How do I study effectively and grow in the gospel?

This is the first of a series of articles that are inspired by studying the chapter called "How Do I Study Effectively?" in Preach My Gospel, pages 17-28.

As I read through this chapter, several statements stood out to me as essential elements of effectively studying the gospel to increase my conversion:

"For you to grow in the gospel and stay on the path that leads to eternal life, you need to develop a habit of gospel study."

"Study is an act of faith requiring the use of personal agency."

"Your gospel study is most effective when you are taught by the Holy Ghost."

"This kind of study prepares you for service, offers solace, resolves problems, and gives you the strength to endure to the end. Successful gospel study requires desire and action."

"Learning the gospel is also a process of receiving revelation."

"As you study, pay careful attention to ideas that come to your mind and feelings that come to your heart."

In this series of articles, I examine the key phrases in each of these statements. I explore the depth of their meaning and how I can apply them in my life to improve my ability to study the gospel. I testify that Preach My Gospel is an inspired book of instruction that can help all of us, whether or not we are missionaries, increase our conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ and enrich our lives in many ways. 

This first article addresses the topic of how studying the gospel can help us grow in the gospel.
"Grow in the Gospel"

To grow in the gospel is to

• grow in knowledge of principles and doctrine
• grow in the ability to keep the commandments
• grow in the ability to receive blessings and direction from Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost
• grow in "the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13).

The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith: "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance" (D&C 131:6). It is impossible to be saved in ignorance of who God is, who Christ is, who we are, and who we may become, and that we are on the right course that surely leads to Christ and to exaltation.

Over the forty-five years that I have been a member of the Church, I can see periods in which I have grown and expanded my understanding and acceptance of the gospel. I can also see periods of stagnation when I have stunted my growth. Some examples of critical steps of my progression in the gospel include:

• When I first started with the missionary discussions when I was fifteen years old, I was pretty sure that God was an ethereal cloud of intelligent energy floating through space. A week later a knew that God was a perfected and glorious person of flesh and bones and that I could become like him. I do not recall how this change happened. I did not work at it. I did not even pray about it, since I was still resistant to the idea of prayer. But miraculously the Holy Ghost communicated the correct idea of God to my mind. Through the gift of a believing heart, I accepted it readily.
  
• My experience in seminary was a rapid period of growth in knowledge and understanding and conversion. I resisted early morning seminary during my sophomore year after I was baptized. By Fall of my junior year I decided to try seminary simply because all of the other kids in the ward were going. Once I attended a couple of classes and felt the Spirit, I loved seminary and could not wait for each day so I could soak up the gospel knowledge that was offered.
  
• After receiving my mission call, I realized in a dramatic way that I needed a sure testimony of the Book of Mormon. Through sincere prayer and study, I was granted the gift of a firm witness. That witness has sustained me for over forty years.
  
• My mission was not a time of growth for me, with one bright exception. During the hardest and most discouraging time of my mission, I received a stunning testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the First Vision. Prior to that moment, I had believed that Joseph was a prophet because I knew the Book of Mormon was true. Nevertheless, at a moment when I desperately needed to be strengthened, Heavenly Father revealed to me in my own sacred grove that he and his Son had indeed visited the fourteen-year-old Joseph in of grove of trees.
  
• I returned home from my mission and sat on a plateau for several more years. Then I had a Gospel Doctrine teacher who opened my eyes to the practice of searching and pondering the scriptures. I became not just a fan of the scriptures but a student as well. Even today I continue to grow in my ability to study and understand the scriptures by the Spirit because of what that teacher taught me.
  
• Among hundreds of sacrament meeting talks, one sticks out clearly in my mind. I do not remember the exact date, but somewhere during the late 1980s, more than ten years after my mission, a speaker talked about the role of Christ as the Savior and Redeemer. During that talk the Holy Ghost bore testimony to me that Christ is the very center of the gospel and the plan of salvation. For twenty years I had relegated Christ to a supporting role behind Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, the Word of Wisdom, the three degrees of glory, and most other doctrinal principles. But in that sacrament meeting, the Holy Ghost finally helped me to see Christ in his true role and position. Christ became primary, and everything else became secondary. The sacrament became meaningful. I began to have a true love for my Savior. I believed for the first time that he could actually save me, and that I did not have to try to save myself.
  
