Education

In a world where people are having trouble ‘adulting’, and where both lower and higher education are in complete shambles, it behooves us to understand what ideal education looks like. And what it is for.

First and foremost, education is a religious duty. We can not be saved in ignorance. The saving truths of the gospel are the primary truths for us to learn.

Further, this spiritual foundation gives us greater insight – “Where there is no vision, the people perish”.

There is something appealing about a world of pure ideas, where we can focus on learning alone, like monks and nuns. But we do not exist in a Platonic universe.  We must understand the world we are in. We must understand the human condition, and not merely our own bubble. It is interesting to notice that the most profound sections of the D&C, will end with discussing mundane details – individuals called to repent, or called to missions or specific tasks.

In this way, missions are invaluable education, because you really see people unvarnished and their real earthy problems. The Oracle at Delphi is supposed to have said, “Know thyself”. That isn’t terrible advice, but there are a lot more people out there than just yourself!

There is a particular kind of education we call marriage and children. It quickly becomes clear that the opposite sex is nuts. Men and women (Women are nuts!… Men are nuts!) – we must understand each other and learn how to work with each other on an intimate level. This level of understanding takes time and work. In this sense, gay marriage is both highly understandable (easier to see eye to eye, etc) and more tragic, because part of you that needs to grow, is left to atrophy.

Raising children is an experience that pulls you even further outside of yourself. You have to really understand another human. And love them and teach them. Doing this changes you.

Part of the increase in the mental health issues, stems from a mental health diet low on relationships and focused on pleasure. The equivalent in physical health would be too little exercise and too much sugar. This line of thought should be fleshed out, but I will leave that to interested reader.

One of the reasons we came to Earth was to experience mortality and physical bodies. There is a danger of too much screen time, of trying to live something like we lived in the Premortal Existance. We need dirt under our fingernails, sand in our shoes and the occasional sunburn. We need to experience and master the appetites of the body. We need to struggle with the problems of life. Even the Savior didn’t start his ministry until he had lived 30 years as a common laborer.

This places two opposing demands on us. First, we need to provide for ourselves and our family. Money isn’t something we can ignore. But nor is it something you want to obsess over. There is a fantastic quote by Brigham Young comparing this Earth to a school, and comparing learning solely about about money, to taking classes in Lunch. Lunch is necessary, but there is a lot more to life.

God told Adam and Eve, “Of every tree of the Garden thou mayest freely eat…”. There are a world of things to learn and explore.

Academics – finally! What subjects should we study? D&C 88 gives some good specifics, to study “even by learning, and also by faith”.

Pres. John Taylor said,

“We want … to be alive in the cause of education. We are commanded of the Lord to obtain knowledge, both by study and by faith, seeking it out of the best books [see D&C 88:118].”

Self-reliance gives us things to learn. As does the command to make our own clothes – a commandment we should probably apply more widely. Our pioneer history would certainly back that up.

Lastly, the Spirit teaches us.

Joseph Smith said,

“The best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching.”

The Spirit will guide us to things we never could know otherwise.

This gives us a lifetime of things to study. And it is a very different education from what the World thinks.

And I suspect there is more I could add. But as I said, this will take a lifetime to begin to learn.