Gramps,

Will people still be able to continue their educations after the Second Coming and into the Millennium?

Justin

Answer

Justin,

Introduction

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we hold a profound belief in the importance of education, not only in this life but also in the life to come. With the anticipation of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, many wonder what life will be like during the Millennium—a 1,000-year period characterized by peace, righteousness, and divine guidance. One question that arises is whether individuals will continue their education during this time. Drawing on the teachings of the Church, we explore the nature of education in the Millennium, the opportunities for learning, and the eternal significance of knowledge.

Understanding the Millennium

The Millennium refers to the period following the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, during which He will reign personally upon the earth. It is a time prophesied to be marked by peace, righteousness, and the absence of war, as Satan will be bound (Doctrine and Covenants 43:31, Isaiah 2:4). During this era, the righteous will inhabit the earth, engaging in mortal lives, forming families, and participating in activities akin to those of today. This context provides a foundation for understanding how education will continue to be a vital part of life in the Millennium.

The Divine Purpose of Education

Education is regarded as a divine principle within the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It serves to refine skills and acquire knowledge, enabling individuals to serve effectively in God’s kingdom. The Lord desires His children to gain understanding, as emphasized in Doctrine and Covenants 93:36: “The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.” This highlights the belief that education is not merely an earthly pursuit but is also integral to our spiritual progression and eternal destiny.

The teachings of Joseph Smith further reinforce this notion, as he indicated that the knowledge and intelligence gained in this life will accompany individuals into the next. This suggests that education is not confined to mortality; rather, it has eternal significance, enabling individuals to continue their learning journey during the Millennium.

Continued Learning and Educational Opportunities in the Millennium

The Millennium presents remarkable opportunities for learning and growth. With the Lord personally guiding His people, the educational landscape will be enriched by the presence of resurrected beings, including prophets and other righteous individuals who will provide instruction and support. This unique environment will foster an atmosphere of heightened spiritual and intellectual enlightenment.

Moreover, the pursuit of knowledge and truth will be paramount. As indicated in Church teachings, a considerable focus during the Millennium will be on missionary work, where the gospel will be taught with power to all people. This underscores the necessity for ongoing education about the gospel and divine principles, reinforcing the idea that learning will be a key component of life during this time.

Encouragement from Church Leaders

Modern-day prophets have consistently emphasized the importance of education. President Gordon B. Hinckley urged young men to pursue education and training, while President Thomas S. Monson encouraged young women to seek knowledge and develop their talents. These exhortations reflect a broader understanding that the pursuit of education is a lifelong endeavor, extending into the Millennium and beyond.

In this context, the teachings of Church leaders resonate with the belief that education equips individuals to fulfill their divine potential. Through learning, members of the Church can prepare to contribute to the establishment of Zion, where knowledge and righteousness will flourish.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints affirm that individuals will indeed continue their education after the Second Coming and throughout the Millennium. This period will not only facilitate the continuation of learning but will be enriched by the presence of the Lord and resurrected beings who will guide and instruct His people. Education is viewed as a vital aspect of personal and spiritual development, emphasizing that the pursuit of knowledge is an eternal principle that enhances our journey toward becoming more like our Savior.

As we look forward to the blessings of the Millennium, let us commit to seeking knowledge and wisdom in this life, knowing that our efforts will have eternal significance. May we strive to learn, grow, and serve, preparing ourselves for the divine opportunities that lie ahead.

Gramps

Dear Gramps,

I am 16 with many artistic talents that I have developed over the years. I love the social life of school but greatly dislike most of my classes. I agree with my parents that I am capable of getting A grades in all my classes, but see no purpose in math, science, history, etc. anymore. Why do we need to learn those hard subjects tha we will never use?

Rissa

Answer

Hello Rissa,

Life presents us with so many wonderful opportunities to progress, grow, and find happiness and success.

One of the ways we do find happiness is through our social lives as we meet new people and earn new friends. The ability we have to develop existing and new talents is another way we have opportunity to enjoy life.

If you are capable of earning an “A” then you should earn an “A” in your classes whether or not you like them. This is personal integrity and your willingness to do your best in everything that you choose to do.

I understand your thoughts pertaining to math and science, and even history. Here is a thought regarding history, “If we fail to learn from history, then we are doomed to repeat it.” We learn history so that we understand how history has affected our nation, our civilization, and other nations.

