17 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.
18 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. And now, my beloved brethren, I make an end of my sayings.
What is the relationship between knowledge and righteousness? Earlier in this chapter, Nephi quotes Isaiah’s explanation for the peace that will prevail during the millennium: “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (2 Nephi 30:15). In other words, knowledge leads to righteousness and peace. There are at least two reasons why increased access to information can lead to greater righteousness:
- Transparency creates accountability. In our Internet-enabled world, we are increasingly seeing a fulfillment of Nephi’s prophecy: nothing is secret any more. Things which might have remained private for many years in an earlier era are coming to light more quickly and being published more broadly than ever before. An awareness of this fact can motivate us to behave honorably in all facets of our lives as we recognize that we are increasingly living in the public domain.
- We make wiser decisions when we have greater understanding. Increased knowledge broadens our perspective and helps us put our decisions in their proper context.
Today, I will be grateful for the knowledge which the Lord is pouring down upon us. I will strive to live in harmony with the truths of the gospel, and I will approach even my seemingly private decisions as decisions which will eventually be “manifest in the light.”