God's Plan
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~ E T E R N A L P E R S P E C T I V E S ~~ THE BEING & ESSENCE OF OUR ETERNAL INTELLIGENCE ~ |
Matter of Intelligence
"Intelligence is an eternal life form consisting of truth and light. It is the basis of the eternal existence of man. Exhalted Happiness is finding God & reconciling one's self, one's intelligence, unto Him, by conforming one's intelligence to the light and truths of God. Intelligence is more that IQ. It is a living life style of walking and being, and it is susceptible to the inputs of behavior and habbits and those matters of doing that which makes one's self what they are. Living the truths of godliness fulfills the greatest intents and degrees of accomplishment attainable by the human soul and it is the divine destiny of man." - drh
The first eternal perspective is that all are founded upon 'the being and essence of eternal intelligence.' As per the revealed truth a couple of scriptural refences will be given accompanied by a number of authoritative quotations. God has not revealed to man all that the 'eternal intelligence' is, but he has introduced the concept of it to man and has allowed us to view that which is our rudimentary 'beginning' if you will.
"Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth,
was not created or made, neither indeed can be."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:29
Taking this statement apart into a simple statement, it seems that 'man,' or that which is now man, was in the beginning of 'Intelligence.' What beyond this statement the 'elemental Intelligence' was or is, is not further explained other than it is want man was/is to begin with and we were with God. Spencer W. Kimball has explained further. "Our spirit matter was eternal and co-existent with God, but was organized into spirit bodies by our Heavenly Father." (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 5) Turning that sentence 'around' it would seem that the 'eternal, co-existent matter of/from which our spirit is made was 'intelligence,' which God our Father of Spirits did 'organize' into our spirit bodies. What all the exact process of so orgainizing the elemental matter of 'intelligence' into a spirit body entails is not further given. On the one hand we have been taught and come to refer to that God of Heaven, Elohim, as Our Father in Heaven, and that He is Our Heavenly Father, the Father of our spirits in the form of a spirit birth. We are further taught that in addition to Our Father in Heaven, we further also have a Mother in Heaven, that is our Heavenly Mother.
As the recent article just linked to has stated, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that all human beings, male and female, are beloved spirit children of heavenly parents, a Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother." This parenting of spirit children is an integral part of process of generating orgainized intelligent spirits from that matter which is the 'intelligence' from which the spirits of man comes from. And perhaps the 'mystery' of it is just that simple. Yet we seem to still be held from understanding exactly how the 'oranizing' of the 'intelligence' is primarily organized, which seems to imply a certain degree 'planned design' of some mental process that has so 'organized' the spirit 'matter' other than by mere happenstance.
This 'Intelligence matter' that is directly associated with 'light' and 'truth' seems to be from a beginning more and/or beyond a birthing process, though it does seem quite integrally involved. And this 'Intelligence' is so essencially a part of the organized spirit that these spirit children of God are furhter called by the name of 'intelligences' even in their organized spirit born form. President Marion G. Romney of the First Presidency has stated, "Through the birth process, self-existing intelligence was organized into individual spirit beings." (Ensign Nov. 1978:14) Abraham recorded the following which relates to this matter:
"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;
"And God saw these souls that 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
wast born."
~ Pearl of Great Price | Abraham 3:22-23
A long the lines of thought that Brice R. McConkie has written, 'The name intelligences is used as applied to the spirit children, their souls, of the Ethernal Father. The 'spirit element' of intelligence became intelligences after the spirits were born as individual entities.' This seems to imply that 'intelligence' exists in a continuum singularly prior to when it is born as individual spirit children entities. And this would also imply that such as 'truth' and 'light' so associated with God and 'Intelligence' in the first verse quoted, is of a continuum and/or eternally united matter as well. Certainly it is this 'truth' and 'light' to which man is guided to by God, and is that which man may 'increase' by. Here now is the 'other shoe' of that first verse quoted and a couple more scriptural references also mixed to it.
"Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was
not created or made, neither indeed can be.
"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."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:29-30
"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:36
"Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in
the resurrection.