• Fast forward another ten years. Thanks to my high priest group in the Haight Bench Ward, I finally started to understand the significance of the temple and to appreciate the blessings that temple covenants and ordinances offer.
  
• As recently as a few months ago I attended a priesthood lesson in which a single word was spoken that is changing my life: charity. The Holy Ghost testified to me that now was the time for me to learn charity and to ask for that gift "with all energy of heart". In my slow and methodical way I am seeking opportunities daily to practice charity. I stumble and fail more often than I succeed, but the Spirit corrects me and teaches me and guides me when I take the time to listen.

I am happy to be able to look back on my life and recognize the growth that has occurred in my knowledge, my testimony, and my conversion. At the same time, I am unhappy to realize that I could have progressed so much faster had I been focused continually on the right things. I allowed myself to be distracted by too many meaningless things that robbed me of precious time. Had I condensed these marvelous moments of growth into twenty-five years instead of forty-five years, I could have been at this point in my spiritual maturity twenty years sooner. Add twenty more years of concentrated and purposeful effort, and I would be a different person at the ripe old age of 60 than I am today.

I am a living witness that the distractions of the world are very effective in stunting our spiritual growth. I thank the Lord that I can also be a witness that we can repent and make progress. He will help us wherever we are on the path. He is more interested in our direction than the particular point at which we have arrived. Mortal life truly is a journey and not a destination. Heavenly Father will help us and guide us if we ask him.

What does it mean to bear testimony?

A testimony is a spiritual witness, given by the Holy Ghost, of the truthfulness of the gospel. When we bear testimony, we declare to others what we know to be true by the power of the Spirit. The foundation of a testimony is the knowledge that Heavenly Father lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, that His gospel has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Savior’s true Church.

As you prepare yourself spiritually for our next class, watch Elder Dallin H. Oaks' talk about Testimony from the April 2008 General Conference, and then read the following scriptures and think about how you would answer the questions below.

"Testimony", Elder Dallin H. Oaks, General Conference, April 2008

Alma 5:46-47

46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.

47 And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.

How does a testimony come?
Of what should we have a testimony?


D&C 76:22-24

22 And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

23 For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

24 That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.

This is the essence of pure testimony, for the Prophet describes what he saw. He was a witness, and he said what he saw. That is all the bearing testimony is - saying what we know for a fact to be true. Not speculating and sharing hearsay, but saying what we know for ourselves to be true.

Alma 4:18-20 "... seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them."

What effect can our testimonies have on others?
What does it mean to bear down in pure testimony?

What can I learn from President Monson about following the Spirit?

President Thomas S. Monson has said: “Not a day has gone by that I have not communicated with my Father in Heaven through prayer. It is a relationship I cherish—one I would literally be lost without. If you do not now have such a relationship with your Father in Heaven, I urge you to work toward that goal. As you do so, you will be entitled to His inspiration and guidance in your life—necessities for each of us if we are to survive spiritually during our sojourn here on earth. Such inspiration and guidance are gifts He freely gives if we but seek them. What treasures they are! I am always humbled and grateful when my Heavenly Father communicates with me through His inspiration. I have learned to recognize it, to trust it, and to follow it” (“Stand in Holy Places,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2011, 84).

President Monson is a marvelous example of one who follows the Spirit. He is worthy of our emulation. Here is his talk, called "Consider the Blessings", from General Conference in October 2012, in which he relates several experiences he has had in which the Holy Ghost has guided him and prompted him to serve and minister to others. He is an example of perfect charity because he practices charity every day.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/consider-the-blessings?lang=eng

How does reverence help me receive revelation?

When we are reverent, we show our love for God and are better able to receive personal revelation. A reverent attitude helps make us more sensitive to the still, small voice of the Spirit. If we treat sacred things with reverence, Heavenly Father will trust us and reveal to us additional truths.

