42 And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves fools before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.
43 But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.
(2 Nephi 9:42-43)
Why will the Lord not open unto the “wise,” the “learned,” and the “rich?” Because they don’t even knock! It takes humility to ask for help, and they aren’t willing to do so because they think they already have everything they need. There is nothing inherent in wisdom, education, or wealth that renders us unworthy to receive eternal blessings. But all three have a tendency to harden our hearts and to crowd out the motivation to actively seek and willingly receive those eternal blessings. When we become attached to worldly advantages and begin to rely on them as though they had permanence, we fail to turn to the source of true happiness and safety.
Note also the contrast between the “wise” who are “puffed up” and the truly wise who are willing to receive “that happiness which is prepared for the saints.”
Today, I will consciously humble myself before the Lord and turn to Him as the source of true happiness, knowledge, and power.
It’s up to us to get knowledge, as little or abundant as we desire. But our Heavenly Father gives us wisdom, we just have to ask him for it. And he will give it liberally and won’t hold back. With knowledge and wisdom we gain understanding. When we understand, we are set free.
Thank you for sharing your insights. You might also be interested in this post:
https://bookofmormonstudynotes.blog/2020/12/17/wisdom-and-knowledge-moroni-109-10/
Have a great day!