Talk part 2 - lost knowledge

This was the first paragraph from Elder Oaks' talk that I quoted:

"Last year searchers discovered a Roman fort and city in the Sinai close to the Suez Canal. Though once a major city, its location had been covered by desert sands and its existence had been forgotten for hundreds of years (see “Remains of Roman Fortress Emerge from Sinai Desert,” Deseret News, 6 Oct. 1994, p. A20). Discoveries like this contradict the common assumption that knowledge increases with the passage of time. In fact, on some matters the general knowledge of mankind regresses as some important truths are distorted or ignored and eventually forgotten. For example, the American Indians were in many respects more successful at living in harmony with nature than our modern society. Similarly, modern artists and craftsmen have been unable to recapture some of the superior techniques and materials of the past, like the varnish on a Stradivarius violin."

He could not have picked two examples that I loved more.

My Italian heritage loves the reference to Stradivarius. Though we are not from Cremona (Vicenza is more East), that has been the center of the world for violin-making, and it revolved around four families.

Guarneri and Bergonzi are less know now if you are not specifically interested in stringed instruments, and Amati may be more known for frequent use in crossword puzzles, but Stradivarius is familiar even if you are not musically inclined. Stradivarius instruments are known for their musical qualities and appearance.

The four families weren't necessarily rivals. They collaborated and apprenticed under each other. Antonio Stradivari himself apprenticed under Nicola Amati, but it seems that he did more experimenting with different designs and variations early on. As he matured his instruments became more similar to his mentor's, but he probably did all of that with a better understanding of the different components because of his early experimentation.

He probably figured out something unique that became a trade secret, and we cannot figure it out now. Modern technology can analyze the various components, and there are some interesting theories, but we don't know. That knowledge was lost because it was kept secret.

In contrast, the knowledge of the American Indians was thrown away. I loved this example because I am obsessed with permaculture now. I can tell you that when the colonizers founded Jamestown they found Powhatan's people living a pretty good life - one in which they could feed themselves and be generous with the English - but they did not recognize that it came from working in harmony with nature. So the English tore up the ecosystems that were providing the abundant food in order to use the agricultural methods that they were familiar with, putting a great deal of back-breaking labor into creating hardship for everyone.

That was arrogance. How could these "savages" know a better way of life? The lack of traditional farming could only be interpreted as them being lazy. That was knowledge thrown away, and we are still struggling to find our way back.

Again from Elder Oaks:

"We would be wiser if we could restore the knowledge of some important things that have been distorted, ignored, or forgotten. This also applies to religious knowledge. It explains the need for the gospel restoration we proclaim."

And we will focus on some of that reclaimed knowledge next time.