Introduction to Truth

Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth.
Aristotle

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
2 John 4

What is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer.
Francis Bacon

Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either.
Albert Einstein

Is truth real?
In daily discussions, truth is a given. Simply listen to conversations at the office and it becomes apparentl that people assume
truth exists and is important. When we talk with others it does not take long before for comments such as “I can’t believe she
lied” or “You are wrong” and even “You are right”  to come up. These comments, and others like them, share two underlying
assumptions; truth exists and we can know that something is truth. However, even though such comments reveal a basic
acceptance of truth many still challenge the concept of truth.

Is there a need for truth?
Yes. Just ask Brandon Mayfield of Portland, Oregon. Mayfield is the lawyer falsely accused of being a material witness in
the terrorist train bombing in Madrid, Spain in which 191 people died.¹ Being falsely accused of invovlement in this crime
he found the need for the truth to be very important. In fact, anyone who is falsely accused of a crime has a strong need for
the truth to be discovered. Those falsely accused of grievous crimes and sentenced to death certainly experience the joy
of others knowing the truth when their innocence is proven.

But we must not limit the need for truth to the legal system. When a person receives a medical check-up it is vital that her
true health condition is known so that, in the event of a medical problem, any ailment can be properly diagnosed and treated.
Conversely, it is important that, if she is healthy a true understanding of this is known. Otherwise, a person can be subjected
to numerous and expensive medical procedures that may end up causing harm.

The area where the need for truth is greatest is with God. If it is truth that God does exist, then it is important for us to take this
into account in our daily lives. Additionally, if Christianity is true, then it is imperative that we obey the Savior, Jesus Christ by
repenting of our sins, believe in Jesus Christ, and commit our lives to God. (Acts 3:19; John 1:12) As you can see, the need
for truth is immeasurable. Therefore, we need to understand truth and avoid being lead astray from it.

¹ Associated Press. Foxnews. Accessed Tuesday May 25, 2004 <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,120783,00.html>.