Scriptures

3 Nephi 11:1-7
When the Savior came to the Nephites, the voice of the Father had to introduce his Son three times. Even though the people were gathered around the temple and discussing the coming of Christ, they were not listening to the Spirit. They were engrossed in their surroundings and their person conversations. They perceived that there was a sound, but they did not understand the source of the voice nor its meaning. Their conversation turned from the physical appearance of the temple to the sound they had just heard, but again, they were not listening, they were talking. The voice came a second time to disrupt their debates. They still did not understand it, but they began to recognize that something unique and marvelous was happening. They finally stopped talking and and started listening. They stopped looking at their surroundings and each other and looked instead toward heaven, the source of the voice. Finally the third time, when they were quiet and attentive, when the voice spoke the understood it and comprehended the words.

When we pray and ask for the Holy Ghost to enlighten us, do we ever stop to listen, or do we just monologue until the very end and then get off our knees and wonder why we never get an answer?


Psalms 46:10
To be still means more than to simply stop moving. It means to be quiet inside and out. It means to quiet not only our mouths and our movements, but our thoughts. It means to stop worrying and fretting and planning and scheming. It means to stop and give God a chance to do his peaceful work within us.

To know that God is God is to know his power and his love. It is to know that he loves us deeply and personally. It is to know that he will exercise his infinite power in our behalf, as weak and as imperfect and as unworthy as we are.

We have to be still to know God because he requires our undivided attention, just as he gives us his undivided attention. We are the most important thing in the universe to him. He ought to be the most important thing in the universe to us. He is a jealous God who does not want to have to compete with the noise and clamor of the world for our attention. To show our love for him, we must be willing to set aside all of our entertainments, our amusements, our passtimes, our work, our distractions and focus completely and devoted on him. Anything less than full devotion is not enough.


D&C 63:64
To speak of things "with care" to be careful about how we talk about sacred things. We should speak reverently about sacred things. We ought also to be careful not only about how we speak of sacred things but about the setting in which we talk of them and even about to whom we talk about them.

To be "constrained by the Spirit" is to be either constricted or compelled. These two opposite meanings are interesting. Sometimes the Spirit will stop us from speaking when the time, setting or audience is not right. Other times the Spirit will encourage us to speak when we are in the proper setting and the timing is right for those to whom we are speaking to hear our message. It is only by acting under the direction of the Spirit that we can teach properly and effectively.

We invite the Spirit to properly constrain us in either direction by asking for his guidance and then listening and responding to the promptings we receive.


D&C 84:54-57
We treat things lightly when we do not take them seriously. We may receive a beautiful gift from a parent or friend. We may even recognize it for the beauty and value that it has and the sacrifice that the giver experienced to provide us with the gift. But if we throw it in a drawer and never make use of it, we are treating it lightly.

The Lord accused the Saints of treating the Book of Mormon lightly because they did not read it regularly and use it in their missionary work. Because of their light-minded treatment of the Book of Mormon, the Lord placed the people under a curse. We can lift the curse from ourselves by taking the Book of Mormon seriously. We do so by studying it diligently, learning all we can from it, and the sharing it with others as the wonderful treasure that it is.


President Boyd K. Packer, "Reverence Invites Revelation" General Conference, October 1991

"A testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a witness that the Book of Mormon is true, comes in a delicate, refined spiritual communication. It is described in the scriptures as light, as burning in the bosom. It is best described as a feeling. No message appears in scripture more times, in more ways than, “Ask, and ye shall receive.” While we may invite this communication, it can never be forced! If we try to force it, we may be deceived. Unless you have experienced it, it is very difficult to describe that delicate process. If doctrines and behavior are measured by the intellect alone, the essential spiritual ingredient is missing, and we will be misled.A testimony is profoundly personal, and occurs in response to very private prayers and pleadings.

"Inspiration comes more easily in peaceful settings. Such words as quiet, still, peaceable, Comforter abound in the scriptures: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10; italics added.) And the promise, “You shall receive my Spirit, the Holy Ghost, even the Comforter, which shall teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom.” (D&C 36:2; italics added.)

"The world grows increasingly noisy. Clothing and grooming and conduct are looser and sloppier and more disheveled. Raucous music, with obscene lyrics blasted through amplifiers while lights flash psychedelic colors, characterizes the drug culture. Variations of these things are gaining wide acceptance and influence over our youth. This trend to more noise, more excitement, more contention, less restraint, less dignity, less formality is not coincidental nor innocent nor harmless.  The first order issued by a commander mounting a military invasion is the jamming of the channels of communication of those he intends to conquer. Irreverence suits the purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in both mind and spirit.