"And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and
obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 130:18-19
"For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth;
virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth her
own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face of him
who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 88:40
Now, before we go further, lets take a bit of time and digest that which has been set out here before us. Intelligence is truth and light. Truth is independent as is all intelligence and the glory of God is intelligence. Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life will rise with us in the resurrection and if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life so much will he have the advantage in the world to come. For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence, wisdom to wisdom, truth to truth, light to light, ect. It all sounds as quite the deal. We are first born having our basis in intelligence. As we venture in life we may gain or add to this intelligence and as we do the greater advantage to us it is. In fact it is the very glory of God himself.
One might begin to conclude that all of this is very cerebral, and perhaps that plays an element in such as intelligence. But before we so readily grab as IQ, let us consider that this intelligence we have been speaking of deals more with truth and that light which deal with right and wrong than merely just that which deals with numbers and highly mental theories of human innovation. It deal with the practical and that which is of God and not that which is of man as natural man, who is an enemy to the glory of God, and God's truth and light. And not before we go much further, it is time to get back to that illustration table and set in the rest of what is the basis there of God's Plan.
The steps of progress set out by God's Plan begins, it would seem with man's spirit birth. And it is our spirit birth that establish just what it is that is our basic nature, the basic nature of man being founded upon intelligence which is truth and light having become an individual independent spirit child, male or female, or our Heavenly Parents. We've even set out to a degree that by which we may progess and addance in the further attainment of truth and light. And now it is time to reflect upon the step by step process in its simplistic general steps.
The steps, phases, estates or progression facets of God's plans are these. First this is that of our Spirit Birth. Then there follows our being born into mortality to earthly parents of this temporal world. This is all goes according to plan we then will experience our Mortal death. Many people have not further perspective than to consider that with mortal death that ends it. But that is not so. Becuase of Jesus Christ's accomplished mission, we will all live on and be resurrected. And that is where my table illustration ends as to its simplistic design. Each of these 'steps' will be spoken of next.
First, Spirit Birth: This has been covered to the extent of the birthing of the spirits of the children of God from the orgaization of Intelligence of truth and light into the spirit being born as a child of God. Once of the Heavenly Host of God's Spirit Children, what was there to be for us next? Were we to eternally live in heaven as spirit children? No. There is such a process of 'maturation' that concerns that matter of growing up. It is a natural matter of evolution that all children are to grow up and become like their parents or not, but we would not just remain as children. We were intelligent distinct individuals independent in our nature as the intelligences of our spirit birth. If we remained in heaven the overwhelming presences of our glorified Father would not be inducive of developing as individual responsible people.
As the plan was, since we would have to leave heaven and come to a place where our spirits could 'express' themselves in their 'new found' independence; we were to come to earth into a temporal temporary mortal state, to grow and maturate into what we in and of ourselves would become. Such a fall from Heaven's perfection would require a redeemer to redeem us from our fall into the natural world where mistakes of agency and of sin would occur. Thus Jehovah was chosen to be our ministering God of the temporal creation. What he would create, he would be empowered to redeem. We who consented to the plan left that first estate and entered into our second estate by the means provided by Adam and Eve.
Second, Mortal Temporal Birth: The story concerning Adam and Eve explains how we got here from our Heavenly home above. The why of our being here fields the terms 'earthly probation' or that concept of being 'tested' or going through a process of testing. A veil of forgetfullness was placed over our minds of intelligence, so as to insure us of our individaul development. Here we were masters of our own souls. We determined what we would become. It was a time of gaining experience, of living and yes even eventually dying. And that which we would prove ourselves to be would be next considered when we would all eventually 'return.' That is unless of course we would have failed our tests, and by our natures end up somewhereelse in that future to come after death.
Third, Mortal Temporal Death: Death is that portal to that which is yet to come. Since all living have never been there, we must believe what the scriptures tells us or innovated a fictional place or NOT of our own. Some have merely taken the easy route and denied their way into the concept that there is nothig next, which is not true and actually mocks the very nature of things as they really are. There is a phase of death of time and space and of being and of doing. The concept of laying resting in the grave is just not so. The first immediate destination is to come unto Christ for a preliminary assessment. To 'paradise' if good and nice as one with Christ, or to prison until you come to begin to 'see' the light. The light of intelligence rather than the darkness of deceit and dispear.
