and with a bit of experience they will learn to walk, eventually run, and some will even become so proficient that they can accomplish amazing athletic feats. The toddler learning to walk seems to have a great desire to figure it out — they try and try again.

If you have ever been to a historic site, a national park, or a shopping mall (do people still go to shopping malls?) you have probably seen a map with a marker showing your location at the site. The map usually shows in large letters: “You are here”. It’s to help orient you regarding your current position in relation to your surroundings.

I think in religion we often look at our surroundings and see a mental map in our head that says, “You are here”. There is an assumption that every step along the way to where we are was in the correct direction. If we are “here”, then we are exactly where we were supposed to be. But are we? Is it possible that steps in the wrong direction were made from time to time? Is it possible that at least some of those missteps were reinforced instead of corrected? I think so. In fact, I think it’s more likely than not that we’ve made mistakes in doctrine along the way. Entropy, drift, apostasy – whatever you want to call it is the default state of the universe.