"No one of us can survive in the world of today, much less in what it soon will become, without personal inspiration. The spirit of reverence can and should be evident in every organization in the Church and in the lives of every member. The spiritual power in the lives of each member and in the Church will increase. The Lord will pour out his Spirit upon us more abundantly. We will be less troubled, less confused. We will find revealed answers to personal and family problems without all the counseling which we seem now to need."

Elder Paul B. Pieper, "To Hold Sacred", General Conference, April 2012

"Our experiences with the divine may not be as direct or dramatic nor our challenges as daunting [as were the experiences of Moses, Alma, and Joseph Smith]. However, as with the prophets, our strength to endure faithfully depends upon recognizing, remembering, and holding sacred that which we receive from above. Our divine encounters will mostly involve the third member of the Godhead, the Holy Ghost.

"As we seek answers from God, we feel the still, small voice whisper to our spirits. These feelings—these impressions—are so natural and so subtle that we may overlook them or attribute them to reason or intuition. These individualized messages testify of God’s personal love and concern for each of His children and their personal mortal missions. Daily reflecting upon and recording the impressions that come from the Spirit serve the dual purposes of helping us (1) to recognize our personal encounters with the divine and (2) to preserve them for ourselves and our posterity. Recording them is also a formal recognition and acknowledgment of our gratitude to God, for “in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things” (D&C 59:21).

"Light and knowledge from heaven is sacred. It is sacred because heaven is its source. Sacred means worthy of veneration and respect. By designating something as sacred, the Lord signals that it is of higher value and priority than other things. Sacred things are to be treated with more care, given greater deference, and regarded with deeper reverence. Sacred ranks high in the hierarchy of heavenly values.

"Today the struggle continues. Secular voices are growing in volume and intensity. They increasingly urge believers to abandon beliefs the world considers irrational and unreasonable. Because “we see through a glass, darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12) and “do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:17), at times we may feel vulnerable and in need of greater spiritual assurances. The Lord told Oliver Cowdery:

“If you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?” (D&C 6:22–23).

"The Lord reminded Oliver and us to rely on sacred personal witnesses already received when our faith is challenged. Like Moses’s, Alma’s and Joseph’s before, these divine encounters serve as spiritual anchors to keep us safe and on course in times of trial."

Why do we sometimes miss the impressions of the still, small voice? Why does the lord give us sacred experiences? Why is it important to write down the sacred experiences and feelings we have?


True to the Faith, p. 145

"Reverence is profound respect and love. When you have a reverent attitude toward God, you honor Him, express your gratitude to Him, and obey His commandments.  You should be reverent in your behavior as well as your attitude. Reverent behavior includes prayer, scripture study, fasting, and payment of tithes and offerings. It includes wearing modest clothing and using clean, wholesome language. The depth of your reverence is evident in your choice of music and other entertainment, in the way you speak of sacred subjects, and in the way you dress and act when you attend church and the temple. You show your reverence for the Lord when you serve other people and treat them with kindness and respect.

"As you become more reverent, you will notice a quiet transformation in your life. The Lord will pour out His Spirit more abundantly on you. You will be less troubled and confused. You will be able to receive revelation to help you solve personal and family problems."

Define reverence. What does reverence feel like? What are examples of reverence? What are examples of irreverence?


True to the Faith, p. 140-4

According to your faithfulness, you can receive revelation to help you with your specific needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help you strengthen your testimony.

Quiet spiritual promptings may not seem as spectacular as visions or angelic visitations, but they are more powerful and lasting and life changing. The witness of the Holy Ghost
makes an impression on the soul that is more significant than anything you can see or hear. Through such revelations, you will receive lasting strength to stay true to the gospel and help others do the same.

The following counsel will help you prepare to receive promptings from the Holy Ghost:

• Pray for guidance.
• Be reverent.
• Be humble.
• Keep the commandments.
• Partake of the sacrament worthily.
• Study the scriptures every day.
• Take time to ponder.
• When seeking specific guidance, study the matter out in your mind.
• Patiently seek God’s will.

