The Truth of Truth

The study and critique of meaning, albeit a linguistic branch of philosophy, is all the same, integral to a full understanding of a broad view of existentialism, especially one of Mormon Existentialism that seeks to know the truth of truth and how the answer to this seemingly impossible but very attractive paradigm might better serve a Latter-Day Saint member. In an existentialist critique, such as this, it is imperative to be well versed in the canon of the critique of meaning, i.e. semiology and structuralist theory, to begin a realization of the truth that is contained in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the sophistry and irrelevance of this dogmatic branch of philosophy. Thus the truth of truth will ultimately be measured as one seeks the truth of he whom is all truth.

Existentialism in itself asks the question of existence and in that there is no universal meaning left to substantiate any touchstone to affirm the truth of existence, instead, like a black hole- the theory of deconstruction, pairing opposites and demonstrating their reversal with the same results “proving” a level ground and sameness without distinction, rooted in semiotics which holds that all meaning is arbitrary as there is nothing inherent in the meaningful response to stimuli, only that which is conditioned- sucks the establishment of tradition and truth down its gaping gulf to never see reality, if there is one, again.

This was the philosophy of meaning towards the latter half of the 20th century and is still being held as absolute, an interesting irony coming from those who disclaim absolutes, today. Today is not so simple with a post-technologically revolutionized global economically socially networked international community of exchange of both the physical and the ideological; integration and globalization in this condition of today makes the overly generalized ideology of deconstruction, used with such portent in the ‘60s civil rights revolutions where it made some social progress, today simply irrelevant and void.

With integration and globalization creating limitless pluralities of global dynamics, how can one begin to assert that each, in so many infinite nuanced conditions and states of being, can be brought to a simple state of opposite and then manipulated and deconstructed? The idea is nonsensical in a world where difference is the rule that actually creates interest and progress. There must be an alternative. Thus, the reality of the philosophies of the post-structuralists that gave such weight to the angst ridden existentialist simply is a past historiology just as once Rousseauianism and the Social Contract seemed appropriate for the Enlightment, it died, now Derrida is dead, and with him goes the absolutist, another irony, idea that God is dead, who in a pluralistic post-Modern reality, is very alive to very many.

It is reconstruction that fits the universal mold of this day. What is reconstructionism? It has an entirely different methodology to its structure than deconstructionism, and it is based on a core principle that is divinely ordained by God. God alone is the one who can give it and God alone can take it away. This is agency, history knows it as free will, the Mormon Existentialist knows it as agency. In communities we relate through language. As this occurs, ideas are generated. Thought produces ideas, words communicate ideas, communities embrace ideas, together they create meaning and ultimately truth.

Agency is the facilitator that allows the mind to respond, even if arbitrary, to stimuli that best suits it. If the thought fits, use it. As a community goes about reacting to stimuli, they do so freely, choosing, without realizing it, the meaning that occurs as a response to random stimuli. These thoughts galvanize into ideas. If this community, given that each member has agency to choose, via a natural response, according to sensory stimuli, all come to the same conclusions, without each member arriving at one end of the conceptual spectrum and another there and another there, yet another far off in the distance, on the contrary, that community of independent agencies and ideas has naturally and collectively arrived at a homogenous, unified, meaningful truth, this being demonstrated here through logic as absolute and quite miraculous in the humanitarian aspect as well as the spiritual, and thus is the structure of reconstruction.

In our globalized world, with such difference, this reconstruction is imperative if communities and bodies of difference are to coalesce and to work and grow together. Great cultural divides of difference impossible to know the actual fullness of, must be traversed through this natural God given condition, a kind of unspoken language, to collectively arrive at meanings in a world of difference where that difference can be preserved, while we can maintain meaningful relationships grounded in commonalities.

In this reality, an international faith such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, whose membership reaches every corner of the globe and is more of a worldwide faith than domestic, relies on the absoluteness of truth to hold its membership together. One can rest assured, as scripture and living prophets indicate the divine nature of truth. Yet existentially, we ask the possibility to know the truth of truth and in this we might consider a like purpose of scripture and prophets, albeit using logic instead of revaluation, to attempt a reconstruction of the absolute truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the nature of this truth on the plurality of the global community, for the sake of existential relevancy, ultimately to become more effective members of the LDS community. Mormonism is a faith of a multiplicity of ethnicities, heritages, traditions, tribes, cultures, languages and dialects. Through agency, members seek personally the nature of truths. As is the structure of every reconstruction, the mind responds to stimuli, in this instance, the member responds to promptings of the Holy Spirit, this being the spirit of Christ. As the individual accordingly discovers personal truth, subsequently this truth is found to be universal being also familiar in the collective international Latter-Day Saint community. This powerfully asserts the validity of such truths, being discovered intrinsically on a personal level while also a universal truth sacred to the collective. As members in the LDS faith, one might be bold and assert the knowledge of the divine truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ while upholding the truth of the plan of salvation and making it a united purpose to put universal Gospel truths to action. Demonstrative through this reconstruction; given the gift of agency, responding as one who is spiritually in tune to the promptings of the Spirit, discovering a revelation of truth both personally and universally, surely, one will flourish with a surer foundation of faith and knowledge through understanding, by becoming more and more secure of the powerful strength and validity of truths, effectuating the value of such truths in one’s own life, and becoming effective in contributing to the good and spiritual progression of others.