Ignorance

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King Benjamin begins in the book of Mosiah by teaching his sons. The major premise of his lesson is knowledge and being able to read to gain more knowledge. He taught his children Egyptian, Arabic, and other languages that the brass plates must have had, being written for over a millennia and in many places. One of those languages must have included the manor of prophesying among the Jews (2Nephi 25:1).

He was so concerned that they be able to read and understand the words of their fathers who were prophets.

Ignorance brings suffering! 

I have seen ignorant people who seem to be happy though. Kinda conflicts. I think of children, who are both innocent and ignorant. Those who are wise tend to leave this ignorance alone and sometimes feel a need to defend it. On the other side of this coin they feel pressure to dispel the ignorance by sharing truth or the child will crumble at the truth at some future time. Then I have seen (and I believe I have been) the prideful liberator who will reveal all the truths they can, unawares they may be tearing an ignorant person's world apart but enjoy being uplifted in superiority. Funny how they are ignorant of what they are doing. 

Two things I concluded are:

1. Innocence does not remove the pain ignorance will leave behind. Meaning, to defend the innocent by protecting their ignorance is destructive and paradoxical.
2. Truth comes to people no matter what. All the pains of ignorance will come to knowledge whether in this life or the next. It's inescapable.

I wonder at the difference of innocence and ignorance. A child is both ignorant and innocent. Innocence leaves as I gain experience in life. Ignorance leaves as I gain knowledge. Thinking of examples I have theorized that innocence becomes joy when ignorance is gone. Innocence doesn't help when shrouded in ignorance of yourself or others. Here are some examples.

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During WWII, the Jews were ignorant of what was happening to them until they were in a camp. They were now wishing they hadn't been so ignorant and had prepared for this day. Their innocence doesn't bring much joy. For the soldiers who were killing these Jewish children, women, and men, they were ignorant as well. And those who were not, wished they were. Their ignorance was bliss only because their actions were evil. Their lack of innocence brought guilt when their ignorance was gone.

Ignorance runs rampant in my home. I recollect many instances where a child will begin to accuse others for eating their morsel or taking their thing or ruining something. They really have no truth in the matter except that their thing is gone or ruined. They pass judgement unawares of the pain they are dishing out,  revealing the pain they feel. Then, everyone who is accused, by the rights of being innocent, begin to dish out their new pains back at the accuser. They are both victims of ignorance.

Remember the lesson taught by Elder Uchtdorf about the man who went on a cruise and packed crackers and lemonade for the entire vacation? Wanting to save money, he didn't swim, play, or attend the tours. He saw them eating grand meals but kept to his cabin eating crackers and lemonade. It was on the last day he found out all these things were included in the price of his ticket. His ignorance, once a sacrifice to view the grand places he always wanted to view, became a sorrow for what he could have enjoyed. Joy that was lost in lack of knowledge. Joy that could have been had he known his privileges.

There are many other stories like this. That of the inn keepers who refused to house Mary who was about to give birth to the Son of God. The two men who walked with Christ not knowing it was Him. They were OK in their ignorance but as soon as they knew who He was, they were filled with joy. Mary, crying and pleading with the Gardner to help her find Jesus's body, suddenly full of joy at the loss of her ignorance in the knowledge of where Jesus was. Joseph Smith, ignorant that the true church was not upon the earth yet, pleaded with God, and was visited by God and ignorance was removed and replaced with joy. Each new trial for Joseph brought fear and despair and as the mysteries of God were revealed, a piece at a time, the fear, darkness, and despair were dispelled. It is a replica of my own experience. I have discovered ignorance in my life even in my most passionate beliefs and I have experienced my fears and doubt wisp away like a dark cloud dissolving into nothing allowing light to warm the land. 

Christ's own apostles were ignorant to the atonement and Christ's suffering and death. Christ's death brought them much sorrow until they were taught, learned more, and the mysteries of God became simple truths and testimonies for them. Suddenly they talk of things that don't make sense to many people. They speak in mysteries because we have not yet removed our ignorance. We need to learn more and know more. They share them because they are things that brought them much joy.

So, it must be that ignorance is only blissful when it works to hide pain and suffering caused by your actions. Ignorance is a curse for any other situation. The discovery of ignorance for the moral and honorable brings the wish he/she or others had not been ignorant for so long. Those suffering under ignorant leaders are trying hard to educate those leaders. I can see now why classes and segregation are so destructive to society. The people are ignorant of each other. 

Having sought after innocence my whole life, it is shocking to me that now I believe innocence is the catalyst for joy but joy won't exist until ignorance is gone and the laws and blessings of the innocence lived are revealed. It is the knowledge of law or truth that makes innocence worth anything. Makes me want to go and study Adam and Eve again.

But take God, in all His mysterious ways. How often we could get mad at Him for this and that. How often we could prove He doesn't exist. How often we can claim He doesn't care or love or even speak. 

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It just so happens that we have these records. Many records through many ages in many parts of the world. With random people. Some insanely powerful and others humble but all of them declaring that God loves us, knows us, suffered for us, and calls us His children, Sons and daughters unto God. In them are records of their witnesses of miracles and proofs that God lives and cares! 

Yet, proofs for them, not for me. These proofs were not enough for Laman and Lemuel, Judas Iscariot, William Law, or any other person who turned their back to such things. Why? Are the mysteries of God so difficult to understand? Are they truly mysterious so that we must consign ourselves to walk a path dictated to us by others who claim to know the path we must walk and say to ourselves, "I know this is a good man/woman to follow, God's ways are above my understanding and incomprehensible. It's beyond me or my talents and destiny to know God and His ways."? I'm saddened to find some walk this path and continue in darkness and ignorance. This is not faith, it is blind obedience, or, ignorant obedience.

If wickedness never was happiness, ignorance never was bliss.

So back to Mosiah. Here is a Father, King Benjamin, concerned for his sons to whom will face the temptation of wealth and power every day of their lives. Temptations to satisfy any desire their hearts can muster. And King Benjamin found a solution to this problem. The words of their fathers which reveals the mysteries of God. Giving knowledge of the commandments of God coupled with blessings that retain their peace and happiness. And he gives them the warning that ignorance will bring destruction and hardships.

I read Mosiah 1:2-7 as though I wrote it and was talking to my children. I replaced certain phrases with current things such as, words of our fathers with the Bible, and the words of Nephi with the Book of Mormon and the other records with the Doctrine and Covenants. As I read, it became clear that we would be no different than the ignorant angry people of our day (Lamanites) and would walk this earth just as angry and just as swallowed up in self satisfaction. It revealed to us that if we didn't have the Book of Mormon, our family and extended family would not have such strong family values, nor would I have probably gotten married, not had children as well as our fathers before us. That we would have pursued wealth and power to secure a future of luxury. 

It opened the eyes of a few of my children and hopefully, they will appreciate the scriptures a bit more for how they have sculpted the joy they hold now.

To anyone who believes that God does not speak to just anyone; that dreams, visions, and ministering of heavenly sent messengers is beyond their destiny or gifts, I say, break out of your ignorance and recognize today and forever the power of revelation and knowledge God has placed into your lap. Stop living below your privilege and use prayer, pondering, and the scriptures to find things to try and do. Get baptized and receive the Holy Ghost through the authority of the priesthood restored by Joseph Smith. The Holy Ghost will testify of God the Father and Jesus Christ and reveal all things to you that you may know and remember. One cannot receive the Holy Ghost and not receive revelation. God's plan of salvation is requisite that all ignorance be dissolved in truth that His children may walk in light and have joy.

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.328