How I Became a Seeker | Steven C. Harper | 2021

Steven C. Harper explains how, by study and by faith, we can each become a spiritual seeker. “The plan is for us to seek our way from simplicity through complexity, by study and by faith, until we arrive at the simplicity on the other side of complexity.”

Read the speech here:

Learn more about the author:

More BYU Speeches here:

Subscribe to BYU Speeches:

Follow BYU Speeches:

© Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.

When I was ten years old, my best friend was a Methodist. He and I determined that we would know which of our churches was true based on whether Southern Methodist University or BYU won the Holiday Bowl game to be played on December 19, 1980.

It did not look good for the Restoration when BYU trailed by twenty points with four minutes left. Then the Cougars recovered an onside kick and scored. Then they blocked a punt and scored. Then, with no time left on the clock, quarterback Jim McMahon threw a Hail Mary pass that Clay Brown caught amid a thicket of defenders in the end zone.1

It was a miracle. Now I knew which church was true. It was that simple.

In football, as you may know, a Hail Mary is a hope-filled prayer that the trailing team offers in the form of a desperate pass into the end zone with no time remaining. I did not know while watching the game that a Hail Mary is also a Catholic prayer. That fact interrupted my ignorance sometime after the game when I learned about Clay Brown’s postgame comment: “It was a Hail Mary,” he said. “That’s all right, Jim and I are both Catholics.”2

Wait, what? Two Catholics connected to bring to pass the miracle? My childish conclusion was less simple than I had thought.

However, everything became simple and certain again early the following spring, when the BYU men’s basketball team trailed Notre Dame 49–50, facing elimination in the NCAA tournament with just a few seconds left. That is when Danny Ainge took the inbounds pass, dribbled the length of the floor, went between, around, and finally over future NBA players, and scored the winning basket with two seconds left.3

That is a true story. Well, it is actually more complex than that. It is a historical narrative.

Creating a Narrative

There is nothing false in the story, but it is overstated and oversimplified. The sports facts are objectively true, by which I mean that they are verifiable—regardless of one’s perspective or whether you cheer for the Cougars, the Mustangs, or the Fighting Irish.

So some ingredients of a historical narrative are selected objective facts. And then some more ingredients in my narrative are subjective facts—the ones that you can’t verify, such as the conver­sation with my Methodist friend. I could take you right to the spot where it occurred, but did it happen just the way I remember? I don’t know, and neither do you.

Another ingredient in my story is interpretation. By interpretation, I mean the way that I endowed facts with meaning beyond what you or I can prove or disprove. I took all those components and arranged them to serve my present purpose of priming you to think like a seeker.

Seeking the Right Narrative

Narratives abound in the information age. We are surrounded by, infused with, and, in one sense, even composed of stories like mine. Some narratives are simple. Some are sacred, even salvific. Some are sinister. Some are seductive. We must choose which narratives to make ours. How can we know what is true and trustworthy? The best way I know is to be a seeker precisely as the Lord prescribed in Doctrine and Covenants 88:118:

And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

One way to read the first line of that verse is, “Since none of us have too much faith, we should be seekers.” The why of seeking is to grow our faith. The what of seeking is wisdom and learning. The how is diligently, “by study and also by faith.” And the where of seeking is “out of the best books.”

Becoming a seeker is hard intellectual and spiritual work. It is a long, slow, deliberate process. A seeker might google something as part of the process, but googling and seeking are not synonyms. And “just” praying about something is not seeking either. Oliver Cowdery tried that. The Lord told him, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost” (D&C 8:2; emphasis added)...

[spencerholloway]

Steven Harper was my D&C Professor at BYU and he is the author of "Making Sense of the D&C." Even at the early hour of 7AM, one couldn't help but gain great insight from his dynamic teaching style and wealth of knowledge. I am thankful that he is such a valiant seeker and shared that knowledge with me.

[RayBanks]

Favorite quote: “Simplicity is a perfectly fine place to begin exercising faith, we’re just not supposed to stay there. The plan is for us to grow up. So we are meant to develop deep, mature, abiding faith in things as they really are and of things as they really will be.”

[deanchappell]

I had bought through the years, three different commentaries on the Doctrine & Covenants. When I picked up Bro. Harper's new commentary on the D&C after being one of the editors of the Joseph Smith papers. His commentary on Section 8, convinced me he knew what exactly Oliver Cowdery's other gift was. His commentary is divine.

[personalitymanager]

Fantastic talk. Things I thought were facts years ago were just the beginning knowledge that later blossomed into more insight. And at age 80, I look forward to even more light and knowledge on various subjects.

[elainew]

Thank you so much for this excellent talk. I am 75 and have been a member of the church for 50 years and I truly understand how little I know.

[mmafeuagnesmathabe]

Wow! What a talk. Elder Steve Harper, you strengthened my Faith to read more sources of the Church.

[sampson]

Wow... very profound. I really appreciate Bro. Harper from the Joseph Smith Papers project.

[Perry-Mason-]

Seeking is a common topic for Brother Harper. His talk “Seekers Wanted”, given at 2015 Women’s Conference, is on repeat in my playlist. Two excellent talks.

[clinthilton]

Interesting topic! He introduced some really important principles, but I found the follow through a little off. In particular, statements like this: "The why of seeking is to grow our faith." If we are true seekers shouldn't the why of seeking be to find truth? The process of increasing faith and the process of finding truth are quite different. One goes in with a pre-determined answer in mind, the other is genuinely open to where the evidence leads. Big difference!

[DoctorSuezz]

I always learn something from Brother Stephen Harper ... his spirit is giant!!

[TwedesTake]

Powerful testimony and exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you for continually posting these for us to listen to and review.

[MsEva]

Thank you so much for this great speeches 🌈

[mrdayyumyum]

I am a early Church history junkie. I have enjoyed Steve's contribution to "Joseph, History of the Saints, The Joseph Smith Papers, etc, and "Making Sense of the Doctrine and Covenants".
tanks,
tanks Pal

[carolswarbrick]

I continue to watch and comment...but it says l havent...
I am going to soak it up again...
4-5 th time, Yes its good..
🇬🇧🙋‍♀️

[amynay]

I'm on this journey of seeking too!!

[lifetools-help]

Superb message, thank you, Steve! I hope to see you on the other side too!

[stanhawkes]

Unfortunately, being a BYU professor doesn't carry the same credibility it may have in the past. We need more like him.

[randallanimal]

I'm only 4:00 in, however this is amazing

[bagnasbayabas]

There's a difference between SEEKING TO BELIEVE
SEEKING FOR TRUTH

[curtcarver]

What about seeking to know if Brigham Young started polygamy and Joseph fought it? Has history been revised and contrived? Joseph only spoke out against it. Section 132 seems sketchy. Doesn't line up with Jacob 2 and 3. Uses strange language "must obey" before you even know what it is about.