Learning Much

 The Lord told Emma, “Thou shalt receive the Holy Ghost, and thy time shall be given to writing, and to learning much” (D&C 25:8).  Surely that invitation to “learn much” is valid for all of us, but what is it that is most important to learn?  Perhaps the first on the list should be to learn of the Savior.  He invited us in these words during His mortal ministry: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:29).  Paul chastised the Ephesians for not learning of Him: “But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:20-21).  In our dispensation Martin Harris was similarly told to learn of the Savior: “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me” (D&C 19:23).  Likewise Parley P. Pratt was instructed to so learn: “And now concerning my servant Parley P. Pratt, behold, I say unto him that as I live I will that he shall declare my gospel and learn of me, and be meek and lowly of heart” (D&C 32:1).  This life is a time for us to learn of the Savior so we can follow Him; we do not want to get to the judgment bar and hear Jesus say to us, “Ye never knew me” (JST Matt. 7:33).

               Another theme that we see in the scriptures is that the Lord expects us to learn His commandments and His will.  For example, Moses told the Israelites, “Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them” (Deuteronomy 5:1).  He later told them to gather the people “that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God” (Deut:31:12-13).  They were to learn the words and law of the Lord.  In this dispensation the Lord put it this way: “Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to my word, and learn of me what I will concerning you” (D&C 58:1).  He said similarly on another occasion, “Verily I say unto you who have assembled yourselves together that you may learn my will concerning the redemption of mine afflicted people” (D&C 105:1).  We need to seek to learn the will of the Lord so that we can then follow it.  AS the Lord said in a different revelation, we need to learn our duty and then do it: “Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand” (D&C 107:99-100).

            Learning of Christ and learning His commandments concerning us are certainly two of the most important things that we can learn in this life.  Other scriptures, though, also attest to the need to learn by study about the things of the world.  Twice we are told by the Lord, “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).  In another revelation He commanded, “And set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people” (D&C 90:15).  We are encouraged 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 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 88:79).  Learning of the Savior and His plan should surely our first priority, but in seeking to “learn much” the Lord wants us to gain all the knowledge of the world that we can.