Because it has been requested on Facebook, by my wonderful Step-Mother Laina, I am please to post about The Glory of God is Intelligence.
This is a very deep subject of the gospel and I will endeavor to try explain it in such a way as those who read this may understand. It was John Taylor who said, "It is true intelligence for a man to take a subject which is mysterious and great in itself and to unfold and simplify it so that a child could understand it." (Journal of Discourses v 5 pg 260)
First of all, what is "intelligence"? Usually we think of how smart we are, whether book smarts from schooling, or "street smarts" or common sense from practical life experience. This is where, I feel, that worldly doctrine and confused intelligence with knowledge and wisdom. The clearest example that I know is with the saying, "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad." I would argue and these are just aspects of intelligence, but not really what it is, or what it means to be intelligent.
God defines "intelligence" in Doctrine and Covenants 93:29-30 "... Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. 30. All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also, otherwise there is no existence." Intelligence is the light of truth. Not only that, but intelligence is sentient, alive, conscious, "to act for itself". I believe it was Socrates who said "Cogito, Egro Sum", "I think, therefore I am". Intelligence is the ability to think, not just something in our brains, but literally life in the most basic of all its forms.
Some people may say, "Where is the proof of that?". Well I say, let is try and experiment. As will all truth, you can experiment upon it and get an answer, if you are open to receive it. It was explained to me like this... (WARNING don't try until you finish reading the instructions, because the first one is close your eyes, and it is hard to read with your eyes closed.) INSTRUCTIONS {Close you eyes, and find your little "I Am". Wiggle your toes, is that above or below "you". What about your chest, your breathing, is that above or below you? Now touch your chin. What about your ears, are the above, below, or to the sides? Continue for your nose, eyes, back and top of your head, even your forehead.}Your little "I Am" is inside of your head. Inside of your brain.
So, with my limited knowledge about human anatomy, I would like to point out that it is not a coincidence that your little "I Am" or intelligence is about where the main nerve group is in the brain. Sorry, I do not know what it is called, yet it is my theory that either that part of the brain, or the brain matter itself is what communicates with our spirit. Thus it would make sense to me that our "I Am" would be located right there. Also, if while doing the experiment, you ran you finger down you forehead, you would find that right between your eyes is in front of "you". This, I wonder, is why so many people think of the "third eye" though that is traditionally located in the middle of the forehead.
Here is something fun, not only is intelligence life, but it is visibly seen as light. Like to old sayings about the light going out in your eyes. Though, it is not just any light, like sunlight or from a light bulb, it is the light of truth. Truth, not lies, not falsehoods, but truth is literally alive.
I like the subtle theme from "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" that truth is strength. Which makes me wonder, if we are told to "feast upon the words of Christ" (2 Nephi 32:3) because the truth sets us free and is a kind of food for our spirits, what if that is more literal than we give it credit for. I mean God's light of truth fills the "immensity of space" and gives "life to all things" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:12-13), what if, like sunlight is ultimately what feeds our physical bodies through the food chain, if God's light, if intelligence, is what feeds our spiritual bodies.
Again, something else fun, the scriptures say that we can gain intelligence, by gaining truth. In Daniel 11:30 Daniel sees a vision of several kings and of one he said "...so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant." Basically, that king will try to convince those who did "forsake the holy covenant" and show them the error of their ways with truth. Then in the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith which can be found in the beginning of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith said "... Accordingly, as I had been commanded, I went at the end of each year, and at each time I found the same messenger there, and receive instruction and intelligence from him at each of our interviews..."
When we learn truth, I mean really learn, almost absorb it, then we gain and increase in intelligence. Doctrine and Covenants 88:40 "For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth; virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light;..." This is why some people love learning, and if you are taught truth, and taught it correctly, then it is good, you enjoy it. The very truth itself "cleaveth" or holds to, leans upon more truth, building like a snowball rolling down a hill, which sadly, living in Arizona, I have not actually seen.
Then God gives us a kind of promise in Doctrine and Covenants 130:18 "Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection." As we learn truth, whether knowledge or wisdom, that remains with us in the next life. Literally growing our life.
So if this is what "intelligence" is, where did it come from? Doctrine and Covenants 93:29 explains it quite well. "29. Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." Yes I know I have used this scripture already, but it is a good one. Light of truth, or intelligence, cannot be created or made. You cannot create a false truth, nor can you create that intelligence that is life.
Now some may argue, but we create life all of the time, through procreation. That is not entirely true. To explain this, I will now talk about what intelligence does. We know that it acts, but what does it do?
Abraham 3:21-23 "21. I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou has seen. 22. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; 23. And God saw these souls they they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou was born."
I would like to point out some key words here, especially in verse 23. "Souls" in Doctrine and Covenants 88:15 "And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.". Abraham was shown the pre-mortal life, before we received bodies, and yet God "saw these souls". He saw their potential and what they were meant to be and become, "for [H]e stood among those that were spirits". Now what are "spirits"?
