“What kind of emphasis should we place on intellectual activities and pursuits?”

Answer/Sister Karen Lynn

I assume that this questioner uses the word intellectual to refer to such pursuits as philosophy, history, literature, the visual arts, modern and classical languages—scholarly interests that certainly may have a spiritual side or a practical side, but that at first glance don’t seem necessarily to bear either one of these self-justifying labels. Like any question having to do with the goals of life, this problem is an important one.

I think we can justify the value of intellectual pursuits in just two words: heightened awareness. The Lord has created an endlessly fascinating world; in each place and at each period of time, his children have found an incredible variety of ways to deal with their personal and community problems, and to express their discoveries, their values, and their emotions. How tragic (and dull!) for a person to know nothing beyond the limitations of his own experience—to perceive nothing but the problems, joys, and hopes of the Des Moines girl or the Inverness boy, just because that is what he or she happens to be! Education can help us to respond to feelings that lie outside our direct experience; our appreciation is refined and we become more sensitive and perceptive. The spiritual implications of this kind of growth are obvious. To learn to observe clearly, to respond compassionately, to use the lessons of other times and places to improve our own lives—surely these are some of the reasons our Heavenly Father made us thinking creatures to begin with.

Let’s consider for a moment a statement by Dr. Jae R. Ballif, dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at Brigham Young University:

“Many members of the Church make a sharp distinction between the ‘religious’ and the ‘secular.’ They often imply that the secular is less important and yet includes many broad disciplines of learning, including the sciences. As Latter-day Saints we should know better than this. Our vital task is to distinguish truth from error and pursue the truth wherever it is found. All truth, not just that encompassed by a narrow definition of the word ‘religious,’ can help us toward eternal salvation and toward eventual godhood. Unfortunately, many try to be godlike in their personal characteristics, but refuse to accept the responsibility for gaining knowledge and wisdom. To become like Him we must acquire His personal characteristics and His wisdom.”

So intellectual pursuits are important. The best family member, the best genealogist, the best missionary, the best home teacher—and so on all the way down the list of our important obligations in this earthly life—is the curious person, the alive person, the person willing to expand his awareness in pursuit of “anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy”—all truth.

What each person must decide for himself, then, is the role that intellectual pursuits will play in his life—what scholarly matters he will pursue, when he will pursue them, or whether he will pursue them at all. But to those who reject the whole idea of intellectual pursuits, let me offer some cautions against three possible reasons for this decision which seem to me to be false ones:

1. “It won’t help me earn a living.” Beware of this reason! Neither will most of the important things you study in life. Equip yourself for the ends of life, not just the means. If you value only the training that will help you to earn a dollar, you are admitting that your most important goals are material ones.

2. “Girls don’t need to follow intellectual pursuits.” What a misconception! Our church leaders have never counseled that girls should be content with a second-rate education. Even if your work is centered exclusively around your home, being wise enough to know the value of intellectual pursuits can make all the difference. Be the housewife who can transform the dreaded ironing hour into the opportunity to aim one ear toward the stereo to enjoy the fine music, the play, or the language lesson that means so much to you. Be the mother who can give your children creative experiences in the arts, sciences, languages, or music, rather than the mother who rears a generation of TV watchers.

3. “People who become too smart only succeed in making themselves unhappy.” Ignorance may bring one type of peace of mind but so does sedation. Brigham Young said, “Education is the power to appreciate life.” Does that sound like unhappiness?

Of course, the person in pursuit of intellectual goals must arm himself with his own set of cautions. He must be energetic in his dedication. He must not use education as an excuse to postpone life and perhaps neglect his responsibilities to his family and his church. And above all, he must test each new idea for truthfulness to insure that in his case intellectual enlightenment will not be synonymous with “the wicked craftiness of men.” (2 Ne. 9:28.) If he diligently and prayerfully seeks after truth, he will find great joy and satisfaction as each new understanding adds to his testimony. In the eternal scheme of things, he is closer to godhood. And for the present he is a better Latter-day Saint and a more effective instrument through which our Father in heaven can bless those around him.