Thoughts – what are they?

[Traveler]

As a scientist I find thoughts most interesting. I can understand thoughts that come as memories stored in our brains but how do we physically generate a thought or idea that did not previously exist in our conscious or even in our subconscious?

Is there a part of us that has telepathic capabilities connecting us to thoughts that exist outside of ourselves? It has been said, “I think, therefore I am”. Is it possible that thinking proves intelligence beyond ourselves?

The Traveler

[bytor2112]

The great war against sin is fought in the theater of the mind.....controlling or changing one's thoughts is critical to salvation. The different stimulus that our brains recieve spark much of the thoughts that stay in the forefront. Best to be stimulated by the uplifting and positive......

What about dreams? Oh my.....I have had dreams that make me cringe...where the heck did that come from??

[Misshalfway]

Forgive me if I am leaving the intent of the OP, but when I read it all I could think about was how communication is only 10% verbal and how you really can feel energy from others without having spoken a word. I think we can kinda know what another is thinking and feeling to some degree.

Every time I think about those "original thoughts" that come to my mind, I generally attribute that to the spirit to some degree.

[bytor2112]

Misshalfway....don't you think that is why so many people are either hung up on scientific evidence or Bible only belief systems...because they are not learning by the spirit...feeling his communication of truths? If I only rely on my own logic and reason and ignore that special something we know is the Spirit...where does that lead?

[Misshalfway]

I actually do, Bytor. I have thought that for a long time. I feel like, well when I am doing my prereq's :), that the Spirit teaches me so many things and some of them....important ones at that.....are ideas I never thought of before. And in some cases have given me information and direction and insight I would never have been able to receive otherwise.

I believe that it is these very processes that guide discovery on this earth, only perhaps man takes the credit. :)

[bmy-]

The thing that always gets me.. say you're walking in a crowded mall. You look over your shoulder and make eye contact with someone who is looking over their shoulder. You know each other fairly well.

It's just weird. You can 'feel' it.

[MarginOfError]

I'm sorry. I'd love to contribute, but the experience of thought is so far outside my realm of experience that I just wouldn't know what to say. :-)

What is thought? Does it exist on the quantum level? Is it controlled my an exchange of electrons? Is it an inherent characteristic of matter? So my pet rock really does has an opinion of me?

[Hemidakota]

IMHO - thoughts are being generated from the intelligence portion of the soul....

[Hemidakota]

I'm sorry. I'd love to contribute, but the experience of thought is so far outside my realm of experience that I just wouldn't know what to say. :-)

What is thought? Does it exist on the quantum level? Is it controlled my an exchange of electrons? Is it an inherent characteristic of matter? So my pet rock really does has an opinion of me?

Imagine if each atom has an lead "I AM". In turned, the physical attribute of each Atom, is more like our physical universe?

[Bookmeister]

I thought that I knew I was thinking...but now I'm thinking about what I thought.

I think.

[HiJolly]

IMHO - thoughts are being generated from the intelligence portion of the soul....

intelligence emotes, and requires the limitation of emanation (Malkuth) to convert the emotions (or, expression of Will) into linguistic symbols, which we call thought.

HiJolly

Edited September 11, 2008 by HiJolly

[Traveler]

While we are considering thoughts - here is something else to think about. As you consider your own thoughts have you noticed that they are understood or expressed through a (or the) language to which you are very familiar? This means that from whatever “well” we draw our ideas from that we must either connect to them in our native tongue or somehow our mind is processing them for us so that we can understand in our own language. This then begs the question concerning the thoughts among our children that have not mastered language.

This is of great interest to me because in my travels I have met, on many occasions, with someone that I could not converse because we had no common language. And yet we were still able to communicate. In each case I understood in my own language what we communicated. I also find that thoughts connected with emotions are the most easily conveyed in such circumstances.

I would like to suggest a couple of things.

First that thought can have a source outside of an individual

And Second: that the source of some of our thoughts could be another person and that when there is understanding – it is likely beyond speech and maybe even without speech.

The Traveler

[Nibowaka]

What came to my mind is something David O McKay used to quote:

Sow a thought, reap an action;

Sow an action; reap a habit;

Sow a habit; reap a character;

Sow a character; reap an eternal destiny.

[Misshalfway]

Or...

"As a man thinketh, so is he."

[Yekcidmij]

As a scientist I find thoughts most interesting. I can understand thoughts that come as memories stored in our brains but how do we physically generate a thought or idea that did not previously exist in our conscious or even in our subconscious?

