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♪♪
THIS BYU FORUM ADDRESS
WITH JOHN LAMB WAS GIVEN ON
MAY 20, 2014.
>>I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME YOU
HERE THIS MORNING FOR TODAY'S
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY LECTURE,
WHICH ALSO SERVES AS OUR
SPRING TERM CAMPUS FORUM.
MY NAME IS BRENT WEBB,
AND PRESIDENT WORTHEN
HAS ASKED ME TO
CONDUCT TODAY'S FORUM.
TODAY WE ARE DELIGHTED TO
HEAR FROM JOHN D. LAMB.
DR. LAMB IS THE 53RD RECIPIENT
OF THE KARL G. MAESER
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY
LECTURER AWARD.
HIS PRESENTATION
TODAY IS ENTITLED
"ALL YE NEED TO KNOW."
JOHN D. LAMB
IS THE ELIOT A. BUTLER
PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY.
HE WAS BORN IN ONTARIO,
CANADA AND SERVED AN LDS
MISSION IN NORTHERN ITALY.
AFTER EARNING HIS PHD IN
INORGANIC/PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY,
HE WORKED AS PROGRAM
MANAGER AT THE US
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
HE JOINED THE BYU
CHEMISTRY FACULTY IN 1977.
DR. LAMB SERVED FOR 20 YEARS
AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF THE
JOURNAL OF INCLUSION PHENOMENA
AND MACROCYCLIC CHEMISTRY.
HE HAS HELD APPOINTMENTS AS A
VISITING LECTURER AT THREE
INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITIES
AND IS THE RECIPIENT OF
SEVERAL TEACHING AWARDS.
DR. LAMB WAS CARNEGIE
PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR IN 2000.
HE HAS PUBLISHED OVER 170
PEER-REVIEWED PAPERS IN
MACROCYCLE-BASED SEPARATIONS
AND RECEIVED THE INTERNATIONAL
ION CHROMATOGRAPHY AWARD
IN BERLIN, GERMANY.
HE IS AUTHOR OF THE ONLINE
MULTIMEDIA TUTORIAL CHEMTUTOR.
DR. LAMB HAS SERVED THE
UNIVERSITY AS EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE
OF RESEARCH AND
CREATIVE ACTIVITIES,
ASSOCIATE DEAN OF
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION,
AND CHAIR OF THE BYU
FACULTY ADVISORY COUNCIL.
HE CURRENTLY SERVES AS
ASSOCIATE CHAIR OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
AND BIOCHEMISTRY.
HE ALSO CHAIRED THE STATE OF
UTAH SCIENCE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
HE IS A FORMER MEMBER OF THE
MORMON TABERNACLE CHOIR AND IS
A VISUAL ARTIST WHOSE WORKS
IN OIL AND EGG TEMPERA
HAVE BEEN DISPLAYED IN
SEVERAL JURIED ART EXHIBITS.
HE AND HIS WIFE BETTY HAVE SIX
SONS AND EIGHT GRANDCHILDREN.
AS A UNIVERSITY,
WE ARE PLEASED THIS YEAR TO
HONOR DR. JOHN LAMB WITH BYU'S
MOST PRESTIGIOUS FACULTY AWARD,
THE KARL G. MAESER
DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD,
AND LOOK FORWARD
NOW TO HEARING THIS
TRADITIONAL LECTURE THAT
ACCOMPANIES THE AWARD.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING
DR. JOHN LAMB.
[APPLAUSE]
>>I WANT TO THANK THE BYU
COMMUNITY FOR THIS HONOR,
AND VICE PRESIDENT WEBB FOR
THAT KIND INTRODUCTION.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU
WHO ARE MY FAMILY,
MY COLLEAGUES,
MY STUDENTS,
AND MY FRIENDS FOR
COMING HERE TODAY.
LET ME BEGIN BY INVITING YOU
TO STEP BACK AND CONSIDER YOUR
CURRENT GPS COORDINATES.
NO, DON'T PULL OUT
YOUR SMART PHONE,
JUST USE YOUR SMART CORTEX.
WHERE ARE YOU?
THE CORRECT ANSWER,
AMONG ALL THE OPTIONS
A THROUGH E,
IS THAT YOU HAPPEN TO
BE AT ONE OF THE MOST
PRIVILEGED PLACES,
AT ONE OF THE MOST
PRIVILEGED TIMES,
IN ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY,
A 21ST CENTURY
FULLY-FUNCTIONAL UNIVERSITY,
AND NOT JUST ANY UNIVERSITY,
BUT A GREAT UNIVERSITY.
NOW I KNOW YOU'VE ALREADY
SPENT 12 OR MORE YEARS
OF YOUR LIFE IN SCHOOL,
AND MORE TO COME.
MAYBE MANY MORE IF YOU PLAN TO
BE A DOCTOR LIKE 150 PERCENT
OF THE STUDENTS IN MY
CHEMISTRY CLASSES.
YOU'RE PROBABLY WEARY AND
MAY HAVE ASKED YOURSELF IS
THIS ALL REALLY WORTH IT?
IS THIS THE BEST WAY TO SPEND
A QUARTER TO A THIRD
OF MY LIFE EXPECTANCY?
I THINK THAT'S A
FAIR QUESTION,
AND ONE THAT I'D LIKE TO
SPEND A FEW MINUTES TALKING
WITH YOU ABOUT TODAY.
