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Intelligence[1]To understand this concept in context, I would first like to give an abbreviated outline of the Plan of Life with a focus on obtaining intelligence.Plan of Life to Become Perfect (Matt 5:48 and 3 Nephi 12:48)We were born as spirit children of God before we came to this earth.[2] We were taught by God and His servants about the plan of life. We advanced as spirit children to the point we needed a physical body which would enable us to gain additional intelligence and power through our experiences on earth.[3] We came to earth through earthly parents made possible by the fall of Adam and Eve and according to the plan rescued by Jesus Christ.[4] Prior to our birth our spirit body entered our earthly body.[5] Our life on earth is a test of pre-earthly acquired intelligence.[6] We access that intelligence through our feelings about right and wrong and our faith in Jesus Christ and His teachings.[7] We have the additional opportunity during our mortal existence to gain experienced knowledge about good and evil which adds to our intelligence.[8] In this life we have scriptures, the words of prophets, church organizations, prayer, Holy Ghost and our parents who teach us by precept and example the plan of life.[9] A latter-day prophet named Joseph Smith was authorized by God and Jesus Christ to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith was given the priesthood by Peter James and John.[10] Joseph Smith and his successors were then authorized to exercise all priesthood keys to administer all of the ordinances of the gospel for salvation and exaltation.[11] Within that authority we are taught essential knowledge and endowed with power through the ordinances of the temple so that we can live again with Heavenly Father.[12] If we keep the covenants associated with the ordinances of baptism and the temple, and continually repent of our sins through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, God promises to bless us with all that He has, which is eternal life.[13]Intelligence is significant because it is something that we can take with us even after we die and is something that we brought with us from pre-earthly life even though mental awareness is dim.[14] One of the properties of intelligence is defined in the scriptures asD&C 130:18-19 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.It is important to know what intelligence is so that we can optimize the acquisition of intelligence. There are different levels and types of intelligence. It is instructive to outline the following concepts as well as additional references as necessary to develop a hierarchy and relationship in the things that we are exposed to and learn leading to intelligence.·Data - Data as an abstract concept can be viewed as the lowest level of abstraction such as numbers, words, images, etc., accepted as they stand from which information and then knowledge are derived.·Information – My abbreviated definition of information, in its most restricted technical sense, is a sequence of symbols that can be interpreted as a message which is not expected, otherwise it is not information. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information information, in its most restricted technical sense, is a sequence of symbols that can be interpreted as a message. Information can be recorded as signs, or transmitted as signals. Information is any kind of event that affects the state of a dynamic system. Conceptually, information is the message (utterance or expression) being conveyed. The meaning of this concept varies in different contexts. Moreover, the concept of information is closely related to notions of constraint, communication, control, data, form, instruction, knowledge, meaning, understanding, mental stimuli, pattern, perception, representation, and entropy. Information (disambiguation) - Information is a collection of related data or knowledge about a topic. In computational linguistics, word-sense disambiguation (WSD) is an open problem of natural language processing, which governs the process of identifying which sense of a word (i.e. meaning) is used in a sentence, when the word has multiple meanings. Information is a measure of uncertainty, or entropy, in a situation. The greater the uncertainty, the more the information. When a situation is completely predictable, no information is present. Most people associate information with certainty or knowledge; consequently, this definition from information theory can be confusing. As used by the information theorist, the concept does not refer to a message, facts, or meaning. It is a concept bound only to the quantification of stimuli or signals in a situation.