A Zeal of God, But Not According to Knowledge

 An experience yesterday reminded me of these words of Paul to the Romans: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:1-3). The apostle suggested that there were those with zeal towards God—those who were actively doing works in the name of God—but without the correct knowledge of who God is or what He wants of His children. It seems to me that this is a general state of many in our world: they have great zeal for this cause or that, but they have not truly sought knowledge to understand if that zeal is well-founded and their cause really worth defending. Paul’s description suggests that whoever he was referring to also were not humble—they sought their own righteousness in pride instead of having the humility to submit to God and His desires. As followers of the Savior we must humbly seek both zeal and knowledge, to be like the people of Lamoni who “were zealous for keeping the commandments of God” (Alma 21:23). Our greatest zeal should be to do what God has asked us, and we need to seek sufficient knowledge of Him to know what that is.

            Hugh Nibley wrote an essay entitled Zeal Without Knowledge in which he suggested that we as a people do not adequately seek knowledge nor focus our minds on the things of most worth as we ought to but instead celebrate zeal for its own sake. He described how we give “young people and old awards for zeal alone, zeal without knowledge--for sitting in endless meetings, for dedicated conformity, and unlimited capacity for suffering boredom. We think it more commendable to get up at 5:00 a.m. to write a bad book than to get up at nine o'clock to write a good one.” He suggested that we must learn to focus our minds on the knowledge of God, on those things that really matter instead of always concentrating on obtaining the things of the world. Brigham Young said, as Nibley quoted, that we go on “lusting after the groveling things of this life, fixed with a very limited amount of knowledge, like a door upon its hinges, moving to and fro from year to year without any visible advancement or improvement…. I desire to see everybody on the track of improvement… but when you so love your property as though all your affections were placed on the changing, fading things of earth, it is impossible to increase in knowledge of the truth.” We must learn to stop focusing on the ephemeral things of this world—where we often place our greatest zeal—and use our minds to seek after knowledge and the things of God. As the Prophet Joseph stated, “The things of God are of deep import; and time, and experience, and careful and ponderous and solemn thoughts can only find them out.  They mind, O man! If thou wilt lead a soul unto salvation, must stretch into and contemplate the darkest abyss, and the broad expanse of eternity—thou must commune with God” (see here). We must learn to seek after the knowledge by stretching ourselves to commune with Him. I love the way the President Nelson put it: “There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.” He further encouraged us to “spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before” so that “His power will flow into [us].” He promised that if we do so, we will begin to understand these words of our beloved hymn: “The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding.… The knowledge and power of God are expanding; The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.” We must learn to seek that knowledge from the Savior with all our hearts, to humbly focus our zeal on the acquisition of truth and living according to it. As Hugh Nibley sought to encourage us in the final words of his essay, “May God help us all in the days of our probation to seek the knowledge he wants us to seek.”