When faced with conflicting memories of our past, my husband
and I often smiled as we quoted the opening lines from a duet “I Remember it
Well.” They epitomize the tendency to we have to believe that we personally
remember things correctly, even when faced with evidence that others remember
the same events quite differently.
We met at nine.
We met at eight.
I was on time.
No, you were late.
Ah yes! I remember it well[1]
We all tend to believe that we remember things correctly,
and often misunderstandings arise when people disagree about what “really”
happened. But psychologists have discovered that our minds definitely can be
fooled.
Elizabeth Loftus, a an American cognitive psychologist and expert on human memory who did considerable research into the phenomenon of false memories, stated in 1996, “In the last two decades, a body of research has been published showing that new, post-event information often becomes incorporated into memory, supplementing and altering a person's recollection. New ‘information’ invades us, like a Trojan horse, precisely because we do not detect its influence.”[2]
Elizabeth Loftus, a an American cognitive psychologist and expert on human memory who did considerable research into the phenomenon of false memories, stated in 1996, “In the last two decades, a body of research has been published showing that new, post-event information often becomes incorporated into memory, supplementing and altering a person's recollection. New ‘information’ invades us, like a Trojan horse, precisely because we do not detect its influence.”[2]
Laying aside the possibility of deliberate deception, we can
expect that many of the recollections of past events recorded by believing
members of the LDS church could have been distorted over time because of
subsequent events.
In my experience, even journal entries written at the end of
the day are subject to error. I remember the time I was emailing a friend, and
when I quoted a humorous remark of my husband’s, I realized that even though
only a few hours had passed, I wasn’t sure I remembered his precise phrasing. I
had concentrated more on the emotional boost his words had given me, the truth
I perceived in the concept he
communicated to me, than his exact words. However, although in this instance I
am fairly sure I interpreted his intent correctly, misunderstandings sometimes
arise between us because one of us takes offence at a word, or even a tone of
voice, which we later realize we have interpreted quite wrongly.
Discovering the truth found in memories is indeed a
challenge, but it need not lead us to abandon our faith in the callings of
those whom we sustain as prophets, seers and revelators. When faced with
conflicting accounts of a past event, I have learned to forebear becoming
seriously concerned.
Chances are, if I could see all the circumstances of the
event as God is able to see them, including the intents and purposes of all the
imperfect human participants, I would understand the truth of not only what
actually happened, but also why the Lord doesn’t deem it necessary to correct
all the errors involved in the recordings of that experience. If we
exercise faith in what truth we know, when perfect knowledge is presently
absent, we can find peace as we await further clarification of any issue that
may be troubling us. As Mormon wrote, “And whoso receiveth this record, and
shall not condemn it because of the imperfections which are in it, the same
shall know of greater things than these. “ Mormon 8:12
Our memories may not be as perfect a record of the past as
we believe them to be. But as we seek to record our own spiritual experiences
as best we can, as well as study the experiences recorded in the scriptures,
the truths that exist even in the imperfectly remembered events can become a
source of great comfort. Written accounts of the Lord’s tender mercies, of
answered prayers, of succor in time of need, of revelations given to prophets
in the past, even if those accounts are not completely accurate, can help us to
open our minds and hearts to the encouragement and direction we need from the
Holy Ghost to draw nearer to God today. For me, right now, those kind of
memories are enough, and to spare.
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