·On closer examination, this idea of information is not as distant from common sense as it first appears. We have said that information is the amount of uncertainty in the situation. Another way of thinking of it is to consider information as the number of messages required to completely reduce the uncertainty in the situation. For example, your friend is about to flip a coin. Will it land heads up or tails up? You are uncertain, you cannot predict. This uncertainty, which results from the entropy in the situation, will be eliminated by seeing the result of the flip. Now let’s suppose that you have received a tip that your friend’s coin is two headed. The flip is “fixed.” There is no uncertainty and therefore no information. In other words, you could not receive any message that would make you predict any better than you already have. In short, a situation with which you are completely familiar has no information for you .·Knowledge – generally knowledge refers to facts, information, and abilities obtained through experience or education.·Understanding - understanding is commonly described in the scriptures in relation to the heart which is the spiritual discernment of truth and must be obtained through revelation. Understanding is erected upon the cornerstone of knowledge and precedes intelligence.·Wisdom - wisdom is deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgments and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions (the "passions") so that universal principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one's actions. Wisdom is also the comprehension of what is true coupled with optimum judgment as to action.·Intelligence - Intelligence is the righteous application of revealed knowledge and understanding in action and judgment which is also sometimes known as wisdom.We came into spiritual existence by being born of God as a spirit with intelligence that came from our Father in Heaven and Mother in Heaven. We came into mortality by being born from a Father and Mother who created our physical body and at some time before our physical birth, our spirit was connected to that body. In both situations, we did not start out independent but rather we were dependent on superior beings to instruct us and to help us mature in the obtaining of intelligence.IntelligenceThere are two basic types of intelligence described in the scriptures. The first type which was not created but just exists is controversial since there is no detailed doctrine in the scriptures or from the prophets. However, it seems evident that our intelligence came from God the Father and Mother in Heaven. My understanding is based on D&C 92:29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. Some believe that our intelligence prior to spiritual birth was independent and somehow was invited to inherit the spiritual body that was created by God but seems to be at variance with this scripture.The second type of intelligence is obtained by being taught, given as a gift through qualification and learning through our experiences.D&C 93:36 The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.When I first read these scriptures, I was puzzled by the definitions that seemed to be only different by the words “light of truth” and “light and truth”. It is easier to understand these scriptures by making the analogy of that which we understand in mortality since mortality is a likeness of that which is spiritual[15]. When we are born with a physical body we have a brain and all the biological sensory capability to learn the moment we are born. In a like manner when we are born as a spirit we have a spiritual brain and body that allows the same type of learning. The intelligence that formed the spirit body is spiritual from our Heavenly Father and Mother in Heaven. The intelligence that formed the physical body is physical DNA that came from our earthly father and mother. Our brains in both cases is the light of truth or the place that memory and processing take place. The data, information, knowledge, understanding, wisdom and intelligence is light and truth are stored in our physical brain and our spiritual mind. We are promised that the intelligence that we obtain in our physical brain and in our spiritual aware mind, we will be able to take with us at the time of death[16]. There is some spiritual intelligence that is masked at physical birth and even at physical death when we are left with just our spiritual body again, otherwise after death those who had not been taught the gospel in pre-earthly life would not have to taught the gospel which clearly, we knew before we were born into mortality. At some point, a fullness of spiritual intelligence that we obtained in the pre-earth life will be restored to us.IndependenceWe do not become even close to being truly independent until we attain godhood and even in that state we are presided over by God in a patriarchal order. This appears to be a little at variance with D&C 93:30All 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.The independence defined here has to do with agency to decide between right and wrong and not being dependent on being sustained in our life here on earth or being influenced by God. Clearly, we will be judged on our stewardship to obey the commandments and take on the covenants offered by God so in that sense there is not complete independence. One could argue that even in godhood there is limited independence since one would govern self dependent on eternal law.So how do we get intelligence?D&C 93:24 Truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come”.There are two ways of applying this scripture. One is to interpret it only as the world does and the other is to interpret it as covering everything the world tries to master as well as everything that the gospel represents. Understanding is erected upon the cornerstone of knowledge and precedes intelligence. Understanding is commonly described in the scriptures in relation to the heart which is the spiritual discernment of truth and must be obtained through revelation. Revelation is assisted through the teachings of the prophets.The Holy Ghost confirms in our hearts what is true that we have come to know in our minds so that understanding in our spirit occurs. Intelligence is the righteous application of knowledge and understanding in action and judgment which is sometimes known as wisdom.In this life, we make comparisons with one other, hoping that we are acceptable and that we are as capable and worthy as others. This can be harmful since other’s progression should not be the measure but rather our own development based on gospel principles. We might become discouraged in the acquisition of obtaining intelligence if we make comparisons with each other. It is instructive to understand the following truth:PofGP 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. However, we understand that in the end, if we are faithful, that God will give all that he has (D&C 88:38).So even though it appears we started out with differences of intelligence and levels, in the end it won’t matter if we are faithful in receiving all the ordinances and are faithful in keeping the associated covenants.D&C 84:38 …all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.The scriptures are the word of God and contain the keys of knowledge that can lead to intelligence. Which scriptures are the most valuable for us to learn? I have learned that it is important to know how to do a spiritual self-appraisal to know which scriptures we need to focus upon relative to our temporal and spiritual state and how to apply those scriptures so that we become perfected in our spiritual attributes. This challenge is given in Ether 12:27.Ether 12:27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.First, we are given mortality which is the first weakness so that our spiritual state or spiritual weaknesses are magnified so that they can become understood. I have converged on three such ways to accomplish this objective.The first way is to recognize that the temptations that come to us in our fallen state[17], really represent the spiritual hunger and thirst that we have spiritually and that if we can associate our deep spiritual needs that are masked by physical temptations or desire we can resist those temptations (James 1:12 endure temptation). A simple rule should suffice. Whenever we are tempted through the passions of the body, think of what we need spiritually that is strongly associated with our spiritual need and then act to fill that need such that the physical temptation becomes secondary. One such example is lust as a temptation whereas love is what we really need spiritually. If we can prepare our minds for these associations so that, as soon as a physical temptation comes, we immediate think of what we need spiritually, act to fill the spiritual need, then we can protect ourselves from the temptation and become filled spiritually by doing what is necessary to fed per our spiritual need. This process can be better appreciated by what we learn when we fast. As we fast, our body becomes hungry and thirsty and rather than eat and drink to satisfy our body, we use the hunger and thirst to think of the purpose of the fast to lead us to ponder and think of that which we desire and need spiritually. Temptation then is just another way like fasting to help lead us to what we need spiritually.A second way is to review a list of feeling words which can be associated with your experiences. For each feeling recall a story or stories that evoke the feelings so that you can discover gospel principles. It is necessary to write the story rather than just thinking about it. Elder Packer said that feelings represent our emotions when there are differences between our physical state and our pre-earthly spiritual state. Feelings occur because of what we do relative to what we believe to be true. For example, if we know we are a child of God but we do not keep the commandments[18] we feel worthless. If we know we should love our fellow man but we are unkind we feel guilty.[19] Feelings in this life are emotions that occur when our spirit and body are at war with each other or striving to become unified. Your body is the instrument of your mind. In your positive emotions, the spirit and the body come closest to being one.