Blog #100 July 12,2025
God's mind and our mind dwell in two completely different realities. Isn't that a shame? I believe that God agrees with that assessment, because in the beginning it wasn't that way. I believe also that God makes room in His love for us that together He and we might rectify this truly sad situation. In the first three verses of Proverbs 12, God opened my heart to how we can begin this labor of seeking oneness with God.
1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Proverbs12:1 Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge; but he that hateth reproof is brutish.
The ways of the world teach us that instruction creates intelligence.
Training your memory, executive control, and visuospatial reasoning can help to boost your intelligence levels. The best way to train these areas of your brain is to engage in thoughtful activities and games, learn new skills, and keep your brain active.Written by Eleesha Lockett, MS — Updated on July 29, 2022
(This was the most concise accepted comparison between intelligence and learning I could find. It treats intelligence much like a muscle in which the use of controlled resistance increases strength).
The scriptures argue that point.
Genesis 7:39 The Lord said unto Enoch, Behold, these thy brethren, they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their intelligence in the day that I created them.
If we are to hold this up as truth, then we must define instruction in a way that fits the will of God and the Kingdom we seek. To gain that definition, we must first define our own design and understand God’s intended place for us in His Kingdom.
DC 90:5a-5d
90:5a Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
90:5b 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.
90:5c 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.
90:5d And every man whose spirit receiveth not the light is under condemnation, for man is spirit.
God’s grace gave us intelligence, but for it to be true to its design, intelligence must include the ability to choose. In ignorance, neither intelligence nor free will has the ability to grow and become purpose. Instruction then must be the grace of God that challenges intelligence with the ability to choose, and a choice to make. In possession of both, we become able to see and recognize purpose. In Eden, we were given instruction and through it, we were given the chance to use our agency, trust God, and choose His purpose as our own. We chose instead to turn away from God's wisdom and promote a purpose of our own creation. Understand the wisdom within this great truth in God, possessing both intelligence and instruction, we can choose to rebel.
Genesis 2:19-22
2:19 And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;
2:20 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it;
2:21 Nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but remember that I forbid it;
2:22 For in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Through instruction, we use intelligence and free will to gain both knowledge and purpose; and we grow. This then is the true nature of instruction. It comes to us to stimulate and encourage growth. Our ability to choose allows us to use instruction to determine when we will grow, how we will grow, and the direction of our life within that growth. It is our choice whether to grow towards God or away from Him. Either direction by definition is growth.
Adam and Eve chose to grow by turning away from God and deny the truth of God's instruction. In this they grew. They grew to realize the mistake they had made. They grew in their awareness of their responsibility before God. In that awareness and by the justice of God it brought to their lives, they grew in their respect for obedience to God. By adhering to that respect they grew to trust the word of God. In that trust, God was able to reach out to them with a plan He had for redeeming mankind from the ravages of bad choices.
Genesis 4:6-9
4:6 And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord. And after many days, an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying, Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him, I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
4:7 And then the angel spake, saying, This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth;
4:8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest, in the name of the Son. And thou shalt repent, and call upon God, in the name of the Son for evermore.
4:9 And in that day, the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying, I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever; that, as thou hast fallen, thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
Through their trust in God, Adam and Eve were offered God's plan for the redemption of mankind through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit. First comes belief in the justice of God and acceptance of His mercy through personal repentance and baptism by one of God given authority.
Genesis 6:62-63
6:62 Even so ye must be born again, into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye may be sanctified from all sin; and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come; even immortal glory.
6:63 For, by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified; and by the blood ye are sanctified.
Then comes the baptism of fire. Through a "laying on of hands" by those of God given authority, God's Spirit within us is quickened. In this the Spirit becomes our holy connection to the source of all instruction and all motivation, God.
Genesis 6:64 Therefore it is given to abide in you, the record of heaven, the Comforter, the peaceable things of immortal glory, the truth of all things, that which quickeneth all things which maketh alive all things, that which knoweth all things, and hath all power according to wisdom, mercy, truth, justice and judgment.
