“Three or four days ago I was presented with a treasured volume… It is the old textbook that I used 75 years ago when I was one of four students who studied Greek at the University of Utah.
I have long since lost my ability to read Greek and also Latin which I took at that time. But in the course of my studies I had the opportunity of reading the New Testament in the original Greek and gained from that a great insight of love and appreciation for my Savior and the great and glorious things which He taught.
…My love for the wisdom that comes of teaching and learning stems from the mandate given this people through divine revelation. Said the Lord:
“And I give unto you a commandment that you shall teach one another…
Teach ye diligently and my grace shall attend you, that you may be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand;
Of things both in heaven and in the earth, and under the earth; things which have been, things which are, things which must shortly come to pass; things which are at home, things which are abroad; the wars and the perplexities of the nations, and the judgments which are on the land; and also a knowledge of countries and of kingdoms (Doctrine and Covenants 88:77-79).”
I know of no other religious body which has in its doctrine any such statement.
Education is a part of our religion. The Lord has further said: “The glory of God is intelligence” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:36), and “whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection” (Doctrine and Covenants 130:18). Knowledge, understanding, education, these are all eternal things. What a glorious and wonderful concept this is.
Now, I do not think that my Latin or my Greek have any eternal significance. But some of the elements that came with that study do have eternal significance. There are principles and concepts and statements of values which are everlasting in their nature.”