BECAUSE MY HOPE IS
TO CONVINCE YOU,
OR PERHAPS TO DEEPEN
YOUR CONVICTION IF IT
IS THERE ALREADY,
THAT LEARNING AND KNOWLEDGE
HAVE REAL INTRINSIC VALUE,
NOT JUST AS THE WORLD
SEES IT IN THE FORM OF
DOLLARS AND CENTS,
BUT REAL ETERNAL VALUE.
AND SO I'VE ENTITLED MY TALK
"ALL YE NEED TO KNOW."
YOU GRADUATES OF THE KEATS 101
CLASS WILL RECOGNIZE THIS AS A
SNIPPET FROM HIS FAMOUS ODE,
WHEREIN HE ASSURES US THAT
"BEAUTY IS TRUTH,
TRUTH BEAUTY,
THAT IS ALL YE KNOW ON EARTH,
AND ALL YE NEED TO KNOW."
NOW, LIKE ALL GOOD POETRY,
THESE LINES ARE OPEN TO
MULTIPLE INTERPRETATIONS AND
THE FIRST INTERPRETATION GOES
SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
"WELL THAT'S ENOUGH,
DON'T BOTHER LEARNING
ANYTHING ELSE."
THIS IS THE INTERPRETATION
PREFERRED BY MANY CHEM 105
STUDENTS, AND INDEED,
I KNOW A LOT OF CHEM 105
STUDENTS WHO WISH THAT JOHN
KEATS RATHER THAN JOHN LAMB
WERE THEIR CHEMISTRY
INSTRUCTOR FOR THIS REASON.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE
INTERPRETATION I WISH
TO APPLY HERE TODAY.
LET'S PUT THE ACCENT
ON THE WORD "ALL",
AND YOU SEE THAT IT COMES OUT
"ALL YE NEED TO KNOW,"
WHICH IN THE CANADIAN MEANS
YOU REALLY NEED TO BECOME A
"KNOW-IT-ALL".
NOW I RECOGNIZE THAT
"KNOW-IT-ALL" IS NORMALLY
CONSIDERED A PEJORATIVE
TERM BUT WHEN YOU STOP
AND THINK ABOUT IT,
WOULD KNOWING IT ALL IN REAL
FACT BE SUCH A BAD THING?
TO FIND AN ANSWER,
LET'S TALK A LITTLE ABOUT
GOD'S PERSPECTIVE ON THIS
IMPORTANT QUESTION.
OF COURSE,
WE TYPICALLY QUERY THE MIND OF
GOD THROUGH THE PRONOUNCEMENTS
OF HIS PROPHETS.
AND THE QUESTION AT HAND IS:
WHAT IS THE VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE
AND IS IT REALLY WORTH ALL
THE EFFORT OF GETTING IT?
WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU,
BUT WHEN I'M FACED WITH
A DIFFICULT QUESTION,
MY FIRST INCLINATION IS TO
SEE IF BROTHER JOSEPH HAD
SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT IT.
IT TURNS OUT THERE WAS PLENTY,
MUCH OF IT FOUND
IN THE SCRIPTURES,
AND WITH WHICH I AM
SURE YOU ARE FAMILIAR,
D&C 88 FOR EXAMPLE.
BUT IN ADDITION,
LET'S TURN TO THE SAYINGS OF
JOSEPH SMITH AS RECORDED IN
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH'S
INVALUABLE COMPILATION
THE TEACHINGS OF THE
PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH.
JOSEPH STATES:
DID JOSEPH SAY GOD
WAS ALL-POWERFUL BECAUSE
HE WAS IN POSSESSION
OF MORE MONEY,
OR WAS BETTER LOOKING,
OR HAD MORE
INFLUENTIAL FRIENDS,
OR POSSESSED THE ELDER WAND?
NO, RATHER,
BECAUSE HE HAS
GREAT KNOWLEDGE.
NOW YOU MIGHT BE THINKING,
OKAY, WHEN I'M
RESURRECTED AS A
CELESTIAL BEING, HOPEFULLY,
POOF!
I'LL KNOW EVERYTHING,
AND THEN I'LL HAVE
ALL POWER TOO.
BUT I'M AFRAID THAT'S
NOT THE WAY IT WORKS.
NOTICE WHAT ELSE BROTHER
JOSEPH HAD TO SAY:
AND ELSEWHERE:
AND FINALLY:
THIS IS GOOD DOCTRINE
AND PRESENTS A PLEASING
OUTLOOK TO THE BILLIONS OF
YEARS THAT LAY BEFORE US,
THE EXCITEMENT OF DISCOVERY
IS IN KNOWING THAT EVERY
DISCOVERY WILL OPEN UP NEW
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED.
KNOWING ALL THE ANSWERS WOULD
BE LIKE ALWAYS BEING FULL
AND NEVER BEING HUNGRY,
AND I DON'T THINK THAT
SOUNDS VERY FUN AT ALL.
FORGIVE ME IF I GET A LITTLE
PERSONAL AT THIS POINT.
I'VE BEEN PRIVILEGED TO WALK
THESE HALLS NIGH ON 47 YEARS
NOW, STUDENT AND PROFESSOR.
I'VE BEEN MENTORED AND
NURTURED INTELLECTUALLY AND
SPIRITUALLY BY GREAT MEN AND
WOMEN WHOM I'VE ADMIRED
AND ATTEMPTED TO EMULATE.
SOME OF THEM ARE HERE WITH
US IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY.
