It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.
The glory of God is intelligence. It is to be obtained line upon line and precept upon precept. And, as Elder Causse points out, even a child can understand the initial principles of the gospel that deepen and intensify eternally until our knowledge is perfect in that thing. I love that he reminded us that all the saving principles, doctrines, and commandments are taught even before baptism. Even those who are not yet ready to make covenants can know all.
Even a child can figure out that God, Christ, and the Spirit are three different people.
His example of the baptism of Christ as seen through the eyes of a child is so beautiful. A child will visualize exactly what they hear. The exercise of listening to the story as if I were a child made it obvious in the black and white way that kids process things. How did adults make such a mess of a simple truth?
"Men raise 5000 roses in the same garden and they do not find in it what they are looking for."
That's so true on so many levels. This is such a cute quote designed to teach that the care and diligence we invest in something makes it special. Our sacrifice dedicated the object whatever it may me. It reminds me of Kung Fu Panda and how there's no secret ingredient. To make something special we only have to believe that it's special. It also reminds me of the Gettysburg Address "we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract." Abraham Lincoln was a master. The point is that sacrifice is proportionate to value. Thomas Paine said: "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives everything its value." We'll finish this section with another quote from the Little Prince: "But the eyes are blind. One must look with the heart."
"In serving God and our neighbors, we witness of Christ and allow those around us to get to know Him better."
This brings to mind my favorite quote that is apparently by Marianne Williamson and it says: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
I think this is one of the most powerful and influential quotes I've ever read. I was just thinking about why we let fear govern our actions. I feel our society suffers from a severe lack of hope. We don't truly believe we can be a force for good. We don't truly believe we can change. That's why we're comfortable with darkness and we stay there. It's comfortable and effortless. But shining is a different matter. You make yourself vulnerable in a way when you stop "playing small." But by the time you've reached that you don't care anymore and you're breathing the free air of a liberated soul.
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