Genetic Blog {One}

Okay, this is my first blog post for my Writing class. And I decided to post it here first before I have it get torn apart by the teacher. PLEASE tell me what to fix to make it better or if its confusing or anything. It's a grade! Thanks :)

One of the major components of our Heavenly Father’s plan for us on this earth is knowledge.

In Proverbs 8:10-12, it says “Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.”

We are taught in Doctrine and Covenants 130 that knowledge is that which rises with us in the resurrection, and in Doctrine and Covenants 88, the Lord encourages to gain knowledge “That ye may be prepared in all things when I shall send you again to magnify the calling whereunto I have called you, and the mission with which I have commissioned you,” (v. 80).

Just as it is vital to our eternal salvation to gain knowledge of the spiritual ideas of life, it is equally important to gain a secular knowledge of the workings of this Earth so that we, as a human population, may better our surroundings.

In Human Development 210 (SFL 210), we learned about the state of Romania orphanages through the 1990s. Because of the turmoil of the state and increased poverty, large numbers of children were abandoned. This led to overcrowded, understaffed facilities in a very short amount of time. Those that were deemed ‘normal’ around age three were sent away to specialize in a trade. The other children were labeled as irrecoverable and were separated from the outside world. These children were malnourished and neglected, simply from lack of knowledge.

Many of the children had developmental disabilities.  Many of the children who were severely neglected suffered from Reactive Detachment Disorder (inability to bond securely or otherwise, even with caregivers who have secure working models of attachment relationships), Nonorganic Failure to Thrive (A growth disorder usually present by 18 months of age that is caused by lack of affection and simulation), and Deprivation Dwarfism (A growth disorder observed between 2 and 15 years of age caused by severe emotional deprivation).

This institutional care is a concept almost incomprehensible; but, the serious state of these orphanages grew from a lack of knowledge. It was not until the last 20 years when research proved that developmental damages from lack of interaction in the early years of a child’s life are critical to their foundation of growth for life.

The same idea of knowledge being essential can be applied to nutritional problems in America. There are two types of scientific approaches: the traditional way which requires the use of the scientific method to come up with hypotheses and eventually and theories, and the modern idea that does away with the trial period and hopes to produce effective results as soon as possible. The problems with this second method are a lack of surety and an increase in skewed information. In Nutrition 100, the professor asked us what knowledge we wanted to gain from this class – the answers had a wide range, the reason being a lack of knowledge. Every student had gained their own perspective on what was healthy based on what they had been taught growing up. Often these ‘facts’ are drawn from bad information on the news or tradition, or even religious beliefs. If one does not take the time to seek out the real answer from research done by those educated in nutrition, the opportunities to be misinformed are endless.

Both of these instances showed me the importance of education. In a world that is constantly pulling you in a million directions, the only way to know the truth is if you seek after it yourself, whether that be in the Gospel, Nutrition, Human Development, or any other part of life, learning is imperative to success.