Learning To Love Learning

Jay and I gave our "move into the ward" talks yesterday.  Usually, I am a write-out-every-word talk giver.  This time, I spoke much more off the cuff so the words below, though written out in most places, are actually just an outline.  I had to cut some parts and expounded more on others.  I have found that by posting my talks on my blog, I have the best system of organization.  I'm sure there are pre-blog talks on some of our old computers, but it is so nice to know I can click on my "talk" label and be sure to find a few.  That is why I am posting this unpolished talk.  And for my parents, who always appreciate knowing what their children's talks were about.





Because I wasn’t given a topic when asked to speak several weeks ago, my side that likes to choose the path of least resistance considered reusing a previous talk I had given in the past. I re-read through several of them, felt convinced that the doctrines contained in each was still true and thought, “O.K. I’m done!”


Even my sister, who I told of my plan on the phone, concurred that it was a great idea. She defended her support by pointing out that general authorities and high councilmen often reuse talks. Still, an idea to speak about something that wasn’t already saved on my computer kept tugging the back of my mind. I went online to do some research and printed out a half dozen talks and devotional addresses given within the last decade.


I found it ironic that this topic I felt compelled to develop was Knowledge. Even more ironic is the fact that I didn’t notice the irony right away. The motivation for choosing the topic was more along the lines of “Everyone is getting ready to go back to school or send someone back to school. This talk will be a kind of Going-Back-To-School pep rally!”


It wasn’t until I was immersed with the delightful language and insights of our esteemed General Authorities, with the scriptures to support their persuasive arguments as to why gaining knowledge is a Godly characteristic, that it hit me: I am following that commandment right now. Preparing for this talk is giving me knowledge. This led me to consider that my original plan, reusing an old talk, while a lot less work would have left out this important step of gaining knowledge. It made me wonder how many other times I choose to pass over the step of learning something, instead sticking with the things I have already learned or already know.


I’m certainly not saying that reusing an old talk is bad. Having your own archive of gospel study is a wonderful resource and there will no doubt be situations when revisiting previous research will be beneficial to others and yourself as well. No, what that realization did was prompt me to focus less on the subject of knowledge in general and instead concentrate on the step that precedes it – learning to love learning.


In the words of Solomon: “With all thy getting get understanding.”


In the words of Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the twelve apostles, “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 spoke to BYU students in a devotional where he focused on attaining this love of learning. He told the students, “The overarching purpose of Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness is to provide His spirit children with opportunities to learn. The Atonement of Jesus Christ and the agency afforded to all of the Father’s children through the Redeemer’s infinite and eternal sacrifice are divinely designed to facilitate our learning.”


The Plan of Salvation is designed to help us learn! Everything we are asked to do, including presenting a sacrament meeting talk, is done to help us learn. This is made clear in section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants where members of church are commanded to learn: “of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad”


The prophet Joseph Smith further explained the benefits of learning when he said, “a man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge and that whatever principle of intelligence we attain in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.“


Pretty compelling reasons to break out the scriptures and physics text books, right?


Yes, but remember the proverb “With all thy getting get understanding.” We do an awful lot of getting outside of the school and church walls. I believe this wise counsel invites each of us to learn in everything we do. So often, we limit “knowledge” or “understanding” to information delivered to us via something like a book, movie, instruction pamphlet or another person. Of course, each of those things is a means to learning, but they are not exclusive. Let me give you a few examples.


An example: knitting. Talk about learning to knit.


Another example: being a ma and pa on the trek
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All of our prophets have diligently urged the Saints of the church to get as much knowledge and education as we possibly can.


Brigham Young lived during a time when formal education was much more of a luxury than it is today and only had eleven days where he “formally” went to school, but he was a great lover of learning. Some wonderful quotes:

• The religion embraced by Latter-Day Saints, if only slightly understood, prompts them to search diligently after knowledge. There are no other people in existence more eager to see, hear, learn, and understand truth. 

