Essential Knowledge: The Segregation of Truth

IMPROVEMENT ERA. Vol. XII. OCTOBER, 1909. No. 12

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE— THE SEGREGA- TION OF TRUTH. BY WILLIAM HALLS.

Though all knowledge is good and all truth valuable, yet, under certain conditions, some knowledge is more necessary than other knowledge. To the farmer, a knowledge of agriculture is most important; to the sea captain, a knowledge of navigation. He needs to know how to manage a ship, and cares very little about agriculture; while the farmer needs to know how to manage a farm, and cares little about navigation. This applies in all the affairs of life, the knowledge that enables a man to do what he has

to do is the most important to him. This is also true in spiritual things. Jesus said, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." In that day the most important truth that men could know was that Jesus was the Christ. When many of his disciples became offended and left him, he turned to the Twelve and said, "Will ye also go away?" Peter said, "To whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." When asked, "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered, "Thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." This knowledge was necessary to enable them to follow Christ and receive eternal life.

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Many of those who rejected Christ had more knowledge than those who received him. It was the common people who "heard

him gladly." Nicodemus was a learned ruler, but he knew noth- ing of the new birth, and he was astonished when he was told that, "Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." The learned Jews said, "Abraham is our father." "Weare Moses' disciples." "We know that God spoke unto Moses, but as for this fellow, we know not whence he is." For the want of this knowledge, they rejected him and brought on themselves and their children generations of sorrow. In every dispensation there has been some important truth peculiar to that time, a knowledge of which was of prime neces- sity. In the days of Enoch, this important truth was that he was a prophet sent of God, for those who had this knowledge and re- ceived his message were saved; while all those who had not a knowledge of this truth were lost in the flood. In the days of Moses, a knowledge of Enoch's mission could not save that genera- tion, they must know that Moses was a prophet sent of God, and accept his message, to be saved. In this dispensation there are millions who believe in Jesus and in the scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments. They accept Moses and the prophets, Jesus and his apostles, but they reject Joseph Smith and his message. If it is true that Joseph Smith was sent of God with a message to this generation, it is of the utmost importance that men should know this truth. It is

necessary that men accept Jesus as the Christ, the only Savior, and that they receive the sciiptures as the word of God to ancient prophets, but this alone will not save them, if they reject a prophet of God with a message sent to them. Many accepted Joseph Smith as a prophet of God and received his message; but he lived only a short time till he was martyred, and the first act in the drama of this dispensation closed. The curtain rose on another scene, and Brigham Young appeared on the stage. The faith of some died at that time, they accepted Joseph, but rejected Brigham; they fell away and were lost in

apostasy. A belief in Joseph could not save them, he had passed away; they could not reach him, nor he them. Brigham held the keys.

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After awhile Brigham passed away, and another appeared holding the keys, and so on, till now we have Joseph F. Smith, and the most important truth for the world to know today is that Jos- eph F. Smith is a prophet of God, holding the keys of priesthood and the blessings that pertain to eternal life. He is the only man in this position that we can reach, or that can reach us; all the rest are passed away. This knowledge is within the reach of all men. The roost illiterate as well as the most learned may go to God and receive a testimony of this truth; the illiterate may re- ceive just as clear a conception of this truth as the learned. When the Lord reveals a truth to any man by his spirit he makes it so plain that all doubt and uncertainty are removed. But will a simple knowledge of this truth save a man? Saul received a knowledge that Jesus was the Christ, but that did not save him. Ananias came to him and commanded him to be bap- tized; he had to receive the new birth, take upon him the name of Christ, and work out his salvation. It is so today. The gospel is the same. Those who receive a testimony that Jesus is the Christ, and who know of the divine mission of Joseph Smith, must repent of their sins, and be baptized for the remission of sins, and have hands laid on them for the gift of the Holy Ghost. They must become members of the Church, take on them the name of Christ, learn the laws of God, and keep all his commandments, in order to be saved. In the early days of the Church some of the elders were il- literate, not having had the means of an education. Joseph Smith was at first unlearned. But they were called to teach the world, and it was not consistent that they remain illiterate, so the "School of the Prophets" was organized and they were instructed in theory and doctrine, and commanded to seek learning by faith and by study out of the best books. Joseph Smith announced these fun- damental truths "The glory of God is intelligence," "A man can- :

not be saved in ignorance," "A man is saved no faster than he gains intelligence." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a world- wide mission: to go and teach all nations those essential truths, a knowledge of which is necessary to enable them to work out their salvation; to teach that Jesus is the Christ; that the scriptures of

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the Old and New Testaments are true, and that the Book of Mormon is true (which necessarily implies the divine mission of Joseph Smith). These truths are fundamental. They are the foundation stones on which the plan of salvation rests. With a testimony of these truths, men are prepared to receive the gospel, "the power of God unto salvatian," and apply its principles in the^r lives. To accept these truths as of prime necessity is not to under-value other truths; the foundation of a house is of little value till the building is put on it. So these foundation truths must be supple- mented by all other truths in the order of their value, to round out a perfect character, to prepare men for the kingdom of heaven. The Saints, old and young, especially the young, holding sacred these cardinal truths as a foundation on which to build their faith, should use all diligence to acquire an all-round education. There is no other people who have the means of education that the Saints have. They are instructed by men holding the priesthood, who are called to teach by inspiration, and in addition +,o the secular schools they have excellent Church schools, and every year several hundred of their young men are sent abroad on missions, and several hundred are returning f rom missions, bringing with them a knowledge of the languages, literature, history, traditions, cus- toms, manners, resources, commerce and industries of all nations. There is no people who have so many nationalities among them,

who can speak as many foreign languages, and who know as much about the poople of the whole world, by actual contact with them in their homes, as the Saints. This gives them a greater interest and creates a stronger band of sympathy for the world at large, than is or can be felt by any other people. The elders go out and carry to the world the truths of the kingdom of heaven, and they return laden with many precious truths gleaned from the kingdom of men. All truth is harmonious, and though it maybe for convenience of expression segregated and classified, as religious, scientific or social truth, there is no conflict.The man who accepts what he conceives to be religious truth, and rejects scientific truth, has a misconception of the unity of truth. All truth is eternal and nec- essary in its sphere, and the segregation of truth is only neces- sary in the progress of imperfect humanity. When man becomes