OVER THE YEARS,
STUDENTS HAVE OFTEN ASKED
ME WHY I CHOSE SCIENCE
AND A CAREER IN TEACHING.
SO I'VE TRIED TO COME
UP WITH A LOGICAL ANSWER
ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT
IT JUST FELT GOOD.
ACTUALLY,
PART OF THE ANSWER LIES
IN THE VERY ROOTS OF
THE WORD SCIENCE ITSELF:
THE WORD DERIVES
FROM THE LATIN SCIENTIA,
MEANING KNOWLEDGE,
AND SO LITERALLY A SCIENTIST
IS A PERSON WHO MAKES IT HIS
OR HER BUSINESS TO KNOW STUFF.
OF COURSE,
IN MODERN TIMES THE WORD
HAS TAKEN ON A FOCUS THAT
PERHAPS FITS BETTER THE
MORE TRADITIONAL TITLE
"NATURAL PHILOSOPHER,"
A LABEL THAT I ACTUALLY
PREFER FOR MY PROFESSION.
BUT TO THE POINT,
BEING A SCIENTIST,
GETTING TO KNOW STUFF AND
TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD
A LITTLE BETTER IS A
REWARDING ENDEAVOR FOR ME,
INDEED AN ENDEAVOR THAT YIELDS
A CERTAIN BENEFIT WELL BEYOND
THE OBVIOUS PROFESSIONAL ONES
ENJOYED BY THOSE OF US WHO
CARRY THE OFFICIAL TITLE
"SCIENTIST."
INDEED, GAINING
KNOWLEDGE IS SOMETHING
EVERYONE CAN DO,
AND IN THIS REGARD,
IN THE BROADEST SENSE
OF THE WORD,
EVERYONE CAN BE A SCIENTIST.
AND IF WE REALLY BELIEVE THOSE
WORDS FROM JOSEPH SMITH,
EVERYONE SHOULD STRIVE
TO BE A SCIENTIST,
A KNOWER OF THINGS,
A SEEKER OF LIGHT AND
KNOWLEDGE LIKE ABRAHAM,
OUR FATHER.
THERE IS INTRINSIC AND ETERNAL
VALUE IN GAINING KNOWLEDGE.
IT IS ONE WAY OF DRAWING
CLOSER TO GOD IT IS ONE WAY
OF BECOMING MORE LIKE HIM.
OF COURSE,
ONE WAY OF GAINING
KNOWLEDGE IS BY STUDY.
ON THIS POINT,
I KNOW I'M PREACHING
TO THE CHOIR,
AND I'M SURE YOU STUDENTS
DON'T NEED TO BE REMINDED
ANY MORE THAN YOU
ALREADY ARE ABOUT THAT.
ANOTHER WAY IS BY FAITH,
AND SURELY HEARING THE WORD OF
GOD WITH FAITH IN HIM AND HIS
SERVANTS HAS EDIFIED THE
UNDERSTANDING OF EVERYONE
HERE MANY TIMES OVER.
A THIRD WAY THAT MANKIND AS A
WHOLE ENLARGES IN KNOWLEDGE
IS BY OBSERVATION AND REASON,
AN ENDEAVOR WHICH
WE COMMONLY CALL
"RESEARCH" AND WHICH
FINDS ITS MOST PRODUCTIVE HOME
IN THE UNIVERSITY SETTING.
THAT'S AN INTERESTING WORD
ISN'T IT, UNIVERSITY,
BECAUSE IT CAPTURES THE SCOPE
OF WHAT WE HUMANS BY NATURE
SEEK TO UNDERSTAND,
THE WHOLE UNIVERSE,
AND BY THE WAY YOU
COSMOLOGISTS SEEKING
PROOF OF THE MULTIVERSE,
I APPEAL TO YOU THAT ONE
IS JUST ENOUGH FOR NOW,
THANK YOU.
SO AT A UNIVERSITY LIKE OURS,
WE SEEK KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT EVERYTHING,
AND SPECIFICALLY WE SEEK TO
EXPAND OUR KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING ABOUT EVERYTHING
BY OBSERVATION AND REASON.
SO MUCH HAS BEEN LEARNED,
SO MUCH PROGRESS ACHIEVED IN
THE LAST FEW CENTURIES.
BUT LET'S NOT GET BIG
HEADS OVER THAT FACT.
YOU SEE,
IT ISN'T ENTIRELY
OF OUR OWN DOING.
WHERE RESEARCH IS CONCERNED,
WHERE THE ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN
KNOWLEDGE IS CONCERNED,
IT TURNS OUT WE HAVE
A POWERFUL PARTNER,
ONE WHO SELDOM GETS MUCH,
IF ANY, CREDIT.
YOU NEVER SEE HIS NAME ON
A PEER-REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC
PUBLICATION YOU NEVER SEE
HIS PICTURE ON THE COVER OF
NATURE HE HAS NEVER WON THE
NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY
OR PHYSICS OR ANYTHING.
HE IS JESUS CHRIST.
AND WHAT,
YOU MAY ASK,
ALONG WITH RICHARD DAWKINS,
IS HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE
ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE,
OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE
UNIVERSE AT THIS,
AND AT EVERY UNIVERSITY
OR RESEARCH LABORATORY?
I INVITE AN ANSWER
FROM BRIGHAM YOUNG:
NOW I KNOW
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO
BE A FORUM ASSEMBLY,
NOT A DEVOTIONAL BUT YOU SEE,
WHERE KNOWLEDGE IS CONCERNED,
ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL AT LEAST,
WE DON'T MAKE A DISTINCTION
BETWEEN SACRED KNOWLEDGE AND
SECULAR KNOWLEDGE, DO WE?