Is there a part of us that has telepathic capabilities connecting us to thoughts that exist outside of ourselves? It has been said, “I think, therefore I am”. Is it possible that thinking proves intelligence beyond ourselves?

The Traveler

That's a good question, and a deep one. It's a really tough philosophy question. What is a belief? What is a thought?

Decartes "I think therefore I am" is fallacious. He assumes there is an "I", assumes what he wants to prove, to do the thinking and so begs his question.

1) I think -> I am

2) I think

3) Therefore I am

What he should have done is say 'thinking is occuring' and then try to get from there to "I am":

1) I think -> I am

2) thinking (thinking is occuring)

3) therefore, ?

Decartes tried to doubt everything, but ultimately was just unable to be consistent.

I think the quick answer is that there is a "spiritual"/"soul" ascpect of us that has been created by God and in His image. We are created with cognative faculties designed by God that are designed to work in the environment (broadly speaking) that we find ourselves in and are meant to function properly at exploring, discovering, and glorifying God and being stewards of His creation by trying to form true beliefs and form thoughts that lead us to true beliefs.

I dunno, that's kind of what I think.

Edited September 11, 2008 by Yekcidmij

[Justice]

They come from our spirit, at least that's my opinion. Our spirit is not dead when it inhabits our physical body. But, somehow it is veiled or limited from it's full potential.

In fact, it is interesting how our physical senses limit what our spirits can "feel, see, hear, touch, and smell" to primarily one thing.

Have you ever tried to focus your eyes on more than one thing?

You know how when you're hurt, then you get hurt more somewhere else, you really can't feel the lesser pain?

Have you ever been in a crowded room tying to comprehend multiple conversations at once?

Have you ever noticed when eating a combined-flavored food, like strawberry-banana, you can recognize a "new" combined taste, or each individual taste one at a time, but not so much both at once?

Anyway, I believe our bodies were designed to keep us focused on one thing while on earth. I believe this makes it much easier for us to recognize our remorse and repent, and helps us keep our focus on the eternal. This set up automatically blocks out multiple distractions and allows us to deal with one distraction at a time, which makes it much easier to make a right or wrong choice.

Anyway, just some thoughts I've always had.

[Hemidakota]

Food for thought:

Intelligence + Spirit Body + Mortal Body = SOUL

[Bookmeister]

Well, I thought so.

[HiJolly]

Food for thought:

Intelligence + Spirit Body + Mortal Body = SOUL

Ok, that's the doctrinal view from the Doctrine & Covenants.

Now, how does that relate in each aspect to how that state/level of development expresses consciousness?

And what is the mechanism for that consciousness to express itself/hiself/herself?

I personally don't think a pre-mortal body intelligence has thought, getting back to the OP. And I think it unlikely that a pre-spirit body intelligence has thought either, unless you want to discuss heretical beliefs...

And I think there is a connection between this whole discussion and why we had to come to earth before we could do all the things our Heavenly Parents do...

HiJolly

[Xenithar]

I think that good thoughts come as inspiration from heaven, including intentions to do good and to think positive things, as well as have inspiration to create good things for the benefit of others. I suppose I could include our ability to wonder about things, instead of just knowing or not knowing.

I can't say how we have our thoughts-we've always had intelligence, even before we came to earth. It's one of those things that may only be answered when we return to God.

That's just my take on it :3

[Bookmeister]

I thinkith I am, I thinkith I am, I thinkith I am.

[Hemidakota]

Thoughts about Thoughts by DEAN L. LARSEN

Thoughts about Thoughts - Dean L. Larsen

More food for the thought regarding what is intelligence by Daniel G. Ludlow...

The Final Frontier: The Spirit

The title of this discussion is "The Final Frontier: The Spirit." To help us all understand how I will use the words in this title, I will begin with a few definitions from Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged.

Final

1. "pertaining to time sequence."

2. "relating to the purpose or ultimate end in view."

3. "relating to or occurring at the end or conclusion; last; concluding; terminating."

My first inclination was to use the term last frontier rather than final frontier, but the word last didn't seem as conclusive as the word final.

Frontier

"an area (as of thought or investigation) that constitutes the most advanced or unexploited field or line of inquiry with respect to a particular subject; the farthermost limits of knowledge or achievement."

Spirit

1. "the breath of life: the animating or vital principle giving life to physical organisms."

2. "a supernatural, incorporeal, rational being or personality."

3. "the active essence of the Deity serving as an invisible and life-giving or inspiring power in motion; one manifestation of the divine nature."

4. "the immaterial intelligent or sentient part of a person: the vital principle in man coming as a gift from God and providing one's personality with its inward structure, dynamic drive, and creative response to the demands it encounters in the process of becoming."

