Job 8:8-10

"For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)
Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?"
Job 8:8-10


This is the scripture that all the history majors love. :)  Genealogists, too. :)  Seriously though, even though I am neither... this is cool.  We are so arrogant sometimes in our lives, thinking that our parents and ancestors knew nothing of our lives, that they don't have any lessons to teach us... that human history isn't really relevant to our lives.  So, let's think about it for a minute... how different are we?  Sure, we have palm pilots instead of stone tablets... but so what?  Because we can communicate faster doesn't necessarily mean that we have learned to communicate *better.*  If you don't believe me, sit down with the story of Moses and the children of Israel, and write down all the similarities you see in society today... and in your own life.  There are many, I promise.  And Shakespeare and bunches of writers and poets from long ago... they still resonate with us, because they had something to say about the human condition.  We are *so* arrogant to think that we don't need our history... that we don't need the scriptures or the pioneers... or the stories.  They went through the test too... learned the same lessons.  Maybe in a different way... but they learned patience, and love, and priorities... and they learned to be good people, and to accomplish things in their lives... to change the world.  I'm not saying that there isn't a lot of history out there of people who didn't learn much, or who got stuck on one lesson and never learned it.  There are many of those as well... but can't we learn from those too... and not make the same mistakes?
We *are* but of yesterday... we *do* know nothing, unless we read it and learn from it.  And, as we read and think and study the past... those people will teach us.  That's why they talk about the Book of Mormon as a voice from the dust sometimes... it's our past, come back to tell us something.  Maybe we should listen.