Amid the many noises and messengers in the world today, you must learn to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. Following are some of the principal ways the Holy Ghost communicates with us:

• He speaks to the mind and heart in a still, small voice.
• He prompts us through our feelings.
• He brings peace.

We need personal revelation in our lives every day. We are faced daily with decisions that require the guidance of the Spirit. There are people whom the Lord wants us to serve. Without the guidance of the Spirit through revelation, we will miss out on the opportunities to serve them and assist the Lord in his work. We must daily seek the direction of the Spirit. That means that at least some time every day we must be still. We must cultivate reverence in our daily walk and actions. That does not mean to be pious and sanctimonious. It means to be ever listening, vigilant, less caught up in our own worries and concerns and more involved in seeking the Lord's will. It is easier said than done. It takes practice and constant attention. With time and effort, we can learn to be like Nephi, to whom the Lord said that thou "hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments. And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever" (Alma 10:4-5).

How do we learn by study and by faith?

The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith a principle pertaining to our progression in mortality with these words:  "Seek learning, even by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118).

Defintions

"Seek" is an action verb. We cannot be passive objects waiting for someone to pour knowledge into us. We must actively search it out. We must be looking for it, striving for it, working for it, choosing and deciding as agents to take the necessary actions to get what we want. In the world, few rich men got rich by waiting for riches to fall into their laps. They had to set goals, plan, and then go to work. Even those who receive riches by inheritance have to plan and prepare to make good use of them or they will squander them and end up broken failures.

"Learning" is "the acquisition of knowledge or skills through experience, practice and study". We seek to learn by organizing ways to gain experience with the knowledge or skill that we acquire. We refine knowledge and skill through deliberate practice. Successful practice is more than repeating an action. Repetition creates proficiency, but it does not alone generate improvement. Deliberate practice involves trying something, getting feedback, analyzing the mistakes, correcting the mistakes, and then trying again. It is an iterative upward spiral in which each attempt is slightly different and slightly better than the last attempt until we are not only proficient but effective. It is constantly approaching a goal or an ideal.

Apprenticeship and Discipleship

But how do we gain the knowledge that enables us to define the goal or ideal to start with? We begin with study. In our modern society, study is usually equated with reading. Reading is certainly a valuable and useful way to acquire facts. Writing and reading have greatly extended the opportunities for masters of a subject to share their knowledge and for learners to absorb that knowledge. In earlier times and in other situations, however, to study was and is more about observing than about reading the written word. Musicians study their craft by listening to other musicians and mimicking the sounds they hear and the techniques they observe. Athletes study their sport by watching other athletes. In bygone times craftsmen apprenticed with masters who showed them how to perform a task, gave them opportunities to practice, and then provided iterative correction until the students became the masters.

Thus when the Lord instructs us to learn by study, he has more in mind than merely reading the scriptures. Scripture reading is a start and a crucial step in gaining eternal knowledge. The Lord has commanded his prophets to write his words so that we might have the benefit of the revelations that have been given in the past. Great expense and sacrifice has gone into preserving and producing the scriptures for the benefit of God's children. The scriptures and other writings of prophets, apostles, and wise men are an essential jumping-off point for seeking learning by study.

Knowledge of spiritual facts, however, is in sufficient to save us. The Lord wants us to learn skills, attributes and behaviors that prepare us and qualify us to come into his presence and live with him eternally. We do not gain these skills and characteristics merely by reading about them in books, anymore than a musician learns to play an instrument by reading about it or an athlete develops exception skill on the field by reading Sports Illustrated. We learn to do by watching others do and then by doing ourselves. Watching others do things is also learning by study. Doing them ourselves is learning by faith, which we will discuss in a moment.

In spiritual things we refer to apprentices as disciples. A disciple is a student of a teacher or leader. He is one who is taught or trained. He is engaged in a course of action that brings him in closer alignment with the Master. Initially we study and observe and follow our parents. They are our first teachers. Right or wrong, good or bad, we generally want to grow up to be like Mom and Dad. Unless our parents happen to be prophets or saints whose calling and election have already been made sure - what a happy blessing for the few who are so fortunate - we eventually come to the point where we need to expand our study and discipleship to others who can teach things that our parents cannot. And so the Lord provides a church to organize his people into a living school. He ordains faithful men to the priesthood and calls leaders and teachers who provide examples for us to follow and give us assignments and challenges to stretch us and improve us. We can study closely the lives and attributes of these men and women, who themselves are disciples of other faithful leaders.