AND WHY IS THAT?
BECAUSE GOD DOES NOT MAKE
THIS DISTINCTION HIMSELF.
ALL TRUTH,
ALL YE NEED TO KNOW, REMEMBER,
IS CIRCUMSCRIBED
INTO ONE WHOLE.
IN OTHER WORDS IT FITS
TOGETHER SEAMLESSLY,
AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT
HAS POURED OUT UPON
THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS,
AND CLEARLY ON THE WHOLE
WORLD IN THE LATTER DAYS,
HAS JUST ONE SOURCE.
FURTHER,
IT HAS JUST ONE SCOPE:
TO BRING MAN CLOSER TO
LIVING IN THE KIND OF
WORLD GOD LIVES IN,
TO LIVE THE KIND
OF LIFE GOD LIVES.
IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT
LDS DOCTRINE ABOUT THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
GOD AND MANKIND,
BETWEEN THE NATURE
OF GOD AND MANKIND'S
CAPACITY FOR KNOWLEDGE,
DIFFERS SO MARKEDLY FROM THAT
OF TRADITIONAL CHRISTIANITY.
YOU SEE,
WE DON'T BELIEVE IN
"MYSTERIES" IN THE
TRADITIONAL PHILOSOPHICAL
SENSE OF THE WORD,
THAT IS,
MYSTERIES BEING NOT
JUST THINGS THAT
WE DON'T UNDERSTAND,
BUT THAT WE CANNOT EVER
UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THE
ANSWER IS INHERENTLY
INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO HUMANS,
LOCKED AWAY IN THE
UNKNOWABLE MIND OF GOD.
ON THE CONTRARY,
WE HAVE FAITH,
BECAUSE JOSEPH HAD FAITH,
THAT REASONABLE,
COMPREHENSIBLE ANSWERS
EXIST FOR EVERY QUESTION,
JUST WAITING FOR GOD
TO REVEAL THEM,
AND WAITING FOR OUR CAPACITY
TO RISE TO THE OCCASION.
AS ELIZA SNOW POINTED OUT,
AND AS WE SING IN O MY FATHER,
"TRUTH IS REASON."
THE LDS PERSPECTIVE IS
THAT TRUTH IS REASONABLE,
NATURE IS REASONABLE,
GOD IS REASONABLE.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE
ALL THE ANSWERS NOW,
BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO
GETTING THEM ONE DAY,
LINE UPON LINE,
PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT.
IN A WAY,
JOSEPH SMITH HAS DONE FOR WHAT
WE CALL THE SACRED WHAT
NEWTON DID FOR THE SECULAR.
JUST AS NEWTON SHOWED THAT
THE LAWS THAT GOVERNED THE
EARTH AND THE HEAVENS
WERE NOT DIFFERENT,
AS HAD BEEN THOUGHT
UP UNTIL THAT POINT,
SO JOSEPH BROUGHT THE
RELIGIOUS HEAVEN AND EARTH
INTO A DEGREE OF HARMONY,
IN THAT PHYSICAL BODIES,
OURS, THE EARTH, ETC.,
ONCE THOUGHT BY MANY TO
BE ANTITHETICAL TO HEAVEN,
ARE ACTUALLY PART OF A
LONG-TERM PLAN TO BUILD
FOR THE ETERNITIES,
THESE IN FACT TO BE MAINTAINED
INTO THE ETERNITIES,
ALBEIT IN A MORE EXALTED FORM.
THUS,
IN LATTER-DAY
SAINT PHILOSOPHY,
THE TEMPORAL STUDY OF THE
MATERIAL WORLD IS GIVEN A
DEGREE OF SANCTITY AND ETERNAL
VALUE WHICH IT OTHERWISE
DOES NOT POSSESS.
OF COURSE,
GIVEN THE VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE
IN BRINGING MEN AND
WOMEN CLOSER TO GOD,
IS IT ANY WONDER THAT OVER
THE AGES SATAN HAS DONE
EVERYTHING IN HIS POWER
TO IMPEDE ITS PROGRESS?
SHORT PERIODS OF ENLIGHTENMENT
HAVE COME AND GONE,
ONLY TO BE REPLACED BY
DROUGHTS OF DARKNESS.
THE LIBRARY AT
ALEXANDRIA BURNED,
THE SCHOOLS OF THE ROMAN
EMPIRE DESTROYED,
THE WORKS OF BEETHOVEN
AND GOETHE REPLACED
BY NAZI BARBARISM.
FURTHERMORE,
HOLDING BACK KNOWLEDGE HAS
BEEN A MEANS OF ENSLAVEMENT
OF MEN AND WOMEN
FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL.
AMONG MANY EXAMPLES
ACROSS MANY CULTURES,
CONSIDER THESE:
ANCIENT PRIESTS IN
EGYPT SUBJUGATING PEASANTS
BY THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF
HEAVENLY MOTIONS AND THE NILE
FLOOD TO ENGENDER AWE AND
OBEDIENCE MEDIEVAL PRIESTS
MAKING IT A CAPITAL CRIME TO
READ OR TRANSLATE THE BIBLE IN
THE VERNACULAR TALIBAN GOONS
SHOOTING LITTLE GIRLS FOR
GOING TO SCHOOL IT IS AMAZING
TO ME THAT THE LATTER
EVENT COULD HAPPEN
IN THIS DAY AND AGE,
BUT I THINK IT ILLUSTRATES HOW
DESPERATE THE FORCES OF EVIL
ARE TO PREVENT KNOWLEDGE FROM
SPREADING OVER THE EARTH AS
THE LORD HAS INTENDED.
