John A. Widtsoe Improvement Era, May 1943, p. 289.
It is a paradox that men [and women] will gladly devote time every day for many years to learn a
science or an art, yet will expect to win a knowledge of the gospel, which comprehends all
sciences and arts, through perfunctory glances at books or occasional listening to sermons. The
gospel should be studied more intensively than any school or college subject.
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Harold G. Hillam, Ensign, May 2000, 11.
Before you can obey the commandments, you must know what they are. You learn the
commandments by being instructed. That is why family home evening, Sunday classes, and
seminary are so important. You know the commandments by the Spirit through prayer, your own
personal study, and by your own personal revelation…. Develop a love for the Savior. Knowing
ABOUT the Savior is a natural part of our religious education. KNOWING the Savior requires
personal obedience, prayer, closeness to the Spirit, and revelation.
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Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, June 1971, 77-8.
I have an average mind--one that is neither better nor worse than the general run of mankind. In
the realm of intellectual attainment I have a doctor's degree…. In their sphere, education and
intellectuality are devoutly to be desired. But when contrasted with spiritual endowments, they
are of but slight and passing worth. From an eternal perspective what each of us needs is a Ph.D
in faith and righteousness. The things that will profit us everlastingly are not the power to reason,
but the ability to receive revelation… not what we know about the things of the world, but our
knowledge of God and his laws…. Religion is something which must be experienced. I know
people who can talk endlessly about religion but who have never had a religious experience. I
know people who have written books about religion but who have about as much spirituality as a
cedar post. Their interest in the gospel is to defend their own speculative views rather than to
find out what the Lord thinks about whatever is involved…. It is the privilege and the right of
every member of the Church to receive revelation and to enjoy the gifts of the Spirit…. The
actual enjoyment of this gift depends upon personal worthiness.
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Boyd K. Packer, Speeches of the Year, BYU, 29 April 1969.
“There is almost a universal tendency for men and women who are specialists in an academic
discipline to judge the Church against the principles of their profession. There is a great need in
my mind for us, as students and teachers, to consciously and continually subjugate this tendency
and relegate our professional training to a position secondary to the principles of the gospel of
Jesus Christ. In other words, rather than judge the Church and its programs against the principles
of our profession we would do well to set the Church and its accepted program as the rule, then
judge our academic training against this rule. This posture is remarkably difficult to achieve and
sometimes even more difficult to maintain.”
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Bruce R. McConkie, Regional Representative’s Seminar, 2 April 1982.
Out tendency—it is an almost universal practice among most church leaders—is to get so
involved with the operation of the institutional church that we never gain faith like the ancients,
simply because we do not involve ourselves in the basic gospel matters that were the center of
their lives….
Let us be reminded of the great basic verities upon which all church programs and all church
organization rest. We are not saved by church programs as such, by church organizations alone,
or even by the Church itself. It is the gospel that saves. The gospel is “the power of God unto
salvation” (Romans 1:16)…. May I suggest, based on personal experience, that faith comes and
revelations are received as a direct result of scriptural study…. Joseph Smith taught that to gain
faith men must have a knowledge of the nature and kind of being God is; they must have a
correct idea of his character, perfections, and attributes; and they must so live as to gain the
assurance that their conduct is in harmony with the divine will.
Faith is thus born of scriptural study. Those who study, ponder, and pray about the scriptures,
seeking to understand their deep and hidden meanings, receive from time to time great
outpourings of light and knowledge from the Holy Spirit…. However talented men may be in
administrative matters; however eloquent they may be in expressing their views; however
learned they may be in worldly things—they will be denied the sweet whisperings of the Spirit
that might have been theirs unless they pay the price of studying, pondering, and praying about
the scriptures.
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Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:58-59.
In the world today there is an appalling ignorance of the true teachings of the scriptures. There
has never been a time before when so many have known so little about Deity and his laws. Nor
has there been a time when the opportunity to learn the basic principles of salvation has been
available to so many. But instead, "darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of
the people" (D&C 112:23); it is "as with the people, so with the priest" (Isaiah 24:2); apostasy is
universal, except among the Latter-day Saints.
But even in the true Church there are few sound scriptorians and theologians who have a
comprehensive knowledge of revealed truth. So far this dispensation has not been noted for the
diffusion of real gospel scholarship among the elders and saints generally. There are few modern
experts on the gospel. Few have paid the price of
[1] intense study,
[2] determined self-discipline, and of
[3] righteous living
necessary to gain a broad knowledge of the truths of salvation. Nearly all members of the
Church need to study the revealed word far more than they now do. Even a brief daily study
period works miracles in adding to one's knowledge of the doctrines of the gospel.
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Brigham Young, Discourses of Brigham Young, 258.
There are a great many branches of education: some go to college to learn languages, some to
study law, some to study physics, and some to study astronomy, and various other branches of
science. We want every branch of science taught in this place that is taught in the world. But
our favorite study is that branch which particularly belongs to the Elders of Israel--namely,
theology. Every Elder should become a profound theologian--should understand this branch
better than all the world.... We are now in the school of theology and making rapid progress in
the study of this celestial science. I admit there are some few dunces in the school: some
advance at a very slow pace, and some not at all. It would be difficult to tell whether they enjoy
anything or not, whether they are in the faith or not..