Fourth, Resurrection: Eventually we all come to that day of our resurrection, which is not the end of it all. In the spiplicity of this presentation it only gets us to the Day of the Lord, that being the great Millennial day of his 1,000 year reign. But as a matter of keeping it simple that is where this one will end, when it does get to tha point, but not yet. There are other related important matters that ought to be spoken of before proceeding with the realm of where it is that I will eventually return to in speaking of Intelligence. And just about when you think it is done, that when the 'matter of intelligence' will return to this discussion.
Important Things Concerning God's Plan
In our belief, we consider that God's Plan of Eternal Progress, also called variously The Plan of Salvation, The Gospel Plan, The Plan of Redemption, and The Plan of Happiness, etc.; is such which applies to all mankind. And not only that, we consider it such as God's Eternal Plan which applies to everyone. Perhaps that last stipulation may be made clearer by an often quoted 'couplet' of the prophet Lorenzo Snow. Now be forewarned, often in a short couplet things are quite simplified and can often be misinterpreted and thus be misunderstood.
"As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become." ~ Lorenzo Snow
Some have derided President and Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley for hedging upon this simplified couplet when asked in public if Mormons believe that God was once a man.* In answer President Hinckley's brief answer was, "I wouldn't say that." He then quoted the couplet and then said, "Now that's more of a couplet than anything else." In such a public limited interview there is not time or reason to explain what 'might' be the whole of the matter. What bends upon the question might and would be a flat, if a flat 'YES' answer were given, provide the ever meddling and muddling mis-quoter and false elaborator to have been allowed who consistantly takes out of context and interprets for their own means of criticism to have been given such an opportunity? One may readily elaborate upon the depravity of man, pointing to the worst of man and then state that Mormon's believe that God was once a man such as these. The concept that man 'MAY' become as God is, is not new. Many scriptures point to it as they state such as that we are the sons of God, as Jesus was once critizied for stating himself as being the Son of God. And does not Jesus teach for us to become perfect even as Our Father who is in heaven is perfect? Etc.
The non-Mormon, but well recognized Christian author C. S. Lewis has stated: "It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare." (C.S. Lewis, from The Weight of Glory) Lewis continues in that vain but the point is that man of this world is in testing and 'MAY' of his own determined course rise or fall to the best and godhood or to the worst and become even as the devil.
This was more likely what President Hinckley was hedging about. Jesus has said, 'If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.' Also he has stated such as, "I do what I have seen my Father do." The type of man which 'God once was' would most certainly be that type of man which Jesus was. And is not Jesus God? Of course we all have hope to become even as the Gods, to be like them. And even as Jesus has said, 'to become one with God even as he the Son of God and God the Father are one.' That is the course of the Eternal Plan of Salvation and the work of God. Of that high calaber of 'Man' certainly God once was and still is, for God is a man. He is not a woman. And for us who fade with little hope, we must remember that Jesus' life was not for nothing. Repentance goes a long way and beings man from the depths of the carnal nature to the hights and potential of becoming as God is.
Now that said, lets get to the matter at hand, that is the simplification
of God's Plan to our understanding. And that is just it. God's plan does
apply to all men who have come to live on this earth. We all have come from
that 'eternal intelligence' and as Joseph Smith has pointed out, are therefore
'potentially' 'co-eternal' with God. Now don't go reading things into that
which I am not saying! I am simplifying here. The intelligence and even the
spirit of man is immortal having been join as organized by the Father as a
part and parcel 'whole' as a soul of intelligence. From our eternal state of
Intelligence we all have been spirit born of God the Father, our Heavenly Father
Who Is in Heaven. Jesus himself as Jehovah being the firstborn of the Father in
the spirit (Colossians 1:15). Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea had stated that concept
in his original inaugural Nicene formula upon which they say the Nicene Creed was
based upon. 'They' took that out. They took the fact that Jesus Christ was
not only the spirit son of God the Father, but that he was the 'firstborn'
of God the Father in the preexistence before the world was. He certainly was
not the 'firstborn' man in the flesh. But they could not continue to assert
that the Father and Son were the same being if the Father had begat the Son
first in the preexistence. So they took that out of their 'inovated creed'.
