"Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart." (Matthew 11:28)The root of the word "learn" is furrow, track, footprint, follow the track or to last, meaning to endure or to go on.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines "learn" as "to acquire
knowledge of a subject or skill in an art as a result of study,
experience or teaching." "Learn" also means to receive instruction, to
be acquainted with or informed of something, to find out or to discover.
"Learn," or "learning," is used a number of different ways in the
scriptures. For example, sometimes it is used simply to mean learning
some fact or becoming aware of something you didn't already know.
Sometimes the term is used with respect to learning wisdom. For
example, in the book of Proverbs, Solomon is urged "to know wisdom and
instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; to receive the
instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity ... a wise man
will hear and will increase learning" (Proverbs 1:2-5). We also read
from Proverbs that "the fear (reverence) of the Lord is the beginning
of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction" (Proverbs 1:7).
There is in the scriptures, however, a much deeper sense of the
word learn. Generally, this scriptural sense of learning means coming
to know the Savior and understanding the Atonement and our individual
obligations.
This type of learning has at least two components. First, there
is no learning without desire, effort, persistence and prayerful
consideration. Second, genuine learning requires meekness and
teachability. For we cannot learn if we think we already know. For
example, we discover that Lamoni's father "was greatly astonished at
the words which (Ammon) had spoken, and also at the words which had
been spoken by his son ... therefore he was desirous to learn them,"
and was willing to "give away all (his) sins to know (God)" (Alma
20:27; 22:18).
Of course, we are taught regularly that learning requires us to
ask, seek and knock. In other words, learning requires action and
effort on our part.
In Matthew 11, the Savior commands, "Come unto me, all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall
find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Taking upon us his yoke is uniquely related to the word "learn."
As noted, "learn," among other things, means to dig a furrow or to
follow a track. When we take his yoke upon us, it is as though we are
pulling a plow and digging a furrow. That is, we are learning by virtue
of being meek and pulling forward in the yoke just as oxen plow fields.