Ah-hah from the life of Newton

I posted this on my Vanguard Youth site, but really wanted it here for my personal record:


Quote from "Exploring Creation with Physical Science" pg 229:

"(Newton) developed a theory describing gravity; he did the famous prism experiment that showed white light is composed of many colors; and in order to help his scientific investigations, Newton developed a new kind of mathematics we now call "calculus."  Amazingly enough, these three accomplishments were completed in less than 18 months!"

I think it is so important for the youth to recognize that the preparation of a lifetime can prepare a person to affect the world in a few short months. (Look at how long it took Joseph Smith to translate the Book of Mormon, and whether a person believes it to be the word of God or not, no one can doubt it's impact on the world, both on the people who believe in it, and the massive force of charitable works that have flowed from people acting in the name of their beliefs on it.)

 I believe the key  to being prepared as Newton was is to continually prepare, seek truth, and be close to God.  Newton also studied the Bible extensively, and at the end of his days "spent more of his time studying the Book of Daniel than he did in charting the heavens...

"Isaac Newton believed that in studying science, he was actually learning about God.  In fact, it was his strong belief in God that made him study science.  After all, he reasoned, studying science was a way of learning about creation, and learning about creation was a way of learning about God."  (ibid p 230)

I love the last part, because it mirrors my belief in the study of math--that it is the study of truth and true patterns in the world around us;...that what we study on paper is merely a tool to help us understand the patterns that make the world work!