The Courage to Be Examined: A Journey Inward

We live in a time of relentless analysis – of systems, of policies, of everything external to the self. Yet, how often do we turn that same scrutiny inward? How readily do we offer platitudes of “I’m fine” when a tempest rages within? The brother in the video speaks to this pervasive avoidance, a cultural aversion to honest self-assessment that, he rightly observes, is the bedrock of injustice and spiritual stagnation.

His simple definition of selfishness – placing oneself at the center and demanding one’s desires – cuts through the noise. It's a stark reminder that the roots of societal ills often lie in the unacknowledged weeds of personal pride and self-interest. And it’s easy to nod along, to intellectually agree, while simultaneously avoiding the painful work of confronting those weeds within our own hearts.

The call to prayer – “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (D&C 139:3) – is not a casual request. It’s a declaration of vulnerability, a surrender to divine insight. It requires a courage that is born not of self-confidence, but of a profound recognition of one's own limitations and a desperate need for divine guidance.

Think of Nephi’s journey. He wrestled with his own pride and resentment, his own desires for recognition and approval. It was only through humility, through acknowledging his failings and seeking the Lord's intervention, that he could truly fulfill his calling. Similarly, the prophet Isaiah, in his searing pronouncements of judgment and restoration, constantly confessed his own unworthiness, his own need for cleansing (Isaiah 6:5-7). This isn’t a pattern reserved for prophets of old; it is the continual requirement of every Latter-day Saint.

The temple, in its sacred ordinances, is a physical manifestation of this inward journey. It’s a place where we are stripped bare, not of our garments, but of the pretense and self-deception that often shroud our hearts. We come before God, not as polished presentations of ourselves, but as those in need of redemption, of healing, of divine insight.

President Kimball taught that “We must be willing to lay all our preconceptions on the altar of truth and offer them as a sacrifice.” (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 209). This requires a willingness to face uncomfortable truths about ourselves, to acknowledge our failings, and to actively seek the Lord’s help in overcoming them.

This week, as this brother invites us to embark on an internal journey, let us do so with a spirit of earnest humility and a fervent desire to be known, to be examined, and to be led. Let us not shy away from the discomfort, but embrace it as an opportunity for growth and a deepening of our relationship with the Lord.

What questions are you avoiding? What shadows linger in the corners of your heart?