Quite often I hear someone bear a testimony saying, "I know this Church is
True". Of course I hear this in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, and don't recall ever hearing it in any other sect or
denomination.
I know that I have also seen, at least in News Groups, the question, what
does it mean for a Church to be true, or "How can a church be true?" Well,
I
wonder myself sometimes what people mean by what they say, and there is
really no way to find out but to ask them. Sometimes when I have tried
that,
they assume that I am disagreeing with what they said, when all I want is
to
understand what they meant by what they said.
Anyway, I decided to look in my copy of LDS Collectors Library 2005 and
see
what the lexicon gave for the words translated as :true" in the New
Testament. Here are two of the words that I found that are translated
"true".
Here is one such finding
alethes {al-ay-thace'}
Greek: adjective
Possible Definitions:
1) true
2) loving the truth, speaking the truth, truthful
alethes {al-ay-thace'}
Greek: adjective
from 1 (as a negative particle) and 2990;
Translated as:
true (23 times)
truly (1 time)
truth (1 time) (25 times)
Strong's Number 227
TDNT - 1:232,37
If I say that the Church is true in this sense I would mean that the
church
loves the truth and speaks the truth.
Here is the other word that I found. (I don't know if there are more. I
did
not attempt to be exhaustive)
alethinos {al-ay-thee-nos'}
Greek: adjective
Possible Definitions:
1) that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature
corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea
signified by the name, real, true genuine
1a) opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated
or
pretended
1b) it contrasts realities with their semblances
1c) opposite to what is imperfect defective, frail, uncertain
2) true, veracious, sincere
alethinos {al-ay-thee-nos'}
Greek: adjective
from 227;
Translated as:
true (27 times)
Strong's Number 228
TDNT - 1:232,37
Now I would be saying, "I know the Church has not only the name of The
Church of Jesus Christ, and it not only resembles the Church that Jesus
Christ established on the earth in the Meridian of Time, but its real
nature
corresponds in every respect to that Church. It is not fictitious, it is
not
counterfeit, we do not merely imagine that Jesus Christ is its Head."
We do not have original words for the Book of Mormon, and the original
words
for the Doctrine and Covenants so far as I know were English so using the
"LDS Reference Library 2005" for the word true as used in the materials we
have through Joseph Smith I found the following for what "true" means:
Quote
TRUE, adjective [Saxon treow, treowe, faithful, and as a noun, faith,
trust;
Swedish tro; Danish troe; German treu; Dutch trouw, trust, loyalty,
fidelity, faith; trouwen, to marry; Gothic triggus, faithful; triggwa. a
pact or league, a truce. This is the real orthography, coinciding with
Swedish trygg, Danish tryg, safe, secure, and Welsh trigiaw, to stay, to
tarry, to dwell, that is, to stop, to set. The primary sense of the root
is
to make close and fast, to set, or to stretch, strain, and thus make
straight and close.]
1. Conformable to fact; being in accordance with the actual state of
things;
as a true relation or narration; a true history. A declaration is true,
when
it states the facts. In this sense, true is opposed to false.
2. Genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit, adulterated or false; as true
balsam; the true bark; true love of country; a true christian.
Â--The true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
John
1.
3. Faithful; steady in adhering to friends, to promises, to a prince or to
the state; loyal; not false, fickle or perfidious; as a true friend; a
true
lover; a man true to his king, true to his country, true to his word; a
husband true to his wife; a wife true to her husband; a servant true to
his
master; an officer true to his charge.
4. Free from falsehood; as a true witness.
5. Honest; not fraudulent; as good men and true.
If king Edward be as true and justÂ--
Shak.
6. Exact; right to precision; conformable to a rule or pattern; as a true
copy; a true likeness of the original.
7. Straight; right; as a true line; the true course of a ****p.
8. Not false or pretended; real; as, Christ was the true Messiah.
9. Rightful; as, George IV. is the true king of England.
Random House Webster's College Dictionary 1996
half-true3 adj.
Random House Webster's College Dictionary 1996
tried-and-true adj. tested and found to be reliable or workable.
[1930–35]
Random House Webster's College Dictionary 1996
true adj., truer, truest, n., adv., v., trued, truing or trueing. —adj.
1.
being in accordance with the actual state or conditions; conforming to
reality or fact: a true story. 2. real; genuine; authentic: true gold.
3. sincere; not deceitful: a true interest in others. 4. loyal; faithful;
steadfast: a true friend. 5. being or reflecting the essential or genuine
character: the true meaning of his statement. 6. conforming to or
consistent with a standard, pattern, etc.: a true copy. 7. exact;
precise;
accurate; correct: a true balance. 8. such as it should be; proper: to
arrange things in their true order. 9. properly so called; rightly
answering to a description: true statesman****p. 10. legitimate or
rightful:
the true heir. 11. reliable, unfailing, or sure: a true sign. 12.
exactly
or accurately shaped, formed, fitted, or placed, as a surface or
instrument.
13. honest; honorable; upright. 14. conforming to the type, structural
standards, or norm of a particular group: The lion is a true cat. 15.
PUREBRED. 16. (of a bearing, course, etc.) determined in relation to true
north. 17. Archaic. truthful. —n. 18. exact or accurate formation,
position, or adjustment: to be out of true. 19. the true, something that
is
true; truth. —adv. 20. in a true manner; truly; truthfully. 21. exactly
or
accurately. 22. in conformity with the ancestral type: to breed true.
—v.t.
23. to adjust, shape, place, etc., exactly or accurately; make true. 24.
(esp. in carpentry) to make even, symmetrical, level, etc. (often fol. by
up). —Idiom. 25. come true, (of a wish, dream, etc.) to become a reality.
[bef. 900; ME trewe (adj. and adv.), OE treowe (adj.) loyal, trustworthy
(cf. TROW, TRUCE); akin to OFris, OS triuwi, OHG gitriuwi, ON tryggr, Go
triggws trustworthy] —trueness, n.
End Quote
So to those who believe that "A Church is not either true or false",
perhaps
there are more meanings to "true" than merely the opposite of false.
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