The Road Less Traveled

    "...Pleading for the light is what opened this dispensation. It is what keeps it going, and it is what will keep you going." So spoke Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in a 1999 BYU Devotional entitled, "Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence". In it, he addresses the issue of coming unto God with our questions with faith that they will be answered, although opposition may rage. I couldn't help but think of this in relation to the reading of the treatises of Desiderio Erasmus and Martin Luther. There opposing views gave much for men of the 16th century to think about, and in many ways, the debate still rages. While I honor the study, pondering and forethought that must have gone into Luther's impassioned writing citing corruption within the Roman Catholic Church, and his subsequent call for reformation therein, I was disappointed at his seeming lack of understanding on the subject of free will. This was tempered, however, by further reasoning on my part that inspiration and revelation come line upon line, and are generally suited to the time period in which they occur. There must always be trailblazers in every dispensation, and one builds upon another, until the light can be fully developed and new understanding dawns.
    In that light, I was intrigued with the depth of understanding which Erasmus exhibited in his thoughtful view and treatment of sacred scripture. His consideration of it in the light of reason--a faculty with which I believe man is endowed for divine purpose--was likely ahead of most of the thinking of his time, and doubtless provoked much continued thought and debate; perhaps the reason it was granted in the first place. Both men played an integral role in promoting the thought and inquiry that fanned the flames of the Protestant Reformation, as the Roman Catholic Church began to lose its ability to dictate, the publication of treatises sparked debate among classes, and Christian Humanism celebrated man's individual rights, freedom and will.
    For my part, I am grateful for those who sought enlightenment and were brave enough to take the road less traveled. I am the beneficiary, though generations removed, of their questions, study and pondering. I have walked in solitude down the path which runs through the Sacred Grove, and pondered the path of the feet of a young boy who sought answers to his quest, first by study, and then by faith. I am grateful to know that I, too, can pose questions and seek answers, resting in the knowledge that He hears me.