To know is to do … or can we do to know?

I joined John Hilton III’s Book of Mormon Masterclass. I have heard Brother Hilton on a couple of different podcasts in the past and followed him on social media, so when he posted about this masterclass I was excited to join. And it has been more value-add to my life than I thought it could be.

For a but of background, I love The Book of Mormon. I studied it quite a bit from a young age and can say I’ve read it at least once a year for as long as I can remember. I have realized over the years that no matter how much I read and study this amazing book, I will always find something new through the Holy Ghost. I love hearing what other people learn about The Book of Mormon as they study, ponder, and pray about it. In addition to this year’s Come, Follow Me study, I am also trying to learn from various podcasts, conference talks, and scholars about The Book of Mormon. John Hilton III has provided a very good venue for me to do just that. The content that he provides is educational and thought provoking. Be sure to check it out.

In class 3 of this masterclass, Brother Hilton compares 1 Ne 3:7 to 1 Ne 4:6. These are both very famous verses, often quoted in various talks or lessons. In chapter 3, Nephi says he knows that the Lord is commanding him and that the Lord will prepare a way so then he will go and do. In chapter 4, he says that he doesn’t know, but he moves forward and does the will of the Lord as the Spirit directs (gaining knowledge by doing). I cannot summarize this or articulate this concept as well or as clearly as Brother Hilton does. I honestly listened to this lesson 3 times. Plus, John Hilton III was the guest on the podcast Follow Him for the same week this class was posted (1 Nephi chapters 1-5), and he mentioned this concept on that podcast as well. I hope you heard it somewhere, because it is fantastic. Here is what I got out of it: sometimes we know things and it gives us the strength and courage and perhaps even faith to go and do it. Other times, we may not know something, but we feel prompted to act and do so in faith; in following that prompting and acting upon it, we learn and gain a knowledge. Brother Hilton uses Sariah as an example. She obviously followed Lehi into the wilderness at the start of the Book of Nephi, but it isn’t until partway through chapter 5 when her sons return with the brass plates and Zoram that she says, “Now I know …” This shows that she was willing to act in faith to follow the prophet (her husband Lehi) and trust that she would know later. When Lehi told his family to leave Jerusalem, it is clear that Sariah must have had some trust and faith, some basic knowledge, that her husband was a prophet and a man of God. But, her testimony that it was definitely God’s will for her family to be in the wilderness and seek the promised land didn’t come until later.

How many times in my life do I have questions or wonder if what I’m doing is right? (Hint: a lot.) I love this concept because so many times I think I should figure out and know the plan 100% before acting on it. That isn’t always the case. But also, sometimes I think, I’ll leave this up to the Lord and He will show me the way, but then He wants me to give more effort and try to make a plan. It goes both way and only sincere prayer and pondering through the Spirit will indicate which is needed at the time.

As a parent I also see this in action. I will remind my kids to do something and my tween’s response is usually, “I know, Mom.” To which I say, “To know is to do.” Eye rolls ensue, but then things get done. In “I am a Child of God” the lyrics were changed to “teach me all that I must do” rather than know because it is one thing to know something, but another to do it. We can know we should make covenants or keep covenants, but doing it is critical to our salvation and exaltation. We cannot simply know. We must do. But, as I learned recently, sometimes we must do in order to know not just know in order to do.