AS LATTER-DAY SAINTS,
WE NEED TO STAND AS STRONG
OPPONENTS OF THESE EVIL
FORCES AND AS STANDARDS
OF ENLIGHTENED LEARNING.
LEARNING IS AN INTEGRAL PART
OF BUILDING ZION AND A CENTRAL
FEATURE OF OUR MISSION.
THAT IS WHY ONE OF THE
FIRST THINGS JOSEPH DID IN
KIRTLAND WAS TO ESTABLISH
A SCHOOL OF THE ELDERS,
AND IN NAUVOO A UNIVERSITY.
THAT IS WHY BYU EXISTS
AND YOU AND I ARE HERE.
IT IS MORE THAN PREPARING
FOR A PROFESSION.
IT IS PREPARING FOR THE
MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST.
IT IS PREPARING FOR ETERNITY.
ANYONE WHO WATCHES THE NEWS
KNOWS THAT THE FORCES
OF DARKNESS AND IGNORANCE
ARE ALIVE AND PROSPERING
IN THE WORLD EVEN TODAY.
BUT, THERE IS
A FLOOD OF LIGHT AND
KNOWLEDGE THAT IS PUSHING BACK
THE DARKNESS AS KNOWLEDGE
BECOMES EVER MORE READILY
AVAILABLE THROUGH THE
TECHNOLOGIES BROUGHT
ABOUT BY ADVANCES IN
HUMAN UNDERSTANDING.
THE FREEDOMS AND PROSPERITY
WE ENJOY IN THE WEST ARE
FRAGILE FLOWERS AT AN OASIS
IN THE MIDST OF A VAST
HISTORICAL WASTELAND OF HUMAN
IGNORANCE AND SUFFERING.
THAT FLOWER COULD EASILY
WITHER IF WE DON'T CHERISH
AND NURTURE IT IN OUR OWN
LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OUR
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
AS SPOKEN BY THE SPIRIT
OF CHRISTMAS PAST,
IGNORANCE AND WANT SPELL
THE DOOM OF CIVILIZATION,
AND WE MUST DETER
THEM AT EVERY TURN.
A BROAD EDUCATION FOR EVERY
INDIVIDUAL AND THE ADVANCEMENT
OF KNOWLEDGE AS ADMONISHED BY
THE LORD IN D&C 88 UNDERPIN
THE FREEDOMS AND THE
PROSPERITY WE ENJOY.
LEST I BE MISUNDERSTOOD,
I WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT IN
SPEAKING OF THE VALUE OF
"KNOWLEDGE" I MEAN MORE THAN
FAMILIARITY WITH FACTS,
BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY.
IT IS TRUE THAT IN THE
21ST CENTURY WE ARE FACED
WITH AN INTERESTING,
AND TO SOME DEGREE
UNPRECEDENTED,
CHALLENGE WHEN IT COMES
TO DECIDING WHAT TO
STORE IN OUR HEADS.
TODAY,
FACTS ARE EASILY STORED AND
RETRIEVED FROM OUR EXO-BRAINS,
NAMELY OUR COMPUTERS,
MUCH MORE EASILY THAN WAS
TRUE USING BOOKS IN THE
PRE-DIGITAL WORLD.
FOR EXAMPLE,
I CAN REMEMBER SPENDING MANY
GRUELING HOURS IN THE LIBRARY
RESEARCHING A TOPIC FOR A TERM
PAPER TO FIND INFORMATION THAT
TODAY I COULD FIND ON THE
INTERNET IN SECONDS.
SO, IT COULD BE CLAIMED
THAT IN THIS DAY,
THE OTHER,
AND FOR-THE-MOMENT UNIQUELY
HUMAN INTELLECTUAL TALENT FOR
UNDERSTANDING AND WISDOM
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT,
IF NOT THE ONLY,
ASPECT OF KNOWLEDGE THAT WE
NEED TO NURTURE IN OURSELVES.
AFTER ALL,
DIDN'T THE LORD ADMONISH,
"WITH ALL THY GETTING,
GET UNDERSTANDING?"
INDEED,
ONE MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO GO TO
THE EXTREME OF CLAIMING THAT
IN THE 21ST CENTURY,
KNOWLEDGE OF FACTS HAS BECOME
ALTOGETHER OUTDATED.
AFTER ALL,
YOU CAN ALWAYS LOOK IT
UP IN WIKIPEDIA, RIGHT?
BUT LET'S ASK OURSELVES,
"CAN UNDERSTANDING BE ACHIEVED
WITHOUT LEARNING FACTS?"
ALONG THESE LINES,
HUGH NIBLEY MAKES AN IMPORTANT
POINT ABOUT THE INTERESTING
INTERPLAY BETWEEN FACTS
AND UNDERSTANDING.
IN HIS ESSAY
"ZEAL WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE"
HE STATES:
WHAT HE'S SAYING
IN ESSENCE IS THAT OUR
MINDS DEMAND KNOWLEDGE.
