D&C 88:118-119

118 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.

119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

This scripture reminds me of a talk given by Elder Uchtdorf in Oct 2009.  He spoke of his youth as a refugee escaping from East Germany.  They fled East Germany with nothing, starting over in West Germany.  His family struggled, but through hard work, frugality and education, they were able to provide for each other and eventually overcome poverty.  

Elder Uchtdorf said ”Work is an antidote for anxiety, an ointment for sorrow, and a doorway to possibility. Whatever our circumstances in life, my dear brethren, let us do the best we can and cultivate a reputation for excellence in all that we do.”

As a refugee, Elder Uchtdorf did not have the opportunity to attend school as much as he wanted.  He did not let that hold him back, as he worked to learn where he could until regular schooling was available.  He was eventually able to turn his hard work, drive for knowledge, education, and abilities into a very successful career, providing for his family and having the opportunity to serve in the church.

Several years ago my wife and I bought our first home.  It was an older home that required repairs and updating that we didn’t know how to do and we couldn’t afford to pay for it to be done.  We turned to friends, family members, the library, the people at the hardware store and our goto - Youtube.  We learned how to do the work ourselves and slowly made the updates and repairs.  There were times that our repairs made things worse, but we learned from our mistakes and became more confident in our abilities.  This brought great satisfaction and enjoyment as we completed projects and improved our home.  We are certainly not experts, but have learned, used and improved ours skills with each new project.

Elder Uchtdorf said this about our responsibility as Latter Day Saints “Brethren, you have a duty to learn as much as you can. Please encourage your families, your quorum members, everyone to learn and become better educated. If formal education is not available, do not allow that to prevent you from acquiring all the knowledge you can. Under such circumstances, the best books, in a sense, can become your ‘university’—a classroom that is always open and admits all who apply. Strive to increase your knowledge of all that is ‘virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy.’ Seek knowledge ‘by study and also by faith.’ Seek with a humble spirit and contrite heart.”

I believe this statement applies to everyone.  My son is currently studying Construction Management at BYU.  During his internship last summer he worked on building a house.  He learned the value of knowledgeable electricians, plumbers, and framers, who he worked with and learned from to complete the steps of building.  New techniques and new opportunities are available for those who strive to learn and be the best they can at their chosen vocation.  

This principle applies to many aspects of our lives.  From learning to be a better parent, cooking a new dish, learning drills to coach your child/sibling/niece’s soccer team, or taking dance classes to prepare for a future wedding, we should seek out learning.  No matter our age or life situation we can always learn a new skill, create a new habit, or improve at a task.  

The Lord will bless us as we seek out knowledge.  What ever knowledge was gain in this life we can take with us to the next.  We should work to gain all that we can.

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.