Science and Knowledge

On page xv of the Author’s Preface of “Earth: In the Beginning,” Eric Skousen makes the following statement :

The commandment to gain knowledge of all kinds from all sources is a serious affair. What has been discovered by scientific investigation should be part of our learning.

The commandment was not to gain knowledge but to gain wisdom. The command was not to gain all kinds of knowledge from all sources but to gain wisdom through the process of reading the “best books,” which, as we have seen, are books containing the word and counsel of God, for all others are foolishness before him. Those are the best sources.

However, to learn of man is good—if what he learns consists of real and absolute truth. However, if we trace the history of all the sciences, we find that scientific knowledge is ethereal—a windy gust of air, strong at first but gone at last.

What Are the ‘Best Books’?

This piece may be viewed as somewhat nitpicky, but then, maybe they all are. To be sure, I’m not in any way smarter than Eric Skousen. I am certainly far less formally educated than he is. And I in no way can beat his enthusiasm for the subject. But I am opinionated and many of my opinions differ from his. So, that said, here we go.

On page xv of the Author’s Preface of “Earth: In the Beginning,” Skousen makes the following statement :

“God has also commanded us to seek “out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study, and also by faith”(Doctrine and Covenants 88:118).

This is true enough, as far as it goes. However, what constitutes the “best books” is pretty well left up to the reader, at least from this bit of LDS scripture.

For instance, what one reader may think of as the “best books” may be to another reader pure bunk. One may think the best books consist entirely of the 66 books of the Bible. To another, they may be sexy Harlequin romance novels. There are certainly precedents for both.