The Reason for Education

In his book Accomplishing the Impossible, President Nelson told the story of a young man interested in the medical profession who asked him how long it had taken him to become a heart surgeon.  When he replied that it took fourteen years, the young man responded, “That’s too long for me!”  President Nelson responded with a question, “How old will you be fourteen years from now if you don’t become a heart surgeon?”  The young man responded, “Just the same!”  He ended up pursuing that career and is now, many years later, a fully certified heart surgeon.  President Nelson commented, “Don’t be afraid to pursue your goals—even your dreams!  There is no shortcut to excellence and competence.  Education is the difference between wishing you could help other people and being able to help them.”  This struck a chord with me because I see two important teachings here: we should pursue all of the education we can get, but we should do it with the intent to use our knowledge to help and bless others.  This is similar to the message that Jacob gave to the Nephites: “But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God” (2 Nephi 9:29).  In other words, it is good to gain knowledge and understanding, even of the things of the world, if this knowledge is used to help us keep God’s commandments and serve others. 

               This reminds me of a civilization class that I took in my undergraduate years at BYU.  Somehow, we got on the topic of the school of the prophets that existed in Kirtland for the early Saints to learn both secular and spiritual topics.  The point that our instructor, Brother Seely, drove home was that the whole purpose of the school of the prophets was to prepare missionaries to go out and preach the gospel.  In other words, the reason for improving their minds and stretching their intellect was so that they could be better prepared to explain the principles of the gospel and teach the people of the world.  This seems to be the message of D&C 109:7, “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.”  Because “all have not faith” is the reason we should seek learning and wisdom and the knowledge of books; we need to be able to help others gain faith through the gospel, and to do that we should strive to improve our own understanding and knowledge so we can be the emissaries of truth. 

               I think this teaching about learning is similar to the principle about riches that Jacob taught: “And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted” (Jacob 2:19).  The Lord may bless us with riches if we seek them, but we are to seek them with the intent to use our money to help others.  We don’t seek riches to develop a life of ease for ourselves but to be able to serve and lift others.  In the same vein, we shouldn’t seek knowledge and learning and education in order to bring glory to ourselves but instead to be able to more fully help and teach and serve others.  We know that the “glory of God is intelligence,” and because of His perfect intelligence He is perfectly able to help His children (D&C 93:36).  Likewise we should strive to develop all the intelligence that we can—in all aspects of life—so that we can be more equipped to serve God’s children.