There are twenty-five definitions of spirit in the unabridged dictionary. I chose those that had the closest meanings to our discussion. Other words I considered as the final word of the title were ego, intelligence, and mind. However, I finally decided on the word spirit after reviewing scriptural references to these four words.

For example, the word ego is not used a single time in any of the standard works of the Church.

The words intelligence and intelligences are used only once in the Bible (Daniel 11:30) and thirteen times in the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price.

Although the word mind is used frequently in both the Bible and modern scriptures, it often is used with varying meanings, as indicated by the twenty-three different Hebrew and Greek words translated as mind in the King James Version.

The words spirit and spirits are found many times in the scriptures—over 250 times in the Old Testament, 280 times in the New Testament, 294 times in the Book of Mormon, 198 times in the Doctrine and Covenants, and 31 times in the Pearl of Great Price. The Old Testament words translated as spirit come from two basic Hebrew and Chaldee roots: ruwach (roo'akh) and n'shamah (nesh-aw-mah). The Greek word usually translated as spirit in the New Testament is pneuma (pnyoo'mah). The basic meanings of these root words are "rational soul," "vital principle," and "mental disposition."

When I analyzed the 523 references to spirit in modern scriptures, I concluded the word is used in at least four major senses:

1. As unorganized matter, or as pure intelligence (D&C 131:7).

2. As organized matter, or as organized intelligence; in this state it might also be called a "personage of spirit" as it includes a spiritual body which is the offspring of Deity (Abraham 3:22-23).

3. As emanating power from God through the influence of the Holy Ghost (D&C 76:12, 18).

4. As Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost, who does not have "a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us" (D&C 130:22).

In this discussion, I will primarily be using the word spirit in the sense of "organized intelligence" or "personage of spirit." This is the state of the spirit that now animates each of us as part of mankind; thus I might also refer to it as "man's spirit." However, in some quotations from the scriptures and the Brethren, the term might be used in some of the other senses. Note these selected usages from the various scriptures:

Old Testament

" . . . the God of the spirits of all flesh" (Numbers 16:22; 27:16).

There is "a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding" (Job 32:8). Note that both ruwach (translated as "spirit") and n'shamah (translated as "inspiration") appear in this one verse.

"He . . . that ruleth his spirit [is better] than he that taketh a city" (Proverbs 16:32).

New Testament

" . . . the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41).

" . . . and her spirit came again" (Luke 8:55, speaking of the Savior's restoring of life to the daughter of Jairus, "a ruler of the synagogue").

" . . . into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46).

They thought "they had seen a spirit [but] . . . a spirit hath not flesh and bones" (Luke 24:37, 39).

Book of Mormon

"And while I was thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind again" (Enos 1:10).

"The spirit and the body shall be reunited again in its perfect form; both limb and joint shall be restored to its proper frame, even as we now are at this time" (Alma 11:43).

"Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh" (Ether 3:16).

Doctrine and Covenants

"Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit" (D&C 19:18).

"And the spirit and the body are the soul of man. And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul" (D&C 88:15-16).

Pearl of Great Price

"Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was. . . . And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood . . . among those that were spirits" (Abraham 3:22-23).

"And the Gods formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit (that is, the man's spirit), and put it into him; and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul. And the Gods planted a garden, eastward in Eden, and there they put the man whose spirit they had put into the body which they had formed" (Abraham 5:7-8).

Explanation of the Word Spirit

After reviewing these dictionary and scriptural uses of the word spirit, we can see why we need to explain as clearly as possible how the word will be used in this discussion. Maybe the meaning can be described better than it can be defined:

1. It is the life-giving force of our existence.

2. It is that part of our being with which we do our thinking.

3. It is our "will" or "power-to-make-decisions" capability.

4. It is the part of us that distinguishes each of us from every other person who has ever lived on this earth, who is now living on this earth, or who will ever live on this earth. There are no identical twins so far as personages of spirit are concerned (see Abraham 3:18-19)!

With these descriptions, perhaps you can see why I believe a full understanding of the spirit will be the final frontier. Because everything eventually can be conceived or understood only through the spirit, the spirit itself will be the last to be fully understood. The creation is not greater than the power or force that created it. The thing thought of cannot be greater than the thinker.