The Lord expands our opportunities for discipleship by calling a variety of leaders so that we have a variety of people to study and learn from and who can help us in various ways. He may also call us to move to new locations and new situations that bring us in contact with leaders who can teach us new things in new ways. If we are deliberate and observant, we can learn from every person we meet and every individual with whom we work and serve and interact. In all of these situations, we are learning by study.

Ultimately, however, mortal teachers are insufficient to bring us all the way to the Lord. We all have weaknesses and imperfections. No one is the perfect teacher or the perfect example. The only way to come become like Christ is to come unto Christ. Only the Holy Ghost can fully bring us unto Christ. "The Holy Ghost performs several vital roles in the plan of salvation. (1) He bears witness of the Father and the Son (1 Cor. 12:3; 3 Ne. 28:11; Ether 12:41). (2) He reveals the truth of all things (John 14:26; 16:13; Moro. 10:5; D&C 39:6). (3) He sanctifies those who have repented and become baptized (John 3:5; 3 Ne. 27:20; Moses 6:64–68). (4) He is the Holy Spirit of Promise (D&C 76:50–53; 132:7, 18–19, 26)" (The Guide to the Scriptures).

Study by the Spirit

The Holy Ghost is the ultimate teacher in mortality. We can learn many wonderful and ennobling things from our parents, teachers and leaders, but there are some things that only the Spirit can teach us. It is the Holy Ghost who inspires us and motivates us to keep the commandments (Ezek. 36:27). The mysteries of God are unfolded to us through the power of the Holy Ghost (1 Ne. 10:17–19). The Holy Ghost can tell us to do things that otherwise would not have occurred to us (2 Ne. 32:5). In particular, the Holy Ghost prompts us to do good works (D&C 11:12). The Holy Ghost confirms to us when we have the truth and are on the right path (D&C 100:8). And unlike all other earthly teachers, the Holy Ghost can be our constant companion (D&C 121:45–46). We do not have to make an appointment or wait for a class or hope he is available to pick up the phone. He can be ever with us to teach us and direct us and correct us and reward us.

Finally, it is the Holy Ghost who bears testimony of the Father and the Son (D&C 121:45–46) and makes it possible for us to know that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior and Redeemer (D&C 46:13). In his supernal role as the Holy Spirit of Promise, this counselor in the Godhead can seal us up unto eternal life and testify to the Father that our righteous acts, ordinances, and covenants are valid and acceptable (D&C 76:51–60). Despite all that man can do and all that we can learn from men and angels, it is the Holy Ghost who brings us to the Father and the Son.

Thus we learn by study. But what of learning by faith?

Learn by Doing

If we are wise, we start to emulate the behaviors and characteristics that we see in others. As we observe parents, friends, teachers and leaders keeping the commandments, serving their fellowmen, sacrificing, humbling themselves, studying, praying, pondering, and earnestly seeking after righteousness, we do the same. Just as an apprenticed sculptor watches his master carve a beautiful statue, we watch those around us whose lives - or at least aspects thereof - are worthy of emulation. At first the master sculptor assigns small tasks for his apprentice to try. The apprentice attempts to carve a simple geometric shape from soft clay. The master evaluates his work, provides correction, shows him techniques. The master hands him another piece of clay, and the apprentice tries again. As his skill increases, the apprentice receives more challenging assignments. Each time, the master corrects and reproves, and the apprentice becomes more expert. Eventually the blossoming apprentice graduates from clay to sandstone and then to granite and eventually to marble. His objects become more intricate, more delicate, more polished and beautiful. When he his ready, he receives the commission to work on a major piece that will be sold in the market.

This progress occurs, however, because the apprentice has practiced. He has not only watched and studied, but he has tried what he has learned. It is in the trying that true growth and progress is made. Without practice, knowledge has no power to change us. When we put knowledge into practice, it can transform us.

