Spirituality vs. Futility

I have several outstanding Christian friends who continually say things like, "I wonder what the purpose of life is," and "I wonder where we go after this life," and "It's so great to ponder about the greatness of God." LDS members also ponder these most important "questions of the soul." However, what sets Mormons apart from other Christians is that we feel that we have clear answers to these questions. So, in response to these comments, I would naturally share the answers I feel I have obtained with regard to those very important questions. However, to my initial surprise; to them, my assertion that I had answers to these qustions seemed heretical and almost offensive.

While discussing this with my wife, she made the insightful observation that, maybe these Christian friends do not expect answers to these questions. The evangelical concept of God is incomprehensible and unknowable to the the human mind. To their mind and purely logical understanding of scripture, God and heavenly things are a mystery (1 Cor. 2: 9). Therefore, spirituality to them seems to be more about contemplating the infininte, the unknowable, and incomprehensible and less about getting answers or assurances. To me; this seems more of an exercize in futility. In contrast, the LDS understanding of spirituality is about actually being filled with Christ's spirit and actually being enabled to obtain answers to these spiritual questions and then living a life which reflects this understanding.

Eph. 3: 18

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ . . . And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: . . . That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.