I hope none of you expected me to tell you precisely what the spirit is, exactly how it functions, or what its full capabilities really are. Frankly, I have never been able to figure out a relatively simple problem, such as which came first, the chicken or the egg. I will not attempt any new or profound definitions or explanations of this mysterious, but real, life-giving force called the spirit. Statements from recent Church leaders confirm the futility of trying to go beyond what God has revealed about our pre-earthly existence and this power called spirit. The First Presidency wrote in 1912: "The First Presidency have nothing to advance concerning pre-existing states but that which is contained in the revelations to the Church. The written standards of scripture show that all people who come to this earth and are born in mortality had a pre-existent, spiritual personality as the sons or daughters of the Eternal Father. . . . A spirit born of God is an immortal being." 1

President Joseph Fielding Smith observed: "Some of our writers have endeavored to explain what an intelligence is, but to do so is futile, for we have never been given any insight into this matter beyond what the Lord has fragmentarily revealed. We know, however, that there is something called intelligence which always existed. It is the real eternal part of man, which was not created or made. This intelligence combined with the spirit constitutes a spiritual identity or individual. The spirit of man, then, is a combination of the intelligence and the spirit which is an entity begotten of God." 2

Simply because we cannot fully define or explain the spirit does not mean we should not discuss it and analyze some of its properties and characteristics. Perhaps two brief examples would help demonstrate why we should discuss this power even though we cannot fully define it.

First, an example related to the creation: scientists and religionists disagree violently, even among themselves, as to how and when the earth was created. Certainly they cannot all be right in their theories and interpretations because they differ so widely—and they might all be wrong. I have been intrigued by the following statement, which indicates the full knowledge of the creation will not be on the earth until the Savior restores it at the time of his second coming. "In that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things . . . hidden things which no man knew, things of the earth, by which it was made, and the purpose and the end thereof" (D&C 101:32-33).

Even though we do not understand the manner of the creation of the earth and its elements, does that mean we should not study what we can concerning these subjects and utilize the elements of the earth to improve the quality of life on the earth? I don't think so.

Second, an example related to electricity: I do not know of any scientist who claims he can fully define electricity or even completely explain how the power of electricity is transmitted from one place to another. Surely, this lack of ability to define the power or to explain all of its manifestations must not keep us from learning what we can about electricity and from using it to heat, cool, clean, and light our homes; to cook, preserve, and freeze our foods; to power our machines and our communications and transportation systems. We would be foolish if we did not study or use electricity simply because we do not understand it fully.

This belief prompts me to examine and analyze some of the characteristics, attributes, functions, and powers of man's spirit. In doing this, I will use multiple witnesses, as recommended by the Lord: "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every truth be established" (2 Corinthians 13:1; see also Deuteronomy 17:6).

[Hemidakota]

Part 2 .....

characteristics, Attributes, Functions, And Powers Of Man's Spirit

when I Started To List The Characteristics, Attributes, Functions, And Powers Of Man's Spirit, I Realized How Much Of This Information Comes From Modern Scriptures And Prophets. The Ideas Presented Today Probably Would Not Be Understood Or Accepted By Any Group Except Latter-day Saints. Yet These Principles Were Taught To Adam And Eve Shortly After They Were Driven From The Garden Of Eden. They, In Turn, Taught Them To Their Descendants.

my Initial List Contained More Than A Score Of Items, But I Have Combined Some And Deleted Others To Concentrate On Only Six.

1. man's Spirit Has Always Existed And Will Always Exist. It Operates On A Self-existent Principle And Can Be Neither Created Nor Destroyed.

the Lord Has Taught The Eternal Nature Of The Spirit Or Intelligence As Follows:

"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" (d&c 93:29-30).

"these . . . Spirits . . . Have No Beginning; They Existed Before, They Shall Have No End, They Shall Exist After, For They Are . . . Eternal" (abraham 3:18).

as The Writer Of Proverbs 8 Declared: "i Was . . . From Everlasting, From The Beginning, Or Ever The Earth Was" (proverbs 8:23).

the Prophet Joseph Smith Defined This Power, Or Essence, Or Entity By Saying:

"the Mind [spirit] Or The Intelligence Which Man Possesses Is Co-equal With God Himself. . . . I Am Dwelling On The Immortality Of The Spirit Of Man. Is It Logical To Say That The Intelligence Of Spirits Is Immortal, And Yet That It 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 Not Spirits; For They Are Co-equal [coeternal] 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." 3

"the Spirit Of Man Is Not A Created Being; It Existed From Eternity, And Will Exist To Eternity." 4

"spirit Is A Substance; . . . It Is Material, But . . . It Is More Pure, Elastic And Refined Matter Than The Body; . . . It Existed Before The Body, Can Exist In The Body; And Will Exist Separate From The Body, When The Body Will Be Mouldering In The Dust; And Will In The Resurrection, Be Again United With It." 5

