The Reason why to Gain Wisdom and Knowledge

There is a question that has been repeated to me over and over again since I was in Kindergarten: What do you want to be when you grow up?

I had no idea in Kindergarten. I had no idea in First Grade. I had no idea in Second Grade. I didn’t know what sort of things I could be when I grew up. Being the oldest child, I honestly didn’t know what there was. So the standard question was treated with a standard answer that I thought they expected of me: a doctor, a policewoman, a fire-woman, the first female president, a teacher, a lawyer. That was the extent of my knowledge of what I could be when I grew up, perhaps because that was all I was exposed to. William Golding in “Thinking as a Hobby” explains how as a kid he was to mold himself into a certain way of thinking and this is how I felt the question tried to mold me as well. However, every year, my answer would be different, because I had no real interest in any of those careers.

But if I could talk to my younger self now, I would make my self aware of the goals that I already had at that age. I cannot remember a time in which I have not had a great hunger for gaining Knowledge and Wisdom continuously. I cannot recall a time in my life where I had thought knowledge and wisdom were the same; I always knew they were separate meanings.

My family owned many children’s books before I was five years old. I would pull them down and follow the words on the page with my finger and make up the story as it continued; I knew I could not read and I wished to learn. My mother told me that I would learn to read when I was five. On my fifth birthday, I had run to the bookshelf, pulled out a book, and tried to read, then immediately burst into tears; I could not read. My mother then told me that I would learn when I start school. Three months later that day came, and my mother sent her oldest child out into the world and worried all day. When my mother came to pick me up I was in tears. She worried and panicked that her daughter was picked on and bullied and had a horrible day. Once I was able to speak to where she could understand what it was I was saying she had a hard time trying not to laugh; I was crying because I couldn’t read yet.

In primary, I remember of learning of King Solomon, how he was the wisest man. In 1 Kings 4:29-34 it says, “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much . . . And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. For he was wiser than all men; . . . and his fame was in all nations round about. . . . And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard his wisdom.” I was determined then and there that I wanted wisdom. I thought that he was very clever and I wanted to be as well.

Growing up in a family who has been strong and active form the time in which all of my ancestors were converted before they traveled West, the Gospel is just a part of life. It defines my family. It defines our traditions. It defines our thoughts. It defines our philosophy. It defines how we see the world and the events that occur in it. We talk of math and it somehow relates. We talk of friends and it relates. We talk of money and it relates. We talk of anything and it’ll relate.

Before my tenth birthday, I came to a conclusion as to why gaining knowledge and wisdom is important. The gospel is all about progression; if we do not progress, then that is the definition of damnation. The reason we wish to gain entry into the highest kingdom in the Celestial Kingdom is because it means we can progress and increase. Doctrine and Covenants 130:18-19 says, “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.” I take this to heart.

Knowledge and wisdom are not just to be gained for money and wealth and public recognition; They are gained as preparation for the Eternities. That is my goal in all my mortal life. I realized that this life is only a probationary stage, but a stage in which we experience because we can only truly learn by experiencing it so I should take full advantage of it as I do not think I will ever experience it again, even in the Eternities. The Life Lessons I learn here are lessons that I’m going to be able to use forever, but only if I take the right wisdom and knowledge from the experience, otherwise it would almost be an entire waste of mortal time and useless to me in the Eternities. Then how could you progress without any real wisdom gained?

President Gordon B. Hinckley has said in Stand a Little Taller, “It is not a sacrifice to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is never a sacrifice when you get back more than you give. It is an investment. And the living gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a greater investment than any of which we know because its dividends are eternal and everlasting.”

Keeping the commandments of God, being obedient, it just makes you gain knowledge and wisdom and more blessings. It is not that difficult to practice and live the gospel. You are the one that gains in the long run, in the Eternities. I do not think we can adequately comprehend all the blessings we gain just by following the law.

So I’ve always had this thirst for knowledge, but not always the classical school knowledge. I don’t much care for geology for example. I’ve always wanted to learn how to care for a horse. Or how exactly it is that the words can be phrased in such as way that it means different things. Or what a true friend is. Or how I can help the world be a little better. Or just the workings of the government and economy. Or how to live within a budget. Or how to better interact with people.

President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “Seek for the real things, not the artificial. Seek for the everlasting truths, not the passing whim, Seek for the eternal things of God, not for that which is here today, gone tomorrow. Look to God and live, as the scripture enjoins us.”

There are many who seek knowledge that could advance them in this world. But in the Eternal perspective, there are things that you could learn here in our mortal life that would have not as much value in the next life than other possible things to learn. It is much better to seek for those things that have true value. These are more of a type of the things I wish to learn.

Jacob 6:12 “O be wise; what can I say more?” is one of my favorite scriptures that I try to apply to my life. I think of that scripture every day and what it means to me. The phrase, or command, “be wise” continues to change its meaning for me. Wise in the ways of the Lord. Wise in the workings of the planet. Wise in the abstract ideas. Wise in material things. Wise in relationships. Wise in how I manage my life. Wise in how I interact. Wise in my schooling and education and learning. Wise in my finances. Wise in my health. Wise in exercising my agency. Wise in preparing for the future and Eternity.

My family has cultivated the habit of thinking and pondering. Before coming to college, it’s a tradition in my family to just philosophize and bounce ideas off each other and be open to learning by inspiration. We recognize that we do not know everything; that the things we do know may be wrong. However, no matter what we learn from the world we always have Faith and confidence that it somehow fits into the complex plan of our Father in Heaven. That the holes and questions we have on life, on the missing parts of history, on understanding the standard works, will be answered eventually. We just need to be faithful and obedient and all will be answered.

As Doctrine and Covenants 6:7 says, “Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich. Behold, he that hath eternal life is rich.” This seems to be the theme of my family’s way of learning; realizing that we do not know everything, nor is it likely we will in this life and so ask our Father in Heaven, yet be grateful for the knowledge we are blessed with and continue to learn all we can from it.

Here in college, Life has been wonderful. Because I am learning, but I am learning things that I can see be actually applicable to my life. My mind is exploding with knowledge, wisdom, ideas, and how that can be utilize in my life and in making the world a little bit better then before, even if it’s just the way I live my life.

I am now making the habit of thinking better professional.

Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-8 says, “You have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.” President Hinckley has says, “Knowledge without labor is profitless. Knowledge with labor is genius.” In my belief, this is what the professional thinker should be. Gaining knowledge with labor, with work, not just something you do every day, is what divides the professional from the hobbyist.

I am making my limited and slightly molded way of thinking from my time in the nest at home transform into a professional way of thinking in which there is no limits in what you can learn from every little thing you come in contact with. Much like William Golding’s highest way of thinking; the first grade thinker; the professional.


“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” ~D&C 93:36