The necessity of opening our eyes in life to the truth and beauty around us is enhanced in many ways. As you read in the last chapter, the Humanities help do this. One major way a serious study of the Humanities helps us is in further cultivating the power of discernment. Discernment is the ability to judge well or the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure. Not understanding what is around us is true, beautiful, and good makes this a difficult task. There is also an important spiritual aspect of discernment. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are blessed with the guidance of the Holy Ghost. Spiritual discernment helps us to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit. For example, it helps us perceive the true character of people. If we are able to discern through reason and spiritual enlightenment, we will be able to navigate this earthly existence in a much more developed and appropriate way. The ancient Greeks were aware of this.

Greek Philosophy 

Greek philosophy began in the 6th century, but now the general public does not know any of the names of philosophers who came before Socrates, who died in 399 BC. Unfortunately for us, we do not have any words directly from Socrates because he didn’t write anything down. However, his most famous student, Plato, learned from Socrates and developed ideas from his teacher. In Plato’s book entitled The Republic, Plato uses an allegory to explain a number of things that have been greatly expanded over the centuries. Its original intent was to show that our (humankind’s) ultimate goal should be ever striving toward The Good, or all that which is really true and real, which is represented by the sun. We are all blinded to this by the world around us. 

The Allegory of the Cave

Making Connections with the Cave

Joseph Smith is easily seen within the allegory of the cave. In this analysis, Joseph was sitting in the cave looking at the shadows on the wall and recognizing something was off. Due to the great religious contention in the area that Joseph Smith grew up in, he stated, “During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties … In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong … In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them is right, which is it, and how shall I know it?” (JSH 1:8–10) It is at this point that Joseph Smith read James 1:5: “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God …” Joseph was able to notice that the shadows on the wall were not true reality. Something was wrong. It didn’t make sense to him. Joseph was able to stand up, breaking his shackles, to see a new and better way. Missionaries go out and try to help people do the same. For any of you who have served missions, you will recognize it is not easy to even help people recognize that they are missing something in their lives. 

As imperfect humans, we can all improve, become someone better, and find a more enlightened way to live our lives. But do we spend the time or even the inclination to do so? Do we try to discern not only the world around us but what is within us? The time period that we live in has become an age of distractions where we lose precious time on things that may not really matter. We are not suggesting that there is not a place for social media or video games. However, in 2023, the average Internet user spent 150 minutes a day (almost 2 1/2 hours) on social media (techjury). This statistic does not include video games, TV, movies, and so on. Think about your time usage. How often have you decided to watch five minutes of videos that turned into one or even five hours?

The Story of Marilyn

Elder and Sister Hafen. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of BYU-Idaho Special Collections & Archives.

Marie Hafen, wife of former President of Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) and later member of the First Quorum of the Seventy Bruce Hafen, tells this story:

A friend I will call Marilyn is enjoying a far richer life today than would have been the case if the world of books and beauty had not opened her eyes and her mind. Marilyn grew up in a small town where the most important things in her friends’ lives were being popular and being seen with handsome, athletic guys. She dated a young man who was a natural leader, but at the time he had no serious aspirations for his life. Then Marilyn went with her family to pick up her brother at the end of his mission.

For the first time in her life, Marilyn opened her eyes to the size and wonder and richness of the world: She visited great art galleries and historic cathedrals; she saw the remnants of aristocracy and the grimness of urban poverty; she sang hymns in a foreign tongue; she saw mountains and oceans she never knew existed.

When she returned, her hometown was not the same. Looking at everything with new eyes, she realized that she was far from ready to make serious commitments to her immature boyfriend. From that time on, her thirst for learning took her far beyond the days when the city limits of her hometown had been the limits of her aspirations.

Now Marilyn’s continuing curiosity and broad vision of life enhance her well-developed religious faith. Her life is more full, her service to others is more meaningful, and her children share her insights—all because she reached beyond the boundaries of a teenage mind to touch the broader boundaries of an educated mind. (Hafen, 2023)

This Humanities course is designed to start you on the same path as Marilyn—to move you beyond your present boundaries and open your mind, heart, and spirit to the world of artistic creation.