People seem to have all kinds of questions
about Joseph Smith these days—outside
the Church, and even inside the Church.
And personally, I think that Joseph Smith
would be totally okay with that.
After all, this whole thing we call the Restoration
came about because Joseph had questions of
his own and the courage to ask them.
Unfortunately, sometime between then and now,
we seem to have lost our confidence in
asking those kinds of questions, either because
we think we're supposed to already have all
the answers, or because we're afraid to admit
that we actually don't.
Either way, that needs to change, and I hope
it can start changing today.
I'm Jared Halverson, and I'm so glad that you
and I can engage in a conversation one on
one.
My academic background includes a Bible-belt
divinity school degree, where I studied American
religious history, specializing in anti-religious
rhetoric—all the wonderfully uplifting things
people say to attack one another's faith. Now
I teach for The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, addressing large groups
of students to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ.
However, I still think the most important
work that I do is a lot like this—one-on-one
conversations with students that are asking
questions and struggling in their faith.
And I've found that these kinds of conversations
are the ones that make the biggest difference
in people's lives.
It reminds me of an experience I had with
my mother-in-law years ago.
One day my wife and I received a phone call
from her.
She said she wanted to tell us directly so
that we didn't have to hear it from somebody
else.
She was having her name removed from the records
of the Church because she no longer believed
in the Restoration or even in God.
We tried to express our empathy to her and
our understanding, making sure that she knew
that we still wanted her a part of our lives 
and a part of our children's lives.
By the end of the conversation there was one
thing I couldn't leave unsaid.
I said to my mother-in-law, "Mom, I hope you
know that I love you and support you through
this faith-crisis, but I answer gospel questions
for a living, and you never asked me a single
one."
By that time, I think too much time had passed,
and what began as small or simple questions
had begun to fester, and eventually became
an obstacle to faith that she simply couldn't
overcome.
I wish that I somehow could've conveyed to
her the openness that I have towards people's
questions, concerns, full-fledged faith-crises.
It's what I do constantly with students, and
I just wished I could've reassured her from
the very beginning that every question was
welcome—that she could ask me anything she
wanted without fear of judgment or condemnation
or shame, that I was willing to go anywhere
she needed to go so that we could discuss
the things that were troubling her.
I regret that I didn't reassure her that her
questions were welcome.
Thankfully this story has a happy ending
that includes rebaptism at the hands of her
youngest returned missionary son.
She's not back in the Church now because she
has no more questions—she still has them. The
difference is that she has the courage to
ask them, and we have amazing conversations,
she and I.
It was a wake-up call though that started
me thinking, "How do I reassure questioners,
truth-seekers, people in faith crisis, that
their questions are welcome?"
And that's why I'm excited to share what I've
learned with you today.
In your ward, in your circle of friends, in
your family, there are probably people just
like my mother-in-law who have questions within
them that they're afraid to let out, maybe
even the questioner is you.
I had a student like that in one of my classes
years ago.
I remember he came into class and sat in the
back corner of the chapel where we were meeting,
and near the end of the class, he raised his
hand.
He told me later it was shaking as he raised
it.
He was afraid that as soon as he voiced his
question, which had to do with faith and
fallibility and living prophets, that all
the heads in the class were going to turn
to see who the apostate was in the back. And
sure enough, when he asked it, the heads began
turning.
He told me later that he was devastated, and
felt confirmed that there was no room for
him or his questions in the Church.
But right as he was about to give up hope,
I smiled and thanked him for the question
that he had asked.
In fact, I told him, "If you weren't going
to ask that question, I was going to," and
I clicked the next slide on my presentation,
and it was his question, though in my own
words. He told me later that that experience
gave him hope—hope that his questions were
normal, that they were expected, that they
were welcome, and that he was welcome in the
Church, questions and all.
I believe that every person with a question
deserves to have that kind of experience.
It's one of the reasons that I'm so drawn
to the experience of Joseph Smith.
He had questions, and most importantly, he
gained the confidence to ask them.
