#: 93

Title: “The Education Equation”

Exhibitor: Katie Van Dyke

Description: Relief Society sisters of the Church proclaim, “We are

beloved daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. . . We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who… love life and Learning.” The youth of the Church have been told, “The Lord wants you to educate your mid and improve your skills and abilities. Education will help you be an influence for good in the world” (For the Strength of Youth, 9). With the increased emphasis on learning in the Church, The Education Equation can help members of all ages use their education, whether formal or informal, to increase their abilities and become tools for good in Heavenly Father’s hands.

How To’s:

! Humility & Obedience = Learning & Knowledge

! Learning & Knowledge + Prayer & Faith = Understanding & Wisdom

! An A+ for Accountability

Humility & Obedience = Learning & Knowledge:

There are so many talented people around us, and we sometimes wish we could do the things they do instead of focusing on the talents and abilities Heavenly Father has given us. Through humility, we can focus less on the talents and abilities we desire and more on the gifts and talents Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

Once we are in tune with our own gifts and abilities, we can be obedient to the counsel to cultivate those gifts through either formal or informal education. This humility and obedience will indeed lead to learning and knowledge.

President Hinckley says of learning, “What a remarkable thing is learning… [it] is the great conversion process under which abstract knowledge becomes useful and productive activity. It is something that need never stop. No matter how old we grow, we can acquire knowledge and use it” (New Era, Sept. 1996, 4).

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Learning & Knowledge + Prayer & Faith = Understanding & Wisdom:

Through prayer and faith, we gain the wisdom and understanding we need to use the learning we acquire to serve our Heavenly Father. President Hinckley teaches, “I believe in my capacity and in your capacity to do good, to make some contribution to the society of which we are a part, to grow and develop, and to do things that we may now think impossible. . . Though my contribution may be small, I can perform it with dignity and offer it with unselfishness… I believe in the principle that I can make a difference in this world. It may be ever so small, but it will count for the greater good. The goodness of the world in which we live is the accumulated goodness of many small and seemingly inconsequential acts” (New Era, Sept 1996, 8-9).

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An A+ for Accountability:

“You are a child of God with great strength. You have the ability to choose righteousness and happiness, no matter what your circumstances. You are also responsible for developing the abilities and talents Heavenly Father has given you. You are accountable to Him for what you do with your abilities and how you spend your time” (For the Strength of Youth, 5).
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