Which comes first — good or truth?

This is a tough question. To answer it well, we probably need to start by zooming out a little bit.

One of the big concepts in New Christian thought is that there needs to be a marriage of good and truth. If you have good without truth, you have good intentions that go awry and make unintended problems that can be pretty bad. If you have truth without good, you get harshness, or pride, or combativeness. But when good and truth are married together, then you have genuine love for the Lord and the neighbor, and a deep but humble understanding of what good really is, and how to bring it into action.

One of our readers recently reminded us of this passage in "Secrets of Heaven", n. 3603. It describes four stages we go through in our relationship with truth. It helps to answer that question of "which comes first", and how we work through the process.

3602. 'And it will be when you have dominion over him' means that it will come to occupy the prior position. This is clear from the meaning of 'having dominion' as occupying the prior position. For these matters, see what now follows below.