Truth
Overview
This text is a poem written by John Jaques in 1850, which was subsequently included by Franklin D. Richards in the 1851 first edition of the Pearl of Great Price (a foundational text for British Latter-day Saints). The poem elevates 'truth' to the status of an eternal, uncreated, and indestructible principle that outlasts earthly tyrants and the physical universe itself. Theologically, its most significant contribution is found in the second stanza, which declares truth to be the brightest prize 'To which mortals or Gods can aspire.' This phrase explicitly reflects the developing Nauvoo-era Mormon theology of eternal progression and a plurality of gods. By suggesting that 'Gods' must aspire to truth, the text posits a metaphysical framework where truth is an independent, cosmic reality that exists outside of and superior to God, rather than being the intrinsic nature of a single, sovereign Creator. Although later removed from the canonized Pearl of Great Price, the poem remains a beloved and highly influential hymn in the Latter-day Saint tradition.
Key Figures
- Gods: Plural divine beings mentioned as aspiring to truth, reflecting the Latter-day Saint doctrine of polytheism and eternal progression.
- Mortals: Humanity, who are tasked with searching for and aspiring to truth as their noblest desire.
- Proud monarch / despot / tyrant: Earthly authorities whose power, wealth, and crowns are temporary and worthless compared to eternal truth.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Plurality of Gods (Polytheism/Henotheism)
Assertion
There are multiple Gods in existence who, like mortals, are engaged in the pursuit of truth.
Evidence from Text
’Tis the brightest prize / To which mortals or Gods can aspire;
Evangelical Comparison
The reference to 'Gods' (plural) aspiring to truth is a direct reflection of the Latter-day Saint doctrine of eternal progression, famously articulated by Joseph Smith in the King Follett Discourse. This doctrine teaches that God the Father was once a mortal man who progressed to godhood, and that human beings can similarly progress to become gods. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity is rooted in strict biblical monotheism. Passages such as Isaiah 43:10 ('Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me') and Isaiah 44:8 ('Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any') explicitly deny the existence of other true gods. The biblical God is uniquely uncreated and eternally divine.
The Independent and Eternal Nature of Truth
Assertion
Truth is an uncreated, eternal principle ('the sum of existence') that exists independently of God, and to which God must aspire.
Evidence from Text
Truth, the sum of existence, will weather the worst, / Eternal, unchanged, evermore.
Evangelical Comparison
In the metaphysical framework of this poem, truth is an abstract, eternal reality that governs the universe. Because 'Gods can aspire' to it, truth is positioned as a principle superior to God; God is God because He has perfectly mastered these eternal truths. Evangelical theology rejects this paradigm entirely. In classical Christian Theology Proper, God is the uncreated Creator of all things, including all laws of logic, morality, and reality. Truth is not an independent cosmic principle that God discovers or aspires to; rather, Truth is the very essence and character of God. Jesus Christ declared, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). God does not aspire to truth because He is the absolute source and definition of it.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text posits a plurality of gods who must aspire to truth, suggesting truth is an external principle superior to God, which contradicts the biblical revelation of one God who is Himself the source and essence of truth.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The fundamental theological gap lies in Theology Proper and the metaphysical nature of truth. The poem's assertion that 'mortals or Gods can aspire' to truth introduces a polytheistic framework (a plurality of gods) and implies that 'truth' is an uncreated, independent, and eternal principle that exists outside of and superior to God. In this Latter-day Saint paradigm, God is a being who has mastered eternal laws and truths, but He is still subject to them. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity, rooted in strict monotheism (Isaiah 43:10), teaches that God is the uncreated Creator of all things. Truth is not an independent cosmic principle but the very nature and character of God Himself. Jesus Christ declares, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (John 14:6). God does not 'aspire' to truth; He is its absolute source and definition.
For All Ages
Imagine truth is a giant, beautiful mountain. This poem says that both humans and 'Gods' (more than one) are trying to climb this mountain to reach the top. But the Bible teaches something very different. It says there is only one God, and He isn't climbing the mountain of truth—He IS the mountain. Jesus said, 'I am the truth.' Truth isn't something God has to look for or aspire to; it's exactly who He is.
Friction Points
Theology Proper (Strict Trinitarianism / Monotheism)
The text explicitly references 'Gods' (plural) aspiring to truth, violating biblical monotheism.
Theology Proper (Attributes of God)
The text implies God(s) must 'aspire' to truth, suggesting God is subject to external, uncreated laws rather than being the sovereign source of all truth.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Gods"
In This Text
Plural divine beings who, like mortals, aspire to attain or align with eternal truth.
In Evangelicalism
There is only one true and living God; any other 'gods' are false idols or demonic entities.
"Truth"
In This Text
An abstract, eternal, uncreated principle ('sum of existence') that governs the universe and to which divine beings aspire.
In Evangelicalism
The reality of God's nature, perfectly revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and His Word.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Implicitly, exaltation involves the eternal pursuit and acquisition of truth, allowing mortals to progress to godhood.
How Attained: By actively searching for and aspiring to truth ('Go search in the depths...').
Basis of Assurance: Confidence is placed in the indestructible, eternal nature of the truth one acquires.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text focuses on the philosophical and active pursuit of truth rather than justification by faith in Christ's finished work. It presents a works-oriented epistemology ('Go search... ascend in pursuit') rather than receiving the revealed Truth (Christ) by faith alone.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Go search in the depths where it glittering lies
- ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies
Implicit Obligations
- Value truth above earthly wealth, crowns, or power
- Make the pursuit of truth your noblest desire and aim
- Trust in the endurance of truth over the temporary power of earthly tyrants
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- When the poem mentions that 'mortals or Gods can aspire' to truth, how do you understand the relationship between God and truth? Is God the creator of truth, or is truth something God had to learn?
- Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life.' How does viewing truth as a Person (Jesus) change the way we seek it, compared to viewing it as an abstract principle or 'prize'?
- If God has to aspire to truth, does that mean there are laws or realities higher than God Himself?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The supreme value and indestructible nature of truth.
We can agree that Truth is the most valuable, eternal, and unchanging reality in the universe. The Gospel reveals that this ultimate Truth is not a hidden gem we must exhaust ourselves searching for, but a loving Savior who came searching for us.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
If even 'Gods' must aspire to truth, the believer is placed on an infinite treadmill of eternal progression. There is no ultimate rest in a finished work, only an eternal, exhausting pursuit of higher laws and truths to achieve and maintain exaltation.
If God is subject to external, uncreated laws of truth, then God is not truly sovereign. The believer's ultimate security rests not in the omnipotent hands of a sovereign Creator, but in an impersonal cosmic system of laws that even God must navigate.