4 min read
Knowing a Lot Does Not Always Mean Choosing Well
A person can have a good education, many years of experience, and a lot of knowledge—and still make a decision they later deeply regret.
We often assume that wisdom comes automatically with age or experience. But real life shows us something different. Knowing more does not always mean choosing better.
That is why the Bible asks:
“But where shall wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12)
The answer is not simply in having more knowledge or experience. True wisdom comes from God. The scriptures teach that having reverence and respect for God is the beginning of true wisdom. When we turn to Him, seek His guidance, and follow His teachings, He helps us know what is right and how to make wise choices.
Wisdom, then, is not found only in the world around us. It is found as we seek God and learn to live according to His truth.
The scriptures also warn that wisdom can be lost when people become so confident in their own understanding that they stop listening to truth and good counsel.
So, what is wisdom, and what can cause us to lose it?
Knowledge Can Grow While Wisdom Fades
Today, information is easier to find than ever before.
We can search for almost any answer in a few seconds. But having access to information does not automatically make someone wise.
Wisdom is seen in the choices we make.
A person may know that something is harmful and still choose it. Someone may understand the consequences of a decision and still ignore them.
This is why wisdom is different from knowledge.
Knowledge tells us what we know. Wisdom helps us know what to do with it.
When Can Wisdom Be Lost?
Wisdom can begin to weaken when we stop listening to truth and good counsel.
Jeremiah described people who had rejected the word of the Lord and asked:
“What wisdom is in them?” (Jeremiah 8:9)
This shows that wisdom is not something we gain once and keep forever.
When we repeatedly ignore truth, refuse correction, or become convinced that we always know best, our judgment can become clouded.
We may still have knowledge.
We may still be intelligent.
But we may no longer be using what we know wisely.
What Shapes Our Wisdom?
Our wisdom is shaped by what we choose to listen to and follow.
Every day, we hear different ideas about what will make us successful, happy, or fulfilled. Some guidance leads us in a good direction, while some can take us away from what matters most.
President Russell M. Nelson once shared the story of a man who became successful and wealthy but neglected his spiritual development. Eventually, he realized that his “ladder of success” had been leaning against the wrong wall.
The lesson is simple: we can work hard toward something and still discover that we were moving in the wrong direction.
Wisdom helps us stop and ask whether the path we are following is actually leading us where we want to go.
Being Educated Is Not the Problem
The scriptures do not teach us to stop learning.
The Book of Mormon gives an important balance:
“To be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.” (2 Nephi 9:29)
Education, experience, and knowledge can all be valuable.
But wisdom grows when we use what we know in harmony with God's truth.
The important question is not simply how much we know, but whether what we know is helping us choose what is right.
Where Can We Find True Wisdom?
The scriptures point us to God.
James taught:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” (James 1:5)
So where can we find true wisdom?
We can seek it from God.
We can study the scriptures, pray, listen to inspired counsel, learn from experience, and ask Heavenly Father for guidance.
Most importantly, we can look to Jesus Christ.
He taught us how to live, how to treat others, how to respond to temptation, and how to choose what is right. As we follow His example, our understanding can become clearer and our choices wiser.
We do not need to know everything.
We need to know where to turn when we do not.
Wisdom Can Be Recovered
Losing wisdom does not mean we can never become wise again.
People can change.
They can recognize a poor decision, accept correction, seek better counsel, and choose a different path.
The Lord taught:
“That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light.” (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24)
As we continue with God, we can receive more light and understanding.
Jesus Christ does not only teach us what wisdom looks like. Through repentance and His grace, He helps us change when we have made unwise choices.
What Are We Becoming Wise About?
Perhaps the most important question is not “How much do I know?”
It is:
“What is my knowledge helping me become?”
Wisdom affects the choices we make at home, at work, in relationships, and in our faith.
We may never know everything.
But we can learn to listen, seek guidance, recognize truth, and choose what is right.
That brings us back to the ancient question:
“But where shall wisdom be found?”
Wisdom is not found simply in knowing more.
It is found in learning what is right, choosing it, and allowing Jesus Christ to teach us how to live it.