"If two things exist and there be one above the other, there shall be greater things above them. * * * If there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal" (Book of Abraham, Chs. 3, 16, 18).

To this may be added the teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith who, in the closing days of his earthly ministry, dwelt much upon this subject and treated it with great emphasis. At the conference of the Church at Nauvoo in April, 1844, in a sermon, he said.

"The soul—the mind of man—the immortal spirit—where did it come from? All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning, but it is not so; the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the doctrine. I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world, for God has told me so, if you don't believe me, it will not make the truth without effect We say that God himself is a self-existent being. Who told you so? It is correct enough, but how did it get into your head? Who told you that man did not exists in like manner, upon the same principles? Man does exist upon the same principles. * * * The mind or the intelligence which man possess is co-equal, [co-eternal][A] with God himself. I know my testimony is true. * * * I am dwelling on the immorality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it (i. e., the intelligence) had a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were no spirits, for they are co-equal [co-eternal] with our Father in heaven. * * * Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age and there is no creation about it. * * * The first principles of a man are self-existent with God."[B]

[Footnote A: The Prophet could not have intended to teach that the intelligence in man was "co-equal with God," except as to being co-equal in eternity with God, since the Book of Abraham teaches that God is more intelligent than all other intelligences (Ch. iii:19), and the Prophet himself taught the same truth. Hence the insertion of the word above in brackets. It must be remembered that the report of this discourse was not stenographic and this was doubtless a verbal error, due to imperfect reporting.]

[Footnote B: King Follett Sermon, April, 1844, "Improvement Era," Vol. XII, Jan. 1909. Also "Journal of Discourses," Vol. VI.]

5. Words used Interchangeably: Here it is necessary to repeat with some additions, what was said in Year Book II, on the use of words interchangeably: It is often the case that misconceptions arise through a careless use of words, and through using words interchangeably, without regard to shades of differences that attach to them; and this in the scriptures as in other writings. Indeed, this fault is more frequent in the scriptures perhaps than in any other writings for the reason that, for the most part, they are composed by men who did not aim at scientific exactness in the use of words. They were not in most cases equal to such precision in the use of language, in the first place; and in the second, they depended more upon the general tenor of what they wrote for making truth apparent than upon technical precision in a choice of words; ideas, not niceness of expression, was the burden of their souls; thought, not its dress. Hence, in scripture, and I might say especially in modern scripture, a lack of careful or precise choice of words, a large dependence upon the general tenor of what is written to convey the truth, a wide range in using words interchangeably that are not always exact equivalents, are characteristics. Thus the expression, "Kingdom of God," "Kingdom of Heaven," "the Whole Family in Heaven," "the Church of Christ," "the Church of God," are often used interchangeably for the Church of Christ when they are not always equivalents; so, too, are used the terms "Spirit of God," and "Holy Ghost;" "Spirit of Christ," and "the Holy Ghost;" "Spirit," and "Soul;" "intelligences," and "spirits," and "angels." I mention this in passing, because I believe many of the differences of opinion and much of the confusion of ideas that exist arise out of our not recognizing, or our not remembering these facts. Hereafter let the student be on his guard in relation to the use of the words "intelligences," "spirits," "soul," "mind," etc.; and he will find his way out of many a difficulty.

Let the closing part of the quotation from the Prophet's discourse above be considered in the light of the suggestions made here respecting the use of words interchangeably. It is observed that he uses the words "Intelligence" and "spirit" interchangeably—one for the other; and yet we can discern that it is the "intelligence of spirits," not "spirits" entire (see next subdivision) that is the subject of his thought. It is the "Intelligence of Spirits" that he declares uncreated and uncreatable—eternal as God is. The same interchangeable use of the terms is to be observed in the Book of Abraham (Ch. iii:16-28) and in other scriptures.

LESSON III.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)

INTELLIGENCES AND SPIRITS.