INTELLIGENCES AND PROGRESS.
| ANALYSIS. | REFERENCES |
| I. Intelligences Differ in Degree of— 1. Intelligence. 2. Nobility. 3. Greatness. 4. Moral quality. | Book of Abraham, Ch. iii; Book of Moses (in Pearl of Great Price), Ch. i:25-38. New Witnesses for God, Vol. III, pp. 198-207. |
| II. The "One" "Greater than All"—God. 1. Where Intelligences differ in degree there must be One Most Intelligent of all. 2. His greatness immeasurable. | King Follett Sermon, Improvement Era, January, 1909. Immortality of Man, Improvement Era, April 1907. Doc. & Cov., Sec. 93 and Sec. 88. |
| III. Capacity of Intelligences for Progress. 1. Inherent Powers of, 2. Led and helped in Progress by Higher Intelligences. | Seventy's Year Book II, Lessons II and III. |
| IV. Union of Spirit and Earth-Elements Essential to Progress of Intelligences. |
SPECIAL TEXT: "They who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate, shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever." (Book of Abraham, Ch. iii:24-26.)
DISCUSSION.
1. The Varying Degrees of Intelligence Among Intelligences: We are already made aware of the fact in the preceding lessons that though Intelligences are equal in eternity of existence, it does not follow that they are equal in degree of intelligence. (Lesson II. Subdivision 4.) "If two things exist," said the Lord to Abraham, and there be one above the other, there shall be greater things above them. * * * 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."[A]
Not only do intelligences differ in regard to the degree of intelligence, but they differ also in moral quality and greatness and nobility.
"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."[A]
[Footnote A: Book of Abraham, Ch. iii.]
The "among all these were many of the noble and great ones;" and "he saw that they were good," clearly manifests that reference is made to capacity, to largeness of mind-power, and to moral quality; and from among these "noble and great ones," shall the "rulers" come. Abraham was a type of the "noble and great ones," and was chosen before he was born, and assigned to the part he took in his earth life, and is known preeminently as the "friend of God," the "Father of the faithful." Similarly was Jeremiah foreknown and foreordained to be a Prophet (Jeremiah i:5); so, too, was St. John, the friend of Jesus, (I Nephi, xiv:18-27). So also the Christ was chosen and his mission appointed—he was "the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the World" (Rev. xiii:8). And in his great prayer, before his passion, he said: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."[A]
[Footnote A: St. John xvii:5.]