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Educate Thy Mind

This thread has been started based on the theme of the importance of education, the kinds and types of education we should be involved in and if education for the Brothers should be of even greater priority. You may also wish to evaluate the role of education as a priority between mission, marriage and adolescence.

"Education is the key to opportunity. The Lord has placed upon you, as
members of this Church, the obligation to study and to learn of things
spiritual, yes, but of things temporal also. Acquire all of the education
that you can, even if it means great sacrifice while you are young."

(Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 172)

Mind Thy Educate

President John Taylor was a great proponent of education. But he would (I think) have been appalled at the state of education today. What little actual "education" that occurs in colleges and universities is mostly geared towards indoctrinating a liberal mindset. Most of what occurs is occupational training, whether it is in technology, manufacturing, engineering, nursing, law, or medicine. For the most part, liberal arts programs have become a joke, filled with "ethnic studies" and "women's issues" programs.

Education is the process of learning how to think and reason. It is learning to recognize truth and develop wisdom. These are the skills and abilities that will affect our eternal welfare.

NightHawk

Educate Thy Mind Studies Doctrine Mormon

I think education is vital, but it doesn't necessarily need to be a college education. First, what do you want to do with your life? Then get whatever training is necessary for that. Even vocational education or technical training is a form of education.

Then, it doesn't stop there. Read good books. Study the gospel as a life long pursuit. Education doesn't stop one we are adequately trained for a career.

Education is equally important for women as men. You never know how life will turn out for you. Maybe a women will never get married. Maybe she will be widowed at a young age or divorced and need to provide for herself and her children. If she hasn't already gotten the education she needs to do this, she and her children will suffer in ways that they won't need to if she takes the time to get a proper education when she is younger.

Mind Thy Educate

I agree on all counts. I also believe that education is best when you are pursuing knowledge in a subject or field that you desire to learn about. Just "taking classes" because you have to for some reason doesn't provide the best groundwork for your intellect to grasp it. In my "more mature" years, I 've discovered that when I *want to* learn something, it's much easier and much more pleasant than when I *have to* learn something.

Offtopic but, Here's another weird thing I've discovered. I've prayed to have more time to do the things that I need to do, to study and pray, etc. And, honestly, it seems when I'm involved in my scripture study and other necessary activities, the work gets done in record time and I still have some left for other things. When I don't pray for that time, it seems to all slip away from me....

Roz

Mind Thy Educate

Education is very different from formal education in my opinion. I have met people with master degrees who do not know how to spell and other who have only a high school education who by reading books have a wide knowledge of different things. Even though a college education may get you a better job, it doesn't make you educated. The school of life is what makes somebody educated in my opinion, reading, reading and reading! listen to people, learn from them, walk in this life like if you don't know nothing and get as much as information as possible.

Educate Thy Mind

In my opinion communication is the most poorly taught of all disciplines. Gaining knowledge is of absolutely no value if one cannot communicate their views and insights to another.

I have long been intrigued by the ancient Hebrew concept of communication. The idea that sounds actually have power. As Paul said, it is not that which goes into the mouth that corrupts but that which comes out. The concept being that those sounds which we utter are truly our agent. By the proper use of them we cause change. We conceptualize an idea, form a sound identified with that idea and dispense it out into the air. That sound then carries with it the power of the idea which we conceived. It enters the ear of another and because of that sound we issued that other being receives it, considers it, and chooses an action relative to it.

That change which we have precipitated can either be for the good or the bad. Not to divest the recipient of their agency and stewardship, however if we communicate a bad or incorrect thought or even a correct thought communicated incorrectly we can cause incorrect change. The stewardship of that powerful issuance remains with the issuer even through the choice of the recipient.

It could be said that communication truly is a principle of creation. It is by ideas communicated to us that we might create a child's toy. It is by communication that we create a principled and inspired life. It is by principles communicated to us that we understand the plan of happiness and create a life in accordance with the will of the Father. It is by communication that we guide others to that same end, whether in our own family or service stewardships assigned within the Kingdom. It was be divine communication of authority, power and design that the worlds were framed and the immortality and eternal life of man will be accomplished.

RC3

Educate Thy Mind

RCollester3, those are good points. The others also expressed similar ideas very well. I believe education in the Church is so important. Growing up I always saw seminary and institute as the religion classes that could normally be taken at an academic level. To bad there isn't a formal academic level institution here that would have it. (I actually plan to pursue an Advance level theology certificate from Cambridge university and then maybe I can teach Religion here. That would be very interesting indeed.) The Church also does its' best to get every member to participate, to speak out and share feelings so they develop and become 'educated' in the correct way of thinking, thus uneducated decisions are not made in everyday life.

Educate Thy Mind Mormon Doctrine Studies

"It is so important that you young men and you young women get all of the
education that you can. The Lord has said very plainly that His people are
to gain knowledge of countries and kingdoms and of things of the world
through the process of education, even by study and by faith. Education
is the key which will unlock the door of opportunity for you. It is worth
sacrificing for. It is worth working at, and if you educate your mind and
your hands, you will be able to make a great contribution to the society
of which you are a part, and you will be able to reflect honorably on the
Church of which you are a member. My dear young brothers and sisters,
take advantage of every educational opportunity that you can possibly afford,
and you fathers and mothers, encourage your sons and daughters to gain
an education which will bless their lives."

(Gordon B. Hinckley, "Inspirational Thoughts," Ensign, June 1999, 4)