Finding Our True North: Purpose, Principle, and the Spirit's Guidance

Sometimes, the things we spend our time railing against—the cultural currents, the misplaced priorities, the intellectual trends—feel like they are trying to define the very boundaries of our thoughts. They want to tell us what we should find funny, what we should read, or even what we should believe. It can feel overwhelming, like we are constantly being policed from the outside.

But as we gather here, in the quiet space of discipleship, we are learning something vital: that the deepest, most sustaining purpose doesn't come from reacting to the noise. It comes from something far more enduring.

I was listening recently to a conversation between Douglas Murray and Dr. Jordan Peterson discussing this very thing—the search for purpose. They touched on how a misguided sense of purpose can lead to profound misery, and how that search is a fundamental part of the human journey. It made me think about our own journey as Latter-day Saints.

We are always being called to move beyond the 'shallow' satisfactions—the temporary enjoyments or the easy answers—and tap into something deep. The natural instinct, as the Spirit guides us, is to look for a universal purpose. This is the grand, overarching narrative that gives our lives weight and meaning.

The Messianic Stage: A Call to Higher Things

One concept that really resonated with me was Piaget's idea of the 'Messianic stage.' It speaks to that necessary leap—the move from dependence on immediate, small groups to identifying with something vast, something universal. For us, as disciples, that 'something universal' is the covenant path, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the eternal plan of salvation.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the immediate—the next assignment, the next meeting, the next challenge. But the Spirit is constantly guiding us upward, reminding us that our purpose is not just local or temporary. It is eternal. It is about connecting our individual lives to the grand, unfolding narrative of God’s plan for His children.

Willful Exposure to Combat Fear

The discussion also highlighted the necessity of "willful exposure." In our mission preparation, we talk constantly about going where the Spirit sends us, even when it feels uncomfortable or when we don't know the answers. This concept echoes that. We can’t just wait for the difficult questions to come to us; we have to go out into the field, into the heart of the investigator, and be willing to be exposed to the challenging questions ourselves.

This isn't about being fearless—that's a myth. It’s about choosing to face the discomfort of the unknown, the difficulty of the conversation, or the challenge of the curriculum, because we know the *Source* of our strength. It’s about trusting the covenants we’ve made.

Being Christlike in All Things

If we boil it down, the ultimate purpose—the one that satisfies the spirit and anchors our lives—is to become more like Christ. That requires intentionality. It requires us to study, to pray, to wrestle with the doctrines, and yes, to engage in the hard work of discipleship, whether that’s in a Book Club, a Bible Study Group in HolyPlaces, or simply in our own quiet moments of reflection.

My challenge to you this week, as you continue your own journey toward becoming a more seasoned disciple, is to identify one area where you have been practicing 'willful blindness'—an area where you are choosing the easy path of silence or agreement rather than the difficult path of truth. Then, commit to bringing that truth into the light, even if it feels awkward or unpopular.

Remember, every member can be an Internet missionary, every member can be a disciple anywhere, all the time. Let’s keep refining our mental furniture, building our understanding on the solid rock of revelation.

If this message resonated with you, I encourage you to dive deeper. Check out the latest readings from the Iron Rod authors available in LivingBook, or join a Book Club to discuss these ideas with others who are also striving to be Christlike.