Watch the video above and talk about it with a friend or mentor.
Every person has a worldview, a picture of what you believe is real and true about the universe. But as you re-evaluate one worldview, what will you replace that with?
What a Worldview Is and Why it Matters.
Your worldview is your deeply held framework for interpreting reality – how you understand life, truth, purpose, and values. It helps you make sense of your interaction with the world. It can also be referred to as one’s philosophy of life, mindset, outlook on life, ideology, or faith. Each person’s worldview connects to a larger consensus about reality that an entire community possesses in common (with personal variations). So we might speak of a Hindu worldview, a secular worldview, among others.
Most people are not conscious of or intentional about their worldview. They simply absorb their worldview from the society in which they live. They experience it as a collection of attitudes, values, stories and expectations about the world around them, which are passed on by the way people around you act and react to different situations. All of this informs an individual’s thoughts and behaviors.
As a Latter-day Saint, you had a particular perspective about God, humanity, and the created world that you largely shared with other Latter-day Saints. But as you rethink the worldview you previously adopted, what will take its place? What ideas will now shape your reality? How will you construct those truths into a coherent whole that makes sense? This takes time, but until you put all the pieces together into a consistent worldview, you will continue to go around in circles.
Of course, many different worldviews exist, reflecting the views different groups of people hold to. Every one of them is in competition with every other one, because every worldview will assert some kind of universal or absolute claims about the proper way to understand the universe.
Basic Components of a Worldview.
Many different definitions and frameworks have been proposed to define the elements of any given worldview, in comparison with others. Such a comparison can be quite complex, but for our purpose, let’s consider one simple framework with eight features.
- Truth. Is truth knowable? If so, how do I know what is true versus what is not? Is truth absolute or relative? Do we decide what is true by reason, by experience, by tradition, by revelation, or some combination of factors?
- Reality. What is the ultimate nature of what exists? Is it objective, subjective, or relative? Has it always existed? If not, how did it come into being?
- The Supernatural / God. Is there a reality beyond the material world? If so, what is it like? For example, is there a God, and if so, what is that God like? Is there more than one God? What else exists beyond the material world? How do human beings relate to the supernatural world?
- Humanity. What is the nature, origin, and destiny of human beings? How does humanity fit with the rest of reality? What makes a person valuable? Do humans have free will?
- The Human Problem. What is humanity’s most fundamental need? How can this problem be solved?
- Ethics. What is right and wrong, and how is it determined? What constitutes the best life? What is the basis of deciding that? How should we live?
- Purpose. Why are we here? What is the purpose to life, if any? Survival, pleasure, service, relationship, transcendence, or something else? Is there some specific purpose for everyone, or is purpose self-defined?
- Destiny. What happens after death? Is there an afterlife, or nothing? Do our choices have any eternal consequences?
Regardless of what a person claims to believe about these topics, the test of their worldview is how they actually live their life.
[Related: Tackling Theological Issues]
[Related: Study the Truth After Mormonism]
Evaluating Worldviews.
You can evaluate different worldviews by asking some basic questions, such as: Is this worldview credible? Does it add up? Can it be tested or verified? Does it explain what we actually observe in life? For example, think about what the LDS Church, secularism, and the Bible each say about human nature. Do any of those views fit with what you see in your experience of human beings and human cultures? The position of Faith After Mormonism is that the biblical Christian worldview makes the best sense out of all the data of observation. But we respect that you will make up your own mind about that.
Another important evaluation question is this: How does the worldview in question affect the lives of the people who hold it? Does it bear good fruit – not just externally, but internally? A coherent worldview is not just about believing the right things. Is a person’s way of life consistent with what they say they believe? This is why the truth always calls for a personal response. ”What do these beliefs I claim to hold call for from me? Are there decisions I need to make? Practices to adopt? A purpose to embrace?”
[Related: What Is a Biblical Worldview?]
The Most Important Worldview Question.
We believe that for people leaving Mormonism, one worldview question trumps everything else. This central issue is the question of Jesus’ identity. In Matthew 16:13, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
In the next verse, they gave him some answers: “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Then in verse 15 Jesus confronted them, “But who do YOU say that I am?” That question was a pivotal turning point in their relationship with him.
Peter declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus is asking us the same question. A person who pursues some kind of faith life after Mormonism can make it pretty far down the path without resolving every question or issue. But you won’t make it very far without resolving this one: “Who is Jesus?” Is he who he said he is? Is he who I thought he was? What is the purpose of his activity in the world? Why did he go to the cross? Is Jesus enough?
The Christian worldview is not all about the details of every doctrine. It’s not about traditions that have been passed down over the centuries. Those things have some value, but they don’t define Christianity. Christianity is not about what church you’re a member of. It’s about Jesus. As Christians, he is the core of our entire worldview, and really, of our entire life. That’s why, “Who Is Jesus?” is the most important question to answer as you seek to frame a coherent new worldview.
Key Points:
- What Worldview Is and Why It Matters
- Basic Components of a Worldview
- Evaluating Worldviews
- The Most Important Worldview Question
See Also: Tags
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- Everyone has a worldview. Why is it important to develop a consistent one?
- Where do you think you are in the process of constructing a new worldview? Explain.
- What did you believe about Jesus when you were LDS? How has your answer to that question changed since then?
- What, if anything, feels scary or nerve-wracking about the idea of focusing on Jesus as the core of one’s worldview?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
