Chapter 9—The Importance of Education
The true object of education should be carefully considered. God
has intrusted to each one capacities and powers, that they may be
returned to Him enlarged and improved. All His gifts are granted to us
to be used to the utmost. He requires every one of us to cultivate our
powers, and attain the highest possible capacity for usefulness, that we
may do noble work for God, and bless humanity. Every talent that we
possess, whether of mental capacity, money, or influence, is of God, so
that we may say with David, “All things come of Thee, and of Thine
own have we given Thee.”
Dear youth, what is the aim and purpose of your life? Are you
ambitious for education that you may have a name and position in the
world? Have you thoughts that you dare not express, that you may one
day stand upon the summit of intellectual greatness; that you may sit
in deliberative and legislative councils, and help to enact laws for the
nation? There is nothing wrong in these aspirations. You may every
one of you make your mark. You should be content with no mean
attainments. Aim high, and spare no pains to reach the standard.
The fear of the Lord lies at the foundation of all true greatness.
Integrity, unswerving integrity, is the principle that you need to carry
with you into all the relations of life. Take your religion into your
school-life, into your boarding-house, into all your pursuits. The im-
portant question with you now is, how to so choose and perfect your
studies that you will maintain the solidity and purity of an untarnished
Christian character, holding all temporal claims and interests in sub-
jection to the higher claims of the gospel of Christ. You want now to
build as you will be able to furnish, to so relate yourself to society and
to life that you may answer the purpose of God in your creation. As
disciples of Christ, you are not debarred from engaging in temporal
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pursuits; but you should carry your religion with you. Whatever the
business you may qualify yourself to engage in, never entertain the
idea that you cannot make a success of it without sacrificing principle.
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