Ask, Seek, Knock

I have always love the scripture found in Matthew 7:7-8:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him than knocketh it shall be opened."

What this scripture tells me is that God WANTS us to be curious.  It's always bothered me when people say things like "Well, maybe we'll find out when we get to heaven."  Maybe we will, but we sure won't find out before then if we don't ask!  Yes, there are some things that really aren't important for us to know right now.  However, some knowledge can be ours if we will seek it out, and Heavenly Father has given us the resources we need in order to discover truth.

I'm really grateful for the opportunity that I have to study science here at BYU.  It's a unique environment, and it has helped me to understand that ultimately, truth is truth.  Spiritual truths and secular truths, while perceived differently, all come from the same source: God.  It seems to me that many people see science and religion as two opposing forces or philosophies that can never be reconciled.  I don't think that when God told us to ask, seek, and knock, He meant that we could only come to Him with religious or spiritual matters.  Didn't He say, "All things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal" (Doctrine & Covenants 29:34)?

As a scientist, I’ve often been asked how I reconcile my studies with my faith.  For me, this hasn’t really ever been an issue - science and religion play complementary roles in my life.  Studying the world around me increases my sense of wonder and helps me to be more grateful to my Heavenly Father, helping me to be a better disciple of Christ.  The doctrines that I learn by drawing closer to Him can be applied in my studies and make me a better scientist.  The things I’ve learned in science class have never shaken my faith.  They’ve taught me that while man has been wrong over and over and over, God has never been wrong.  We can trust Him.  And even though some things don’t make sense because we are missing some pieces, we can know that HE knows.  As we approach Him, asking, seeking, and knocking, our loving Heavenly Father will help us to make sense of the world we live in.  But those doors will never open for us if we never knock.