Learning

[Grundelwalken]

Several topics on this board have given me pause to think about the power of learning. Advocacy is given to the idea of laying all the Church's "cards on the table" so investigators and members can learn all the things that have relevance to the gospel as it is taught in our Church. I am of the opinion that all learning is not of the same value. It is good to learn many things but if we seek learning in places or times that are not appropriate to our level of understanding or faith, we may do damage to our own testimonies and the testimonies of others. Jacob said it like this:

But behold, the Jews were a stiffnecked people; and they despised the words of plainness, and killed the prophets, and sought for things that they could not understand. Wherefore, because of their blindness, which blindness came by looking beyond the mark, they must needs fall; for God hath taken away his plainness from them, and delivered unto them many things which they cannot understand, because they desired it. And because they desired it, God hath done it, that they may stumble.

(Jacob 4:14)

It seems to me that when our learning efforts exceed our abilities to understand, there is a great danger that we will struggle with our testimony. We lose the plainness that comes from learning 'line upon line, precept on precept' and the inherent confusion draws us away from truths we already knew.

Does that mean members should avoid learning more than the basic principles and doctrines of the gospel?

Does that mean they should go only as far as the Prophets and Apostles have taken us?

I think the answer to both questions lies in the foundation of truth that the individual member has and how that truth was discovered.

If a member of the Church is grounded in (not just familiar with) the doctrines and principles of truth as found in the scriptures and taught by the living Prophets, they they will find that the Lord, through, the Holy Ghost, may begin to open the "eyes of their understand" to truth of significance to them. For those who are still working on basic faith, repentance, etc., the deeper things might not come so easily because the Spirit knows they would be more of a hindrance to testimony than a help.

The Holy Ghost will always guide us along the safest path for our testimony and growth. But, like the Jews of Lehi's time, we can go off on our own and that's when things have a chance to go awry.

My point in all this is that it is good to learn and it is a commandment to continue to learn all through mortal life. But if learning is not done by the Spirit, it can also be a great detriment to our salvation and exaltation.

I am not against gaining knowledge. i applaud those who dig deep into the recesses of scripture to find knowledge others cannot see. While I am not a scholar (in the truest sense of the word) I am a learner who hopes to know more when I leave mortality than I do right now. There are things I have learned that I choose not to share with others unless I am confident they are prepared. Not because I want to cheat them or hide embarrassing things about our religion, but because I don't want to be the one who opens the door of doubt on a particular subject. The Spirit is the Guide in these things and thus far I have found peace in the process.

I would hope that whatever we decide in our own personal search for knowledge, we remember the limit the Lord, through the Holy Ghost, places on each individual. I truly believe that if everyone practiced this principle, there would be fewer doubting saints who struggle to hold to the testimony of the Holy Ghost they received with their initial conversion (For those who never had a spiritual conversion, that's another story). MW

Two talks, by current Apostles, on Learning are linked below.

http://www2.byui.edu...4_26_Eyring.htm

http://www.lds.org/e...o-love-learning

Edited June 29, 2012 by Grundelwalken

[Kerry A. Shirts]

I think this is a nice post, thanks for sharing.....a tidbit of wisdom from a very good prophet, Joseph Smith Jr., sums up my personal philosophy absolutely perfectly and one I live by - "By proving contraries, truth is made manifest."

Good thoughts in your post.....

[Storm Rider]

Grunde, very good thoughts and cogent presentation, but it is interesting how often critics attack this very principle; they often talk about it as milk vs. meat. LDS theology may include more than the Articles of Faith and we do not discuss in all detail Joseph's revelations and practice of polygamy that we are hiding the ball, misleading the convert, or outright deceipt.

It always amazes me to hear their accusations; it is as if they have never read the scriptures. How often did Jesus take the Apostles aside and teach them separate from all other follwers and disciples? How often did Jesus determine that the people were not ready for all he had to teach? Why did he teach in parables rather than talk plainly about the nature of God, the structure of the Church, etc? How often did he focus on the fundamentals of faith, repentance, baptism and then the Gift of the Holy Ghost? Critics never seem able to see the foundation upon which they build their accusations. They so often are devoid of any understanding of scripture or Jesus' teachings.

For the disciple that yearns to follow Christ the 13 Article of Faith would seem to be solid advice for guiding study, learning, and using that understanding within the community at large.

[CASteinman]

Great Post.

There is no obligation on the Church to teach ALL things to ALL people.

The Church has a mission to teach the Gospel. Its mission is not to teach its own history or vague peculiarities of individuals.

[Deborah]

It seems there are two kinds of people who look into some of these historical issues, or are even interested in them. The first are those as described in the OP who through the Holy Ghost continue to study and hunger for more knowledge and in using the spirit to move forward are enlightened and enriched by the new truths, even those that may cause some raised eyebrows.

The other group are those who don't begin to look into the history and aren't interested in it until they become disaffected and discover there is something they can hang their hats on to support their disaffection.

[CASteinman]

It seems there are two kinds of people who look into some of these historical issues, or are even interested in them. The first are those as described in the OP who through the Holy Ghost continue to study and hunger for more knowledge and in using the spirit to move forward are enlightened and enriched by the new truths, even those that may cause some raised eyebrows.

The other group are those who don't begin to look into the history and aren't interested in it until they become disaffected and discover there is something they can hang their hats on to support their disaffection.

My study of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his efforts to restore the Gospel, gives me greater insights into how to read some of the issues Jesus faced in his day as He did the same thing. The coming forth of and the various errors that crept into the Book of Mormon shows me how easy itis for scripture to become corrupted.