Applying the Doctrine and Covenants to Your Life
3 Ways to “Seek Learning” (That Don’t Involve School)
Here are a few different ways you can set yourself up for a lifetime of learning.
When you think of learning, what comes to mind? Sitting in a classroom all day, counting down the minutes until the final bell rings? Going to the library to browse through stacks of books?
In young adulthood, there’s something new to learn every single day. And it doesn’t just have to be in a classroom—it can include career skills, the ability to communicate and have healthy relationships, cooking a meal for yourself or loved ones, and more.
And have you thought about the fact that we’re actually commanded to learn? The Lord has instructed all of us to “seek learning, even by study and also by faith” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). President Russell M. Nelson has echoed this commandment, reminding us that “education is a religious responsibility.”
There are many ways we can enhance our learning. So whether you’re recently graduated, preparing for marriage, seeking better employment, or feeling spiritually stale, there are ways for you to “seek learning” in every area of your life—even if you’re not currently in school.
Life Skills
What is a life skill you have yet to learn? Here are some areas of life where you could hone your skills:
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Household skills (cooking or meal prepping, grocery shopping on a budget, organizing and decluttering, caring for plants or a garden)
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Employment skills (networking and building professional relationships, building a résumé, owning and operating a business, writing emails)
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Financial skills (budgeting, saving, and investing money; paying taxes; planning for retirement)
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Communication skills (active-listening techniques, conflict resolution, emotional resilience, public speaking)
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Practical skills (car, bike, or home maintenance; using tools; basic sewing; first aid)
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Hobby skills (crocheting, learning a musical instrument, photography, painting)
Ask a parent, friend, ward member, or Church leader to mentor you in a new life skill. Consider joining one of the Church’s self-reliance courses.
Gospel Learning
Throughout our lives, we may experience spiritual highs as well as spiritual lows. But wherever you may be on your journey, increasing your knowledge of the gospel is always an important way to “seek learning” throughout your life.
The introduction to the Come, Follow Me manual says: “The aim of all gospel learning and teaching is to deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and help us become more like Them. For this reason, when we study the gospel, we’re not just looking for new information; we want to become a ‘new creature’ (2 Corinthians 5:17).”
Here are several ways you can deepen your conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through gospel learning:
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Study the life and character of Jesus Christ
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Attend institute
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Attend the temple if you are able
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Study the truths taught in the temple endowment
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Study the temple covenants you have made or desire to make
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Improve your scripture study through Come, Follow Me or through Topics and Questions in the Gospel Library
Learning for Your Future
Developing life skills and enhancing your gospel study are both ways you can prepare for what’s next. But there are other parts of adulthood that we will one day encounter or hope to experience that we can prepare for now!
Here are some examples:
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Marriage (study the principles of eternal marriage, collect general conference quotes about marriage, ask for advice from married couples you admire, prepare for sexual intimacy by educating yourself through inspired faith-based sources or trusted leaders)
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Parenthood (study mothers and fathers in the scriptures, take a parenting class, talk to other parents, read general conference talks about parenting)
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Aging and health (learn proper nutrition, learn new ways to exercise, learn basic first-aid techniques)
Whatever your circumstances in life, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want you to grow your knowledge and faith so “that ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:80).
Heavenly Father has a purpose for you. As you strive to establish a lifetime of learning, whether in a classroom or out, He will bless your efforts and lead you where He needs you to be.