“We must go on growing. We must continually learn. It is a divinely given mandate that we go on adding to our knowledge.”
1
You belong to a church that teaches the importance of education.
“The Lord wants us to educate ourselves so we can progress individually and contribute to society. … The Lord wants you to educate your minds and hands, whatever your chosen field. Whether it be repairing refrigerators, or the work of a skilled surgeon, you must train yourselves. Seek for the best schooling available. Become a workman of integrity in the world that lies ahead of you.”
2
Parents can create an atmosphere of learning in their homes.
“Parents, … let your children be exposed to great minds, great ideas, everlasting truth, and those things which will build and motivate for good. … Try to create within your home an atmosphere of learning and the growth which will come of it.”
DISCUSS
- ways to organize small spaces at home to make books and study available to family members. Brainstorm shelving, lighting, quiet spaces for study.
- ways to make the budget stretch to afford books, school supplies, desks, etc.
- locations of local libraries – and how to get a library card.
- times to read to children and study with teens.
- how to make family learning fun.
3
Education unlocks the door of opportunity for youth and young adults.
“Get at it, work at it, study hard. It is so important that you young men and you young women get all of the education that you can.”
DISCUSS
- ways to afford / pay for college and trade schools.
- good study habits.
Women and school.
“I urge each of you young women to get all of the schooling you can get. … No other generation in all of history has offered women so many opportunities. Your first objective should be a happy marriage, sealed in the temple of the Lord, and followed by the rearing of a good family. Education can better equip you for the realization of those ideals.”
Because women make different choices around education, marriage, family, careers, etc – I would be careful not to make one choice better than another. I am single, so it’s hard for me to hear that my “first objective” is for a happy marriage. That will not happen for me. But I am proud of my education and my career. There are other women in the opposite situation. A good discussion might be for several women to talk about their life paths and how knowledge and learning (not just school education) has benefited that journey. Encourage sisters to celebrate their diversity – and support each other.
“The whole gamut of human endeavor is now open to women. There is not anything that you cannot do if you will set your mind to it. You can include in your dream of the woman you would like to be a picture of one qualified to serve society and make a significant contribution to the world of which she will be a part.”
I find it interesting that President Hinckley says that everything is open to women, when in our own church the door of Priesthood is closed to women. There many be some in your class who are sensitive to the fact that the only place women are still limited is at church.
4
The schooling of the spirit is as important, if not more so, than the schooling of the mind.
“Each day we are made increasingly aware of the fact that life is more than science and mathematics, more than history and literature. There is need for another education, without which the substance of secular learning may lead only to destruction. I refer to the education of the heart, of the conscience, of the character, of the spirit—these indefinable aspects of our personalities which determine so certainly what we are and what we do in our relationships one with another.”
Jesus said: “Learn of me. … “
DISCUSS
- ways to make scripture study meaningful.
- how to find time to study the scriptures.
- other resources available (books, magazines, podcasts, etc) that can aid in scripture study and spiritual knowledge.
- share ways that spiritual knowledge has helped in life’s journey.
5
No matter how old we grow, we can acquire knowledge, gather wisdom, and keep on growing.
“None of us … knows enough. The learning process is an endless process. We must read, we must observe, we must assimilate, and we must ponder that to which we expose our minds. … I believe in improvement. I believe in growth. …
Keep on growing, my brothers and sisters, whether you are thirty or whether you are seventy. Your industry in so doing will cause the years to pass faster than you might wish, but they will be filled with a sweet and wonderful zest that will add flavor to your life and power to your teaching.”
DISCUSS
- dreams and visions of things we still want to learn.
- adult education classes in the community.
- mind teasers and puzzles to keep the mind sharp.
- examples of others who have continued to learn throughout life.
Love it! My most favorite lesson EVER! I told my husband that it’s my reward for wrestling and fighting the good fight of teaching the priesthood lesson last month. That was difficult.