Ether 4:13

Come unto me, O ye Gentiles, and I will show unto you the greater things, the knowledge which is hid up because of unbelief.

What is not known generally or taught openly can be known privately when we get direct, personal revelation. The Lord does not keep secrets. He is willing to teach anyone who will come to him and ask. But we must be willing to believe what he reveals. To ask, receive, and then turn away brings condemnation.

Ether 3:19

And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.

The definition of faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Once we have seen, we no longer have faith, for we have prefect knowledge. Knowledge is wonderful, but it is also dangerous. Knowledge leaves no excuse. God could give everyone instant knowledge, but for those who are not ready for knowledge, it would bring instant condemnation. And so through faith we grow in knowledge until someday, when we are ready, knowledge becomes perfect.

3 Nephi 17:2

I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time.

God will not give us more knowledge than we can handle. Because he knows us perfectly, he knows how much knowledge we are ready for and gives only that which will enrich us without overwhelming us. He is aware of our capacity and does not exceed it. If we want to know more, we must prepare ourselves and increase our capacity. We must sharpen our desires and make room for more by exercising faith and obedience to that which we already have. God wants us to know all things. He has promised to reveal all mysteries. He waits only for us to be ready to receive all he has to offer.

Alma 36:5

Now, behold, I say unto you, if I had not been born of God I should not have known these things; but God has, by the mouth of his holy angel, made these things known unto me, not of any worthiness of myself;

With conversion and spiritual rebirth comes wonderful knowledge. The Holy Ghost can teach us many things. In fact, he can reveal to us everything we need to know to have a successful life. In Alma's case, the instruction from heaven began even before he knew he needed it. God is so anxious to teach us he will jump at even the slightest opening. He cannot wait to share the good news with us.

Alma 32:21

And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.

Faith is hope for things we cannot see, touch, hear or prove with our mortal senses, but which we know nevertheless are true. We do not need faith in what we know. Faith causes us to act on what we hope is true. As we act, our faith is vindicated when we see our hope validated. Eventually faith, acted upon and answered, becomes knowledge and ceases to be faith. Hope becomes more than a wishful desire. It becomes a firm expectation.We know the outcome of our faith, and we rest in the assurance that our hope is justified. 
 
Faith gets me up in the morning and enables me to move forward through the day. By faith I keep doing the things that need to be done each day in the hope that I am doing something good that will make a difference. Faith keeps me from giving up when I see my weakness and shortcomings and wonder if I will ever be anything more than the wretched man that I am.

Alma 32:19

And now, how much more cursed is he that knoweth the will of God and doeth it not, than he that only believeth, or only hath cause to believe, and falleth into transgression?

Why do we not have more plain personal revelation and open vision? Because we are not sufficiently dedicated and determined to obey. Knowledge is a curse if we do not abide by it. The Lord does not tell us more because he cannot trust us to respond in the right way to what we might learn. Better to leave us ignorant and subject to mercy than to make us knowledgeable and condemned by the law we cannot keep.

Ignorance is not good, however. We are not rewarded for being ignorant. We are rewarded for acting on the knowledge we have. The more knowledge we gain, the greater our potential for doing good. Without knowledge, we are damned, meaning stopped in our progress. Our goal is to act faithfully so we can qualify for more knowledge, which increases our righteous actions and prepares us for the next level of knowledge. And so it goes in an upward reaching and ever-broadening cycle of growth.

Alma 11:24

Believest thou that there is no God? I say unto you, Nay, thou knowest that there is a God, but thou lovest that lucre more than him.

Knowing God lives and loving him are two different things. The definition of wickedness is knowing about God but acting against his will, knowing about the things of God but loving the things of the world more, knowing God's power but trusting in worldly power instead. Why would we settle for worldliness when we can have godliness?

Mosiah 26:3

And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened.

Faith starts with belief, and belief starts with a choice. Because the generation described in this verse chose not to believe, they closed themselves off from light and knowledge. They hardened their own hearts. A hard heart has no room for God. We choose the texture of our heart.

Mosiah 1:2

And it came to pass that he had three sons; and he called their names Mosiah, and Helorum, and Helaman. And he caused that they should be taught in all the language of his fathers, that thereby they might become men of understanding; and that they might know concerning the prophecies which had been spoken by the mouths of their fathers, which were delivered them by the hand of the Lord.

Education is not only valuable but critical, not only to gain secular knowledge, but more importantly to be able to read and understand the scriptures. Adam started the process by writing his book of remembrance for his children. Since that earliest beginning, God has depended on his prophets' ability to write and the rest of us to read. The Dark Ages were dark because the masses forgot how to read. True religion cannot prosper among an illiterate and ignorant people.

Second Nephi 32:7

And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be.

If we think we are missing out on important knowledge, we should look to ourselves to find our attitude, behavior, and tendencies that lead us away from the Spirit and block the channel of communication. God does not withhold any knowledge from us that we are prepared to receive.

Second Nephi 9:28-29

O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.

Knowledge and wisdom are not the same things. One can have vast knowledge of facts, but not know how to apply those facts to make a better life. We cannot be saved in ignorance, but neither can we save ourselves through our own intellectual powers. We must know whom we worship and through whom salvation comes. Sometimes we can be just too smart for our own good. Werner Heisenberg said, “The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass, God is waiting for you.”

Second Nephi 9:20

O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.

The previous verse praises the Redeemer for his mercy. This verse praises him for his knowledge of all things. The next verse talks about his mission to save us. The three concepts are related. God is merciful because he is full of love. Nevertheless, he is not merciful out of ignorance. He knows us completely and perfectly. Nothing about our lives, our desires, and our weaknesses escapes him. Because he is merciful, he is willing to save us. Because he knows all things, he is able to save us. He will not miss a single detail of what we need to be saved. Therefore, he has worked out our salvation through the Atonement. Without mercy and knowledge, he could not have been our Savior.