“My Son, If Thou Wilt Receive My Words, . . . and Apply Thine Heart to Understanding; . . . Then Shalt Thou Understand the Fear of the Lord, and Find the Knowledge of God”
Proverbs 2:1–9
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
Dr. Ellis T. Rasmussen wrote:
“Father-to-son advice in these verses provides a preventive for loss of the Lord’s help (cf. Prov. 1:24–33).”
(A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 472.)
