It Rings True

Hark, hear the bells, sweet silver bells. I heard the bells on Christmas Day. Ding dong, merrily on high, the Christmas bells are ringing. Jingle all the way. You can even Jingle bell rock. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without some festive bell ringing. From church bells pealing to Santa’s sleigh bells jingling, Christmas bells have managed to bridge both secular and religious traditions.

The other night I was listening to Christmas music as I was driving, as one does. I parked and got out of the car, singing “Silver Bells” in my best Dean Martin warble as I walked into the store. That started me thinking about bells, which got me thinking about an expression I’ve heard my whole life:

“It rings true.”

I realized that I had no idea where that idiom came from. So, I parked my cart in the produce section and asked the great computer in the sky via my phone. It came back with two possibilities. The first was that people who would counterfeit coins with lesser metals would often get caught because when the fake coins were dropped on a table, they didn’t sound quite right.

The second, and the one I want to focus on, is explained thusly, “The idiom “ring true” originated from bell making, referring to the sound a well-made bell produces when struck. A high-quality bell would “ring true” with a pure, resonant tone.” (link) It follows that a low-quality bell would sound dull and clunky.

If you have heard a handbell choir, you understand how each bell must ring true to make the music work. At the end of the post, I’ve included a video of a recent performance by the Bells at Temple Square that shows what can be done with bells. Quite remarkable.

As for the idiom, “it rings true,” I imagine that we all have experienced that feeling when presented with something that requires our judgment. The opposite, “it doesn’t ring true,” is just as real, and just as valuable.

I have always felt that I have been blessed with a strong gift of discernment, which allows me to distinguish between what rings true and what does not. (This was also spelled out in the patriarchal blessing I received as a young man, and I have always been aware of it in my life.) I have causally referred to it as my “BS detector” or “gut feeling,” but it is a much deeper thing than that. This gift of discernment has helped me avoid being enamored by false teachings or societal trends – no matter how popular or seemingly logical they might be. It has also helped me to find and hold onto truths that ring true, insomuch that chasing a testimony has never been a struggle for me.

President Nelson taught, “Personal revelation can be honed to become spiritual discernment. To discern means to sift, to separate, or to distinguish. The gift of spiritual discernment is a supernal gift. It allows members of the Church to see things not visible and to feel things not tangible.” (link)

Personally, I felt that this gift of the Spirit was greatly enhanced as a function of the Bishop’s mantle. “The bishop is the judge and the shepherd who has the power of discernment and the right to revelation and inspiration for the guidance of the flock.” (Dallin Oaks)

By now, you are probably asking, “What does this have to do with Christmas?”

My answer? The birth of the Savior rings true to me. The life of the Savior rings true to me. The death and resurrection of the Savior ring true to me. The Atonement of Christ rings true to me.

Christmas is filled with things that ring true to me. Yet there are many tangential things at this time of year that don’t ring true, but Christmas, at its core, rings true. Often, people are so desperate to be original and creative that they make up stuff to insert into the Christmas canon that, when compared to real truths, sound dull and clunky – no matter how trendy. So, be careful not to get caught up in and fooled by the dull and clunky, especially if it’s new and different. Listen for the true, recognizable tones.

Both church bells and jingle bells are happy, hopeful sounds. As we hear bells referenced in Christmas carols and songs, let them remind us to focus on those things that ring true, because they are the purest sounds of the holidays.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Note: Thanks for all the support you’ve given me with my book launch. It’s been incredibly satisfying to hear how much you have enjoyed Papa Range.

Here is a bell choir in action: