The Knowledge We Should Seek

The Prophet Joseph wrote, “Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection. And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19).  This begs the question, then, what knowledge and intelligence should we seek to gain?  What can we learn that will indeed benefit us in this life and the next?  There is so much information at our fingertips now that it can be overwhelming to try to figure out which of it we should seek after.  Whereas a century ago it took a trip to a library to find books to study and seek out information, now we can gain knowledge about nearly any topic from a computer or phone in an instant.  But of course not all knowledge is of the same value, so what knowledge and intelligence is most worthy of our pursuit? 

                I believe that the most important knowledge that we can obtain is a knowledge of the Savior, and the Book of Mormon speaks repeatedly of this.  Lehi prophesied of the time when the remnant of the house of Israel would “come to the knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer” (1 Nephi 10:14).  Jacob spoke as well of the gathering and how “they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer, they shall be gathered together again to the lands of their inheritance” (2 Nephi 6:11).  He also wrote of how their descendants would “be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer” (2 Nephi 10:2).  Samuel the Lamanite similarly prophesied of the Lamanite descendants, that they would “again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd” (Helaman 15:13).  Mormon spoke of a future date for the house of Israel when “then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (3 Nephi 5:26).  When many of the people of King Noah were converted by Alma’s preaching, they similarly “came to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 18:30).  The sons of Mosiah “were instruments in the hands of God in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth, yea, to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Mosiah 27:36).  Alma explained the power of the scriptures in conversion, in that they brought the Lamanites “unto repentance; that is, they brought them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and to rejoice in Jesus Christ their Redeemer” (Alma 37:9).  The Savior emphasized the need for this knowledge of Him when He visited the Nephites, telling them of a future time when the Gentiles “shall be scattered forth upon the face of the earth because of their unbelief, may be brought in, or may be brought to a knowledge of me, their Redeemer” (3 Nephi 16:4).  There is no greater knowledge that we can have than to truly know our Redeemer—which, if we do, we of course will know the Father as well.  As Jesus prayed to His Father, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).  Whatever intelligence we get in this life, if we don’t gain a knowledge of the Savior then we will have missed the most important knowledge we could have obtained. 

            The Doctrine and Covenants teaches, though, that this is not the only thing we should seek to learn.  We are invited to learn of “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:79).  That is quite a list and would constitute more than a lifetime of study.  Another revelation I think gives us the key to helping decide what we should learn: “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” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:53).  All that we learn should be for the salvation of Zion.  In other words, whatever it is that we study and read about and seek to understand should be able to help us bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.  It should help us become the “pure in heart” that constitutes Zion and it should give us the wisdom needed to better preach the gospel to all the world.  Joseph’s school of the prophets in Kirtland was primarily intended to help them learn so they could better themselves and go forth and take the gospel to the nations of the earth, which so many of those early Saints did.  What we strive to learn and understand should help us to do the same, to take the most important knowledge of Jesus Christ and His gospel to all those who might receive it.