This morning, while lying in shavasana at the end of an incredible practice, I had a memory come back to me that I believe is worth sharing. When I was a freshman at Utah State twenty years ago, I had a philosophy professor named Harrison Kleiner. He was a Catholic man who wore sweater vests, bow ties, and glasses, and his mind worked like nobody I had ever met. I loved that class. One day in particular is burnt into my memory. He was talking about Plato or Socrates or one of those famous ancient Greek philosophers, and he said, "The beginning of wisdom is to know that we know nothing"......my eyebrows raised. He went on to explain that the reason that this is true is that when we think we know things, we aren't in a position to learn. This concept blew my mind, and it has changed the way I look at learning ever since.
So we know nothing, huh? And we have to know that we know nothing in order to start knowing things? Weird. Actually, if you think about it, it makes a ton of sense...but I think we need to qualify it a bit.
I sat in class thinking about what my professor had just said, and after a minute, I raised my hand, "I agree with you...I love this concept that we have to understand that we know nothing in order to start learning wisdom. In addition, though, this adds power to what I believe as a member of the LDS church about the need for the presence of the Holy Ghost. We, as human beings, know nothing, that's true...but the Spirit of God knows everything, and so that is why I believe we so desperately need to be connected to that in order to learn wisdom". I can't remember what my catholic professor said back. He at least found my thought amusing, I'm sure. But this moment was a huge moment for me in coming to understand the importance of humility. In the Book of Mormon, Ether 12:27, we read:
And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
I have found this to be true time and time again. I would add one more scripture to this before I close my thoughts....in the New Testament, James 1:5-6:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
The natural man knows nothing, because the natural man is an enemy to God, and if the natural man is an enemy to God, the natural man doesn't know truth. If we ask in faith, God will give us wisdom, and he will light our path before us. If we live this way, we can confidently respond to those who claim we "know nothing", like Nacho Libre would...."You don't think I know like a butt load about the gospel, but I do". In all seriousness, though, if we want to learn wisdom and walk in truth, we will need to continually humble ourselves and try to tune into what God is teaching us through his Spirit. This quote from Sister Linda K. Burton sums it up nicely....
"The Holy Ghost can do for us physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and intellectually what no man-made remedy can begin to duplicate."
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