The Savior's statement used as the title of this article is found in the 8th Chapter of the Gospel of John. Christ was teaching in the temple. The chapter begins by the Pharisees testing Jesus by bringing a woman caught in adultery. After he had effectively disarmed the accusers and dismissed the grateful woman, he turned to the remaining crowd of temple worshippers and declared:

     I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life...
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. (John 8:12, 31-32)

     The non-believers in the crowd took exception to their need to become free, claiming that since they had never been in bondage to any man, why was He saying that they would be free when they were already free?
     In response, Christ gave His challengers a pungent declaration about their being in bondage to the devil who was their master. He emphasized that there was no truth in the devil or his children. So it appears that Christ was defining truth and bondage on a much deeper level than we usually think. Notice what He said next:

     Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:43-44)

     During this whole debate covered in Chapter 8, the skeptics kept challenging each statement that Christ would make. For example, when He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death," (John 8:51) they plaintively pointed out that such a statement had to be false for even Abraham was dead, along with the other prophets of Israel.

     So we might also ask, what is this special truth that will set us free far above the freedom we already enjoy? Did Christ mean a level of freedom unknowable to the natural man and only knowable to the spiritual man? What did He mean that there is absolutely no truth in the devil? The devil loves to quote the truth found in the scriptures, as he did to Christ during His temptation.
     Such questions about the ultimate meaning of truth came to a head when Christ was later confronted by Pilate, who questioned Him,

     Art thou a king then?
     Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, THAT I SHOULD BEAR WITNESS UNTO THE TRUTH. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.
     Pilate saith unto Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in Him no fault at all. (John 18:37-38)

     So Pilate, in essence, asked the same question. So what is this incredible truth that Christ was born to bear witness to and that would set man free?

     In my series of books on A Blessing Hitherto Unknown, we follow the theme that the "mark" that Israel looked beyond was none other than Christ's greatest gift, his perfect love, which can be shed into the hearts of the children of men. Being bestowed that love is called entering into the rest of the Lord from this time, wherein one hungers and thirsts no more. It is the love that casts out all fear, which is what bondage is all about.
     So is this the freedom that Christ was promising? It certainly sounds like it, for when one is filled with Christ's perfect love, thus no longer hungering and thirsting, living totally beyond fear and torment, would one not be truly free, regardless of whether one is cast into a dungeon or living in a palace?      John explained that Christ, at the Last Supper, emphasized the necessity of His disciples possessing and demonstrating His own quality of perfect love when He said,

     For emphasis, Christ repeated this new commandment later in the feast. "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you...These things I command you, that ye love one another." (John 15:12, 17)

     Christ said he did not come into the world to judge the world. We are to do the same. "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, he shall be judged." But does judging have anything to do with not being free? Does envy, jealousy, contempt, disdain, impatience, anger or any other forms of intolerance produce real burdens and limitations to our being truly free?
     Christ said, "Resist not evil." Are we not contained and restrained by what we resist? Then why do we continually judge? Don't we judge things by our standards of what we believe is true and false? Does not our understanding of truth make us continually judge that which does not square with our individual concepts of the truth? Do we not feel that anything which is less than the truth deserves our disapproval? For example, when others have political agendas, doctrinal positions, social behavior, beliefs, or values which we believe to be false, even dangerous, don't we feel we should hold them in some level of contempt? But when we do, are we not confined, limited, restrained in our harmony and love with such people. If so, we are loving them less than Christ loves us?
     So let's return to Christ's declaration, that if we knew the truth, the truth would make us free. Well, when seen from our tendency to judge everything that does not square with our concept of the truth, it would appear that because we think we know the truth, and judge everything from that view of the truth, we are anything but free! Christ said that everyone who was born of His Spirit would be free like the wind. But, instead, most of us seem to be more like the trees, being pushed and shoved by our likes and dislikes, what we accept and reject, what we see as beautiful or ugly, appropriate and inappropriate, what is right in opposition to what is wrong?
     Our beliefs about the truth forces us to compare what should be with what should not be. So from this view of things, it appears that the more "truth" we have found, the more compelled we are in our need to promote and defend that truth. This is the key ingredient of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Our being loyal defenders of our tree of knowledge keeps us comparing (judging) "what is" with "what it ought to be." In doing so, we never seem to find the full measure of Christ's promised love, bringing an end to conflict, struggle and resistance, the key ingredients to bondage.