President Gordon B. Hinckley had this to say regarding education:

“It is so important that you young men and you young women get all of the education that you can. The Lord has said very plainly that His people are to gain knowledge of countries and kingdoms and of things of the world through the process of education, even by study and by faith. Education is the key which will unlock the door of opportunity for you. It is worth sacrificing for. It is worth working at, and if you educate your mind and your hands, you will be able to make a great contribution to the society of which you are a part, and you will be able to reflect honorable on the Church of which you are a member. My dear young brothers and sisters, take advantage of every educational opportunity that you can possibly afford, and you fathers and mothers, encourage your sons and daughters to gain an education which will bless their lives”.

My thoughts, do your best and accept nothing less. Learn to enjoy them, if not enjoy them, learn to tolerate them while doing your best.

Sincerely,

Gramps

I have been reading your page for the last few months and have found it really useful in my learning, thanks so much. I was raised Roman Catholic but became an avowed atheist at the age of 13. I am now about to turn 21, and for the last few months I have been drawn to the LDS. Logically, I have no idea why. I have a lot of logical concerns when it comes to Mormonism, specifically the lack of archaeological and genealogical evidence to the past civilizations and race of the peoples mentioned in the Book of Mormon. I am studying to be a psychologist and, as a scientist, I strive to be a rational and logical person. Yet, in spite of this, day after day I find myself obsessed with learning more about the church and its teachings. This internal conflict exists and I don’t really know what to do. Have you ever spoken with anyone who had this conflict, and if you have what did you say? Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Kindly,

– Truthseeker

________________________

Dear Truthseeker,

Your struggle is not all that uncommon. Over the years many people have predicted the death of religion, and spirituality, on the altar of science. That the Age of Reason would slam the door shut on all this irrational belief and superstition of religion.

Clearly this has not happened. One of the reasons is that many people have same kind of internal struggle that you are having. From a religious perspective, this struggle is God trying to open your heart to the idea that there is more out there than science, reason and facts (not that there is anything wrong with these, there is just more). God wants you to lean things like faith, hope, and belief.

I see two options for you. Either you can deny the struggle you are having, and do everything in your power to rationalize it away. It will be difficult at first but with enough determination you could put it to rest. Many people successfully do just that. Or you could say ‘lets see were this takes me.’

Given that you are asking me questions I will assume you are leaning in the second direction. With religion, as with most things, you need to understand the basics before the more advanced stuff will make any sense. Kind of like how in math if you don’t understand addition, things like algebra and calculus aren’t going to make any sense. The most basic thing in religion is faith. It can also be one of the hardest things to learn.

On the matter of learning how to have faith I would like to point you toward Alma 32.  It is too long for me to quote all the important parts here. Starting in verse 26 Alma instructs the people listening on how to develop faith. He calls it Experimenting on the Word.

I would encourage you to read the chapter and do your own Experiment on the Word. It gives the whole process of how to test spiritual things. Things you can’t test in a lab or with facts. Following the instructions of Alma and seeing what result you get will help you choose your next steps.

Gramps

Dear Sebastian,
In any scientific experiment we must use measuring tools that will interact with the object of our experiment. For instance, it would be useless to use the physics of acoustics in an attempt to measure the electrical properties of a substance. Acoustics does not interact with electricity. In the same light, spiritual phenomena do not interact with the tools of mechanics. Let’s take the phenomenon of light as an example. Light was thought of in the scientific world as being an electromagnetic force until the experiments of Michelson and Morely demonstrated that there was no such thing as an electromagnetic field. So the electromagnetic field theory was replaced by the quantum theory. The quantum theory was soon discovered to be inconsistent with observations, so a theory was developed that described light as particulate matter with wavelike properties. However, neither has this theory been found to be adequate for the description of light. So science then came to the conclusion that they could not measure nor describe light. From The Logic of Modern Physics, by P.W. Bridgeman, we read—

“The most elementary examination of what light means in terms of direct experience shows that we never experience light itself, but our experience deals only with things lighted. This fundamental fact is never modified by the most complicated or refined physical experiments that have even been devised; from the point of view of operations, light means nothing more than things lighted.”

This is understandable when we recognize that light is a spiritual phenomenon. It is, indeed, a component of intelligence—

For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fulness of joy; And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy. The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple. The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth (D&C 93:33-36).