And you wonder why 'Mormons' do not want to adhere to a creed which robs God the Father of his Fatherhood of all the spirits of men including even that of his 'Firstborn' Son Jehovah, who is the same as Jesus Christ?
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. God's plan is the Eternal Plan for bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man, his spirit children. We were all once and still are in our inner 'self' intelligences or that eternal intelligence, which is eternal in its nature and of a spirit in itself. Then we were born to God the Eternal Father, and our mother there, which added to or increased our intelligence to being a 'being' of spirit, with head, shoulders, knees and toes; eyes, ears, mouth and nose. In fact the temporal tabernacle is but a physical housing for our heavenly spirit as spirit children of God. Jesus as Jehovah pointed that out to the prophet Mahonri Moriancumr, better known as the 'bother of Jared' in the Book of Mormon (Ether 3:16 (8-16)).
Yes the God of the Old Testament, Jehovah was and is still now a God of Spirit. Only now he is a completed being of Intelligence, of spirit and of a resurrected celestial glorified immortal body of flesh and bone, which houses the whole of who he is. And much of Traditional Christianity have in the Nicene Creed a design to reduce him back to being a being of but eternal intelligent essense alone? We believe not. The Resurrection has in it a purpose and ends of permanence.
Jesus just did not reasume his body to prove that he had lived again. And he certainly did not intend to put it off again to so unit himself in a trinity with his Father and the Holy Ghost consisting of a mere intelligence continuum. We believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus and of all men, that we will all live again even as Jesus did and does.
In death we put this mortal by and become for a time but again a disembodied spirit and of intelligence. This is a temporary state. And then we look forward to the resurrection when that spirit body and intelligence will once again raise from the elements a glorified resurrected immortal body of flesh and bone having received such reward as we have worked and earned in such degree relative to our second estate probation.
To progress from Intelligence, to being spirit born soul bound unto intelligence, then to temporal mortal birth and encapsulated in a temporal mortal tabernalce, until then to death temporarily separated from that 'natural man' that the temporal body gave us experience in, and finally by the resurrection to our final state and reward as to that of which we have obtained; this all is part of the eternal plan of God for man. The details of which I have omitted for the sake of this simplification. This is the work and the Plan of God in a simplified form as is understood by one who is not an authority of the Church but a lay member of it. Please do not read in to it what is not there and mis-quote out of context some gyration innovated out of half truths and lies. For the 'official word' of the church on the matter, go to the Church to discover it and not to some half witted critic that rags on about this or that only to decieve and mislead souls down to hell.
With a simplified version of 'The Plan', we must further turn to Jesus Christ who is the same as Jehovah of the Old Testament, though not the same as God the Father of Spirits, whom we call by the name of Elohim. According to the Catholic terminology, the Godhead is made up of three 'persons', God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Ghost. But these are not 'persons' as one would think of them in any common or traditional sense, according to Catholic belief, for the three are but one God, literally the same being according to the Doctrine of the Tritiy which finally evolved out of the various meetings of the Bishops who innovated the thing. They, having removed the scriptural basis for the Spirit Birth of Jehovah/Jesus in the preexistence from the original proposed creed of Bishop Eusebius, Traditional Christianity either today positions themself with the understanding that the Spirit Birth either never did occured but it occured more in a mind set spirit manner than is an actual Spirit Birth. Let them explain.
As for God's or Jehovah's birth as Jesus Christ, Traditional Christianity have a word 'Incarnate' or 'Incarnation', which they use for God taking upon himself a body of flesh, blood and bones via the virgin Mary. In some cases they explain this was not as a common birth of man, but of an 'incarnate' nature of God being so born or incarnate but still being the separate person of God the Father as well. Let them explain or attempt to explain that which does not seem gel or conceptually does not make good reasoned sense.