2. the Spirit Can Remember Everything It Has Learned.

this Characteristic Might Come As A Surprise To Those Of Us Who Have Difficulty Remembering Our Social Security And Home Telephone Numbers. Nevertheless, The Ability Of The Spirit To Remember Everything It Has Learned Is Now Accepted By Many. The Institute Of Advanced Thinking Has Written The Following Concerning The Memory:

"the Function Of Memory In Your Life Is Not Only Quite Remarkable, It Is Vitally Necessary To Your Survival As A Human Being. It Is Your Memory That Stores Up Your Past Experiences, Enabling You To Function Swiftly And Automatically Without 'taking Thought' Or Starting From The Beginning In Everything You Do;

. . . If It Were Not For Memory, Everything You Take For Granted—such As Remembering Your Own Name As Well As The Names Of Your Friends And Relatives, The Street Where You Live, Your Telephone Number, Where You Work, Driving Your Car, What You Had For Dinner—all Would Require The Necessity Of Being 're-learned' Or Keeping Endless Written And Taped Records For Constant Referral.

"there Are Literally Thousands Of Important 'little' Items Of Information And Concepts In The Daily Routine Of The Average Person Which Require Remembering And Automatic Responses. Even The Performance Of The Simplest Activities You Do—walking, Talking, Eating, Reading, Shopping, And So On And Ad Infinitum—are All Part Of Your Earlier Conditioning And As Part Of Your Memory Storehouse Of 'how To' Information, Permits You To Perform Countless Tasks Automatically And Naturally Without Actual Concentration Or Conscious Thought." 6

mark Van Doren Has Observed: "memory Performs The Impossible For Man; Holds Together Past And Present, Gives Continuity And Dignity To Human Life. This Is The Companion, This Is The Tutor, The Poet, The Library, With Which You Travel." 7

however, We Must Recognize That Our Spirits Presently Are Operating Under The Limitations Of The "veil Of Forgetfulness" That Is Part Of Our Mortal Probation. Many Things We Knew In Our Pre-earthly Life Are Withheld From Us. As Paul Observed: "now We See Through A Glass, Darkly; . . . Now I Know In Part" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

also, Our Spirits May Not Be Able To Recall Everything We Have Learned Since Our Births Into Mortality Because They Are Limited By Our Imperfect, Mortal, Physical Bodies. Yet The Information Is Still "stored" And Available For Recall And Use. I Am Using Computer Terms To Describe This Tremendous Capability Of Our Spirits, But The Wonders Of The Computer Are Insignificant Compared To The Capabilities Of Our Spirits In Storing And Recalling Information. Again, The Creation Can Never Be Greater Than The Creator, Nor The Thing Thought Of Greater Than The Thinker!

regarding Our Ability To Remember, President Joseph F. Smith Wrote: "in Reality A Man Cannot Forget Anything[.] He May Have A Lapse Of Memory; He May Not Be Able To Recall At The Moment A Thing That He Knows, Or Words That He Has Spoken; He May Not Have The Power At His Will To Call Up These Events And Words; But Let God Almighty Touch The Mainspring Of The Memory, And Awaken Recollection, And You Will Find Then That You Have Not Even Forgotten A Single Idle Word That You Have Spoken!" 8

think Of The Implications Of This Characteristic Of The Spirit! Should It Help Us Decide What Movies To Attend, What Tv Shows To Watch, What Books Or Magazines To Read? Those Who Wrongly Claim That Viewing Pornographic Materials Or Shows Depicting Violence And Depravity Is Not Harmful Do Not Understand The Capability Of The Spirit To Remember Everything It Has Seen, Heard, Or Felt.

3. man's Spirit Has The Capability Of "direct, On-line" Communication With An Omniscient (all-knowing) Being.

when We Were Born On This Earth, An All-wise, All-knowing Father In Heaven Placed Over Our Minds A "veil Of Forgetfulness" So We Could Be Tested In This Mortal Existence. However, Our Heavenly Father Also Provided Communication Systems That (1) Enable Him To Maintain Contact With Us During This Mortal Probation And (2) Enable Us To Communicate With Him.

our Heavenly Father Can Keep In Touch With Us By Revelation, Including The More Quite Forms Of Inspiration. When Our Spirits Are In Tune With The Spirit Of Our Heavenly Father, We Can Receive Knowledge Directly From Him Through The Power Of The Holy Ghost. This Is How The Lord Reveals His Mind And Will To His Prophets. "and Whatsoever They Shall Speak When Moved Upon By The Holy Ghost Shall Be Scripture, Shall Be The Will Of The Lord, Shall Be The Mind Of The Lord, Shall Be The Word Of The Lord, Shall Be The Voice Of The Lord, And The Power Of God Unto Salvation" (d&c 68:4).