The Bible's version of "Questions are welcome"
is James chapter 1, verse 5, and according
to Joseph Smith's own experience with that
verse, that's the one that gave him the courage
to venture a question.
Every phrase in that incredible scripture
shows the generosity of God towards those that
have questions of the soul.
"If any of you lack wisdom"—any of you.
There's not some select few, some chosen audience
that's permitted to ask questions of God, anyone can
come with questions and ask them.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of
God." Let him ask.
Allow it, permit them to ask questions to
find their answers. Let him ask of God that
giveth to all men.
Again, not some small minority. All questioners
are welcome to come and ask of God "that giveth
to all men liberally."
Sometimes that's a word we shy away from in
the Church, and yet when it comes to answering
questions, God is liberal.
He wants to give us an abundance of truth
in response to questions that we ask.
Unsure of that?
Remember what Joseph Smith said later? "Put your
puny arm into the mighty Missouri river and
try to turn it upstream, and you'll be as
successful in that as you would be at trying
to stop God from pouring out revelation upon
the heads of the Latter-day Saints."
Liberally—more than we are able to receive.
We still haven't gotten to my favorite phrase
in this verse.
"And giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not."
To upbraid means to chasten, to chastise,
and yet God promises that when you come to
Him with your questions, He will not upbraid
you.
He expects them, He welcomes them. In some
ways I think He hopes for them, because He
wants to engage in conversation with each
of us, and it's our questions that show our
genuine interest.
I remember a mission president once telling
his missionaries, "If an investigator never
asks you a single question, they're not really
investigating."
Our questions show interest to God, and He
responds generously with answers.
After not being there for my mother-in-law
when she needed me, I made it a personal goal
to never assume that a wonderer was a wanderer
about to leave the fold. I made sure that
I never guilted or shamed anyone for their
questions.
In order to make sure that people knew they
could come with their questions and never
be upbraided.
Never allow their questions to make us question
them.
In years of working one-on-one with students,
I've realized that not every question is a
concern, and concerns don't equal doubt, and
doubts don't equal rebellion, and rebellion
doesn't equal apostasy.
Sometimes we act like questions need to be
quarantined instead of brought into the open
where we can discuss them honestly and intelligently.
Of all people, we should be the most open
to questions.
It's how the Restoration began.
I remember applying to divinity school and
talking to the professor that was part of the
admissions committee.
And he asked me, "Why do you want to come
to divinity school?
We prepare ministers for the ministry, and
Latter-day Saints don't have a professional
clergy.
I can't help you become a Mormon priest."
I laughed and said, "I've been a Mormon priest
since 16, I don't need your help with that."
He then said, "Well we also prepare people
for academic careers, and you already teach
for your church.
You basically have the job that this PhD would
prepare you for."
Great questions.
I had two answers for him, one of which applies
to our conversation here.
I told him that as Latter-day Saints, we think
we have all the answers.The problem is, I
don't know if we ever knew what the questions
were to begin with, and you never really appreciate
answers if you don't know the questions that
they're responding to.
I told him I wanted to come to divinity
school to learn the world's questions.
What has kept philosophers, and theologians,
scratching their heads for the last few millennia?
Mainly because I wanted to see if the Restoration's
answers measured up.
Nearly a decade later, I'm more amazed by
our answers than ever.
It all began with Joseph's questions and his
confidence in asking them.
And we can have the same kind of confidence
asking questions of our own.
So here's what I learned from all these experiences.
Extend a listening ear, create a judgment-free
zone, be persistent.
They may not open up to you the first time.
But as they see your willingness to explore
questions, as they sense from you a non-judgmental
attitude and a willingness to explore questions
together, they will gain the confidence that
Joseph Smith gained from James chapter 1 verse
5.
Give people the confidence that they can ask
you anything that's on their mind, and then
go with them on this journey of gospel discovery.
You'll be amazed at what both of you learn,
and though the experience that follows may
be different from Joseph's, they'll receive
answers to their questions, just like Joseph received
answers to his.
It just may be that answers are already on
their way.
I'm Jared Halverson, thank you for joining
me for this one-on-one.