To understand that we are not talking about some allegorical representation of the phenomenon of light, we turn the Doctrine & Covenants 88:11-13—

And the light which shineth, which giveth you light, is through him who enlighteneth your eyes, which is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space– The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed, even the power of God who sitteth upon his throne, who is in the bosom of eternity, who is in the midst of all things.

We must understand that the light that shines, that gives us our light is indeed the light of the sun, that which we can perceive with our eyes, and its spiritual manifestation gives us our understanding, i.e. a component of intelligence.
So light must be examined by techniques with which it will interact, which techniques are in the realm of spiritual phenomena. The tools for measuring spiritual phenomena include the principles of faith, belief, obedience and implementation. The tools of scientific investigation change with the times, and with the ever evolving understanding of man in things scientific, that has given rise to Timothy’s wise statement that men are—
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 3:7).
Gramps

Dear Gramps,

I have a teenager who won’t drop an AP class that he is struggling in. He is overwhelmed and getting depressed. He is getting a B in the class, but it will affect his GPA such that he may not be able to get into BYU, which is his goal. He doesn’t feel like he has time to finish his eagle project or to go YM during the week. He is turning 16 next month. He is taking this AP class as a sophomore. I think he is not dropping the class because I am telling him he should. How do you deal with stubborn teenagers?

Kim

Answer

Dear Kim,

If I had the answer to that question I could retire. But perhaps I could expound on the changing role of parents as children grow up, and it may shed some light on your dilemma. When children are small–preschool, the parents are their principal teachers. In fact, the greatest learning period in a child’s life is during their pre-school years. The greatest period for speech and language development, for instance, is from 0 to18 months. But when a child transitions from a home-centered to a school-centered environment the role of the parent changes from that of a teacher to that of a coach, i.e., from teaching to motivating. The parent’s role is now to cheer from the sidelines, to enthuse and to motivate. The teaching role doesn’t shut down overnight, but the ability of the parent to be an effective teacher continually diminishes as the child continues to grow. That is very likely why your son is doing just the opposite of that you’re telling him to do.

If you could go over with him your perceptions of his various options and their different consequences, and then let him understand that the decision as to which option to take is entirely up to him, and that you will support him in whatever decision he makes, you will have a much greater influence on his behavior that if you just try to tell him what to do. He will make up his own mind anyway.

Now, just for the sake of completeness, let’s carry the argument on one step further. When the child is no longer in school and leaves home to be on his own, the parents’ role changes again–this time from a coach to a consultant. A consultant only offers his services when called upon. Otherwise, it’s called meddling.

Gramps

Dear Gramps

The problem with the facsimiles in the Pearl of Great Price has nothing to do with them not being spoken of in the book of Abraham. The problem is the deciphering of the symbols accompanying the facsimiles, which say that it is Abraham upon an alter, etc. Scholars say that the symbols are nothing at all what Joseph Smith said they were. (For the record, I am an active, life-long, member of the church who is just curious and can’t find an answer to this.) thank you!

Kristin

Answer

Dear Kristin,

Your question poses a problem that is endemic in our society. Principally because of the successes of technology, academicians enjoy a reputation of such a magnitude that their pronouncements, made in the name of SCIENCE, are taken to be absolutely and fundamentally true, and are beyond question. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!

Someone said that knowledge accumulates in the universities. The freshmen bring a little in and the seniors certainly take nothing away. Therefore, knowledge accumulates.

Let’s take a peek into the workings of academia for a moment. The student matriculates, chooses a major, get his BS or BA and enters graduate school. Let’s say that this student is an independent thinker, and that for a thesis he challenges the theory upon which the current curriculum is established. When that thesis is submitted for review, it is reviewed by all the professors who taught him what he is challenging. Do you think that he would have a chance of having such a thesis accepted and published. NOT ON YOUR LIFE!! If he doesn’t rapidly repent and change his topic to expanding the frontiers of the currently accepted theory, he is summarily dismissed from the university.

Let’s say that the student believes what he has been taught, and submits a thesis designed to expand the frontiers of the currently believed theory. He, of course, is applauded and given high marks. This is the student that is hired onto the faculty, and he promulgates the existing theory, believing it to be the absolute truth. Thus, the universities have done more than any other institution to hold back the advancement of science. Any naive professor who would challenge what we have just said is requested to read The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, by Thomas A. Kuhn, University of Chicago Press, first published in 1962, now in its third printing.

What is needed by all who bump up against any difference between theology and scientology is to learn to judge the professors by the prophets rather than the other way around.

Gramps