the Means Our Heavenly Father Provides For Us To Keep In Touch With Him Is Called Prayer. The Savior Indicated That If We "ask . . . Seek, And . . . Knock" (matthew 7:7) In Faith For That Which Is Right, It Shall Be Revealed Unto Us, And "by The Power Of The Holy Ghost Ye May Know The Truth Of All Things" (moroni 10:5). Notice This Promise In A Modern Scripture:

"assuredly As The Lord Liveth, Who Is Your God And Your Redeemer, Even So Surely Shall You Receive A Knowledge Of Whatsoever Things You Shall Ask In Faith, With An Honest Heart, Believing That You Shall Receive . . . Yea, Behold, I Will Tell You In Your Mind And In Your Heart, By The Holy Ghost, . . .

"now, Behold, This Is The Spirit Of Revelation; . . . Whatsoever You Shall Ask Me To Tell You By That Means, That Will I Grant Unto You, And You Shall Have Knowledge Concerning It" (d&c 8:1-3, 9).

4. through Its Direct On-line Communication Link With An Omniscient Being, Our Spirit Also Has Access To The Thoughts Of Other Spirits.

educators And Social Scientists Have Barely Scratched The Surface Of The Concept Of Extrasensory Perception And, In The Main, They Do Not Understand Its Principles. However, The Scriptures And Prophets Have Taught Clearly That The Holy Spirit Can Reveal To Our Spirits The Portion Of The Mind Of God That Enables Us To Detect The Thoughts And Motives Of Others. Note These Pertinent Statements From The Scriptures:

the Words Of Alma: "zeezrom, . . . Thou Hast Not Lied Unto Men Only But Thou Hast Lied Unto God; For Behold, He Knows All Thy Thoughts, And Thou Seest That Thy Thoughts Are Made Known Unto Us By His Spirit; . . .

"now When Alma Had Spoken These Words, Zeezrom Began To Tremble More Exceedingly, For He Was Convinced More And More Of The Power Of God; And He Was Also Convinced That Alma And Amulek Had A Knowledge Of Him, For He Was Convinced That They Knew The Thoughts And Intents Of His Heart; For Power Was Given Unto Them That They Might Know Of These Things According To The Spirit Of Prophecy" (alma 12:3, 7).

please Note, However, That Our Access To The Thoughts And Intents Of Others Is Made Possible Only Through The Power Of God's Spirit. This Protection Of Privacy Is Also Mentioned In Regard To The Urim And Thummim: "no Man Can Look In Them Except He Be Commanded, Lest He Should Look For That He Ought Not" (mosiah 8:13).

the Lord In The Doctrine And Covenants: "open Ye Your Ears And Hearken To The Voice Of The Lord Your God, . . . [who] Is A Discerner Of The Thoughts And Intents Of The Heart" (d&c 33:1).

"and Then Shall The . . . Angel Sound His Trump, And Reveal The Secret Acts Of Men, And The Thoughts And Intents Of Their Hearts" (d&c 88:109).

"behold, Thou Knowest That Thou Hast Inquired Of Me And I Did Enlighten Thy Mind; And Now I Tell Thee These Things That Thou Mayest Know That Thou Hast Been Enlightened By The Spirit Of Truth; Yea, I Tell Thee, That Thou Mayest Know That There Is None Else Save God That Knowest Thy Thoughts And The Intents Of Thy Heart" (d&c 6:15-16).

5. the Spirit Of A Mortal Man Or Woman Is Infinitely More Important Than The Mortal Physical Body. However, The Physical Body Is Very Important As It Serves As A Home For The Spirit.

one Of The Great Truths Restored In This Dispensation Is The Fact We All Have Dual Natures. We Have A Physical Body That Has Tremendous Capabilities. Through The Physical Senses We Can See, Hear, Talk, Touch, Smell, And Feel. However, The Scriptures And Our Experience Teach Us That The Physical Body Has No Power Or Life In And Of Itself. It Is The Spirit That "quickeneth" And Giveth Life, As Recorded In John 6:63. The Spirit Commands The Fingers To Move And They Move; The Spirit Commands The Feet To Walk And They Walk; The Spirit Assists The Eyes To See. Temporal Death Demonstrates This Fact. When The Physical Body Is Separated From The Spirit—its Life-giving Force—the Physical Body Has No Life In And Of Itself. As James 2:26 Records, "the Body Without The Spirit Is Dead."