Doctrine and Covenants 131:7-8 "7. There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes; 8. We cannot see it; but when our bodies are purified we shall see that it is all matter." So, essentially, our spirits are bodies for our intelligence.
Here comes that deep doctrine I was talking about. In Journal of Discourses volume 7 page 2-3 Brigham Young, the second Prophet of this dispensation, said "If people understood true philosophy—eternal philosophy, they would understand that there is an eternity of matter. Astronomers estimate that there is between us and the nearest fixed star matter enough from which to organize millions of earths like this. There is an eternity of matter, and it is all acted upon and filled with a portion of divinity. Matter is to exist; it cannot be annihilated. Eternity is without bounds, and is filled with matter; and there is no such place as empty space. And matter is capacitated to receive intelligence. If we could so understand true philosophy as to understand our own creation, and what it is for - what design and intent the Supreme Ruler had in organizing matter and bringing it forth in the capacity that I behold you here today, we could comprehend that matter cannot be destroyed-that it is subject to organization and disorganization; and could understand that matter can be organized and brought forth into intelligence, and to possess more intelligence, and to continue to increase in that intelligence; and could learn those principles that organized matter into animals, vegetables, and into intelligent beings; and could discern the Divinity acting, operating, and diffusing principles into matter to produce intelligent beings, and to exalt them-to what? Happiness. will nothing short of that fully satisfy the spirits implanted within us? No.
You can daily observe the operations of the spirits of men in the streets of this city. There you can now see the world exhibited as it is. You can see people hurrying from the east to the west, from the west to the east, from the north to the south, and from the south to the north. Have they any object in view? Ask the traveler whether he has; ask the bystander whether there is an object in his mind. Whether I stand or walk, whether I labor or rest, lie down or rise up, in all my acts in life there is an object. I have something in view, you have something in view, and so has the whole human family, as also all intelligence of every grade."
So, firstly matter is "capacitated" or has the capacity or ability to receive or store intelligence, and the deepest, most motivating aspect of these intelligences is the need to be happy. That is what all life seeks, to be happy. Now, from what we have learned thus far, spirit is matter, and that matter can hold intelligence, but the physical elements are also matter, and also have spirit matter with them. That is why (see Creation post) God formed all things spiritually before they were physically there.
God has created, or organized all things, but why so many different ones. Firstly Abraham 3:19 "And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all."Therefore some intelligences are more intelligent than others, and God knew which ones were most like Him, thus created them in His image, and others He placed in different lesser orders, stages, or spheres.
2 Nephi 2:14 "And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon." This is what we might call God science. God speaks to the spirit, to the intelligence of the the elements, those things which are made to be acted upon, and because He is God, their creator, their liberator, and so they listen and obey. For it is taught in the temple that when the earth was being created physically, it was waited upon to see if it would obey.
Also, 2 Esdras 6:41 of the Old Testament Apocrypha "41.Upon the second day thou madest the spirit of the firmament, and commandedst it to part asunder, and to make a division betwixt the waters, that the one part might go up, and the other remain beneath."
Even so, that is how miracles are performed, whether Moses calling forth the plagues upon Egypt, or Jesus healing all manner of sicknesses, walking on water, or turning water into wine. Even when healings and other miracles are performed today, it is by God's power, or His authority, his Priesthood that such things are done. By His say so, and that is because of His honor. In Doctrine and Covenants 29:36 we read that the main reason why Lucifer fell was because he wanted God's power, or in other words, he wanted the honor and glory for himself, for performing the atonement.
So, God's power, is His honor, but why is honor power? Because God always keeps His promises, and He has promised that as long as we obey Him, we will be saved, or in other words, resurrected with a perfect body, and that our bodies, spirits, and intelligences will no longer be subject to separation. This is not only true for us, His children, but also for the animals, for the trees, even the earth itself. 10th article of faith, "...that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisical glory." Even in Doctrine and Covenants 88:19-20, 130:9 it says that the earth will be crowned with glory, and become immortal.
Doctrine and Covenants 93;33 "For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected, receive a fullness of joy;" This is why the earth and all of the animals obey God, because He has promised a "fullness of joy", and He keeps His promises. This is why God has said, "...this is my work and my glory - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."(Moses 1:39) because God's glory, God's power, God's honor, all comes from our happiness, and we can only be truly happy if we receive eternal life!
I hope that you learned from and understood this post about why the Glory of God is Intelligence.(Doctrine and Covenants 93:36) If you have any questions or comments, please post them. I really want to know what you think, and if I was able to explain this doctrine accurately. For personal research, I was introduced to this doctrine by listening to a talk by W. Cleon Skousen "Meaning of the Atonement". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHan3Y8BxGs
Love,
Jacobugoth
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