IT IS IN OUR NATURE,
AND IT IS IMPORTANT
THAT WE FILL THE MIND
WITH TRUE KNOWLEDGE,
OR IT WILL ABSORB THE
FALSE OR THE IMAGINARY.
BEYOND THIS,
I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT IS
DASHED DIFFICULT TO THINK
INTELLIGENTLY ABOUT SOMETHING
OF WHICH YOU KNOW NOTHING.
I'VE TRIED THAT,
AND IT DOESN'T WORK.
I'VE HEARD RADIO
COMMENTATORS TRY IT,
AND TO DISASTROUS EFFECT,
INVENTING FALLACIOUS KNOWLEDGE
RIGHT AND LEFT LEADING TO EVEN
MORE FALLACIOUS CONCLUSIONS.
IF WE ARE TO DIRECT OUR
MINDS TO THE HIGHEST
POSSIBLE OBJECT,
WE DO WELL TO FILL OUR MINDS
WITH TRUE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT
OBJECT AND USE THE DISCERNMENT
THAT IS UNIQUELY HUMAN TO COME
TO "UNDERSTAND" THE WORLD
IN WAYS THAT COMPUTERS
JUST CAN'T ACHIEVE.
FURTHERMORE,
WITHOUT MAKING THE EFFORT
TO CHECK OUR FACTS,
IT WILL BE EASY FOR US TO BE
CAUGHT UP IN A WORLD WHICH HAS
LOST THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN
MEDICINE AND FRUIT JUICE,
BETWEEN MUSIC AND NOISE,
AND BETWEEN SCIENCE AND FRAUD.
WE HAVE A LOT TO DO IN A SHORT
TIME TO BUILD UP ZION,
AND GOD HAS GIVEN US A VERY
FERTILE FIELD IN WHICH TO
CULTIVATE OUR KNOWLEDGE IN
SUPPORT OF THAT EFFORT.
INDEED,
WE LIVE IN A GOLDEN AGE OF
LEARNING AND YET I WORRY THAT
MANY OF US ARE PRONE TO
SQUANDER THIS PRECIOUS GIFT.
MY ENCOURAGEMENT
TO YOU IS THIS:
DON'T LET OPPORTUNITIES
TO ENGAGE IN DEEP AND
MEANINGFUL LEARNING
PASS BY YOU UNNOTICED.
OPEN YOUR EYES TO LIGHT
AND ELIMINATE THE
DISTRACTIONS FROM YOUR LIFE.
THERE ARE SO MANY INVITING
BUT HOLLOW DISTRACTIONS
AROUND US THESE DAYS.
POP CULTURE IS WELL NAMED.
IT HAS ALL THE NUTRITIONAL
VALUE OF SODA POP
OR COTTON CANDY,
ALL EMPTY CALORIES AND AIR.
I LIKE A LITTLE SODA POP OR
COTTON CANDY NOW AND THEN.
IT'S FUN.
BUT A CONSTANT DIET MORNING,
NOON AND NIGHT WOULD RUIN MY
HEALTH AND A CONSTANT DIET OF
NOTHING BUT POP CULTURE WILL
RUIN THE HEALTH OF THE SOUL.
AND THE PROBLEM IS THAT
IT CAN BE ADDICTIVE.
IN FACT,
IF IT IS DISTRACTING YOU FROM
WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE,
I INVITE YOU TO BE
AN ICONOCLAST OF POP
CULTURE DISTRACTIONS,
SMASH THOSE GAME PLATFORMS,
FIGURATIVELY, I MEAN,
APPLY THE MUTE BUTTON
UNMERCIFULLY TO MTV,
TELL THOSE PURVEYORS OF
THE LATEST FASHIONS
TO TAKE A HIKE.
OR AT LEAST,
IF YOU CAN'T PUT THESE
THINGS AWAY ALTOGETHER,
PUT THEM IN THEIR PLACE
ON A FAR BACK BURNER.
INSTEAD,
WHY NOT USE THE PRECIOUS
LITTLE TIME YOU HAVE ON EARTH
WHILE YOUR BRAIN STILL
FUNCTIONS TO DRINK DEEPLY
FROM THE PYRRHEAN SPRING
AND APPLY THAT KNOWLEDGE
YOU'VE GAINED TO GOOD ENDS
WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT.
OH, AND, BY THE WAY,
JUST TO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND
WHAT I MEAN WHEN
I SAY TO DO THIS
"WHILE YOUR BRAIN
STILL FUNCTIONS,"
LET ME MAKE YOU AWARE OF
THE KINDS OF DANGERS THAT
LURK ABOUT YOU WITH A LITTLE
STORY FROM MY YOUNGER DAYS:
WHEN I WAS ABOUT 25,
A FELLOW PLAYER THREW A
HEAVY WOODEN RACQUETBALL
RACQUET WITH ALL HIS
MIGHT INTO MY HEAD AND
KNOCKED ME UNCONSCIOUS,
I DON'T THINK ON PURPOSE!
I HAD TO HAVE
13 STICHES IN MY HEAD,
AND I'M SURE MY IQ DROPPED
10 POINTS THAT DAY.
SO TAKE A LESSON FROM ME,
TAKE EVERY ADVANTAGE
OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO
LEARN WHILE YOU CAN.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT
A FRIEND MIGHT DO.
WE HUMAN BEINGS HAVE
AN INHERENT NEED,
INDEED CRAVING,
TO LEARN,
WE INHERITED THAT FROM
OUR HEAVENLY PARENTS.