• Put forth your ability to learn as fast as you can, and gather all the strength of mind and principle of faith you possibly can, and then distribute your knowledge to the people.

• This work is a progressive work, this doctrine that is taught the Latter-day Saints in its nature is exalting, increasing, expanding and extending broader and broader until we can know as we are known, see as we are seen.

• We are in the school of mortality and keep learning, and we do not expect to cease learning while we live on earth; and when we pass through the veil, we expect still to continue to learn and increase our fund of information. That may appear a strange idea to some; but it is for the plain and simple reason that we are not capacitated to receive all knowledge at once. We must therefore receive a little here and a little there.
• We might ask, when shall we cease to learn? I will give you my opinion about it: never, never.

Our current prophet, President Monson, and former prophet, President Hinckley, also stressed the responsibility we have to gain knowledge during this earth life. Recognizing the various circumstances and ability to access opportunities to learn, president Hinckley established the Perpetual Education Fund patterned after the Perpetual Emigration Fund used to bring saints to Zion in the early days of the church. Both leaders were and are acutely aware of the necessity of constant learning.


The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s college graduates will have between 10 and 14 different jobs by the time they are 38. Obviously, it’s rarer and rarer that that one thing you love to do, or even the focus of your studies and degree will be all the education you need to achieve financial stability. However, Elder Bednar reminds us that “Learning to love learning equips us for an ever-changing and unpredictable future. Knowing how to learn prepares us to discern and act upon opportunities that others may not readily recognize.”


President Uchtdorf of the first presidency supports this idea with stories from his own childhood. He remembers the difficulty for himself and his family following the Second World War. Although his father was a civil servant by education, he was required due to their existence as war refugees to work as a coal miner, uranium miner, mechanic and truck driver. His mother started a laundry and worked countless hours doing menial labor. President Uchtdorf learned to help the family by delivering the laundry on his bike. He used that experience and recognized further opportunities to learn. He learned about determination and optimism from his parents. He learned that adversity, when confronted with faith, courage, and tenacity, could be overcome. He also learned that those who are unafraid of rolling up their sleeves and losing themselves in the pursuit of worthwhile goals are a blessing to their families, communities, nations and to the Church.


Uchtdorf sums up his experience by saying, “During challenging times, it is even more important to learn. Knowledge does away with darkness, anxiety and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is.”


Brothers and Sisters, we are in the middle of challenging times. This is not the first time nor will it be the last. We would do well to learn and follow the examples in the scriptures, and counsel of our leaders to “get understanding with all our getting” and to develop a love of learning. Even if you aren’t convinced, or don’t feel motivated to study and ponder and learn and do, obeying the commandment Heavenly Father to “do it anyways” will bless you. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explained in a recent conference address that “Obedience and knowledge are mutually reinforcing: knowledge encourages obedience and obedience enhances knowledge.”
Remember when Nephi had to build a ship? Do you think he had the knowledge to build a ship? His is a great example of learning what to do. He was not a sailor. He was raised in an inland city.


It is very unlikely that he had any experience with shipbuilding. Not only that but he had to get this ship, which he didn’t know how to build, to a place he didn’t know how to get to. He might not have had the knowledge but he did have obedience. From the obedience came the knowledge. The Lord promises us, just as he promised Nephi, that “If thou shalt ask, though shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peacable things – that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.”
It is unlikely any of us will ever be commanded to build a ship but each of us will have our spiritual and learning capabilities tested over and over.


We are not alone, however. Brigham Young taught that if we will follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles, each of us will be put in possession of the Holy Ghost and we will know things that are, that will be, and that have been. We will understand things in heaven, things on the earth, and things under the earth, things of time, and things of eternity.”
What a promise.


There is a saying that Education is not so much the filling of a bucket as the lighting of a fire. It spreads. It lights the way and it gives off energy. We have so much to learn and do on this life and our Heavenly Father wants and needs us to go out there and learn it and do it. In every area of our lives: at school, at work, at home, at play, as a child, as an adult, as a man or as a woman.


The Glory of God IS intelligence.