Did God/Jesus/Jehovah really die? In that the body of flesh and bone did remain in the tomb, yes he did. But God was not dead. In LDS belief the spirit of man is immortal and eternal by its nature and the spirit does not 'die', but merely had laid the mortal encasement body by to have those elements raised again in an incorruptible form. We believe that Jesus' spirit did go to the 'Spirit World' where they who had previously died were at such as the thief on the cross beside him. And there Jesus did organize he gospel to be taken to the spirits separated from the 'dead' physical body, that they could be preached to concerning the Gospel Plan now that he have fulfilled his atonement. This is why we perform temple ordiances, including baptism for the dead, that once hearing what they have not had the chance of hearing before, they might be able to accept or reject for themselves and be judged according to men in the flesh.
The question, 'Was Jesus Resurrected' has been answered variously. Some say yes, other say no or not exactly, for they say, it was but a to but of a temporary purpose in God, and God really does not permanently house himself in flesh and bone but 'reverts' (for the want of a better word to their purposes) to being but a spirit or even a mere intelligent essense which they consider to be the highest form of God to be in as one entity. It seems that in most of their minds God, being God, is above such as Spirit Birth, Mortal Temporal Birth, Mortal Temporal Death, and even Resurrection of spirits to bodies. And this as the mere issence of intelligence alone.
And thus with those things all removed, God is but a Eternal Essense or Being of Eternal Intelligence and need not be anything more. Thus such is suppose that all such elements of the plan of God for man are removed from God and not a part of his own eternal being and/or eternal essense. Let them explain.
Now finally a place for 'Arians'. Arius is accused for the spread of the heresy doctrine that not only is Jesus separate from God, but that at one time he did not exist at all. Now Arius is not here to defend himself as to whether this was exactly what he was saying or not. He may have been taken out of context and misrepresented by the 'history winners.' Now as to when Jesus never was may vary as to whether Jesus was first spirit born and later mortal born and begotten. Arius is not here to explain but such as the Jehovah Witnesses would state that Jehovah is God and Father, and Jesus was but a 'created son'. And again the co-eternal nature of intelligence as here to for explained is removed from the 'man' Jesus. This doctrine may even be take to the degree that Jesus was not Divine and certainly it has removed him from being that God of the temporal creation that John speaks of in his first four verses.
Now, as stated, Arius is not here to tell. What exactly did he mean by the concept that 'There as a time when he was not'? Jesus was, as we all were, eternal intelligence to begin with, whatever that may further be. But that is the mystery. Jesus was not the Son of God before he was born of God, though he had existed eternally before. Did Arius understand this or not? Is Arius exactly as he is represented to be? Or is he a victim of not being here to defend himself?
This brings us to one of the concepts commonly so associated, which is that Jesus, according to those who speak of Arius, WAS NOT, he was nothing before he was created and made by God the Father. This is back to the 'magic' of the creation of making something out of nothing. That concept Joseph Smith the prophet stated to be false as he states that there is no such thing as 'immaterial matter' or arriving at something out of 'pure' nothing; be it out of energy or some other form of something. But at any rate, their point is that Jesus was son and son only and Jehovah, the God of the Old Testament is different from Jesus.
When I was a missionary, I had a Jehovah Witness Bible which I had marked and prepared to show them even using their own scriptures that Jesus and Jehovah was one and the same person, the same God. NOT the same as God the Father of Spirits, but that Jesus was that Jehovah who did condescend to come to earth and take upon himself flesh as a mortal man, though still he was that empowered God so anointed and appointed and empowered by God the Father of Spirits. Thus Jesus who is Jehovah and divine was not as they consider him to be. But I never did use it on my mission, didn't need to.
Well what is done? It has here in been presented a simplified Plan of Eternal progression. It has also been compared to such other thoughts and doctrines of Traditional Christianity of the Trinity and the Arian Christianity of the historically identified groups who opposed the Trinity doctrine. Hopefully what can also be seen is what may be further missing from God's Eternal Plan in either respect. As for Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, he is variously treated to being deamonized as being in arms with Arius and the Arians, which any thinking person ought to see that he was not. 'Our' current pope has spoken of Bishop Eusebius as the father of Church history and such, but often in the histories, the Catholic ones, have included Eusebius is put down as having either opposed the Trinity concept or is explained away as to what he 'really' meant as opposed to what he clearly wrote. Mostly Bishop Eusebius is positioned as an enemy of the Universal Church with his Eusebian associates if not out right included as being Arian himself. He has not been made a modern day Saint by the Catholic Church for all of his work and scholarship in those writings and works that he did.
