Thoughts from My Personal Journal

THOUGHT: November 19, 2019

You must know a subject well to teach a subject well.


THOUGHT: December 19, 2019

The acquisition of knowledge requires effort.


THOUGHT: December 22, 2019

Our most valuable knowledge comes from study, faith, keeping the commandments, and the confirmation of the Spirit.


THOUGHT: January 4, 2020

You need at least to be smart enough to know just how dumb you are.


THOUGHT: February 4, 2020

There is so much hidden truth in the world that it would be possible for each of us to gain our own little storehouse of special knowledge without intruding into someone else’s little storehouse of special knowledge.


THOUGHT: February 22, 2020

A child who reads will become an adult who thinks.


THOUGHT: May 2, 2020

Every other person in the world knows things I do not know. Therefore, I can learn things from every other person, so long as I don’t wrongfully assume I already know everything they know plus more.


THOUGHT: October 30, 2020

We don’t know the magnitude of that which we don’t know.


THOUGHT: December 2, 2020

I want to be a lifelong learner.


THOUGHT: January 12, 2021

Knowledge is of much less worth if it is not shared with others.


THOUGHT: February 18, 2021

We never learn all that we need to learn, even with regard to the most mundane of subjects.


THOUGHT: April 10, 2021

Although truth is unchanging, man’s world of science is always in a state of flux. Some who were considered the greatest thinkers in prior days determined that the earth was flat, that the sun revolved around the earth, and there were no horses in the Americas before the Spanish conquistadors. Some well accepted science eventually turns into science fiction.


THOUGHT: April 25, 2021

There is still much that we do not know about the earth, the deep seas, the heavens, ancient history, or even our own human bodies. Also, the interpretive, behavioral sciences like sociology, psychology, and anthropology are in the always-changing category. Assumptions are made that ignore non-quantifiable variables. Fortunately, science tends to be self-correcting over time. Weak conclusions eventually die. Thus, many times we need to hold and reserve judgment about what is true and what is not true.


THOUGHT: May 1, 2021

I do not wish to downplay or totally ignore the apparent conflicts between our scriptures and accurately revealed science, even after conceding that our scriptures are not intended to be scientific textbooks. There are plenty of legitimate areas of uncertainty and debate. God is fully aware of the situation. He would have us patiently embrace the uncertainty and strengthen our confidence in His revelatory timetable. The conflicts will be reconciled in time, and in the meanwhile, there is plenty of room for amiable disagreement amongst faithful members. But we must be careful when expounding as a self-proclaimed expert upon a subject about which very little has been revealed. (See D&C 101:32-34; 38)


THOUGHT: May 13, 2021

You cannot get a correct conclusion if you start with a false assumption.


THOUGHT: June 2, 2021

For the time being, we are relocated, transient sojourners in a temporary telestial world, and we really don’t know, or remember, very much about science, and we have myriad unanswered questions about religion.


THOUGHT: June 4, 2021

The beginning of elementary wisdom is our acknowledgment of God, and comprehending that the more we come to know, the better we realize how much we do not know.


THOUGHT: June 5, 2021

A quick comparison of our knowledge with God’s knowledge should be one of the most humbling experiences we can entertain. For us “to be learned is good, (but only) if [we] hearken unto the counsels of [a much wiser] God.” (2 Nephi 9:29)


THOUGHT: June 6, 2021

Though a part of the whole, not all individual truths are of equal value. Certain truths are more important to know, to prioritize, and to act upon.


THOUGHT: June 7, 2021

Granted, the secular truths are extremely important because they provide us with safety, comfort, and ease. Without an understanding of secular truths, there would be no pasteurized milk, pressurized tennis balls, motorized machines, or COVID vaccines. However, secular truths are not essential to our achievement of everlasting joy and happiness in the presence of God. We don’t have to know how to use a cell phone in order to get to heaven. Truths connected to the underpinnings of eternal life are the most important because they directly impact our eternal welfare as opposed to our temporary mortal welfare.


THOUGHT: June 16, 2021

It is not the job of educators to promote their favorite ideologies.


THOUGHT: February 18, 2022
 
Always be smart enough to look dumb.

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