Do you "believe" or do you "know"?

Question

In church Sunday, a speaker said when he was on his mission (LDS) his mission president once asked him "do you believe or do you know?" The point of his talk was gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of course he challenged us to ask ourselves if we believe the gospel is true or if we know the gospel is true.
So, now I am asking you, not necessarily LDS only, but of your own testimony, are there things you believe but don't "know"... or things you "know" to be true of the gospel.
I know for myself the gospel is true and try to live it as best I can.

MichaelP - my solid evidence is my testimony, a witness received from the Holy Ghost that what I believe, I also know to be true. I cannot prove that to anyone, but I don't need to. thanks

Answer 1

I agree with Ymmo, except in one thing - I think there is a way of knowing for sure. Knowledge and belief ARE mutually exclusive, as it relates to specific aspects of the gospel. You can't have an imperfect thing (belief) within a perfect thing (knowledge). However, knowledge and belief are NOT mutually exclusive as it relates to the whole of the gospel. The imperfect and the perfect dwell within us all the time, otherwise we couldn't have a perfect knowledge that God lives, while at the same time having an imperfect knowledge/belief that a certain aspect of the gospel is true. That's why our testimony can grow. That's why we're here (on Earth).

So do I know or believe? Yes. I know AND I believe. I have a perfect knowledge of some things, but, as Alma said in relating the story of the planting of the seed, you can't lay aside your faith/belief in all things just because you have knowledge in one thing.

Answer 2

I do not have sure knowledge. I am still building on my testimony. I have faith, and belief in Christ, and God. I have belief and faith that the BoM and the Bible are true.

But I lack absolute knowledge in anything other than my faith.

I do know that when I was first reading the Book of Mormon I was overcome with a joy I had *never* experienced in my lifetime. I have yet to feel this strong of a pull from the Holy Ghost again, but I have since felt it's presence especially while at the Ward, reading the BoM, watching a recording of Gordon B. Hinkley or being around other LDS.

Answer 3

I do believe in the gospel and I have a testimony of the church and it's teachings, I am not perfect, fortunately I don't have to be to go the Celestial Kingdom.

Answer 4

If you receive a "witness" from the Holy Ghost, confirming that what you believe in is in fact, true, then that "belief" becomes more of a "knowledge
than a mere belief. The more you experiment upon the word of God, and try it out, and exercise your faith and beliefs, that belief continues to grow and mature and will eventually, if you keep nurturing it, it will become a pure knowledge.

Much like the prophets of old, they acted on their faith, yes, but it was more. It was a knowledge. We can get that too.

Answer 5

Well, my friend, I know what I know and I know what I believe and I know what I wonder about because I don't know. Not as a sign of weakness, I will also state that I know that scientists do not have all of the answers, nor do believers. The Book of Mormon, well, that I know is not true, with the same amount of conviction that you know that it is true, so somebody somewhere must be wrong (maybe). Personally, I put more stock in the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy than the Book of Mormon. Me tell you I'm wrong? Don't bet on it and I won't ask you to drop what you believe just because I say its bunko, either. Maybe the universe is totally unlike the old westen town where one gunslinger says to another "This town ain't big enough for the both of us, pardner." Maybe this universe is big enough for the both of us as well as weird enough to accomodate the both of us in a way such that we are both right. Have you ever heard of 'quantum weirdness'? The universe is as they say, not only stranger than you ever imagined, it's stranger than you can imagine . But please feel free to 'know' whatever you know if it's what keeps your life in order. That's what's important, so stick with it and don't worry about what I think.

Answer 6

I truly believe that I know that the Gospel is true.
And like you said, I have Faith of this and I don't have to and I can't prove it in all aspects but I know it is true.

Answer 7

Of course there is no way of knowing. That's what belief is ultimately about - not KNOWING, but still believing.
Knowledge excludes belief, for belief there must be a possibility of a doubt.
Knowledge and belief are mutually exclusive.

If you believe in a god, you believe it exists. You don't KNOW it exists. For example, you get your mail delivered every day, but you don't believe in the postman.... cause you just simply know there is one.

If you don't know, you may choose to believe in something.. or not.

Answer 8

I assert that I believe, as I am of the mind to accept not everything is possible for me to know.

In my heart, in my soul, for me, I KNOW it.

Hope that makes sense.

Answer 9

I KNOW that God exists. I can see proof of this all around me in all of his creation.

I BELIEVE in the promise of life after death. There is no proof, but Christ said it was so, so I believe it.

Answer 10

I think mine are mostly beliefs - HOWEVER! They are beliefs I've formed completely on my own with no input from anyone. Not even people who agree with me.

So to me they are truths that I know. Even if they're just beliefs.