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1/17/07
"Hidden knowledge is not unfindable. It is available to all who really
search. Christ said, '...seek and ye shall find.' (Matt.
7:7.) Spiritual knowledge is not available merely for the asking;
even prayers are not enough. It takes persistence and dedication of one's
life. The knowledge of things in secular life are of time and are limited;
the knowledge of the infinite truths are of time an eternity." - Spencer
W. Kimball, Conference Report, October 1968, Afternoon Meeting, p.129
3/3/07
"This life that you and I possess is for eternity. Contemplate the idea of
beings endowed with all the powers and faculties which we possess,
becoming annihilated, passing out of existence, ceasing to be, and then
try to reconcile it with our feelings and with our present lives. No
intelligent person can do it. Yet it is only by the Spirit of revelation
that we can understand these things [see 1
Corinthians 2:11]. By the revelations of the Lord Jesus we
understand things as they were, that have been made known unto us; things
that are in the life which we now enjoy, and things as they will be [see D&C
93:24], not to the fullest extent, but all that the Lord designs
that we should understand, to make it profitable to us, in order to give
us the experience necessary in this life to prepare us to enjoy eternal
life hereafter." - "Teachings Of Presidents Of The Church: Brigham Young,"
p.49
3/26/07
"Fix in your minds noble thoughts, cultivate elevated themes, let your
aims and aspirations be high. Be in a certain degree independent; to the
degree of usefulness, helpfulness and self-reliance, though no human
beings can be said truly to be independent of their fellow beings, and
there is no one reckless enough to deny our utter dependence on our
heavenly Father. Seek to be educated in the highest meaning of the term;
get the most possible service out of your time, your body and brains, and
let all your efforts be directed into honorable channels, that no effort
shall be wasted, and no labor result in loss or evil." - "Teachings Of
Presidents Of The Church: Joseph F. Smith," p.313
11/18/07
"Mere knowledge of spiritual truth, information that may be drawn from the
encyclopedia, for instance, that there is a God, that prayers may be
heard, or that it is wrong to steal, is never really understood unless the
person is spiritually prepared. The absence of such preparation explains
why many who can glibly recite the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes may
violate them with equal ease; or why, though reared in a religious
atmosphere, they are irreligious. Such persons believe that spiritual
knowledge may be poured into them with no consideration of their fitness
and with no effort on their part. That cannot be done in the lower fields
of knowledge and less so in the highest, the spiritual field. It would be
in opposition to natural law. Such people are out of spiritual focus, and
their impressions are blurred, much as a telescope out of focus gives only
indistinct and confused images. Or, to use another figure of speech, there
is static in their lives which mars the beauty of life's melody. On the
contrary, when a person does fit and qualify himself, spiritual messages,
waiting to be revealed, come to him. Then, and only then, is spiritual
knowledge quickened into living comprehension leading to activity. When
there is such correspondence between an individual and the spiritual
world, the real joy of life appears. Otherwise, something is missing from
our daily desire. We live incompletely." - John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and
Reconciliations, p.86
8/5/08
"Latter-day Saints should be ambitious to grow in knowledge of the truth;
and if we shall know, even better than we do today, all that we need do is
to be better than we are today, to be purer in our thoughts, to be holier
in our lives, and our knowledge will increase in proportion." - Rulon S.
Wells, "Conference Report," October 1910, Afternoon Session., p.29
10/22/08
"The principle of knowledge has often been misinterpreted by
men. 'The glory of God is intelligence' (D&C 93:36). It surpasses
all we can ever understand with our intellectual capacities. People who
try to find God sometimes think that they have to look for Him in
intellectually complicated concepts.
"However, our Heavenly Father is always available to us. He adapts to our level of understanding. 'If He comes to a little child, He will adapt himself to the language and capacity of a little child' (Joseph Smith, in History of the Church, 3:392).