     Our standard definition of truth, harvested directly from the tree of knowledge, is that truth is WHAT IS, WHAT WAS AND WHAT WILL BE! In other words, we tend to believe there can be only one ultimate reality and only when we find it do we know the one and only truth. From that definition, truth is never relative. It is absolute. Something happened or it did not happen. We believe something is a certain way and that is the truth.
     Is not this the reason that we study the scriptures, and each in our own way come to believe what is God's one and only truth about what is and what is not, what is good and what is evil? In this way we are convinced that we have discovered God's ultimate and only definition of good and evil, and that is the only truth. But let's remember, this comes from the tree of knowledge and is defined as the preparatory gospel which teaches us to see things in black and white, true or false, right or wrong.
     Can we, as modern Israel, learn the painful lesson of ancient Israel and their law of Moses? For example, let's take their Word of Wisdom. They were given a very strict dietary law so they would know exactly what was clean (good) and what was unclean (evil) before God. By that law, they could not eat rabbits, pigs, turtles and camels, but they could eat locust, beetles and grasshoppers. For emphasis, the Lord declared:

     For I am the Lord your God. Ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy, for I am holy. Neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth...to make a difference between the unclean and the clean. (Leviticus 11:44-47)

     Also, let's remember, that this strict dietary code was just part of their "preparatory gospel, which gospel is the gospel of repentance and of baptism, and the remission of sins, which the Lord IN HIS WRATH caused to continue with the house of Aaron among the children of Israel." (D&C 84:26-27)

     Since the tree of life represents the gift of the pure love of Christ, is it possible that the freedom Christ promised can only come with the gift of His perfect love? Would it not require such a love to take us beyond pettiness, envy, jealousy, judgmentalness, intolerance, prejudice and disdain? But how can that be? What truth could we know that would really set us free of these natural tendencies of everyday life?
     The answer can be found in the two sections (88th and 93rd) of the Doctrine and Covenants which have to do with our receiving the Second Comforter. In the last of those two sections, we have a definition of truth which totally contradicts our usual understanding of what truth is. That contradiction is not easily recognized until we look at God's "tree of life" definition of truth in a very careful way. The importance of God's definition is that one critical word is added to our standard definition. That critical additional word is "knowledge." Here is the definition:

     At first some might suppose that whether the word knowledge is in the definition or not is really immaterial. They might say, "the knowledge of what is" and "what is" are identical. Yet, if we believe the word knowledge is redundant, we will miss the difference between the two trees, one being the tree of death and the other being the tree of life.
     Surprisingly, the very next verse warns us not to tinker with this precise, divinely inspired definition in any way, for if we do, we are warned that we are playing into the hands of devil, the father of lies. This is the next verse:

     And whatsoever is MORE OR LESS than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from the beginning. (D&C 93:25)

     So if we change this definition by removing the word knowledge, then we would have truth defined as merely "things as they are, and they were, and as they are to come." As mentioned, this is the definition of truth found on the tree of knowledge. And who is it that successfully tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree of knowledge? Satan, of course! And because of our partaking of the tree of knowledge, we lost access to the tree of life, and became fallen, natural man, an enemy to God, carnal, sensual and devilish:
1. Carnal because we do everything for gain (what's in it for me).
2. Sensual because we like to feel good and not feel bad ("love" is a good feeling).
3. Devilish because we want to control everything (just so everything will be the way we know it ought to be).

     The dictionary says that knowledge is what we perceive directly with the sense or mind. In other words, our knowledge of anything is our perception of that thing, which is the result of the process, act, or faculty of perceiving.
     We often hear the truism, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In the same way, one man's trash is another man's treasure. Is the room too hot, cold or just right? Is the punch too sweet, too sour or just right. Each person will answer from his or her perception gained from personal experience. So in this way, we can say that the words "knowledge" and "perception" are interchangeable. This broader and more realistic understanding of knowledge totally changes the definition of truth. Truth, therefore, is the PERCEPTION OF WHAT IS, WAS AND WILL BE. As we know by hearing various witnesses to an accident, individual perception is always relative and is never absolute.
     Let's take an example. A painting of a nude woman hangs in the lobby of a hotel. The picture on the wall is a fact. But that fact, all by itself, is of little meaning. There is much more we might want to know about the painting. Is it appropriate or inappropriate, pornographic or art, a crude rendition or a great painting, embarrassing or delightful, beautiful or ugly? If hundreds of people were to report on their perception of the picture being on public display, there would be hundreds of variations. To each person, their perception of the painting would be their conclusion about what the painting really is. Based upon their perception, their conclusions (knowledge), the painting is good or bad, right or wrong, approvable or disapprovable. And that is their TRUTH of the picture. In this way, we see that the truth of the painting is much more inclusive, individualized and variable than merely the fact that a painting hangs on the wall.
     So now we can see the value of God's definition of truth, that truth is not what is, was or will be, but our perceptions, our conclusions, i.e., our knowledge of what is, was or will be. This more flexible view of truth can greatly reduce one's tendency to be offended by those who see "truth" differently. Bigotry is defined as an intolerance to those who have differing views.

