Reason, as defined by the world, will often exclude spiritual truths. Those who have tried to convince another of the truthfulness of the restored Gospel often find the world view of reason a hindrance. A person describing their spiritual feelings is often viewed as a person who is not down to earth, a person without reason. Reason only becomes important in such a discussion after the spirit has touched the heart, only then can spiritual reason enlighten. One might say that ‘spiritual reason’ is what Pascal has described as, “The supreme function of reason (which) is to show man that some things are beyond reason.” (Blaise Pascal)
That supreme function doesn’t kick in automatically, it needs to be jump started by faith.
The heart, a non-reasoning organ, is given credit for most conversions to a faith in God. That gives credence to those who say that faith is unreasonable. The heart is blamed for many behaviors (faith and love, etc.) that are considered by many to be unreasonable. Why the heart is blamed for so many of our illogical human beliefs and behaviors is described by Jacques Bossuel, “The heart has reasons that reason does not understand.” I, personally, can attest that I was not ready to listen to any religious point of view until after I was touched by the spirit. I guess I could say, until my heart told me to listen, or by reason of the heart.
“And now come, saith the Lord, by the Spirit, unto the elders of his church, and let us reason together, that ye may understand.” (D&C 50:10) That scripture implies that the spirit is necessary for us to reason and understand the things of the spirit. Paul expressed the same idea in writing to the Corinthians “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:10–11)
Reason has several interesting aspects. Most of us are so logical, reasonable and careful that we are prevented from venturing away from our protective and safe mindsets. We have a tendency to do all of our reasoning inside the conventional box of knowledge. Conservative reasoning has prevented many brilliant people from discovering for themselves the things outside of that box. George Bernard Shaw probably said it best, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” That is not to say that the unreasonable man is never reasonable.
On the same token, we cannot say that the spiritual person is not also tied to earthly or natural concerns. A Proverb, “Our passions (spirit) are the winds that propel our vessel. Our reason is the pilot that steers her. Without winds the vessel would not move and without a pilot she would be lost.”
The passion of members of the church, to this point in our history, has been primarily dormant when it comes to Family History. But the East Winds of change are beginning to blow. With new emphasis from the Brethren and new technology, family history will be on the minds and, hopefully, passionately in the hearts of all members. Come let us reason together! The time has come that we are more mindful of our ancestral heritage and the fact that, “He is not a God of the dead, but of the living for all live unto Him,” (Luke 20:38).