[20]·Example negative feeling words that represent weaknesses are: alone, angry, bad, confused, depressed, deprived, disappointed, doubtful, fearful, foolish, guilty, heartbroken, hurt, impatient, inadequate, indifferent, insecure, jealous, lazy, lost, lustful, mad, miserable, overwhelmed, powerless, sad, self-conscious, selfish, sorrowful, tired, unappreciated, unhappy, unkind, unloved, unworthy, worthless. Sometimes it is important that you have a wise trusted friend to help you make the discoveries of gospel principles imbedded in a story associated with our feelings. If you then set a goal or goals to become stronger in the gospel principles, this can help you in becoming more perfect in your spiritual attributes resulting in becoming happier. What is the goal process outline? Set a goal, list associated principles, obstacles, developing a creative plan that solves all known obstacles, act, evaluate, and then recycle the process at least three times to discover and understand principles that helps you become more unified physically and spiritually.A third way is to use the definition of the attributes of Christ to measure, per your own perception, the level of perfection of those attributes. If you rank your evaluation of your attributes from lowest to highest and then compare against the other approaches, you will have a good guide to the scriptures you need to develop understanding ultimately leading to intelligence which you can take with you even after death in this life.These attributes of Christ are listed in D&C 4, 2 Peter 1:4-10 and detailed further in Preach My Gospel page 126. It is instructive to know the attributes and the levels from weakest to strongest as we develop into mature adults. On one occasion I asked my daughter Julie to acquire a statistical self-appraisal measure of these attributes from a group of well-educated young single adults in the Washington DC area for both members and nonmembers (NM) which revealed the ranking which surprisingly was not different between the two groups for patience, small difference for obedience, moderate difference for knowledge (NM less knowledgeable), faith (NM less faithful) and virtue (NM more virtuous - questionable), significant difference for humility (NM stronger) and large difference for diligence (NM more diligent) and charity (NM more charitable). This indicated to me that these spiritual attributes can be somewhat independent of specific religions or are different because of the differences in definitions between each religion. This ranking will not be the same for all individuals but it is a benchmark that allows one to make a personal comparison to a statistical sample of some well-developed young single adults.A review of the adversary’s attribute’s leads us to understand that he was a liar from the beginning (age of spiritual awareness like age eight in mortality) and clearly his other major fault was a lack of patience.Statistics for a Survey of 34 young single adult members of the Church:Response key 1 = never, 2 = sometimes, 3 = often, 4 = almost always, and 5 = always.Ranking of attributes from weakest to strongest for members: Patience (3.44), Diligence (3.78), Charity (3.92), Virtue (3.96), Knowledge (4.09), Humility (4.17), Faith (4.28), Obedience (4.36) and Hope (4.36)Ranking of attributes from weakest to strongest for non-members: Patience (2.75), Humility (2.75), Hope (3), Knowledge (3), Faith (3.75), Virtue (3.75), Obedience (3.75), Diligence (4), Charity (4.5).Non-member and member weakest attribute was patience. Non-member's consider themselves higher in attribute ranking for diligence, charity and virtue and lower in hope. This difference can be attributed to differences in knowledge and experience in the gospel between the two groups.There are some key scriptures that give insight into the importance of our character which is decomposed into the attributes of Christ as they are developed or not developed in our lives. D&C 36:6 gives a symbolic representation which when cross referenced to Matthew 22:11-13 and 23:15 gives some abstract concepts which when understood tells what is at stake when we know what is right and pretend what we have become but inwardly we are not as developed as we represent ourselves to be.D&C 36:6 Crying repentance, saying: Save yourselves from this untoward generation, and come forth out of the fire, hating even the garments spotted with the flesh.Matthew 22:11-13 11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: See also JST Matt 5:50 commandment to be perfect which means fully developed.12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? (not perfectly developed in the attributes of Christ D&C 4:5-6) And he was speechless. (Had the knowledge but did not internalize that knowledge into the character attributes sufficient to claim eternal life.13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.Matthew 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, (appearing to have greater attributes of Christ than they actually possessed. Therefore they were hyprocrites as described in Matthew 23:13-15; 25-26 (25: …for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.); 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.D&C 93:27-28 gives further insight.27 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.On one occasion, as I was pondering one of my weaknesses during the time of receiving the sacrament, struggling on how that weakness could become a strength. I found at that time an