4 And he was learned, that he had a perfect knowledge of the language of the people; wherefore, he could use much flattery, and much power of speech, according to the power of the devil.
5 And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken.
As I’ve thought about these verses this week, one message has stood out: not all knowledge is of equal value. Sherem was an educated man and a persuasive communicator. He was capable of winning arguments by using language more effectively than his opponents. When he approached Jacob to discuss the doctrine of Christ, he seems to have believed that his oratorical abilities would carry the day over Jacob’s simple testimony.
But as Jacob points out, he had received many revelations, including seeing angels. His testimony of the gospel was solid and couldn’t be damaged by clever arguments.
On an earlier occasion, Jacob had decried those who, because of their education, assumed that they were wise (2 Nephi 9:28). An important component of an education is rhetoric: learning how to make a convincing argument. A hazard of mastering this skill is that you may convince yourself that you know more than you actually do, and you may dismiss the knowledge of people who lack your communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively is not as important as a knowledge of the way things really are. The encounter between Sherem and Jacob demonstrates that principle. Truth will always prevail in the end, even though people may be deceived temporarily along the way. It is much better to be aligned with truth than to be an effective public speaker.
Today, in my personal study and as I teach others, I will prioritize the most important truths. I will remember that not all learning is of equal value, and that an understanding of the most important truths will help me avoid being deceived.
But as Jacob points out, he had received many revelations, including seeing angels. His testimony of the gospel was solid and couldn’t be damaged by clever arguments.
On an earlier occasion, Jacob had decried those who, because of their education, assumed that they were wise (2 Nephi 9:28). An important component of an education is rhetoric: learning how to make a convincing argument. A hazard of mastering this skill is that you may convince yourself that you know more than you actually do, and you may dismiss the knowledge of people who lack your communication skills. The ability to communicate effectively is not as important as a knowledge of the way things really are. The encounter between Sherem and Jacob demonstrates that principle. Truth will always prevail in the end, even though people may be deceived temporarily along the way. It is much better to be aligned with truth than to be an effective public speaker.
Today, in my personal study and as I teach others, I will prioritize the most important truths. I will remember that not all learning is of equal value, and that an understanding of the most important truths will help me avoid being deceived.