13. Why is God having you spend mortality behind a “veil of forgetfulness”? What wonderful purpose is there to his reticence (quietness), in your opinion?
14. Whom do you trust to teach you about God?  Why do you trust them?
(My answers to these questions are on the comments page.)
My Answer to Question 13:
The very existence of a “veil†separating us from God suggests that he is content to have us, in fact intends to have us, come to mortal life and “figure it out†by our own experience.
If that is the case, then God is happily watching me decide/create my life rather than dictating it. The “received wisdom” of religion says that God is keeping himself from us to test us, to see if we’ll obey his will as revealed to holy prophets and defined in holy writ. If he truly were administering this kind of test, however, I think he would ensure that all his children got the right “holy writ†as a prep-manual early in their lives, by which they could govern their lives preparatory to final judgment. Yet he doesn’t. He allows us to believe what we want to believe (or have inherited as a belief system) without intervening. Respecting our agency, he also lets us act in the ways we choose, whether or not those actions hurt others. He gives us a conscience, a subtle light within, to help us judge what is good and what isn’t (what is harmful, what isn’t) as we journey along. But will he judge us for our erroneous beliefs and our harmful actions? That is the question.
I believe he will be merciful, for “[we] know not what we do.†I conceive that the existence of the veil is one of the things that allows God to forgive us, for we do not know for certain what God wills for us (despite the fact that many religions are happy to tell us their version). If we absolutely KNEW his will/commands (i.e. he brought us literally into his “office†to explain the rules and the consequences of breaking the rules) and we subsequently refused to obey, eternal justice would dictate that we suffer the consequences (and even Christ’s atonement couldn’t pay the price).
God loves his unknowing, undeserving children, and his mercy allows us to be in his presence without fear of being “cast out†forever—even when we make mistakes. I have felt this in my life. He is happy when I learn from my mistakes and patient when it takes me a long time to “get it.â€
Religion teaches men to fear. Emotional and mental damage cause people to harm others. God can heal us of both.
Jesus said in Mark 3:28-29: “Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven all their sins and all the blasphemies they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.†I wonder if blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is something only Jesus could potentially commit—if he alone knew God’s will through a perfect, infallible witness of the Holy Spirit. The Pharisees accused him of serving Beelzebub; perhaps his comment (above) indicates that he knew he could never attribute the miracle-producing workings of the spirit to be from any other source than God, without suffering eternal consequence. Just an idea . . .
I have concluded that life is about individual growth, and a veiled existence is the perfect condition for me to figure out “what I love”–what I desire, what rings true to my soul, what bears good fruit in my life, what brings lasting happiness–while still allowing for those “grace moments” in which God gently whispers to my heart wisdom and peace. When I have such an experience I can enjoy it and share it with others, but I feel it important not to believe that what I’ve learned is necessarily “how it is†(God’s will for all mankind). It is an experience for me to cherish and ponder on and try to live (experimenting on the “word‖those ideas God gently shares with me). I believe we are EACH here to learn by trial-and-error, and the whisperings of the spirit. This is how I approach the scriptures now: I view them as men’s individual understanding and experiments with God, but not necessarily God’s will for me. I can read their words and compare them with my own experience, and apply that which rings true to my heart.
My Answer to Question 14:
I love to hear people share their personal experiences with God. I like to read the scriptures and find hope and direction there, although occasionally some passages don’t make sense or seem to contradict the loving God I have come to know. I like to read “near death” experiences, while acknowledging that people’s memories can be imperfect. I like to read the words of our church leaders and other wise men whose lives exemplify a godly walk and “peace in this life.” But especially, I love to ponder and ask questions. And I love to see answers unfolding gently over time.