While knowledge is important, it is not enough; we must act on what we know in order to return to live with our Father in Heaven.
Do you know the story of the children’s hymn “I am a Child of God”? Sister Naomi Randall wrote the hymn in 1957. The original words were “Teach me all that I must know to live with him someday” (emphasis added). President Spencer W. Kimball loved this song, but suggested that the lyric know be changed to do. Why would he want to change this one word?
Photo by LDS Media Library.
Knowledge is important; to gain it is one of the reasons why we go to church each week and study the scriptures every day. But sometimes, knowledge isn’t enough. We may hear something that causes us to question our faith. What if we can’t find answers to those questions? How can we still embrace the truth of the gospel?
We can embrace the truth by following the principles in Elder Uchtdorf’s talk “Believe, Love, Do.” Acting on our knowledge may seem overwhelming, but as we do the three simple actions that President Uchtdorf outlines, “to believe in [Christ], love as He loved, and do as He did,” we will find peace and joy in our lives and find the answers we are seeking.
President Kimball wanted to emphasize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to be lived, not just studied. The knowledge we gain must push us to act, leading us to God and revelation from him. The Savior said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17). As we follow the teachings of Christ, we will feel the Spirit testify the truth of the things we do.
Read the rest of Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk “Believe, Love, Do” from the October 2018 General Conference on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Source: ChurchofJesusChrist.org
—Megan Anderson, Mormon Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY LDS MEDIA LIBRARY
Find more insights
President Kimball’s life reflected his words; he acted on what he knew. Read more about what he did in his life to follow the example of the Savior in “Spencer W. Kimball: A Man of Action,” written by Garrett H. Garff from the January 2007 Ensign.
Take a look at William H. Baker’s BYU Devotional talk, “Knowing, Doing and Being,” for more insights on how to balance knowledge and actions.
Read “The Challenge to Become” by Dallin H. Oaks to learn the next step after action. Our actions should lead us to become like Christ to truly make a difference in our lives.