Here is a scripture that seems to sum up the matter at hand.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." ~ 1 John 3:2
And again from another source:
"When the Savior shall appear we shall see him as he is. We shall see that he is a man like ourselves." D&C 130:1
In a picky sense perhaps it ought to have been said, 'he is a man and we are like him'. God made man in his own image, so is this of any wonder? As to understanding the relationships between God the Father of Spirits and Jesus Christ, perhaps this next short 'video' will aid in that cause.
Now back to the beginning, as the first two pictures depict at the top of this web page, it is and was as Bishop Eusebius understood and stated in his Ecclesiastical History. God the Father in Heaven and Jehovah who is the same as Jesus Christ did work in unison in the creation, the Father did command and the Son Jehovah did perform (Book I Chapter 2 Statements 2-4, Ecclesiastical History, by Bishop Eusebius Pamphili of Caesarea Palistine/Maritima). Without stating more, this is how it is depicted in the holy convocation of the endowment concerning the creation in the creation room of the LDS Temples which have the separate rooms and also on the more recently used temple films. It is as John states in his openning chapter of his Gospel where he also points out that nothing was created without him [meaning Jesus Christ] that was created [in terms of the temporal creation]. Why else does the opening chapter of Genesis state such, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: . . ." (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew word there translated as 'God' in much of the Genesis account of the creation ought to have been more correctly translated as 'the Gods' as Elohim is the plural form. The Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price got it right according to Abraham for he states there in the plural that the Gods, plural, participated in unison in the creation, this meaning both the Father and the Son, the one directing, the other producing (Compare Abraham 4 with Genesis 1).
Now in a summary form for the moment, eternity has no beginning nor has it an end. Only those portions which are cut out from it have duration as the ages of time. Our God Jehovah stands from the beginning to the end of one such allotment. He is its Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, from all eternity to all eternity at the portals of transition into and out of that segment of eternity so marked out by God as the ages of time, the generation of Christ, the time of the Plan of exaltation to take place according the the times of man—eternity itself has no such beginning or end upon which thresholds our Savior and Lord might stand. And during that duration of 'His Generation' he has been placed as our God and King. Beyond that and back into eternity, he, Jesus/Jehovah, returns all glory to the Father, God our Heavenly Father Who art in Heaven. That the Celestial Father did so appoint Jehovah to be our Ministering God of this duration is understandable for 'only those who pertain to this creation may minister directly unto it'. (D&C 130:5) As Chrsitians we worship Jesus who is Jehovah and as he taught us to do we pray to Our Father Who art in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus/Jehovah is our link to eternity, our one true God by and through whom we may return to eternity. He stands as Advocate, Mediator and Intercessor between God the Father and Man. He is the way, the truth and the light. No man comes unto the God of Heaven but by him. He has provided us the way that we may follow by all that he has done. "What you have seen me do, do ye likewise", so let us do so.
Now with that 'summary' of what was gone into after establishing the matter of eternal Intelligence, may we now, as promised return unto that discussion there began. For it is a part and parcel to see and understand the 'evolution' if you will, of the fulfillment of which that Intelligence does come to in the exaltation of man and God as part of God's Plan of Eternal Progression.
The Progession of Intelligence Unto God
At the beginning of this page, it was set out the matter of the spirit birth and some detail as we have it concerning that spirit birth and how God the Father of Spirits does orgainized rudamentary eternal intelligance in unto the birthing process of His own spirit children in that their spirit and the intelligence that is eternal becomes co-existed with the spirit of man. Now for that eternal intelligence that has become co-existed in the spirit of man to continue on in progression to become God, certain developmental processes must be adhered to. If not, then that combination can become 'dammed' and stopped in its eternal progress. Such is the sad fate of Lucifer who became Satan. He will never become God as he once coveted to become.