In this instruction Adam and Eve grew to realize that God's Spirit is the only valid means by which they could overcome their rebellion and return to the fullness of God's light and truth. God's grace is the source of all we seek to achieve. To receive that grace our labor must include the wisdom of willing obedience to God offered instruction. In this we grow to be both in God and of God.
DC 131:1b-1c
131:1b Before the hour of breaking the fast came, I was blessed by the presence of the Holy Spirit resting upon me in quiet assurance and in power.
131:1c In the still small voice which giveth light and understanding to the intelligence of man, exalting the soul and sanctifying the spirit, there came unto me the directing voice of Him whose work we are engaged in.
In this testimony by Joseph Smith III, we are again exposed to that source for all growth as we strive to return to God and His ways. It is wisdom that we seek the Spirit. God desires that we choose to accept what is offered, but the choice is ours.
Proverbs 12:2-3
12:2 A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord; but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
12:3 A man shall not be established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
Our intelligence gives us the capacity to learn and grow, but it is ours to choose which path that growth will take. One would believe that the choices we have are limited to righteousness and evil, but it is in truth, more basic than that. We must choose between those things temporal and that which is spiritual. We must believe in our hearts that we were created to be spiritual beings and have the ability to live in the fullness of that creation. Accordingly, we must accept knowledge of those things that dwell only in the temporal, but we must seek out those things, which are spiritual. Only those things brought to us by God's Spirit will allow us to join God in eternity and live in the fullness of our creation.
DC 28:9a-9c
28:9a Wherefore, verily I say unto you, that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal, neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam your father, whom I created;
28:9b behold, I gave unto him that he should be an agent unto himself; and I gave unto him commandment, but no temporal commandment gave I unto him;
28:9c for my commandments are spiritual; they are not natural, nor temporal, neither carnal nor sensual.
In our life on this earth, because of our choices we will be offered many different types of instruction. Not all will be spiritual. Man’s choice in the Garden caused us to be banished from the face of God and made to dwell outside of His presence. In our rebellion we became spiritual beings wrapped in a temporal body subject to the restrictions of a temporal realm. With this came the need for temporal instruction. Without it, we would die with no hope of redemption.
Genesis 4:1 And it came to pass, that after I, the Lord God, had driven them out, that Adam began to till the earth, and to have dominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his brow, as I, the Lord had commanded him, and Eve also, his wife, did labor with him.
We had to learn how to till the ground. Plant seed and harvest that seed. We had to learn how to use that harvest to sustain us. We had to learn how to the nurture the beast of the field and use them for food, and clothing, Most of all we had to learn how to depend on another just as temporal as we, that we might have sufficient strength and endurance to overcome the ravages of the world we lived in. We had to discover oneness.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-11
4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.
4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
4:11 Again, if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone?
Genesis 2:29-30
2:29 And Adam said, This I know now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
2:30 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.
In the midst of all this, we had to learn how to overcome sickness, pain, exhaustion, injury, and don’t forget we had to learn how to have and nurture babies. Our world was filled with necessary temporalities. Our minds were so filled with our temporal needs that eternity took second place. Does that sound familiar?
Proverbs 12:2-3
12:2 A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord; but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.
12:3 A man shall not be established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.
This brings us to the point of the wisdom offered in our target passage. We will receive a multitude of instruction in our lifetime. We must realize that even temporal instruction can be used to establish Zion. What separates the useful from the useless is purpose. We must adhere to our purpose in God. If our purpose is temporal, we will only grow temporally. If our purpose aligns with God’s we will grow in a way that brings us closer to Him. So we must search for those things that align with God’s purpose and choose. Such is our labor.
Philippians 4:8-9
4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just; whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you.
Remember, that which separates the temporal from the spiritual is purpose. This is true in the way we learn. It is true in the way we live. For us to be in God and of God, it must be true in the way we grow.
We must open our hearts to the companion God offers, because
In humility to the Spirit we grow in the ways of The Father
FRED
Create With me Our Testimony of God at Work in the World of Man.