WE ARE INVETERATE INFORMATION
GATHERERS NOW I DON'T LIKE
THAT WORD INFORMATION SO MUCH,
SOUNDS RATHER STERILE
BUT THE WORD DOES HAVE
ONE REDEEMING VALUE,
IT REMINDS US THAT WE ARE
INFORMED BY THE INFORMATION
WE INVITE INTO OUR HEADS.
WILL THAT BE INFORMATION
JUNK FOOD,
I REFER TO MOST
OF POP CULTURE,
OR WILL WE INGEST THE
BEST THAT THE UNIVERSE
HAS TO OFFER?
I SAY LET'S AIM
FOR THE LATTER.
OUR DESTINY IS TO BE
BETTER THAN WHAT THIS WORLD
ALONE HAS TO OFFER.
DON'T LET LADY GAGA OR ESPN OR
WALL STREET ROB YOU OF THAT.
YOUR DESTINY IS TO BUILD
ZION YOU WERE SENT HERE
TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
YOU ARE THE LAST GREAT
HOPE OF THE WORLD.
THERE IS A SHINING CITY ON
A HILL THAT JOSEPH SMITH
POINTED OUR MINDS TO,
WE NEED TO SEEK IT OUT.
LET'S MAKE IT THE FOCUS
OF OUR WAKING MOMENTS.
JOSEPH KNEW THAT THE
ONLY WAY FOR LIGHT
TO OVERCOME DARKNESS,
FOR TRUTH TO OVERCOME ERROR,
WAS FOR THE CHILDREN OF LIGHT
TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND APPLY
THAT KNOWLEDGE WITH DILIGENCE.
THAT'S WHY HE WAS SO
KEEN ON EDUCATION,
AND WHY WE SHOULD BE ALSO.
HE HAD A VISION THAT WE
COULD BE BETTER THAN THE
BEASTS AND LIVE NOT FOR
TODAY BUT FOR ETERNITY.
LET ME ASK YOU: CAN YOU
IMAGINE LIVING FOREVER?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
GET UP IN THE MORNING AND
WATCH THE TEN MILLIONTH
SUPERBOWL ON TV,
EAT YOUR 457 BILLIONTH
PEPPERONI PIZZA, REALLY?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO FOR
ALL THOSE BILLIONS OF YEARS?
WHATEVER IT IS,
IT WILL BE AN EXTRAPOLATION
OF WHAT YOU SPEND YOUR
TIME DOING NOW.
NOW IS THE TIME TO LAY THE
FOUNDATION FOR ETERNITY.
WE'VE GOT TO DIVEST OURSELVES
OF THE IDEA THAT ETERNITY
IS SOMETHING WE
FACE AFTER WE DIE.
ETERNITY ISN'T TOMORROW
IT'S NOW.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS WE
SHOULD BE DOING TO LAY THE
FOUNDATION FOR A HAPPY AND
PRODUCTIVE ETERNITY.
LEARNING IS JUST ONE OF THEM,
BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE LEAST.
IT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE
ONE I'M FOCUSING ON HERE.
LET ME ENCOURAGE YOU TO
BE NOT ONLY DILIGENT,
BUT TO BE ECLECTIC,
IN YOUR LEARNING.
THERE ARE WONDERFUL THINGS TO
LEARN IN EVERY DISCIPLINE,
AND ANSWERS TO MANY
INTERESTING QUESTIONS
ARE FOUND THERE.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW:
MATHEMATICS,
NO GROANING PLEASE:
HERE WE FIND THE
LANGUAGE OF CREATION.
PYTHAGORAS WAS RIGHT,
AS WE ARE NOW LEARNING:
REALITY REALLY IS
BASED ON NUMBERS
ECONOMICS:
HERE WE LEARN WHY THEY
ARE RICH AND WE ARE POOR
LITERATURE:
HERE WE CAN LIVE A THOUSAND
LIVES IN A SINGLE LIFETIME.
WE CAN SEE THE WORLD THROUGH
THE EYES OF JOB, FALSTAFF,
HORACE RUMPOLE
AND JACK RYAN
PHYSICS:
HERE WE COME TO KNOW
THAT THE WORLD IS WEIRDER THAN
WE COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE.
MUSIC:
HERE WE CAN LEARN TO
RESONATE WITH THE HEARTBEATS
OF OTHERS AND FINALLY
CHEMISTRY:
AH, THE ULTIMATE IN HUMAN
INTELLECTUAL ACHIEVEMENT,
WHICH UNVEILS THE TINY WORLD
THAT UNDERPINS ALL WE SEE
AROUND US AS A SCIENTIST,
I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU A
COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF THINGS
I GET EXCITED ABOUT HAVING
LEARNED IN MY LIFETIME.
IN THE FIRST PLACE,
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT
CHEMISTRY HAS GIVEN ME A
TOTALLY NEW AND UNIQUE
PERSPECTIVE ON THE
PEOPLE IN MY LIFE.
FOR EXAMPLE,
HERE IS MY FAVORITE
PERSON IN ALL THE WORLD,
AND HERE IS A CLOSE-UP
OF HER HAND.
THESE ARE WHAT I SEE
OF HER WITH MY EYES.