Some of the verses previously quoted concerning intelligence will now be placed further into extended contexts, which will set out what is involved in the continued developmental progress of the combined eternal intelligence unto the spirit, then then body of experience and even unto that realm wherein the combined intelligence, spirit and glorified resurrected cellestial being of combination including flesh and bone 'may become as God is.
"And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law is also preserved by
law and perfected and sanctified by the same.
"That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and
willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by
mercy, justice, nor judgment. Therefore, they must remain filthy still.
"All kingdoms have a law given;
"And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there
is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or a lesser kingdom.
"And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and
conditions.
"All beings who abide not in those conditions are not justified.
"For intelligence cleaveth unto intelligence; wisdom receiveth wisdom; truth embraceth truth;
virtue loveth virtue; light cleaveth unto light; mercy hath compassion on mercy and claimeth
her own; justice continueth its course and claimeth its own; judgment goeth before the face
of him who sitteth upon the throne and governeth and executeth all things.
"He comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about
him; and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is round
about all things; and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and ever."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 88:34-41
In short, God did not, does not and will not give unto men commandment and laws that are not needful unto man to comply with but those which will bring man unto the righteousness of God. That is unto that degree of truth and light which is necessary for man to attain to to become even as God is. And that is where man's intelligence comes in. Intelligence learns, it cleaves unto additional intelligence. Man needs to gain the 'intelligence' of the laws that brings man unto God, that is a man's intelligence must grow and develop unto a Godly intelligence. And he does that by obeying and abiding by the laws that his loving Father in Heaven has given him. If a man does not abide by those laws that bring him to God, but rebels against them as Lucifer did in the preexistence, then he will attain unto a lesser kingdom or if is rebellion is so complete and wicked, then he will either attain to a kingdom of no glory or be cast out with Satan [Lucifer] and his angels who did rebel against God in Heaven.
Many people are treading that course today. They are responding to God as though he is naught. They are rejecting the Commandments of God and becoming a law unto themselves. And thus they are on a path to never be sanctified and inherit the kingdom of God. They will never become even as God is for they have schooled their intelligence poorly. And what, by their agency, and failure to respond to God and live his commandment, statutes, laws and regulations; they have done unto themselves is come to abide by such laws that has damn them unto obtaining the presence of God. On the one hand all will live again, that is be resurrected. But on the other hand, not all will obtain the glory and presence of God. A man's, or a woman's intelligence must be groomed, taught, and learned in that wisdom of Godliness. That is not merely a mental exercise of 'high IQ.' That is an exercise of submitting one's self unto the laws of God and living a life style which in one that complies to the ways of God. One's intelligence must become a Godly Intelligence to become God. Therein is the other shoe of the couplet. 'As man is God once was. As God is man 'may' become.' All men do not become as God. God did. Jesus did. And he shows the way. As Jehovah he gave us Commandments and Laws. As Jesus such as in the sermon on the mount, he elaborated upon those laws. And today he continues to gives instructions in all that we must do to become even as God is. Again, not all men become Gods. Our God did. And as he is our Father, we have that possiblity also.
Much is now said. But the other references to Intelligence will also be stated as well.
"Ye were also in the beginning with the Father; that which is Spirit, even the
Spirit of truth;
"And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come;
"And whatsoever is more or less than this is the spirit of that wicked one who was a liar from
the beginning.
"The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying:
He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth;
"And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.
"He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth
and knoweth all things.
"Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created
[meaning as something from nothing] or made, neither indeed can be.
"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.
"Behold, here is the agency of man, and here is the condemnation of man; because that which
was from the beginning is plainly manifest unto them, and they receive not the light.
"And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation.
"For man is spirit. The elements are eternal, and spirit and element, inseparably connected,
receive a fulness of joy;
"And when separated, man cannot receive a fulness of joy.
"The elements are the tabernacle of God; yea, man is the tabernacle of God, even temples; and
whatsoever temple is defiled, God shall destroy that temple.
"The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.