the Lord Has Promised That Eventually The Spirit And The Body Will Be Reunited In A Resurrection, Never To Be Separated Again. At That Time, No Discussion Of The Relative Importance Of The Two Major Aspects Of Our Being Will Be Necessary Because They Will "no More Be Twain, But Will Be One." However, In This Mortal Life, When The Spirit And The Physical Body Can Be Separated, We Can See Clearly That The Spirit Is Infinitely More Important Than The Mortal Physical Body.

notice These Words Of The Savior: "fear Not Them Which Kill The Body, But Are Not Able To Kill The Soul: But Rather Fear Him Which Is Able To Destroy Both Soul And Body In Hell" (matthew 10:28).

"what Shall It Profit A Man, If He Shall Gain The Whole World, And Lose His Own Soul? Or What Shall A Man Give In Exchange For His Soul?" (mark 8:36-37).

note Also These Words From Joseph Smith: "i Do Not Regard My Own Life. I Am Ready To Be Offered A Sacrifice For This People; For What Can Our Enemies Do? Only Kill The Body, And Their Power Is Then At An End. Stand Firm, My Friends; Never Flinch. Do Not Seek To Save Your Lives, For He That Is Afraid To Die For The Truth, Will Lose Eternal Life. Hold Out To The End, And We Shall Be Resurrected And Become Like Gods, And Reign In Celestial Kingdoms, Principalities, And Eternal Dominions." 9

when Our Physical Bodies House Our Spirits They Are Extremely Important. As Indicated By Paul, The Physical Body Serves As The "temple" Of Our Spirit And Also Of The Spirit Of God: "know Ye Not That Ye Are The Temple Of God, And That The Spirit Of God Dwelleth In You? . . . The Temple Of God Is Holy, Which Temple Ye Are" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

"therefore Glorify God In Your Body, And In Your Spirit, Which Are God's (1 Corinthians 6:20).

president Harold B. Lee Emphasized The Importance Of Knowing The Relationship Between The Spirit And The Body. At The End Of A Talk On This Subject, He Said: "i Trust That I Might Have [said] Something To Stimulate Some Sober Thinking As To Who You Are And From Whence You Came; And, In So Doing, That I May Have Stirred Up Within Your Soul The Determination To Begin Now To Show An Increased Self-respect And Reverence For The Temple Of God, Your Human Body, Wherein Dwells A Heavenly Spirit. I Would Charge You To . . . Begin Today To Live Closer To Those Ideals Which Will Make Your Life Happier And More Fruitful Because Of An Awakened Realization Of Who You Are."10

6. man's Spirit Is Not Limited By Either Time Or Space.

because Of Physical Laws, Our Physical Bodies Can Be In Only One Place At One Time. Although The Spirit Is Restricted Within The Physical Body So Far As Location Is Concerned, It Is Not Restricted In Thought And Memory So Far As Time And Space Are Concerned. As William Henry Davies, The British Poet (1871-1940), Stated: "no Matter Where The Body Is, The Mind Is Free To Go Elsewhere." When This Attribute Of The Spirit Is Combined With The Characteristics Mentioned Earlier (such As The Capability Of "direct, On-line Communication" With God) And When We Remember That All Things Past, Present, And Future Are Continually Before The Lord (d&c 130:7), It Is Evident That Man's Spirit Has The Potential, Through The Holy Spirit, To Know At One Time All Things Past, Present, And Future. As Alma Stated, "the Spirit Knoweth All Things" (alma 7:13).

jacob Adds His Supporting Testimony: "the Spirit Speaketh The Truth And Lieth Not. Wherefore, It Speaketh Of Things As They Really Are, And Of Things As They Really Will Be; Wherefore, These Things Are Manifested Unto Us Plainly, For The Salvation Of Our Souls" (jacob 4:13).

after Nephi Tells Of His Experience Of Being Caught Up By The Spirit And Seeing The Happenings On The Earth Until The Winding Up Scenes, He Observed, "by The Spirit Are All Things Made Known Unto The Prophets, Which Shall Come Upon The Children Of Men According To The Flesh" (1 Nephi 22:2).

the Role Of Our Spirit In Helping Us Achieve The Purposes Of Our Mortal Probation

another Way To Analyze And Appreciate The Characteristics And Potential Of The Spirit Is To Review The Vital Role It Plays In Accomplishing The Purposes Of This Mortal Probation And In Achieving Our Potential. We Will Discuss Six Areas.

[Hemidakota]

Part 3 ....

