New Year's Day is not generally regarded as a religious holiday, but for Latter-day Saints it might well carry a spiritual significance, given our focus on renewal, improvement, reform and the ultimate attainment of excellence, glory and perfection.

The beginning of the calendar year can be richly symbolic. It comes just after the celebration of the entrance of the Christ, the Light of the world, into mortality. It occurs less than two weeks after the winter solstice when, in the northern hemisphere, the waning daylight period has come to its shortest duration and now begins gradually to lengthen out, eventually to culminate in the summer solstice, June 21, when light and warmth are at their peak.

In that spirit, this annual year-end edition of the Church News focuses on the theme of improvement, growth and perfection, as reflected in Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, "Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God."

As we contemplate this passage, it is instructive to remember its historical and doctrinal context.

It was about this time of year that the Prophet Joseph Smith received the revelation now contained in Section 88. He called it "the Olive Leaf which we have plucked from the tree of Paradise, the Lord's message of peace to us" (History of the Church, 1:316).

This is, of course, a metaphoric allusion to the doctrines of peace contained within the revelation, including the promise of resurrection, redemption and eternal life; the laws pertaining to the three degrees of glory; and the momentous events of the last days in preparation for the return of Jesus Christ to the earth in glory.

In the latter part of Section 88, Christ instructs Joseph Smith and his brethren with regard to the school of the prophets, organized to perfect them in their ministry. In Section 93, He further instructs them to "obtain a knowledge of history, and of countries, and of kingdoms, of laws of God and man, and all this for the salvation of Zion" (Doctrine and Covenants 93:53).

That these passages have broad application to all of God's covenant people in the latter days is reflected in commentary by President John Taylor, third president of the Church, who, as an apostle in the Nauvoo period, understood as well as anyone the doctrinal truths taught by Joseph Smith.

"We should be acquainted with all things, should obtain intelligence both by faith and by study," he said in Salt Lake City in 1852. "We are instructed to gather it out of the best books, and become acquainted with governments, nations and laws."

In an 1878 sermon, President Taylor said, "God expects Zion to become the praise and glory of the whole earth so that kings, hearing of her fame, will come and gaze upon her glory. He wants us to observe His laws and fear Him, and standing as messengers to go forth to the nations; clothed upon with the power of the priesthood which has been conferred upon us; seeking 'first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,' [Matthew 6:33] seeking first the welfare and happiness of our fellow-men. …

"This being the case, we ought to foster education and intelligence of every kind; cultivate literary tastes, and men of literary and scientific talent should improve that talent, and all should magnify the gifts which God has given unto them. Educate your children, and seek for those to teach them who have faith in God and in his promises, as well as intelligence. … If there is anything good and praiseworthy in morals, religions, science, or anything calculated to exalt and ennoble man, we are after it. But with all our getting, we want to get understanding [see Proverbs 4:7]; and that understanding which flows from God" (Teachings of Presidents Of The Church: John Taylor, p. 87).

This, of course, is consistent with the word of the Lord in all ages.

"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge," is the admonition in Proverbs 23:12.

As we do so, wisdom builds upon wisdom.

"Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man and he will increase in learning" (Proverbs 9:9).

Every member of the human family is born into mortality with a degree of wisdom through the Light of Christ which, as we learn in Section 88, "is the same light that quickeneth your understandings; Which light proceedeth forth from the presence of God to fill the immensity of space — The light which is in all things, which giveth life to all things, which is the law by which all things are governed" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:11-13).

It was this light that kindled within young Joseph Smith's heart a desire to seek wisdom. Starkly aware of his own lack of wisdom, he exercised the wisdom he did have that would eventually garner a greater endowment of wisdom from his Heavenly Father. He sought learning by reading the holy scriptures. Encountering the passage James 1:5, he then exercised the God-given attribute of faith that the Father would liberally grant his righteous desire and not upbraid him. Further following the counsel in James, he sought the Lord in prayer.

We thus see Joseph conforming to the pattern in Proverbs 9:9. Being wise, he approached God and thereby gained greater wisdom.

The Prophet followed this pattern throughout his life and taught others to do so.

"Be virtuous and pure," he said. "Be men of integrity and truth; keep the commandments of God; and then you will be able more perfectly to understand the difference between right and wrong — between the things of God and the things of men; and your path will be like that of the just, which shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day [see Proverbs 4:18]" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, Chapter 13).

Such progression to perfection is alluded to in the passage cited above, Doctrine and Covenants 88:119. It speaks of a house of prayer, fasting, faith, learning and glory. It is as though all of those attributes are incorporated in the last one listed, a house of God. The temple is often called the house of the Lord, and it symbolizes for us the attainment of all godly attributes in their perfection, thus ensuring that we, through the Atonement of Christ, are prepared to enter into the presence of the Father.

May that be our aim as we begin this new year.