By MAREN HUN
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's university.
In his opening devotional talk, President Bateman said, 'The church itself is an educational institution, and Brigham Young University is one of its key components.'
He also said, 'I had never thought of Brigham Young University separate from the church. Prophet after prophet has stated clearly that Brigham Young University is a religious institution with a divine mission, even though secular education is a key part of its purpose.'
Richard O. Cowan, the chair of Church History and Doctrine, said BYU has two objectives: promoting academic learning and increasing spiritual knowledge.
President Bateman said, 'Both testimony and scholarship are essential for this university to achieve its destiny. They are not competitive but complementary.'
Cowan agreed. He said that learning about the gospel increases testimony. And testimony leads people to desire to learn more about the things of the world that God created.
Subjects such as math, English, etc., contribute to testimony, Cowan said.
'The orderliness of mathematics reinforces the concept of the orderliness of God's creation,' he said. He added that studying language and grammar helps people become more skillful in understanding the scriptures.
There is an academic side to studying the gospel, Cowan said. For example, he said that people who study language patterns of the Book of Mormon add to the academic knowledge we have about our beliefs.
Cowan said academic knowledge leads people to seek confirmation about the truthfulness of the gospel. People shouldn't base their faith on signs, he said, but signs will follow those who believe. He said the academic knowledge people gain about the gospel bolsters their existing faith.
The inclusion of religion courses at BYU gives students the opportunity to learn more about gospel principles and increase their faith. Cowan said students should try to take a religion course every semester to supplement their other learning.
Cowan cited Doctrine and Covenants, Section 88 as a reason for students to take both religious and secular courses. He said, 'We should learn by study and also by faith.'
At the close of his opening Devotional talk, President Bateman said, 'Joseph's and Brigham's vision that the spiritual can be combined with the secular without the latter overcoming the former will prove true because of faith and priesthood power. Brigham Young University will be a light to the world dispensing truth for the public good and for individual happiness.'