Learning to Love Learning

Based on a talk by Elder David A Bednar found in the February 2010 Ensign.

Life is like a laboratory – we are constantly conducting experiments and learning from the results of these tests – good or bad. Elder Bednar in his talk gives three aspects in our lives as to why it is important to love the process of this learning experience. There are different categories of students in this laboratory – those who are there, eager to learn what new concept will be addressed today, note pads ready. Unfortunately, there are also those that are there just to go through and get the grade at the end, with as little effort or learning as possible. The three aspects of our lives that learning to love learning develops are:

1. Learning to love learning is central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Throughout the scriptures , we are advised and commanded to learn. We are told to ‘seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (D&C 88:118) One of the ordinances we receive as members of the Church is the confirmation – or to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This precious gift of God has many roles and purposes, but one is to facilitate learning. Numerous scriptures talk about this role of the Holy Ghost – “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5) “But the Comforter…he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.” (John 14:26) are just a couple. The Gospel of Jesus Christ revolves around learning “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ…” (John 17:3) – how can we learn of God and of Jesus Christ if we do not learn? We cannot! It takes a lifetime of learning to even begin to know them, therefore we have to be learning now!

As the scripture said – the most important thing that we can learn in this life is about our Heavenly Father. There is priority to what we can learn in this life and we need to be able to discern what in life we can learn that is of eternal importance. The Apostle Paul prophesied that people in the latter-days would be “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 3:7) – there are those people who spend their time pursuing knowledge of the world (which in itself is a good thing) but sacrifice learning which will propel them to celestial glory and returning to their Heavenly Father – we need to learn and apply gospel principles to our lives.

2. Learning to love learning is vital to our ongoing spiritual and personal development

If there was a model of someone who loved to learn, it was President Brigham Young. Repeatedly, he would emphasise life being a learning experience and how important it was to learn and love doing so. Here are a couple of things he said on this topic – “The religion embraced by the Latter-day Saints, if only slightly understood, prompts them to search diligently after knowledge. There is no other people in existence more eager to see, hear, learn, and understand truth.”, “We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? I will give you my opinion about it: never, never.” (President Brigham Young). As we develop through our life, and life after, it will be hard to avoid learning, especially if we desire to make it back to dwell with our Heavenly Father! As we learn how to truly learn – we will see ourselves develop spiritually and personally. “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” (D&C 93:36) – how can we expect to gain what God has gained without gleaning intelligence from this life?

3. Learning to love learning is an absolute necessity in the world in which we do now and will yet live, serve and work.

Elder Bednar remarked about how the BYU has a motto saying “”Enter to learn; go forth to serve.” This expression certainly does not imply that everything necessary for a lifetime of meaningful service can or will be obtained during a few short years of higher education…” (Elder David A Bednar). He is making the point that – although university is a place solely set aside for learning, it really is a place where people go to learn to love learning. During life, at least once, we will come across a situation or task that we haven’t faced, compelling us to learn something new to rise to the task. Elder Bednar puts this point across even further by saying “For example, the US Department of Labor estimates that today’s college graduates will have between 10 and 14 different jobs by the time they are 38 years old. And the necessary skills to perform successfully in each job assignment will constantly change and evolve.” Fortunately, in today’s world we have many resources at our fingertips to assist us in our quest to learn and to overcome life’s puzzles. However, we must be careful to not “trust in the arm of flesh,” (2 Nephi 4:34) and not remember the Lord our God. If we do that, we will become like Zeniff and his group of people. They wanted to possess the land of their forefathers and journeyed to do so. However, he records “we were smitten with famine and sore afflictions; for we were slow to remember the Lord our God.” (Mosiah 9:3). If we ever feel the world is above us in wisdom, remember these words “…if you will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament, every man and woman will be put in possession of the Holy Ghost…They will know things that are, that will be, and that have been. They will understand things in heaven, things on the earth, things of time, and things of eternity, according to their several callings and capacities.” (President Brigham Young).

As we learn to love learning and then use what we learn to serve diligently in the world and the Kingdom of God – we will see great blessings and treasures of knowledge.

Choose the Right

Based on a talk/article given by Elder Charles Didier in the February 2010 Ensign.

As we live in a world fraught with spiritual pitfalls and the buffetings of Satan, it is ever more important that we are constantly aware of dangers and threats posed by the world. Just how can we stand up to mounting trials and difficulties, threatening to throw us off the course back to our Heavenly Father?

One valuable support that we have is revelation – revelation from earlier prophets, latter-day prophets and revelation we receive for ourselves by the Spirit. We are told in the scriptures “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law happy is he.” (Proverbs 29:18) and also in the Bible Dictionary “Without revelation, all would be guesswork, darkness, and confusion.” (Bible Dictionary pg 762). This vital gift from God can help us avoid situations where we would be tempted to lower our standards and give in to the adversary. Not only do we have words from the scriptures echoing, encouraging us to heed revelation but also living prophets today. President Ezra Taft Benson said “The word of God, as found in the scriptures, in the words of living prophets, and in personal revelation, has the power to fortify the Saints and arm them with the Spirit so they can resist evil, hold fast to the good, and find joy in this life.” As we hold fast to the sacred words and inspirations from those three undiluted sources of knowledge and truth we will find the Spirit assisting us in our day to day lives – so much so that we are more able to choose the right in circumstances where others may mock or question why we are trying to do so.

Choosing the right in the face of larger ‘trangressions’ is imperative – but it is also watching out for the smaller mistakes which we need to be ever mindful of as it’s these violations which can fulfil what we read in 2 Nephi 28:21 “…thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.” Satan often works subtly to carefully lead the Saints away in ways that make us think that we’ll be happier for it. However, President Gordon B Hinckley counselled “Evil never was happiness, sin never was happiness. Happiness lies in the power and the love and the sweet simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” For example, Sodom and Gomorrah are known for their disregard for keeping the commandments of God. However, if we look closer in the Old Testament at this city’s journey, it is actually something more subtle that begins their eventual downfall. We are told “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her…neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.” (Ezekial 16:49). These subtle traps might have led to the wanton disobedience that Sodom was known for later on – hence the large impact of actions which may seem small and even insignificant at the time. Of course “no unclean thing can dwell with God,” (1 Nephi 10:21) so even those smaller transgressions need to be avoided.

Overall, we need to be “an example of the believers,” (1 Timothy 4:12) and actively try to influence others for good. Elder M Russell Ballard said “We should work to stem the tide of sin and evil instead if passively being swept along by it. We each need to help solve the problem rather than avoid or ignore it.” We can make a much bigger difference than we think – we need to do it boldly, meekly and with the Spirit and we will be able to help others to choose the right.