Why are we here to learn?

For class we were instructed this week to read D&C 86-88. I love reading the Doctrine and Covenants and getting to talk with my roommate about it most nights. She is a recent convert to the church and has read through the Book of Mormon but not the D&C yet. From me talking to her about it and telling her how much I love it, I got her started reading it as well! Even though she is starting at the beginning we still both talk about the sections we read and what we got out of it. I particularly picked these questions to answer because I know how important it is to learn and to teach others. I love how the Lord reveals it to Joseph Smith to include why learning is so important, and not just spiritual things but secular as well.

Carefully review verses 77-80 and 118-119 and answer at least three of the following questions:

• What do these verses teach us about education; what are we commanded to learn?

We are to learn in heaven, earth, under the earth, things that have been, things which must come, things at home and abroad, wars, and knowledge of countries and kingdoms. In the student manual it gave interpretations of all of these things, astronomy, mineralogy, geology, history, prophecies, domestic and foreign policies, physical and political geography and languages. This is a very wide variety of things that we are to learn. If we learn and even become experts in one or several of these things it will then be up to us to teach others about what we know.

• Why do you think learning and education is important to the Lord; isn't faith enough?

I don’t believe that faith is enough. We need to learn all we can in all areas both of heaven and of earth. He says in verse 80 “that we may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you.” I don’t think the just means our callings in the church but our callings in life. We must always be prepared to accept the callings we receive in the church and know that Heavenly Father is giving us those callings for a reason, even if we don’t know it yet. Also the lives we lead and the people we become are what I think is our callings in life. Heavenly Father knows who we are going to choose to become. We need more than faith to become who we are. We need to study and learn each and every day, not always in a classroom setting as most people picture, but in our daily

• Once we have learned something, what is our obligation to others? Why do you think the Lord feels that way?

It is our obligation to pass on our knowledge and teach it to others. While we are here on this earth we are expected to gain as much knowledge as we can because that is what we will be able to take with us when we move on into the next life. It has been my plan for a long time to become a teacher. For the last 4 years of college I have been gaining a variety of knowledge so that I can teach any child from birth to eighth grade in regular education or special education. My classes and teachers have been pounding the knowledge into my head so that when I need it someday I will be able to say that I learned that already and will be able to pull from prior knowledge and teach those things. Even though I don’t plan on going on a mission and spreading the truthfulness, I feel it is my obligation to become the best teacher I can and help those who are disabled and so many don’t want to try and teach them, but I really do.

Called to Serve

Whoever we may be male or female, we are all called to serve on the earth. Elder Asay’s talk focuses on the male members and being worthy priesthood holders and the blessings that come from fulfilling that call. A story he related is this…

The son of a very wealthy man was called to serve a full-time mission. He entered the mission field and began his work. At first things went well; however, as he met rejections and as other challenges of finding and teaching surfaced, the young man’s faith wavered.

Mission associates gave encouragement, but it did not seem to help. One day the young man announced to the mission president that he was abandoning his call; he was returning home. The mission president did all within his power to dissuade the missionary. It was to no avail.

When word of the missionary’s decision reached the father, he obtained permission to visit his son in the mission field. In one of many tense conversations, the father said, “My son, I have lived for the day when you would serve a full-time mission. I did so because I love you and I love God. And I know that there is no work more essential than that of teaching truth to the peoples of the world.”

Somewhat sobered by his father’s words, the son meekly replied, “Dad, I didn’t realize that a mission meant so much to you.”

“It means everything to me,” the father declared. Then he added with some emotion, “All my life I have worked and saved with one person in mind: you. And my one goal has been to provide you a decent inheritance.”

“But Dad,” the son interjected, “the work is difficult and I don’t enjoy …”The father didn’t allow him to finish his sentence. Instead he asked, “How can I trust my businesses to your care if you cannot prove yourself by serving the Lord for two short years?”There was an awkward pause as the son pondered the father’s question and studied his anxious countenance. Then with measured words, the father promised, “My son, my only heir, if you will be faithful in this calling and prove yourself worthy in every respect, all that I possess will be yours.” Noticeably touched by these earnest pleadings, the son rose to his feet, embraced his father, and sobbed, “I will stay.”

The son did stay in the mission field; he did serve faithfully from that day forward. And yes, in due time, he received from his father the promised inheritance, even all that his father had to share.

What really made me stop and think….

…the story of the son on a mission and his father coming to talk to him. His son knew he was successful and had worked hard in his life and as soon as his father told him that if he served a full honorary mission he would give him everything. Can you imagine getting everything your earthy father has!

Our Heavenly Father has told us that from the beginning. If we lived faithfully and led a good life then we can receive all that he has. In this story it might have meant that the son got a lot of money or a big house or a lot of other worldly things. But if you think about it in context of Heavenly Father, he is giving us eternal life the greatest gift of all. We are taught not to get caught up in the things of the world for they cannot go with us when we leave this earth. We can take with us the things that we learned and the service that we rendered as well as actions towards others and other non material things.

Sometimes to remember that great blessing is not easy as I go about my day to day activities but what I need to concentrate on doing is leading a life and serving an honorary mission here on earth and my Father will give me everything! In order to reach that I need to make sure that I am living that kind of life and that I am setting that example to others around me.

Where I come from there is not a high population of LDS members, and most don’t want to talk about church, but like the saying goes ‘actions speak louder than words’. Even if I don’t talk to them about the church they need to be able to see the way I live my life and how happy I am because of it. I have had people comment on how much I smile and how happy I am, it is due to a knowledge I have of this life and for the most part what I am supposed to be doing to return to my Father in Heaven!

Other inspiring meassages from D&C 84:

36 For he that receiveth my servants ^areceiveth me;

37 And he that ^areceiveth me receiveth my Father;

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s ^akingdom; therefore ^ball that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

83 For your ^aFather, who is in heaven, ^bknoweth that you have need of all these things.

What do they mean to you?

you can find the full talk by Brother Asay at:
http://lds.org/ensign/1985/11/the-oath-and-covenant-of-the-priesthood?lang=eng