In the Vedas somewhere (unless it's in the Bible - someone here will know!) it is said that fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.
My brain barely works any more, unfortunately.
Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 9:10, Proverbs 1:7 all contain this saying. The idea is that if we fear the Lord, which is not really a terror fear but more of a reverence and respect, we will do His commandments and learn to know the Truth.