A.S.K. Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge Parts 1 & 2

To prepare for class tomorrow and Thursday, please read the following:
(Note: this is a 2 day lesson and it may take you two days to get through all of this information.  That's okay.  Take your time and enjoy it)
Elder Scott said: “To gain knowledge of great worth requires extraordinary personal effort. This is particularly true when our desire is to obtain spiritual knowledge” (“Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 87).
President Uchtdorf said: “When it comes to spiritual truth, how can we know that we are on the right path? One way is by asking the right questions—the kind that help us ponder our progress and evaluate how things are working for us. Questions like:
  • “‘Does my life have meaning?’
  • “‘Do I believe in God?’
  • “‘Do I believe that God knows and loves me?’
  • “‘Do I believe that God hears and answers my prayers?’
  • “‘Am I truly happy?’
  • “‘Are my efforts leading me to the highest spiritual goals and values in life?’

“Profound questions regarding the purpose of life have led many individuals and families throughout the world to search for truth. Often that search has led them to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to the restored gospel” (“It Works Wonderfully!” Ensign or Liahona,Nov. 2015, 20–21).
President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
President Boyd K. Packer
“Young people wonder ‘why?’—Why are we commanded to do some things, and why we are commanded not to do other things?” (“The Great Plan of Happiness” [address to Church Educational System religious educators, Aug. 10, 1993], si.lds.org).
Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles:
Elder Dallin H. Oaks
“Because of our knowledge of [the plan of salvation] and other truths that God has revealed, we start with different assumptions [or beliefs] than those who do not share our knowledge. As a result, we reach different conclusions on many important subjects that others judge only in terms of their opinions about mortal life. …
“… [We] will often be better off to respond by identifying the worldly premises or assumptions in the assertions [we] face [from others], and then by identifying the different assumptions or premises that guide the thinking of Latter-day Saints. This won’t elicit agreement from persons who don’t share our faith, but it can move the discussion away from arguing over conclusions to identifying the real source of disagreement” (“As He Thinketh in His Heart” [evening with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Feb. 8, 2013], broadcasts.lds.org).