2 Nephi 30:15 - How does the "knowledge of the Lord" create peace and harmony on the earth?

The verses leading to 2 Nephi 30:15 illustrate a scene that would seem quite unusual for the world today: the wolf dwelling with the lamb; the leopard lying down with the kid, calf, and fatling, all led by a little child; the cow and the bear feeding together and their young ones lying down together; the lion eating straw like the ox; the baby playing on a hole of a snake, etc. This scene comes at a time of peace and righteousness on the earth, after the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This time will be called the Millennium.

2 Nephi 30:15 explains that "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." What is it about the knowledge of the Lord that will create this peace and harmony? The next few verses begin to answer this question.

"The things of all nations shall be made known; yea, all things shall be made known unto the children of men. There is nothing which is secret save it shall be revealed; there is no work of darkness save it shall be made manifest in the light; and there is nothing which is sealed upon the earth save it shall be loosed. Wherefore, all things which have been revealed unto the children of men shall at that day be revealed; and Satan shall have power over the hearts of the children of men no more, for a long time" (2 Nephi 30:16-18).

When I think of secrecy I think of mistrust, miscommunication, misunderstanding, and unsurety. Because all things will be made known in the Millennium, all these negative effects of secrecy will disappear.

I imagine being in a classroom learning new material and not understanding that material. My peers get together to study together, but they don't allow me to join. They are secretive about it, because they want to have an unfair advantage over the rest of the class. This would leave me feeling mistreated, lost, and frustrated. If I didn't understand the material I would not have the ability to do well in the class. However, with knowledge, I would be enabled to pass the class and continue to receive further knowledge. I would feel fulfilled and liberated.

It is a beautiful prophecy that in the times preceding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, "wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of [our] times, and strength of salvation" (Isaiah 33:6).


In October 2013 general conference, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf said, "When the entire truth is eventually known, things that didn’t make sense to us before will be resolved to our satisfaction." All of us have questions, some of which will never be answered until we pass on to the next life. But letting those questions cause doubts lead us to stop progressing and gaining more knowledge. President Uchtorf says to "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" (Dieter F. Uchtorf, "Come Join with Us").

It was necessary for Adam and Eve to exercise their faith in Jesus Christ after they chose to partake of the forbidden fruit. They were commanded not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were given a choice, and they chose to eat the fruit. With their choice came the ability for Satan to tempt and try God's children. Because of this, it was necessary for God to provide a Savior to redeem all mankind from the results of the Fall. Without gaining knowledge, Adam and Eve would never have had the opportunity to progress and become like God. They would never experience good and evil and understand the difference. They would never have the opportunity to exercise their agency. They would never experience true joy. (See 2 Nephi 2:22-23.)

The Bible Dictionary states that "knowledge of divine and spiritual things is absolutely essential for one's salvation. . . . The scriptures, and also living prophets, are given so that the people might have knowledge of things of God. . . . Knowledge is one of the endowments of the Holy Ghost and one of the gifts of the Spirit. . . . Since no one can be saved in ignorance of the gospel, and one progresses only as fast as he gains knowledge, it follows that the person who gains knowledge will have 'the advantage in the world to come' (D&C 130:18-19)."

Knowledge comes from the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of peace. The Spirit gives us knowledge "and power according to [our] faith and desires which are in God" (Alma 18:35). When we receive knowledge through the Spirit, we discover the mysteries of God and "all the riches of the full assurance of understanding" (see Colossians 2:2-3).

In Romans 15, Paul lays out the beauty of obtaining knowledge from the scriptures: "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. . . . Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another" (Romans 15:4, 13-14). With knowledge we can obtain hope, joy, and peace, because we understand what is good.


As stated in the scriptures, the knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth before the Second Coming of the Savior. "And this is according to the prophecy, that they shall again be brought to the true knowledge, which is the knowledge of their Redeemer, and their great and true shepherd, and be numbered among his sheep" (Helaman 15:13).

