I have had strangers come up to me at various times in my life and ask me about what I was doing. If asked, why they wanted to know, the answer was simply, “I was just curious.” I have often started saying or writing a word and thought, ‘that is an odd looking or sounding word’ and the look and sound of it didn’t seem to fit the meaning of it. That is not true with the word curious, the word cu·ri·ous seems to fit its meaning.
Based on some recent research, even fetus’ are curious. When they are introduced to a new sound near their mother’s stomach, the babies heart rate increased. After the same sound was duplicated enough times, the fetus realized that it was not a threat; then, when the sound came later, the babies heart rate remained normal. Yes, a fetus can and does learn, and there are many studies that bear that out. There is no question that children from the moment they leave the womb are curious and seeking to understand their environment. “Curiosity,” said Claude Hopkins, “is among the strongest of human incentives.”
The learning process begins with curiosity and may be limited to simple things or things that effect a person in a personal way and they may never move on to weightier matters regarding life and its purpose. Clay P. Bedford made a true statement when he said,
“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.”
Isaiah Berlin, said, “Only barbarians are not curious about where they come from, how they came to be where they are, where they appear to be going, whether they wish to go there, and if so, why, and if not, why not.” How one becomes a barbarian is the question. He never defined a barbarian, but based on his definition, barbarians walk among us. There are many of us who go through life having never asked those weighty questions.
Albert Einstein, on the other hand said, “One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.” Apparently barbarians can help or keep from being in awe and are never energized to seek what Einstein marveled at. They never contemplate the mysteries; there is no ‘holy curiosity’ for them!
The wonderfully-invented civilization we live in was structured by curiosity. But the question is still hanging and begging an answer; what part does inspiration play? Inspiration from our God? Some might say inspiration preceded curiosity and others may say curiosity preceded inspiration. Many will say inspiration has no part in an event at all. Robertson Davies has said that “Although there may be nothing new under the sun, what is old is new to us and so rich and astonishing that we never tire of it. If we do tire of it, if we lose our curiosity, we have lost something of infinite value, because, to a high degree, it is curiosity that gives meaning and savour to life.” Alex Green talked about fascinating people and named and described a few he knew. They were all curious people, people who were interested in and excited, about everything.
I believe that Hagoth was such a man. Hagoth is described in the book of Alma, “And it came to pass that Hagoth, he being an exceedingly curious man, therefore he went forth and built him an exceedingly large ship, on the borders of the land Bountiful, by the land Desolation, and launched it forth into the west sea, by the narrow neck which led into the land northward.” (Alma 63:5). Such a man was Nephi and such a man was Joseph Smith, they were all exceedingly curious, men who were inspired of God, whose inspiration, I believe, grew out of their curiosity and unwill- ingness to accept everything that others taught to be true. They knew there had to be better answers and that there was only one place where the truth could be found. “Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened onto you.” Someone stated that “One cannot know his destination if he does not know where he is coming from. Nor can one know who he is without knowing his past.” To have a fulfilling life we must come to know our relationship with the Creator and thus who we really are.
There are a lot of curious things, for example, the work of ‘redeeming the dead’ is a curious work, little understood by the world at large. If those who are curious and in awe of the mysteries of God will but contemplate life, eternity and the value of the human being in God’s sight, they will come to realize that this curiosity can become a testimony very shortly. To know that God is ‘Just’ should be enough to spark one’s holy curiosity to research the purpose for the ‘Redeeming the Dead’ doctrine. Eugene S. Wilson has said, “Only the curious will learn and only the resolute overcome the obstacles to learning.” Resolute people will come to understand the significance of this work and this mystery of Godliness, and this mystery will, then, no longer be a mystery, but rather something that one knows, and they will declare their testimony of this work. May we always strive for a ‘holy curiosity’!