inflow of spirit which made me feel different and more empowered.As I searched the scriptures to get understanding I was led to John 6:47-57 and 3 Nephi 20:8 which tells us that partaking of the sacrament worthily give even more insight on how we receive further intelligence. … his soul shall never hunger nor thirst, but shall be filled.From a secular point of view:Emotional Intelligence is a combination of both physical and spiritual intelligence manifested through our feelings but with more emphasis on the physical as contrasted to spiritual intelligence and is given as follows:· Self-Awareness· Self-Management· Social Awareness· Social SkillPractical Balance in Life Example (Figure 2): See scoring guide below (Score 1 to 9, with 1 lowest and 9 highest)· Spiritual and Emotional - 9· Family/Friends - 5· Love (charity) - 5· Home/Physical Environment - 9· Recreation - 7· Fitness/Health - 8· Education/Career - 9· Finances and resource - 9If you visualize these attributes and do a self-appraisal and score yourself in each attribute say from 1 to 10 with the attributes around the outside of a circle representing a wheel with a dot at the self-appraisal level with 0 at the center and 10 at the outside of the circle and then connect the dots you will have some idea of whether your life will be fairly balanced and smooth or whether you have a rough wheel that makes your life “bumpy”. There are some advisors who make a living helping business people become more balanced using this technique.Some example challenges using beginning principles from the scriptures:1. Lustful/lack of love – Alma 38:12 passion and love connection2. Lack of confidence – D&C 121:45 need to let virtue garnish thoughts. What is a practical way to do this? List all gifts, talents, knowledge and skills. Review for 30 days. D&C 84:85 treasure up continually words of life. Recognize that as mental knowledge approaches spiritual state that one can lose confidence because progress gets harder but it also provides an awareness that significant spiritual progress can be made as mental progress is made.3. No motivation to sacrifice as the gospel requires – D&C 84:38 all that father has shall be given. D&C 132:20 promise of exaltation4. Fear to do what God would have you do and lack of confidence that has to do with faith – Enoch and Moses contrasts: Exodus 4:10, Moses 6:31-32, Moses 7:13. D&C 121:45 lack of confidence5. Complacent about sacrament – John 6:47-57, 3 Nephi 20:8, D&C 88:676. I am not happy but miserable – 2 Nephi 2:277. I am not healthy – D&C 89, revelation “to eat less” and exercise.8. Where did I come from question – D&C 93:299. Lack of confidence that there are infinite resources – D&C 88:37 space is expandable and D&C 84:38 God will give us all that He has.Figure2 Personal Balance ExampleUser will have to populate this image with scores from 1 to 9 to see since my original could not be uploaded.This example shows that if we do not have a balance in life that we will have a “bumpy” ride in life. The goal is to be close in our development that no single area can be our down fall.[1] C:\Users\Gerald\Documents\References\Emotional Intelligence 1-9-2015.doc[2] Gen 1:26; Deut 14:1; Psalms 82:6; Eccl 12:7; Isa 42:5; Jer 1:5; Hosea 1:10; Mal 2:10; Matt 4:48; Matt 5:48; Matt 6:6; Matt 23:9; Acts 17:29; Rom 8:16; ‘Eph 4:6; Heb 12:9; D&C 76:24[3] Job 38:7; Eph 1:4; Rev 12:7; Alma 13:3; Alma 22:12; D&C 138:56; D&C 88:15; Moses 4:1-4; Abr 3:22-26[4] Gen 1:28; 1 Peter 1:19-20; Ne 5:11; 2 Ne 9:6; 2 Nephi 2:22-27; Mosiah 4:7; Mosiah 16:3-15; Alma 7:10-13; Alma 12:22; Alma 22:13; Alma 42:10; Mormon 9:12; Moses 5:11; D&C 19; Moses 4:2[5] Job 32:8; 3 Ne 1:13; Ether 3:17; D&C 88:15-16[6] Abr 3:25[7] Eph 4:19; John 8:12; Romans 10:17; 1 Ne 17:45; Alma 32:28; He 15:7-8; Moroni 7:19; Ether 3:9-20[8] Gen 3:5; Matt 5:48, 2 Ne 2:18; 2 Nephi 2:25-27; 3 Ne 12:48; Moroni 7:16; Ether 12:27; D&C 130:18-19; Moses 3:9; Moses 5:11; Abr 3:26; Abr 5:9[9] Rom 16:26; Ex 18:20; Eph 4:11; 2 Tim 3:16; Heb 12:9; 1 Ne 19:23; 2 Ne 2:25-27; Alma 42:16; D&C 10:5[10] D&C 13; D&C 27:8, 12-13; 128:20; JSH 1:72[11] Matt 16:18, 19; D&C 28:2, 7; D&C 107:18; 110:11-16; 128:10, 20; 132:7; JSH 1:72[12] Rom 13:1-2; Luke 24:49; D&C 38:32; 43:16; 84:20-22; 95:8; 124:39; 128:8; D&C 138[13] Matt 19:16; John 3:16; 1 John 2:25; 2 Ne 2:27; 3 Ne 15:9; D&C 14:7; D&C 84:38; D&C 132:19-25[14] Alma 13[15] Moses 6:63 And behold, all things have their likeness, and all things are created and made to bear record of me, both things which are temporal, and things which are spiritual; things which are in the heavens above, and things which are on the earth, and things which are in the earth, and things which are under the earth, both above and beneath: all things bear record of me.[16] D&C 130:19[17] James 1:12-14 We are tried through temptation of our own. God does not tempt us. JST Heb 11:40 and James 1:3 tells us that through the trying of our faith and suffering, we can be made perfect in patience and then other attributes of Christ.[18] D&C 29:35-36[19] Matt. 22:36-40[20] Boyd K. Packer, “Personal Revelation: The Gift, the Test, and the Promise, Ensign, Nov. 1994, 59