In the Book of Mormon, Mormon glorifies God as he illustrates his gratitude for the knowledge God has given to him and his people: "I am Mormon, and a pure descendant of Lehi. I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus Christ, that he brought our fathers out of the land of Jerusalem, (and no one knew it save it were himself and those whom he brought out of that land) and that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation of our souls. Surely he hath blessed the house of Jacob, and hath been merciful unto the seed of Joseph. And insomuch as the children of Lehi have kept his commandments he hath blessed them and prospered them according to his word. Yea, and surely shall he again bring a remnant of the seed of Joseph to the true knowledge of the Lord their God. And as surely as the Lord liveth, will he gather in from the four quarters of the earth all the remnant of the seed of Jacob, who are scattered abroad upon all the face of the earth. And as he hath covenanted with all the house of Jacob, even so shall the covenant wherewith he hath covenanted with the house of Jacob be fulfilled in his own due time, unto the restoring all the house of Jacob unto the knowledge of the covenant that he hath covenanted with them. And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen" (3 Nephi 5:20-26).

The "knowledge of the Lord" is far more valuable than any other knowledge we could attain. Let us continue to seek knowledge so that we can be brought into the fold of God, and receive the peace and joy that comes from knowing our Savior, Jesus Christ.

What is good and evil, and how can we tell the difference?

WHAT IS GOOD

The origin of the word “good” comes from the Middle High German/Indo-European gatern meaning “to unite, to join, to fit,” as well as the Sanskrit gadhya meaning “what one clings to.” Goodness is all about oneness, togetherness, and binding (see “Origin of the English word GOOD”, edenics.net/english-word-origins.aspx?word=GOOD).

The scriptures offer many ways to know that something is good.

1. We can know something is good by comparing it to a seed (see Alma 32:28). If it is a good seed, and you don’t “cast it out by your unbelief . . . it will begin to swell within your breasts,” it will “enlarge [your] soul,” it will “enlighten [your] understanding,” and it will “be delicious to [you].” If the seed grows it is good, but if it does not grow it is not good (Alma 32:32).
2. Whatever is light is good, because it is discernible (see Alma 32:35). 
3. “Goodness” can be described by the following terms as outlined in the thirteenth Article of Faith: “honest, true, chaste, benevolent, [or] virtuous. . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
4. That which is of God invites and entices us to do good continually. All that invites us to do good and to love and serve God is of God (see Moroni 7:13). 
5. The Spirit of God leads us to do good, meaning He leads us to do justly, to walk humbly, and to judge righteously. The Spirit will enlighten your mind and fill your soul with joy (see D&C 11:12). 

It is important to remember the true source of all goodness: God. He manifests truth and goodness through the Spirit, so it is up to everyone to recognize truth for themselves. We cannot rely on other people’s understanding; we must seek it out on our own so we can receive the Spirit of goodness.

WHAT IS EVIL

The origin of the word “evil” comes from the Indo-European base upo meaning “up from under” or wep meaning “bad, evil.” It stems from several branches like [A] VaH meaning “to sin, to do wrong”; [A]VeN meaning “wickedness”; NaBHaL meaning “a vile person”; (N)aFaL meaning “to fall”; and APHayLaH meaning “darkness” (see “Origin of English word EVIL,” edenics.net/english-word-origins.aspx?word=EVIL).

In the Book of Mormon, Nephi explains certain evils that we should avoid (referencing the Ten Commandments):

"The Lord hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whose doeth them shall perish.

"For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness" (2 Nephi 26:32-33).

HOW CAN WE KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

1. LIGHT OF CHRIST
The way to judge between good and evil is as plain as the daylight is from the dark night. All people are given the “Spirit of Christ” or the “light of Christ” to discern between good and evil. In the Book of Mormon, Moroni explains that all that invites to do good and to persuade to believe in Christ is of God, therefore it is good. All that persuades to do evil and not believe in Christ and serve God is of the devil (see Moroni 7:15-17). If we “search diligently in the light of Christ” and “lay hold upon every good thing” we will know good from evil (Moroni 7:19).

How is this done? How do we “lay hold upon every good thing”? Moroni goes on to explain that it is through faith. Before the coming of Christ, prophets declared His coming, and God manifested many good things unto the children of men, which “good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them” (Moroni 7:24). He explains that “by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ. And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name . . . And [Christ] spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you” (Moroni 7:25-26). Those who have faith in Christ will “cleave unto every good thing” (Moroni7:28).

