Edukasyon Ang Solusyon

Edukasyon ang Solusyon

Here in the Philippines if you pass by a school or college of learning in any city or town you will doubtless see the phrase painted on a wall or printed on a poster, “Edukasyon ang Solusyon”, meaning “Education is the Solution”.
This is both a statement of intention as it is a practical ideal for raising the level of development among children, though it equally applies also to youth and adults.

I am sure that this ideal was written somewhere in heaven where all the children of God lived before this world was created. How do you take intelligent spirits which exist eternally and yet which are without understanding of eternal principles and laws and give them the means to rise above themselves and become as God is if not than by education and application? What better a way for us all to gain that knowledge than through the school of life?

Our education lies in learning truth, its realities, its benefits, its boundaries, its consequences and its glorious potential. That learning must be more than purely academic. Truth must be burned into the heart and soul of every man and every woman so that no other standard is good enough to replace it. Truth is a rock, a foundation, an absolute. Truth permits no shortcuts. It is consistent, unchanging, unyielding and undeviating and therefore completely reliable. Truth reveals error just as light reveals hidden things which were once in darkness. Truth will always prevail because truth endures forever.

Our birth is a matter of record and history. It is also an experience the like of which we will never have again. So is death. And so is everything that happens to us in our lives between these two points and so will be also the events that transpire after our death and at the time of our resurrection from the dead. But even if the greatest experiences of mortality are shrouded in past forgetfulness and future mystery the life we live will have provided for us a wealth of opportunities for learning truth and gaining an education which is essential for our eternal continuation.

At its most fundamental level the education we receive in mortality gives us the knowledge necessary for our survival, how to provide for our essential needs, how to differentiate between good and evil, right and wrong, how to communicate and interact with our fellow man, how to care for our environment including all the other species which are in part co-dependant on man for their survival. We learn by necessity the need for companionship and in time we learn also how to share our feelings so as to be able to show affection, to give and receive love and to form bonds of loyalty within the smaller and larger elements of the society in which we live and we learn also how to procreate.

Our learning provides the building blocks on which we construct a foundation for our lives; how we use those building blocks will largely determine the success and happiness of our individual lives.

Our learning is not without the benefits of history. One of the greatest benefits of all ages is the ability to retain knowledge of all other peoples that have preceded us. We can learn from their experiences, their mistakes and their failures, their successes and their achievements. Every successive generation has the same opportunities to receive an unparalleled learning from all previous generations.

In the history of mankind our generation has the greatest opportunity for learning than those which ever existed before and the same will be true for all future generations.

The ability of our generation to learn is unprecedented in the history of mankind. Never before has there been as much knowledge available in all spheres of life as there is in our generation.

Modern science allows us to peer into the depths of space so that we can see living history as it transpired millions of years ago, that’s how long it takes for light to travel. We are not afraid to dig tunnels and explore mines thousands of feet below the surface of the earth, neither are we afraid to climb and reach to the top of the highest mountains, the peaks of which are above the clouds. We have sent machines to visit the depths of the oceans. We have created devices that can even be implanted into the human body which are microscopic, to discover and witness the miracles of our living organisms and to relate that information to us.
Notwithstanding this fact, mankind still endures poverty, sickness and disease, physical and mental distress, agitations, hopelessness, anger, fear, selfishness, corruption, conflicts, wars, contentions and destructions.

We must ask ourselves the question WHY? Why, given all that we now have and all that the past has taught us do we still live through the most troubled times of all the peoples who have ever lived on the earth? In all the major cities of the world crime abounds, murders and assaults happen regularly, thefts take place in private homes and in the public arena, lies abound, dishonesty rules in the lives of so many; there is great inequality among the people.

What is it that our learning has not given us or that our education has not provided to us? What is it that we are missing if edukasyon ang solusyon?

An old legend tells that before the earth was created the Gods assembled together in a great council. They were concerned for their children, each of whom had the power of divinity within them and they were concerned that they might use these powers before they were ready. Where shall we hide these powers asked one? Another replied: “let us hide them at the top of the highest mountain.” Another said, “no, let us bury them in the depths of the earth, ”and another, “let us hide them in the depths of the sea.” But according to the legend the chief of all the Gods replied and said, “No, for sooner or later man will ascend to the tops of the mountains and dig to the depths of the earth and descend to the depths of the seas, and find them. Let us hide them deep in the heart of man, for that is the last place they will look for them and some will never find them.”

Today’s generation, like all those which went before it, are interested in the matters of the heart. Some believe that the key to the heart is love, for others power, for others material success, for others prestige. For some access to their heart is to be found in knowledge or in academic success, and for some it is enough to believe in God without seeking to know him and to live a generally good life of mediocre accomplishment.

With the aid of microscopes we can see the smallest organisms known to man. With the aid of telescopes we can peer into unknown space. Yet, we cannot see the simple fact that without faith in the living God we are blind even and also in the matters of the heart. Faith in the living God is the key to the matters of the heart and to all the powers of divinity which he has bestowed upon all of us who are his children.

