Friday, January 22, 2010

If Any of You Lack Wisdom

Back in the day, whenever I lacked wisdom, I would frequently turn to God for an answer. I’ll admit that it was hit-and-miss at times, but such are the mysterious promptings of the Spirit.

Working a lot with the youth at Church, I was pondering the other night on how a young man of fourteen might search for answers to life’s questions these days, and how different it may be when compared to Joseph Smith in the 1820’s. Back then, to search for answers to profound questions in life, one might have sequestered himself/herself in the woods, prayed, and hoped for a vision or spiritual experience.

Fast forward to today. How many youth or adults out there think of posing difficult questions only to God these days, hoping for some discernable or tangible answer that’s reliable? Wouldn’t most people just start with Google and do some in-depth online research into the options? I imagine that this is the reason the Church has been pouring so many resources into online information, advertising, encouraging pro-Mormon blogging, etc.

So, the question struck me: In what areas these days is God more reliable in clearly answering questions than Google? Perhaps Google is God’s new-and-improved conduit to man for communications from on-high? Have we finally been given a reliable source for near-instant answers to hard questions? I’ve felt this possibility many times while receiving Google’s answers to age-old questions. How do I lose that extra holiday weight? Does a certain Ward member have a criminal record that I should be aware of before calling them into the nursery?

So, perhaps an update to the oft-quoted scripture is due: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of Google, that giveth to all men liberally; and upbraideth not; and it shall be given to him. As a bonus: no faith required to use Google.

7 comments:

  1. When I'm feeling extra-faithful in the revelatory power of Google, I click "I'm Feeling Lucky".

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  2. I love Google! It always gives me the answer I'm searching for -- and promptly.

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  3. Google is pulling back the curtain. Look out puppet masters...I see your feet!

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  4. SC - Very good point about Google and faith. I should have thought of that...

    V - Couldn't agree more

    MOG - Hopefully this includes the huge Chinese curtain of information. What a shame if the Chinese loose such a source of wisdom.

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  5. I've taken to prefacing comments made in Sunday School with, "As I read on the internet - the source of all truth and knowledge - ..."

    People laughed the first time. Now they just get irritated.

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  6. Michael - The truth is hard to hear sometimes, like, "Polyester is out of style."

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  7. Yes, Google must be of God because Bing is clearly of the Devil.

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