The Bible Dictionary defines the light of Christ as follows: “The light of Christ is just what the words should imply: enlightenment, knowledge, and an uplifting, ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus Christ” (Bible Dictionary, “Light of Christ,” 725; see also D&C 84:46-47).

2. RECOGNIZING THE SPIRIT
We recognize good by recognizing the Spirit. The following list includes feelings, thoughts, and impressions that the Holy Ghost gives:

- Gives feelings of love, joy, peace, patience, meekness, gentleness, faith, and hope
- Gives ideas in the mind, feelings in the heart
- Occupies the mind and presses on the feelings
- Helps scriptures have a strong effect
- Gives good feelings to teach if something is true
- Enlightens the mind
- Replaces darkness with light
- Strengthens the desire to avoid evil and obey the commandments
- Teaches truth and brings it to remembrance
- Gives feelings of peace and comfort
- Guides to truth and shows things to come
- Reveals truth
- Guides and protects from deception
- Glorifies and bears record of God the Father and Jesus Christ
- Guides the words of humble teachers
- Recognizes and corrects sin
- Gives gifts of the Spirit
- Helps to perceive or discern the thoughts of others
- Tells what to pray for
- Tells what to do
- Helps the righteous speak with power and authority
- Testifies of the truth
- Sanctifies and brings remission of sins
- Carries truth to the heart of the listener
- Enhances skills and abilities
- Constrains (impels forward) or restrains (holds back)
- Edifies both teacher and students
- Gives comfort
(See Preach My Gospel, 96-97.)

President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, “That’s the test, when all is said and done. Does it persuade one to do good, to rise, to stand tall, to do the right thing, to be kind, to be generous? Then it is of the Spirit of God. . . . If it invites to do good, it is of God. If it inviteth to do evil, it is of the devil. . . . And if you are doing the right thing and if you are living the right way, you will know in your heart what the Spirit is saying to you. You recognize the promptings of the Spirit by the fruits of the Spirit—that which enlighteneth, that which buildeth up, that which is positive and affirmative and uplifting and leads us to better thoughts and better words and better deeds is of the Spirit of God” (Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, 260-61).

How do we recognize the Spirit? “The Spirit speaks quietly, through your feelings as well as your mind” (Preach My Gospel, 96). The voice of the Spirit is neither “loud” nor “harsh.” It is “not a voice of thunder, neither . . . voice of a great tumultuous noise.” It is a “still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper,” and it can “pierce to the very soul” and “cause [the heart] to burn” (3 Nephi 11:3; Helaman 5:30; D&C 85:6-7).

“The Spirit does not get our attention by shouting or shaking us with a heavy hand. Rather it whispers. It caresses so gently that if we are preoccupied we may not feel it at all. . . . Occasionally it will press just firmly enough for us to pay heed. But most of the time, if we do not heed the gentle feeling, the Spirit will withdraw and wait until we come seeking and listening and say in our manner and expression, like Samuel of ancient times, ‘Speak [Lord], for thy servant heareth’ (1 Sam. 3:10).” (“The Candle of theLord,” Ensign, Jan. 1983, 53).

3. SATAN’S DECEPTION
Many people believe good and evil are relative. But God’s goodness is real and unchangeable. Satan desensitizes people to all that is good because the sin becomes the “norm” of society. All that is good and moral becomes “intolerant” or “overly conservative” in the eyes of the world. And the line between good and evil becomes blurred.

There are times when something may seem good but in reality are evil. Satan often imitates the thing of God, but his imitation are of poorer quality or less value. These false spiritual gifts are real, and Satan uses them with the intent to “overthrow” us (see D&C 50:1-9). We can determine whether something is from God or Satan by the Spirit of Christ (see Moroni 7:15-17). Whatever does not edify us is not of God, and is darkness. Something that edifies makes us feel uplifted and makes us want to improve; it comes from God and makes us want to follow Christ and be better people. Things that are from Satan have a bad influence and try to lead us to disobey the commandments. “That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day“ (D&C 50:23-24).

