By Sarah Bastian
Lynn E. Garner, a professor in the Mathematics Department, spoke on learning in an eternal context at the Devotional on Tuesday, June 5.
'With an eternal perspective, we can better fulfill our earthly missions,' Garner said.
Garner said the most important learning to obtain is knowledge of the plan of salvation.
'Why is it the most important?' Garner said. 'Because without it, said the scriptures, they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God.'
He said that the world makes so much information available that every person must make a decision about what to learn. There is too much information to be able to learn everything.
'Just as we decide what to do, we must decide what to know,' he said.
He said that each person can be guided in the learning process.
'We must have the Holy Ghost with us if it''s going to work,' Garner said. 'We qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost when we put our lives in order and we seek Him in prayer.'
He said knowledge is classified as either spiritual or secular. The scriptures say to seek both spiritual and secular knowledge.
He said while the scriptures encourage secular learning, some subjects should be approached with caution because they may drive the Spirit away.
Garner said reasoning is important for both secular and spiritual learning. He said each person must reason out statements for themselves.
'Be on guard when someone teaches scientific knowledge as fact,' he said.
Garner said that many things in the world will contradict each other. They can be reconciled through faith and reasoning.
He said that much of the information learned at a university is eventually found to be incorrect or outdated.
Garner said that the major role of a formal education is to learn how to learn.
He said there are four purposes for a university education: to teach how to communicate, to teach the skills of learning, to inform each person about how much there is to know and to give each person a desire to learn.
Garner said that each person watched as the world was created. That knowledge will eventually return to each person.
He said that many students wonder why they try so hard to learn when the knowledge will eventually come back to them.
'It is not entirely the knowledge itself that gives us the advantage, but it''s the diligence and obedience,' he said.
The Devotional will be rebroadcast on June 17, on KBYU-TV at 6 a.m. and 11 a.m., on KBYU-FM at 8 p.m. and on the BYU-TV satellite network at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.