Source and Aim of True Education
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are partial and imperfect. And in our fallen state, with weakened pow-
ers and restricted vision, we are incapable of interpreting aright. We
need the fuller revelation of Himself that God has given in His written
word.
The Holy Scriptures are the perfect standard of truth, and as such
should be given the highest place in education. To obtain an education
worthy of the name, we must receive a knowledge of God, the Creator,
and of Christ, the Redeemer, as they are revealed in the sacred word.
Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with
a power akin to that of the Creator—individuality, power to think and
to do. The men in whom this power is developed are the men who
bear responsibilities, who are leaders in enterprise, and who influence
character. It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train
the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought.
Instead of confining their study to that which men have said or written,
let students be directed to the sources of truth, to the vast fields opened
for research in nature and revelation. Let them contemplate the great
facts of duty and destiny, and the mind will expand and strengthen.
[18]
Instead of educated weaklings, institutions of learning may send forth
men strong to think and to act, men who are masters and not slaves of
circumstances, men who possess breadth of mind, clearness of thought,
and the courage of their convictions.
Such an education provides more than mental discipline; it pro-
vides more than physical training. It strengthens the character, so that
truth and uprightness are not sacrificed to selfish desire or worldly am-
bition. It fortifies the mind against evil. Instead of some master passion
becoming a power to destroy, every motive and desire are brought into
conformity to the great principles of right. As the perfection of His
character is dwelt upon, the mind is renewed, and the soul is re-created
in the image of God.
What education can be higher than this? What can equal it in
value?