At the time of my baptism at the age of 22 years in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints an elderly woman, sister Fordham, gave a talk. I don’t remember much of what she then said but I do remember that she quoted a scripture to me. ”….without faith you can do nothing.” D&C 8:10. In all my experiences in life I have found that this is true.

You can seek for all that is precious to you in life, whatever it may be. You can seek for love or riches, for wealth and prosperity, for health and vigor, for learning and wisdom, for fame and fortune, for beauty and the glory of self satisfaction.

But in the end, if you don’t have faith in God you have nothing, and you can do nothing.

You can build your foundation on science, on literature, on mathematics, on arts or even on computer software. You can build it on business success, on great fashions or brilliant designs, on landscaping or cooking or nursing or any number of a thousand professions or philosophies, but if you do not have faith in the true and living God who is Jesus Christ, you will find that sooner or later the shifting sands of time will erode your foundation and it will collapse.

Edukasyon ang solusyon – but with education get knowledge and with knowledge get understanding. Of all the advantages which exist in today’s world the greatest advantage that we can have of all is the knowledge that God lives. He has a purpose for you and me. It is God who has the solutions to all our problems, be they temporal or physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. If and as we allow his laws to govern us we can become whole. We can feel secure in all our righteous endeavors. His knowledge gives us light to guide us through the years of darkness – the darkness of the unknown unlived life. It is he who knows all things – whose education has advanced beyond that of mortal man and who knows everything that will enable us to gain a fullness of happiness and a fullness of peace. With his help we can obtain hope in life that is impossible without the knowledge of his purposes and his enduring love for us, his children. His knowledge is power – the power to lift and redeem man, fallen man, from his low estate, the power to raise us from poverty and from sickness and disease. He holds the power to remove all our sorrows and fears.

His truths, imparted to his prophets bring meaning and purpose into our lives. The education he is giving us is the greatest education we can ever hope to get. We shouldn’t neglect it. We shouldn’t waste this precious time. Time is of the essence.

Although we are cut off from his presence he will come to us if we have faith in him. He wants us to come to him for the greatest and most important schooling of all. He promises that if we have faith in him he will teach us by the power of his spirit. He has the power to take our earthbound minds and let them soar to the clouds of heaven.

Edukasyon ang Solusyon. But only if first and foremost we allow education to teach us Faith in Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of all worthwhile accomplishments in life. Once we have established this as the ruling principle in our lives everything else is possible.

Even though you cannot see him with your physical eyes you can learn of him and know him through those means that he has prepared - and that requires that you exercise faith in him. Faith is not to be confused with mere belief. As the Apostle James wrote, “…the devils also believe, and tremble.” Faith is the power that motivates to action and causes miracles to occur. Faith in Jesus Christ is demonstrated by the action of obedience to his commandments, not mere ritualistic performances but actions that come from the stirrings of the heart, actions that are centered in showing love for your fellow men, actions that demonstrate humility, actions that build strong homes and families and thereby strong communities and societies that care about one another. In such societies there is no inequality, poverty is done away with, sorrows diminish, joy increases and happiness is established. This is idealism at its greatest but this is not a mere dream. Faith in Christ is based on practical application of righteous living on an individual daily basis. And where does this faith begin?

It begins with education.

It begins with educating yourself about God. Jesus himself taught us this principle. “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matt 7:7. To know God is to know much more than his academic achievements. It is to know him, his character, his attributes of love, mercy, patience, virtue, kindness, justice. If we apply ourselves to seek him we will come to know him and to know him is to love him. But his is also a practical love, one that comes also with doing and as a result of doing – keeping his commandments, refraining from evil and staying free from temptations and sins. When mistakes happen as they surely do and will he commands us to take account of our actions, to become responsible for our own lives, to adjust our behavior and to cease doing those things that are harmful to our eternal happiness and progression – in other words, to repent, to change, to modify and improve our lives and to bring our life into conformity with his laws.

This education has the power to transform individuals and families, communities and societies. This education must begin with you.

You might ask; can one person make a difference in this world? The answer is yes, if that person is you. Each one of you can make a difference. But I am alone, you reply; I answer you that if you are on God’s side he will be on your side. God honors those who honor Him. And if God is on your side then you have all that you need to succeed in every righteous endeavor in your life. You will not be alone.

You will not find this education in monasteries, convents and seminaries. It is not to be found in institutions of secular learning or in libraries. This education is not to be found in the loud noise of bustling internet cafes or in shopping malls teeming with anxious souls desperately searching for material comforts.

It is to be found in quiet moments spent pondering Holy Scripture and in sacred moments while communing with God in prayer when speaking from the heart.

It is to be found not in the storm or the wind or the earthquake but in the still quiet voice that penetrates the heart while seeking answers to the questions of life.

It is to be found while listening to the voice of prophets who have been chosen by God to declare his words and to gather his people.

It is to be found while performing charitable works for needy people, while visiting widows, the sick and the aged.

It is to be found while comforting the weary and the despondent, the bereaved and the lonely, for while you are in the service of your fellow beings you are in the service of God and God honors those who honor him.

This education begins when you commit yourself to live according to his laws and commandments, to seek to know Him who is our creator, our eternal Father and true parent of the human race and to do his will rather than our own.