Learning Matters

Chemistry formulas, math formulas—why bother? Here’s why—education is a formula for success.

President Gordon B. Hinckley has asked the youth of the Church to get all the education they can, both in the gospel and in secular matters. If your last chemistry test left you wondering why you even bother sometimes, here are some ideas from the Young Women of the Waipahu Second Ward in Hawaii on how to Be Smart and why it even matters.

Life is all about learning to choose the right. Being able to make informed decisions means you don’t have to go through life saying, “I wish I had known.”
Try your hardest in school. Study, pray for help, and get all you can out of the opportunities you have to become educated.
Be honest when you are taking tests or doing other kinds of schoolwork. Cheating is a shortcut to nowhere.
Look it up. If there’s something you want to learn more about, do some research on the topic. It doesn’t have to be something you are doing in school, just something you are interested in.
Learn to let the Spirit guide you in all your decisions.
If you are educated, it is easier to serve and bless others with the talents you have developed.
Education is preparation for life. Knowing about the things of the world is not only a smart way to be successful, it is also a commandment (see D&C 88:77–80).
Get involved in extracurricular activities and worthwhile hobbies. Being smart doesn’t just mean reading books.
Schooling or technical training is the way to get a good job in the future. Plan on being able to provide for yourself and your future family.
Sit down and plan your future. Set goals prayerfully about how and where you want to become educated.
Most importantly, with all your learning get wisdom and understanding that comes from God. If you put God first in all you do, things will work out for the best.

Illustrated by Richard Hull

Young Women of Waipahu Second Ward, Hawaii