Learning With God’s Guidance

2 Nephi 9:29 - "But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God."

President Dallin H. Oaks - "We seek learning by studying the accumulated wisdom of various disciplines and by using the powers of reasoning placed in us by our Creator. We should also seek learning by faith in God, the giver of revelation. I believe that many of the great discoveries and achievements in science and the arts have resulted from a God-given revelation. Seekers who have paid the price in perspiration have been magnified by inspiration. The acquisition of knowledge by revelation is an extra bonus to seekers in the sciences and the arts, but it is the fundamental method for those who seek to know God and the doctrines of his gospel. In this area of knowledge, scholarship and reason are insufficient. A seeker of truth about God must rely on revelation. I believe this is what the Book of Mormon prophet meant when he said, 'To be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.' It is surely what the Savior taught when he said, 'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.'" 

Seek this Jesus - A Book of Mormon Daily Podcast invites you to discover the joy and guidance that comes from studying the Book of Mormon everyday. This podcast would hope to just be a supplement to your studies. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome to Seek This Jesus, a daily podcast dedicated to drawing closer to the Savior through the powerful truths found in the Book of Mormon. Each episode, we focus on one verse that helps us walk more faithfully in his footsteps.

SPEAKER_02 0:30

Some of the greatest blessings in life come through learning. We learn through school, books, experience, work, study, and wise counsel. We are meant to grow in understanding. God does not ask us to avoid education, ignore knowledge, or reject learning. In fact, he wants us to develop our minds and abilities. But there is also a danger when learning becomes separated from humility. Knowledge alone cannot save us. Intelligence alone cannot guide us through every spiritual question. If we trust only our own reasoning, eventually we will reach limits we cannot overcome on our own. Jacob had just warned against the danger of people becoming so learned that they reject God's counsel. Pride can cause us to believe we know enough already. It can cause us to trust only what we can see, explain, or prove. But Jacob also gave an important balance. Learning itself is not the problem. Being learned is good when we continue to seek God's direction along with that learning. Wisdom becomes a blessing when it is guided by revelation. As we study this verse today, along with teachings from President Dallin H. Oaks, we will consider what it means to seek knowledge with humility and live with purpose in Jesus Christ. Jacob's statement is important because it teaches balance. Sometimes people treat learning as dangerous while others treat education as the ultimate source of truth. Jacob teaches that neither extreme is right. He does not condemn knowledge. He does not say that learning is bad. He says that to be learned is good. God gave us minds to think, reason, study, and understand. Throughout history the Lord has used educated people to accomplish his work. Moses was learned in the wisdom of Egypt. Daniel was known for knowledge and understanding. Paul was highly educated in the law. The restoration itself came through question, study, and searching for truth. Education can help us become better parents, better workers, better leaders, and better servants of God. At the same time, knowledge can become dangerous when it leads us away from humility. When we begin to believe that our intelligence is enough, we stop seeking revelation. We may start to trust our own opinions more than God's commandment. We may begin to measure truth only by what seems reasonable to us instead of what God has revealed. This is one of the great spiritual dangers of our day. We live in a world where information is everywhere. We can search for answers instantly. We can find experts, opinions, arguments, and endless content on nearly every topic. But having more information does not always mean we have more wisdom. We can know many facts and still misunderstand eternal truth. God wants us to learn, but he also wants us to remain teachable. Spiritual maturity is not shown by how much we know, it is shown by whether we are willing to let God guide what we know. President Dallin H. Oakes taught.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

We seek learning by studying the accumulated wisdom of various disciplines, and by using the powers of reasoning placed in us by our Creator. We should also seek learning by faith in God, the giver of revelation. I believe that many of the great discoveries and achievements in science and the arts have resulted from a God-given revelation. Seekers who have paid the price in perspiration have been magnified by inspiration. The acquisition of knowledge by revelation is an extra bonus to seekers in the sciences and the arts, but it is the fundamental method for those who seek to know God and the doctrines of His gospel. In this area of knowledge, scholarship and reason are insufficient. A seeker of truth about God must rely on revelation. I believe this is what the Book of Mormon prophet meant when he said, To be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. It is surely what the Savior taught when he said, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

SPEAKER_02 5:25

This teaching reminds us that learning and revelation are not enemies. They work together. God expects us to study, think, research, and make good use of our minds, but He also expects us to pray, seek revelation, and listen to the Spirit. There are many things we can learn through education, observation, and experience, but there are also truths that can only come through God. We cannot reason our way into a testimony of Jesus Christ, we cannot study our way into knowing that the Book of Mormon is true, we cannot discover our divine purpose through worldly wisdom alone. Those truths come by revelation. This means that when we face major decisions we should not rely only on pros and cons lists, logic or what others say. Those things can help, but they are incomplete. We also need prayer. We need scripture study, we need to seek the influence of the Holy Ghost. The Lord often teaches us line upon line as we move forward in faith. Many of us spend a great deal of time learning. We learn through podcasts, books, videos, social media, news articles, classes, and conversations. None of those things are automatically bad, but this verse invites us to ask a deeper question. Are we learning in a way that keeps us close to God? Sometimes we may become so focused on gathering information that we neglect revelation. We may spend hours reading opinions online, but only a few minutes in prayer. We may trust commentators, influencers, and experts more than prophets in Scripture. We may rely on our own confidence instead of asking God for help. This verse reminds us that the safest path is not simply becoming more informed. The safest path is becoming more spiritually grounded while we learn. We can ask Heavenly Father to guide what we read, what we believe, and what voices we trust. We can be careful not to confuse being educated with being wise. The more we learn, the more humble we should become. We should become more grateful for God's help, not less dependent on it. We should become more willing to admit that we do not know everything. We should become more open to correction and more willing to let the Lord shape our thinking. God does not ask us to choose between learning and faith. He invites us to bring them together. He wants us to be informed disciples. He wants us to think deeply and believe deeply. He wants us to seek truth wherever it is found, while always remembering that the greatest truths come from Him. So here is today's challenge. Choose one important question, decision, or concern in your life right now. Spend time thinking, studying, and learning about it. But before making a conclusion, take time to pray specifically about it. Ask Henry Father to guide your understanding and help you see things through his perspective. Make sure that revelation is part of the way we seek answers. Thank you for listening to Seek This Jesus. I hope this message helps you draw a little closer to the Savior, Jesus Christ. Please, don't let this podcast be your only scripture time today. As we open the scriptures for ourselves, the Spirit will teach us things no podcast ever could. If you're exploring the truths of the Book of Mormon for the first time, you can receive a free copy using the link in the description found in every episode of Seek This Jesus. I invite you to come back tomorrow for another verse and message to help you stay focused on Jesus Christ. Until next time, keep seeking this Jesus.