Faith Is Action

One definition of faith is the application of knowledge to achieve an expected or promised outcome without a sure knowledge that the result is achievable. The eleventh chapter of Hebrews tells us that all of the prophets performed their mighty works by faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). We learn that Abel offered his sacrifice in faith. He did not know that it would be acceptable to God, but he knew what the Lord had instructed him to do, and he did it. Noah built the Ark based on faith that God's flood would come. Abraham left his home to travel to a "promised land" without knowing what he would find when he got there. Later Abraham placed his only son on an altar and raised the knife to take his life with faith that somehow God would still provide him with a limitless posterity. Faith enabled the children of Israel to pass through the Red Sea on dry ground. And on and on. Each received information from God and then acted on it. Had they not acted, the knowledge would have been useless. When they acted, they learned about God and his abilities. They learned how to exercise faith and how to perform great miracles. They learned by faith.

As disciples, we learn by faith when we act on principles. Initially we learn to do the things our parents teach us. We not only learn temporal skills, but we also learn to pray, to read the scriptures, to attend our church meetings, and so forth. As we progress, we learn to keep the commandments that are communicated to us by the scriptures and by the prophets. As we work and serve with great leaders and priesthood holders, we learn to lead and counsel and teach by observing others and then trying it ourselves as we are called. We learn to use the marvelous gift of the Holy Ghost, and we begin to receive instruction from the Spirit. As we follow the promptings we receive, the Spirit gives us more and more. When we do well, the Spirit confirms to us that we have performed in a pleasing way. When we do poorly, the Spirit chastens and reproves us. Thus we practice and grow and improve, approaching the ideal of "the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Eph 4:13). Now we are learning by faith.  

Conclusion

To seek learning by study and faith, then, is to acquire knowledge about how to act and then acting in accordance with that knowledge. The two must be inseparably connected. If we gain knowledge and fail to act or act contrary to that knowledge, the knowledge will condemn us. If we try to act without knowledge or ignore the correction of others when our actions are incomplete or imperfect, we are merely flailing about ineffectively. When we combine study with faith - observation and counsel with deliberate practice - we grow in Christ-like attributes until we please God and he eventually says to us "Well done, though good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of thy Lord" (Matt 25:21).

How can I recognize the difference between truth and error?

During the Great Apostasy, many gospel truths were changed or lost. These truths were restored in our day through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Studying the word of God and listening to the Holy Ghost can help us recognize the difference between truths of the restored gospel and falsehoods taught by the world.

To prepare for this week's discussion in Sunday school, please read the following article by Elder Neil L. Anderson from the April 2005 General Conference: Beware the Evil Behind the Smiling Eyes.

As you read Elder Anderson's talk, take note of the counsel he gives about how to discern truth. Then think of instances in your own life when you have been faced with the choice between truth and falsehoods. Did you use any of Elder Anderson's suggestions in making the right decision?

In class we will discuss what impressed you from Elder Anderson's talk and the experiences you have had in your life in choosing right from wrong, good from evil, and truth from error.

Nauvoo the Beautiful and Carthage

Sister Armstrong and I had a chance to spend a couple of hours in Nauvoo while were in Illinois visiting our son and his family. Two hours is not enough to even begin to absorb all of the history there. The temple, rebuilt in 2002, is magnificent.It is overwhelming to consider what the early saints accomplished in a mosquito-infested swamp with no machines and only a few hand-held tools.

Below are some photos.

The Nauvoo Temple

A sun stone

The front, facing west

Viewed from the south
(The original temple did not have an Angel Moroni on it)

Looking up from the river bank

Joseph and Hyrum Smith go like lambs to the slaughter

The Mississippi from the steps of the Temple

The river as seen from the Smith Homestead

The Mississippi

The Mississippi

The Smith Homestead
(Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith's first home - the log cabin)

After the house was built, the cabin became a "summer kitchen" for Emma.

The well on the Homestead

The Mansion House - Joseph's home and hotel

A home in Lower Nauvoo

A street in Lower Nauvoo

Joseph's Red Brick Store

Final resting places for Joseph, Hyrum and Emma

Joseph and Hyrum in front of Carthage Jail

The second story window from which Joseph fell after he was shot

The door through which the mob stormed to reach the second floor room where Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Williard Richards were imprisoned

The well where Joseph landed

The approach to Carthage Jail