The Lord's Mandate to Learn

One of the themes of modern day scripture, especially the Doctrine and Covenants, is the need for learning and education.  We are told, “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118)  The phrase to seek learning by both study and faith is repeated two other times in the Doctrine and Covenants and shows that the Lord is concerned both with spiritual and secular learning (see D&C 109:7, 14).  We are to learn as much as we can of the things of God and the things of the world in an effort to build up Zion: “And, verily I say unto you, that it is my will that you should hasten to translate my scriptures, and to obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion” (D&C 93:53).  That same revelation tells us that “the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth” with no distinction between whether that truth is about the things in heaven or the things on earth (D&C 93:36). 

                A responsibility for spiritual learning was clear from the beginning of the Restoration.  Before even the Church was organized the Lord told Hyrum, “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word” (D&C 11:21).  Emma was similarly told, “Thy time shall be given to writing, and to learning much” (D&C 25:8).  Joseph himself was told by the Lord in the next section, “Behold, I say unto you that you shall let your time be devoted to the studying of the scriptures” (D&C 26:1).  The Lord has commanded the building of temples from the very beginning and they are to be “a house of learning” for all of the Saints (D&C 109:8).  The Lord also organized a “school of the prophets” to assist in that learning as described in the Doctrine and Covenants: “And ye are called to do this by prayer and thanksgiving, as the Spirit shall give utterance in all your doings in the house of the Lord, in the school of the prophets, that it may become a sanctuary, a tabernacle of the Holy Spirit to your edification” (D&C 88:137).    

                The Lord clearly doesn’t only expect us to search out spiritual learning, though.  That was evidenced by the fact that the above-mentioned school of the prophets included secular subjects such as Greek and Hebrew.  In a different revelation the Lord approved another school in the Church: “Behold, I say unto you, concerning the school in Zion, I, the Lord, am well pleased that there should be a school in Zion” (D&C 97:3).  That verse is, at least in the mind of Elder Holland, part of the justification for the Church operating Brigham Young University which includes all of the secular type of learning one would expect (see here).  And then we have this mandate from the Lord to learn just about everything: “Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand; 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 wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and a knowledge also of countries and of kingdoms” (D&C 88:78-79).  That list seems to cover just about everything—if it is a truth then no matter what the subject, the Lord approves of us learning and understanding it.  Ultimately, as was for the school of the prophets, all of this learning is to be done not for the sake of learning itself but to build up Zion.  “As all have not faith” is the reason the Lord gave—in other words, so that we can preach to those without faith the gospel, we are to learn everything we can of things of heaven and of things of the earth.