I am grateful for the opportunity to work in BYU Religious Education and with the Religious Studies Center, whose mission is to “encourage, sponsor, and publish serious, faithful, gospel-related materials.”

Growing up my mother used to encourage me (strongly) to memorize quotes. While it wasn’t one of my favorite things to do, I’ve lived long enough to recognize the value of what she was doing. One of those quotes, by Leonardo da Vinci, is still entrenched in my memory: “Knowledge of a thing engenders love of it; the more perfect the knowledge, the more fervent the love.”[1] As I have made the transition from working as a physical therapist in Australia to studying the scriptures professionally, I have come not just to remember the words of da Vinci’s saying but to realize the truth of them. The more I study the scriptures the more my love for them grows, even though that study reminds me just how much I don’t know! I love that my study routinely takes me through doors of discovery, and each time I do I find myself confronted with the realization of just how many more doors that there are to explore!

I love being a part of Religious Education and the opportunity it provides me to help guide our students in perfecting their knowledge and deepening their love of the gospel. Likewise, I express my appreciation for our Religious Studies Center—to the men and women who bring their research and writing to the RSC, and the faculty, staff, and students who help bring their publications to fruition—for all that they do to open some of those doors of knowledge for all of us. My love of the scriptures and the gospel continues to grow and deepen because of their work.

Gaye Strathearn

Associate Dean, BYU Religious Education

Notes

[1] Leonardo da Vinci, “L’amore è tanto più fervente, quanto la cognizione è più certa.”