"God would indeed be unjust if the gospel were only accessible to an intellectual elite. In His goodness, He has ensured that the truths regarding God are understandable to all His children, whatever their level of education or intellectual faculty." - Gérald Caussé, "Even a Child Can Understand," General Conference, October 2008
1/8/09
"It is good for men to be taught in the history and laws of nations, to
become acquainted with the principles of justice and equity, with the
nature of disease and the medical properties of plants, etc., but there is
no need of their being without the knowledge of God, of in fact every
branch of true knowledge known to man has originated in God, and men have
come in possessions of it from His word or from His works. O, the folly of
men in not acknowledging God in all things, in laying aside God and his
religion, and trusting in their own judgment and intelligence. All the
intelligence which men possess on the earth, whether religious, scientific
or political—proceeds from God—every good and perfect gift proceeds from
Him, the fountain of light and truth, wherein there is no variableness nor
shadow of turning." — John Taylor, "Journal of Discourses," 26
vols., 10:276
2/19/09
"From my youth I have been acutely interested in and tried to be observant
of everything around us—birds, animals, and plant life—their species,
forms, colors, characteristics, and habits. I found that we can, as the
Savior did, draw lessons from everyday occurrences. We can note the
behavior of people in all their individuality and sameness. I developed
the desire, as a teacher, to share the things I had observed. I found that
by diligent, consistent observation, notetaking, and filing, one can store
up a vast reservoir of knowledge, examples, lessons, feelings,
experiences, and stories. One can come to know the verity of the
scripture 'treasure up in your minds continually the words of life,
and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be
meted unto every man.' (D&C 84:85.) That supply is there whenever one
needs to draw from it for teaching or speaking assignments. Whatever else
we are in life, we are teachers—as parents, in church service, in all else
that we do." - Boyd K. Packer, "That All May Be Edified," p. 6
7/22/09
“But gaining knowledge is one thing, and applying it, quite another.
Wisdom is the right application of knowledge, and true education—the
education for which the Church stands—is the application of knowledge to
the development of a noble and God-like character.” - David O. McKay,
“Conference Report,” April 1968, General Priesthood Meeting, p. 94
4/5/10
"Although we would not want it otherwise, there is so much knowledge
present in the world today; and tomorrow and each succeeding day
thereafter discovery, invention, and knowledge will continue to increase
and become so conveniently available that mental development and learning
will come earlier and earlier in the life of youth. With it, unless youth
is well grounded in the faith, will come worldly sophistication and
material pursuits and pleasures. Without maturity of feelings and
judgment, wrong roads and attitudes can be easily taken that would impair
the promise to them of a rich, useful, and happy life." - Delbert L.
Stapley, “Conference Report,” October 1956, Afternoon Meeting, p. 121
5/16/10
"If you have that testimony of truth on your side, you can pass through
the dark valley of slander, misrepresentation, and abuse, undaunted as
though you wore a magic suit of mail, that no bullet could enter, no arrow
could pierce. You can hold your head high, toss it fearlessly and
defiantly, look every man calmly and unflinchingly in the eye, as though
you rode, a victorious king returning at the head of your legions, with
banners waving and lances glistening and bugles filling the air with
music. You can feel the great expansive world of more health surging
through you as the quickened blood courses through the body of him who is
gladly, gloriously proud of physical health. You will know that all will
come right in the end, that it must come, that all must flee before the
great white light of truth, as the darkness slinks away into nothingness
in the presence of the sunburst." - David O. McKay, "Conference Report,"
April 1958, Afternoon Meeting, p. 130
7/20/10
"We should develop an insatiable appetite for knowledge pertaining to our
salvation, for the Savior said, 'And this is life eternal, that they might
know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' (John
17:3.) There is no more important, exciting, and exhilarating subject than
to learn about him who created the worlds and the plan he has prepared for
us." - Royden G. Derrick, "The Beatitudes and Our Perfection," Ensign
(CR), May 1977, p. 57
9/16/10
"There is much that I do not know. I do not know the details of the
organization of matter into the beautiful world we live in. I do not
understand the intricacies of the Atonement, how the Savior's sacrifice
can cleanse all repentant people, or how the Savior could suffer 'the pain
of all men' (D&C
18:11). I do not know where the city of Zarahemla was, as referred
to in the Book of Mormon. I do not know why my beliefs sometimes conflict
with assumed scientific or secular knowledge. Perhaps these are matters
our Father in Heaven described as the 'mysteries . . . of heaven' (D&C
107:19) that will be revealed at a later date.
"But while I don't know everything, I know the important. I know the plain
and simple gospel truths that lead to salvation and exaltation. I know
that the Savior did suffer the pain of all men and that all repentant
people can be cleansed from sin. And what I don't know or don't completely
understand, with the powerful aid of my faith, I bridge the gap and move
on, partaking of the promises and blessings of the gospel. And then, as
Alma teaches, our faith brings us to a perfect knowledge (see Alma
32:34). By moving forward into the unknown, armed only with hope and
desire, we show evidence of our faith and our devotion to the Lord." -
Richard C. Edgley, "Faith—the
Choice Is Yours," Ensign (CR) October 2010
7/24/11
We should keep in mind that there is more than one source of knowledge.