If we are having difficulty knowing if something is from God, the first thing we should do is ask God, “who giveth liberally” (D&C46:7). We are told in modern revelation that “if you behold a spirit manifested that you cannot understand, and you receive not that spirit, ye shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus; and if he give not unto you that spirit, then you may know that it is not of God” (D&C 50:31). We can also talk to parents or trusted leaders.
(See “The Saints Are Taught to Recognize Good and Evil,” lds.org/manual/primary-5-doctrine-and-covenants-and-church-history/lesson-19-the-saints-are-taught-to-recognize-good-and-evil?lang=eng.)

To be sure we are not being deceived, we must earnestly seek the gifts of the Spirit for the intent to do good, not to “consume it upon our lusts” (see D&C 46:7-26).

AGENCY

1. ADAM AND EVE
One of the very first commandments Adam and Eve received was to not partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God gave them an option, allowing them to use their agency to choose whether or not they would obey this commandment. When they partook of the fruit, Satan told them they would become “as gods,” knowing good and evil (see Genisis 3:5). They would be able to know sorrow as well as joy. From this experience, we learn that to know good from evil is to have knowledge, to have our eyes opened (see Genesis 3:6).

If they had not partaken of the fruit, they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy or misery, doing no good or sin (see 2 Nephi 2:23).If they had not transgressed they would not have had children and would never have known good from evil. They would never understand the joy of redemption and eternal life which God gives unto the obedient (see Moses 5:11).

All of us are “conceived in sin,” which means as we grow up we naturally conceive sin in our hearts. This is that we might taste the bitter and know to prize the good (see Moses 6:55). God’s greatest gift to us is our agency, our freedom to choose good or evil. We are “redeemed from the fall” and are “free forever, knowing good from evil, to act for [ourselves] and not to be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:26). We are given all that we need to make a fair choice. We are “free to choose liberty and eternal life [through Christ], or . . . captivity and death [through the devil]” (2 Nephi 2:27).

We receive what we desire. “He that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience” (Alma 29:5).

God placed His children on the earth for a testing period. With our knowledge of good and evil, He gave us time to learn, grow, and repent. On earth we are cut off from God’s presence because of Adam and Eve’s transgression, but we still have access to God’s power to help us discern between right and wrong. There are certain consequences for each of our choices, and God extends mercy and justice accordingly.

2. CHOOSING GOOD OVER EVIL
When we choose the right, we are blessed; when we sin we are punished. This is according to the eternal, unchanging laws of the plan of happiness. “Now, repentance could not come unto men except there were a punishment, which also was eternal as the life of the soul should be, affixed opposite to the plan of happiness, which was as eternal also as the life of the soul. Now, how could a man repent except he should sin? How could he sin if there was no law? How could there be a law save there was a punishment?” (Alma42:16-17).

Sin brings remorse of conscience. In the Book of Mormon, Alma explains that if there was no law given, people could choose to do things like murder and feel no remorse. “Men would not be afraid to sin. . . . “But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment; if not so, the works of justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God” (Alma 42:20, 22).

There is an important principle that must be acknowledged when discussing good versus evil; that is the principle of agency. Every individual on earth has the ability to make choices, or to exercise agency. Elder Alvin A. Dyer spoke of this principle in his talk “The Nobility of Man in Choosing Goodover Evil." He said, “Without a knowledge of good and evil, the divine principle of agency would be ineffectual.” It is not possible to “indulge heavily in both evil and good things at the same time.” This goes back to the principle Christ taught that “no man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24).

One way to determine the difference between right and wrong is to observe the results of one’s actions. “Man is the sum result of what he thinks and does. Habit can become a monster to tarnish and destroy, yet proper behavioral traits can bring lasting joy and achievement. The effect that both good and bad habits have on our lives is all too real to be ignored. Bad habits that violate the commandments of physical health (D&C 89) and of moral behavior (D&C 121) . . . will threaten and destroy all opportunities for real happiness.” We can know good versus evil by the fruits of one’s actions.

Let us all learn to choose good over evil, to discern between right and wrong. “Choosing good over evil and right over wrong is the crowning achievement of life, and in so doing man becomes the masterpiece of the Creator and fulfills the basic purposes of his mortal probation. . . . The fusing of ritual and commandment with everyday living calls for the best that is in us, that by our agency we may feel the affected condition by choosing good rather than evil, thus not only glorifying ourselves but glorifying Him who has made all things possible.”