When Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, they had no expectation of seeing him again. They had sold him into slavery decades earlier and the possibility of him rising from servitude to a position of authority didn’t even occur to them.
So when they spoke with an Egyptian governor named Zaphnath-paaneah who was responsible for all of the storehouses of grain, it never occurred to them that he was their long-lost brother. “Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him” (Genesis 42:8).
They didn’t realize it, but this asymmetric recognition provided multiple opportunities for his brothers to prove themselves. Their confession of guilt brought him to tears (Genesis 42:21-25). Their integrity in returning money which did not belong to them demonstrated a new level of seriousness and responsibility (Genesis 43:19-23). And Judah’s offer to become a servant in the place of Benjamin elicited Joseph’s declaration: “I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt” (Genesis 44:18-34; Genesis 45:4).
Knowing is our quest, but not knowing can be powerful. During periods of uncertainty, we experience growth and build relationships in ways that we couldn’t if our knowledge were complete. Alma said, “If a man knoweth a thing he hath no cause to believe, for he knoweth it” (Alma 32:18). The lack of knowledge creates the optimal conditions for us to build and exercise faith.
In Alma’s allegory of the tree, faith eventually matures into knowledge, rendering faith “dormant” (Alma 32:34). Nevertheless, he emphasizes, you must not lay aside your faith (Alma 32:36). The faith we develop during periods of not knowing becomes a powerful resource we can draw upon in other circumstances and endeavors.
Today I will embrace temporary periods of not knowing. I will remember that the lack of knowledge creates conditions in which I can grow, strengthen relationships, and build faith.
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