BUT SCIENCE HAS REVEALED THAT
THE SKIN ON HER HAND IS MADE
UP OF TRILLIONS OF CELLS LIKE
THESE AND INSIDE THOSE CELLS
ARE NUCLEI LIKE THIS ONE AND
TRILLIONS OF PROTEIN MOLECULES
THAT LOOK LIKE SOMETHING THIS,
ALL WORKING IN A
WONDERFUL HARMONY,
AND THESE IN TURN ARE MADE OF
ATOMS THAT LOOK LIKE THIS AND
OPERATE ACCORDING TO EXOTIC,
SOMETIMES MIND-BOGGLING RULES.
NOTICE THAT BETTY IS MUCH
MORE THAN WHAT I CAN
SEE WITH MY NAKED EYE.
NOW I CAN SEE HER NOT ONLY
AS A LOVING HUMAN BEING,
A WONDERFUL WIFE AND MOTHER,
BUT IN ADDITION I CAN ENVISION
HER AS ONE OF THE MOST
COMPLEX MOLECULAR MACHINES
IN THE UNIVERSE,
A VERITABLE MIRACLE
OF BIOCHEMISTRY,
A KIND OF WONDERWOMAN.
CHEMISTRY HAS GIVEN ME A WHOLE
NEW WAY OF SEEING THE WORLD,
AND PROBABLY A WHOLE NEW
REASON FOR SLEEPING
ON THE COUCH TONIGHT.
HERE'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE,
THIS TIME FROM ASTRONOMY.
WHAT IF I HAD EYES LIKE THE
HUBBLE TELESCOPE AND COULD SEE
FAR INTO THE DISTANCE AND IN
MANY WAVELENGTHS OF LIGHT?
I COULD LOOK OVER THERE AND
SEE THE GREAT STORM ON
JUPITER IN RETINAL CLARITY,
OR OVER THERE AND SEE THROUGH
THE CLOUDS OF THE ORION NEBULA
TO WITNESS A STAR BEING BORN,
OR OVER THERE AND SEE A
QUASAR AS AN ENORMOUS BLACK
HOLE DEVOURS NEARBY STARS IN A
STORM OF SUPER-HOT DEBRIS.
HOW COULD I EVEN BE AWARE THAT
SUCH AWESOME WONDERS EXIST,
LET ALONE ENVISION THEM,
IF I HADN'T SOUGHT OUT AND
BEEN BLESSED WITH KNOWLEDGE?
ONE LAST POINT.
ARE WE EVER GOING TO RUN
OUT OF THINGS TO LEARN?
THE LONGER I LIVE,
THE MORE I DOUBT IT.
YOU SEE,
AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE 20TH CENTURY,
SOME IN THE SCIENTIFIC
COMMUNITY CLAIMED THAT ALL
THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO KNOW
HAD NOW BEEN DISCOVERED,
AND THAT THE ONLY WORK
LEFT TO DO WAS TO TIE
UP A FEW LOOSE ENDS.
OF COURSE,
THAT WAS BEFORE EINSTEIN AND
OTHERS UPSET THE APPLECART
IN MULTIPLE WAYS AND LOOK
HOW OUR UNDERSTANDING
HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN!
FAST FORWARD EVEN FURTHER
INTO THE 21ST CENTURY,
AND ANOTHER HEART-STOPPER.
HERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE MAKING
SUCH GREAT PROGRESS IN
UNDERSTANDING THE NATURAL
WORLD ONLY TO DISCOVER THAT
ALL THIS TIME WE'VE BEEN
STUDYING ONLY ABOUT FIVE
PERCENT OF THE MATTER AND
ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE.
THE REST WAS INVISIBLE TO US!
WHY?
BECAUSE WE ARE CREATURES
OF ELECTROMAGNETISM,
AND THE REST OF THE MATTER AND
ENERGY IN THE UNIVERSE PRETTY
MUCH JUST IGNORES THOSE RULES.
IF WE KEEP GOING ON LIKE THIS,
WE'LL SOON FIND THAT
THE MORE WE KNOW,
THE CLOSER WE APPROACH KNOWING
RELATIVELY NOTHING AT ALL.
BUT IS THAT DISCOURAGING?
NO.
THAT'S NOT
DISCOURAGING AT ALL.
IN FACT,
IT OPENS UP THE WONDERFUL
PROSPECT OF AN ETERNITY OF
NEVER RUNNING OUT OF NEW
THINGS TO LEARN ABOUT.
WELL, I HOPE THAT
IN SOME SMALL WAY HERE
TODAY I HAVE MANAGED
TO STRENGTHEN YOUR
COMMITMENT TO LEARNING.
AS OUR OPENING SONG EXPRESSED,
HERE IN THE LATTER DAYS,
"THE KNOWLEDGE AND POWER
OF GOD ARE EXPANDING,"
AND SURELY,
GAINING KNOWLEDGE
AND UNDERSTANDING
IS A GODLY ENDEAVOR.
IT CAN BE HARD WORK,
BUT IT CAN ALSO BE THRILLING,
IT CAN BE EXCITING,
AND IT CAN BE INTOXICATING.
YOU'VE HEARD OF A
"RUNNER'S HIGH"?
WELL, SOMETIMES
I FEEL LIKE I'M
EXPERIENCING A
"LEARNER'S HIGH."
I HOPE YOU HAVE
EXPERIENCED THIS TOO.
I HOPE YOU WILL CONTINUE
EXPERIENCING IT HERE AT BYU,
THROUGHOUT YOUR LIVES AND ON
INTO AN ENDLESS ETERNITY.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL.
[APPLAUSE]
THIS BYU FORUM ADDRESS WITH
JOHN LAMB WAS GIVEN ON
MAY 20, 2014.