"Light and truth forsake that evil one.
"Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall,
men became again, in their infant state, innocent before God.
"And that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth, through disobedience, from the
children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.
"But I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 93:23-40
Now thank God for the Atonement of Christ, 'for God so loved the world, that he has given us the life and sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ.' Repent and follow the ways of Godliness.
"Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with
us in the resurrection.
"And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and
obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which
all blessings are predicated—
"And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is
predicated.
"The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost
has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost
could not dwell in us.
"A man may receive the Holy Ghost, and it may descend upon him and not tarry with him."
~ Doctrine and Covenants | Section 130:18-23
Pray unto God the Father, Our Father Who Art in Heaven. Plead with Him in the name of Jesus Christ. Ask Him that he will sent his Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost to attend you and show you the way to go. Live God's Commandments that you might be again united unto your Father in Heaven. This page in now done. —Amen.
* [We don't know the exact realm of the Second Estate which our Heavenly Father passed through. Our condition may not be so easily compared to that which was that of our Heavenly Father. It is said of our world, that it is the only one of all the worlds Jesus/Jehovah created that was wicked enough to have crucified their Lord. Our world is the one to which Lucifer, the Devil, was cast down to and is such as that battle ground between the very extremes of evil and good. We know not what other worlds of past eternity were like and certainly we don't even know for sure what the other ones of our own age are like. It is possible, but unknown, that any of the rest of the world are like this unique one where Satan and Christ have met head on. We just don't know all of that. And as for Our Father in Heaven once being a man as we are upon this unique world of such conflict, we do not know that. Further, God the Father, our Father in Heaven, still is and always will be a man. Thus merely agreeing to such a simple couplet to be representative of our Father in Heaven's past and such deep doctrines and understandings envolved, 'I don't know that he was man as we are', seems to be a most appropreate answer. It is likely that life in a second estate environment without Satan's presence is not really like life is here for us. We more readily know that the simple couplet seems to be more likely true of Jesus, as he was 'man among us' who is now God glorified, but even Jesus Christ is a unique case in that he was an 'empowered' God of Spirit before he lived on earth. So even in respect to Jesus the generality of the simple couplet has its quirks.]
Important Notice: Here I might and should make note that such as the details of these matters need not be fully understood and comprehended in order for man to obtain salvation through the Gospel and/or Doctrine of Christ as explained in the scriptures. That Doctrine of Jesus Christ is in the form of the simpleness of the way and includes such as 1) Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, 2) Repentance from sin and wrong as one comes to know and understand the ways and commandments of God, 3) Baptism by emersion by those in authority as the symbolic act for the remission of sin and newness of life in Christ, and 4) the Gift of the Holy Ghost to the end of his constant companionship to show and lead men in the ways and truths of God. Beyond that one is to 5) have a hope in Christ unto the obtaining of eternal life through him and 6) the Love of God which is charity as explained in the first two and great commandments. In their attempt of going beyond this, the ancient Christians 'Fathers' of the Nicene Creed did error in going beyond the mark and into the mysteries of God, requiring a concensus upon such deep things as they could only in their mind's imagination innovate according to their own prideful exbounding concerning the detailed nature of God. As the Emperor Constantine did point out in his harsh rebuke of both Bishop Alexander and Arius, such as what they had began in dispute with each other ought not to have even began, as it was more of an intellectual exercise than of a direct benefit to the gaining of personal salvation (Life of Constantine by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea, chapter 69). Yet today, since the early 'Christian Fathers' did embark upon this persuit, many a 'Traditional Christian' has become ensnared by the result of their folly to the extent of blocking their own way to the truth of God being trapped by the false doctrines so innovated by men in the forms of those required creeds. Concerning this Jesus Christ stated in 1820 in answer to the prayer of a 14 year old farm boy concerning the religions of his day, 'They are all wrong. Their creeds are an abomination in my sight. Those professors are all corrupt. They draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.' (Pearl of Great Price, JSH 1:19) Thus I suppose I justify my own writing of such matters to the end that it might aid someone either to avoid such entrapment or to be able to release themselves from the snare they are caught in.