There is the knowledge obtainable through man’s normal sensory organs.
Such knowledge should be sought after. The Lord has commanded us to get
all such knowledge we can in this manner.
There is also knowledge of divine things which comes through direct
revelation—religious knowledge, it is sometimes called. And there are two
aspects to religious knowledge. One of them concerns the great store of
religious knowledge which we have in the scriptures. Ever since the
beginning, from Father Adam’s time until now, the Lord has given through
his prophets, by revelation, religious knowledge. Such knowledge concerns
the verities of life. It deals with God and his Beloved Son, the great
gospel plan, and the mission of Jesus as Savior and Redeemer. The other
aspect to religious knowledge is the personal witness available through
inspiration, a form of revelation that comes to each individual. - Marion
G. Romney, "Except
a Man Be Born Again," Ensign (CR) October 1981
3/11/14
To provide safety for those
around us, we as sisters need to expand our knowledge of all things
spiritual. We need to learn and progress in understanding and teach
our children those things that will make them less vulnerable to
deceit and to the designs of those who conspire against
righteousness. Ignorance is not bliss; it is dangerous. - Virginia
U. Jensen, “Creating
Places of Security,” Ensign (CR) November 1997
7/15/14
Samuel Johnson made an interesting observation when he wrote:
“Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless. … Knowledge
without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.” (Rasselas, ch. 41.)
Leaders in schools of elementary, secondary, and higher education
know that the true success of their system is measured by the man it
forms. Such is also true of families, politics, governments, and
religion. - Royden G. Derrick, “By
Their Fruits Ye Shall Know Them,” Ensign (CR) November 1984
12/3/14
As an evidence of increased
spirituality we become more selective in what we read. J. Reuben
Clark said, “My rule now is, never read anything that is not worth
remembering.” Thomas Jefferson always read something ennobling
just before he retired, “whereon to ruminate in the intervals of
sleep.” - Douglas L. Callister,
“Seeking
the Spirit of God,” Ensign (CR) October 2000
10/6/15
I repeat, let us not drive
a wedge between faith and knowledge. We need both. I love my bishop,
who is a businessman, and I have sought his counsel in spiritual and
family affairs, but should the need arise, I shall not ask him to
remove my appendix. The great problems facing us in the world today
are far more intricate than an appendectomy. We need to unite all
the faith and idealism the gospel can provide and to combine it with
all the wisdom of human experience, no matter who has it. - Lowell
L. Bennion, "Conference Report," April 1968, General Priesthood
Meeting, p. 99
3/30/16
That is why we must study and pray. Having the eternal plan as a
goal in our lives, we will make eternal choices. However, we will
not make the right eternal choices based solely on our pure
intellectual deduction and factual analysis from our own
understanding: Prayer and study must be used together to build
knowledge and wisdom. - Robert D.
Hales, "Making
Righteous Choices at the Crossroads of Life," Ensign (CR),
November 1988, p.9
7/9/16
Since it requires much personal effort to gain and use worthwhile
knowledge, you cannot endlessly sample from every fascinating arena
of life. Therefore, you should select carefully a few vital areas
where you can focus energy to learn and share vital truths. I know
that to gain knowledge of great worth requires extraordinary
personal effort. This is particularly true when our desire is to
obtain spiritual knowledge. - Richard G. Scott, “Acquiring
Spiritual Knowledge,” Ensign (CR), November 1993, p.86
7/10/16
Because we are being constantly exposed to the world's definition of
success and greatness, it is understandable that we might frequently
find ourselves making comparisons between what we are and what
others are, or seem to be, and also between what we have and what
others have. Although it is true that making comparisons can be
beneficial and may motivate us to accomplish much good and improve
our lives, yet we often allow unfair and improper comparisons to
destroy our happiness when they cause us to feel unfulfilled or
inadequate or unsuccessful. Sometimes, because of these feelings, we
are led into error, and we dwell on our failures while ignoring
aspects of our lives that may contain elements of true greatness. -
Howard W. Hunter, “True
Greatness,” Ensign (CR), May 1982, p.19
9/20/16
Knowledge does away with darkness, suspense and doubt; for these
cannot exist where knowledge is. … In knowledge there is power. – “Teachings
of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith,” (2011), 261–70