     Why is it that each of us see things in different ways? Sometimes our way is just a little different than others, while sometimes our views are totally opposite from those we respect and hold dear. Yet each of us is usually convinced that our particular point of view is the only logical and reasonable way to see the truth. Where do these vast differences which can cause so much contention come from?
     Obviously, our backgrounds have much to do with it. Also our inherited traits are also a factor. But there is one more source we should consider. It is found in the other section of the Doctrine and Covenants that has to do with our receiving the Second Comforter. Section 88 speaks of Christ being the light of truth. We have heard it often, but what is the LIGHT OF TRUTH? The 93rd Section describes "the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, LIGHT AND TRUTH. Light and truth forsake the evil one." (D&C 93:36-37)
     Intelligence is not just light and it is not just truth, it is both light and truth. We might say that LIGHT reveals the facts of existence and TRUTH reveals our perception, understanding or knowledge of existence. Since this light of Christ is given to each of us, then we have a third source of our perception of what is. This is the way the Lord describes this divine source of our understanding.

     And the light which shineth, which given you light, is through Him who enlighteneth your eyes [to see the facts], which is the same light that QUICKENETH YOUR UNDERSTANDING [perception], which light proceedth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space--the light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed. (D&C 88:11-13)

     As is mentioned a few verses earlier, "Which truth shineth. This is the light of Christ." We are also told that God is no respecter of persons, for "the Spirit giveth light to EVERY MAN that cometh into the world, and the Spirit enlighteneth EVERY MAN through the world, that hearkenth to the voice of the Spirit." (D&C 84:46)

     In my Book I, Looking Beyond the Mark, I consider in great depth how the Lord took the plainness away from Israel and revealed to them many things which they could not understand so that they would stumble. (Jacob 4:14) In Book II, Finding the Mark, I discussed the important concept that God's hand is in all things, including the darkness which covers the earth. So just as we have the story of God confusing the tongues of mankind, we can see His purpose in confusing the understanding or perceptions of mankind so that we could come under the fall. Under the fall, we inevitably partake of the zeal, arrogance and bigotry which comes from the forbidden tree of knowledge, the source of believing there is only one reality--and we believe we are the chosen few who know what that one reality is.
     Even though a dear friend of mine had become involved in a recent apostate movement and had soon broken away, he had still not found a simple and clear peace with Christ. So in helping him through our RFA process, I attempted to help him find some personal direction by relating directly to Christ. It didn't seem to be helping much as he kept sobbing in his inner grief. So I helped him imagine that he was in the mind of Christ, looking at himself. He continued sobbing for a few minutes and then, suddenly, started laughing with incredible delight. As his eyes filled with tears of joy, he found it impossible to explain to us what had happened. In fact, he had to go for a walk by himself, continuing to enjoy his new insight. Finally, he was able to return and explain what had happened.
     While seeing himself through the eyes of Christ, the Savior graciously presented him with a beautiful package of "truth" which was just for him. But then, still as the Savior, he turned to many others, such as Moses, Paul, Buddha, Mohammed, Luther, Joseph, Wesley and Wycliff. To each he gave an equally beautiful but different looking package of "truth." Then the Savior spoke to the whole group, including himself, these words, "Now, dear brethren, let's see if you can all get along!"
     As far as my friend was concerned, the Savior had shown him the truth that will set us free, to catch the cosmic joke that is inherent in the illusion of the tree of knowledge (prejudice and separateness, called death) and revealed so clearly on the tree of life (love and oneness, called eternal life).

     Once we see that truth is not what is but is our individual perception of what is, and that Christ is directly involved in each individual's "understanding" of what the one and only truth seems to be, a paradigm shift takes place in our relationship to those who have differing views. We are no longer held by the chains of hell, holding us to a rigid, judgmental zeal for our one and only truth. Yes, we will have our particular perspective, our favorite view of what works and aligns with our view of God, but we will not have to feel that it is our sacred obligation to correct everyone's errors. Christ called this natural temptation of self righteous judging, trying to take the speck out of others' eyes while ignoring the beam in our own.
     Yes, seeing God's hand in every side of a question allows us to experience the miracle of, as we say in our Articles of Faith, TO BELIEVE ALL THINGS. In other words, we can see that there must be logical reasons behind all sides to every question. Yes, of course, we will still have our favorite view, but not at the expense of having those feelings of disdain, anger, intolerance, etc. for those of differing views. Then, simple as it is, we are free from contention, prejudice, bigotry and disdain. Instead of doubting the honesty of the motives of others, we offer a friendly hand of understanding to see how they are being inspired to see the situation from another point of view. Thus it may be possible to become peaceable walkers with Christ and peaceable walkers with the children of men.
     It is said that there are only two kinds of people in the world. Those we love and those we don't understand. In other words, we cannot understand another person without loving that person. That is why it is wise to realize that if we had walked in their moccasins, experienced life as they have, had the same genes and had the same inspiration from the Spirit, we would be seeing the "truth" the same way. Yes, it is then that we can see that, even when we do not agree, we need not be intolerant or judgmental.

     Our latter-day priesthood was warned that many are called and ordained but few are chosen, and those who are not chosen have sinned a grievous sin of walking in darkness at noonday. When we fail to see God's hand in ALL things, and that the light that gives every man his understanding comes from the same source, then we remain locked into the bondage of the devil's tree of knowledge and refuse the liberty in Christ found on the tree of life. Let us read again the message Christ said He was born to bear witness: