I hope that you had some time to reflect on the three questions that we posted for Elder Maxwell’s lecture.
For this post, I want to focus on the first question. Katie touched on this question in her comment where she said that sometimes she was challenged with things taught in her AP Literature class.
I have felt that way too. Sometimes in high school I felt like I was taught things that were contrary to the church’s teachings. Even at BYU, sometimes we are taught certain things that may be new or foreign to us at the time. I have found in my experience that the best way to handle these types of situations is to be a better disciple-scholar (just as Mandell mentioned, we should all be actively pursuing a course that makes us better disciple-scholars).
As a disciple-scholar, I try to take all teachings and find how they truly relate to the gospel. This pursuit requires meekness. As Arica touched on in her comment - if we are meek, then we can challenge ourselves to grow. Taking new teachings and applying them to my life has helped increase my vision and understanding of the world and gospel.
However, some teachings truly oppose the gospel. These teachings should be understood but not applied. We should learn how to handle situations that involve these teachings and thoughts, but as a disciple-scholar we cannot believe them.
There was a point in BYU history where several teachers were trying to teach things that truly opposed the gospel.
The following video shares the story of that time (it is kind of long, but it is really good).
Education in Zion: For the Students' Sake from Education in Zion on Vimeo.
Thanks to all that posted last week. Your posts were great. This next week we will focus on Paul Alan Cox’s lecture Journey to City Creek: Adding Scholarship to Discipleship. There won’t be any questions for this one, but this story is pretty amazing. As you read, try to think about how you can apply the principles they focused on in your life.
The video was shaking to watch, but one of the students in the discussion brought up an important point. The world would alienate any harmony between secular and spiritual leaning, but the mission of BYU is to bring about that harmony so students can "[increase] in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:54)." That way, they will know how to live in and understand the world around them as well as continue their eternal progression. Allow me to demonstrate with a poem:
ReplyDeleteEach summer as we drive westward
to Grandma’s house to stay,
in the heart of New Mexico we pass
the Very Large Array.
‘Neath the mountains, in the plain
the great dishes are shown,
We take pleasure to know this
telescope of great renown.
It gives our souls perspective
as it comes into our sight,
for we wonder, “What is the Array
gazing upon tonight?”
As we are instructed in Learning and the Light of Faith, we need the meekness to obtain and apply the said perspective, and we need the understanding that science only underscores the things of God.
P.S. that poem is (c) me 2010.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really powerful video. I cannot even imagine having to make such a difficult decision. But I think it's so important to do as Brimhall did. In my own experience, a blend between spiritual and secular knowledge is truly important. I grew up in Wisconsin and so I was one of only a handful of members in my school. As such, few knew what I believed or even cared. So in my classes there was no sensitivity to the spiritual. It was difficult but I feel like there were some benefits. When teachers or fellow students brought up something that contradicted my beliefs I learned to listen to their opinions and then think about what I believe. I would return home from school and look up the words of prophets or what the scriptures said. Sometimes I would even pray. Eventually I would form my opinion and it was, in my opinion, much stronger because I figured out what I believed on my own. So, I think that learning secular points of view can be benificial, as long as we take the time to develop our own opinions.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I am so looking foreward to going to BYU is that for the first time I will have the means to learn spiritual aspects, whereas before I never had that. The balance between spiritual and secular, as President Eyring noted is something I truly look foreward to. After watching the video, it puts this in much greater perspective.
Thanks for the comments Elizabeth and Sydney. I like what you both said. Understanding the relationship between secular and spiritual knowledge is extremely important. As we come to better understand our own beliefs, we can come to better understand the world around us. Understanding our own beliefs also makes us better prepared for the times that we are challenged.
ReplyDeletePS I liked the poem Elizabeth. As a New Mexican, I always like things that reference the Land of Enchantment.