1. a Major Purpose Of This Mortal Probation Is To Give Our Spirits The Opportunity To Learn To Control Physical Matter, Including Our Physical Bodies.

all Of Us Lived As Personages Of Spirit In The Presence Of Our Heavenly Father Before We Were Born On This Earth. In This Condition We Were Capable Of Tremendous Accomplishments. We Had Spiritual Bodies With Spiritual Eyes, Hands, And Feet. We Could Obey Spiritual Laws And Enjoy The Blessings Predicated Upon Such Obedience. However, A Whole World Of Blessings Based Upon Obedience To Physical Laws Was Denied To Us. As Part Of Our Progress, Our Heavenly Father Called Us Into A Grand Council. There He Proposed That A Physical World Be Created, That Physical Bodies Be Created For Each Of Us, And That Our Spiritual Bodies Be Placed In The Physical Bodies. We Would Then Become "living Souls"—a Combination Of Spirit Body And Physical Body. Our Heavenly Father Also Proposed That When We Were Born Into This World, We Would Have A "veil Of Forgetfulness" Placed Over Our Minds.

brigham Young Explained Why The Veil Is Necessary. "it Has Also Been Decreed By The Almighty That Spirits, Upon Taking Bodies, Shall Forget All They Had Known Previously, Or They Could Not Have A Day Of Trial— . . . In Darkness And Temptation, In Unbelief And Wickedness, To Prove Themselves Worthy Of Eternal Existence." 10

this Mortal, Physical Existence Is A Probationary State Where We Learn Through The Exercise Of Our Spirit To Keep All The Commandments Of Our Heavenly Father, Both Spiritual And Physical. Note The Following Statements From The Prophets Of This Dispensation Concerning This Subject:

joseph F. Smith: "man Is A Dual Being, Composed Of The Spirit Which Gives Life, Force, Intelligence And Capacity To Man, And The Body Which Is The Tenement Of The Spirit And Is Suited To Its Form, Adapted To Its Necessities, And Acts In Harmony With And To Its Utmost Capacity Yields Obedience To The Will Of The Spirit. The Two Combined Constitute The Soul. The Body Is Dependent Upon The Spirit, And The Spirit During Its Natural Occupancy Of The Body Is Subject To The Laws Which Apply To And Govern It In The Mortal State." 11

"we Have Come To Sojourn In The Flesh, To Obtain Tabernacles For Our Immortal Spirits." 12

john Taylor: "another Object That We Came Here For And Took Bodies Was To Propagate Our Species. For If It Is For Our Benefit To Come Here, It Is Also For The Benefit Of Others. Hence The First Commandment Given To Man Was To 'be Fruitful And Multiply, And Replenish The Earth' (genesis 1:28)." 13

brigham Young: "if Man Could Have Been Made Perfect, In His Double Capacity Of Body And Spirit, Without Passing Through The Ordeals Of Mortality, There Would Have Been No Necessity Of Our Coming Into This State Of Trial And Suffering. Could The Lord Have Glorified His Children In Spirit, Without A Body Like His Own, He No Doubt Would Have Done So." 14

this Concept Of The Physical Body Serving As A Temple For The Spirit Illustrates The Importance Of Commandments Such As The Word Of Wisdom, Which Appears To Pertain Primarily To The Physical Body But Which Is Comprised Of Spiritual, Eternal Laws. The Lord Has Declared: "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" (d&c 29:34).

some Have Felt That The Church Has Placed Too Much Emphasis On The Principles Contained In The Word Of Wisdom; But These Laws Are Good Tests To See Whether Our Spirits Are Proving Themselves Able And Worthy To Control Our Physical Bodies. We Came To Earth To Allow Our Spirits To Control Physical Matter, But Addiction To Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drugs Allows Physical Matter To Control Our Spirits. The Spirit, Not The Physical Body, Becomes Addicted—and This Is Contrary To The Purpose For Which We Came Upon The Earth.

2. another Major Purpose Of Mortality Is To Discipline Our Spirits And Our Physical Bodies To Willingly And Voluntarily Desire To Keep All The Commandments Of Our Heavenly Father.

the Invaluable Gift Of Free Agency Is Directly Associated With The Power Of Man's Spirit; This "decision-making" Power Of Our Being Was With Us In The Pre-earthly Existence And Was Exercised In The Grand Council. It Will Continue With Us Forever. Obviously, If We Have No Spirit (mind, Intelligence), We Have No Agency. And If We Have No Agency, We Have No Freedom Of Choice Or Even Opportunity Of Choice.

the Vital Principle Of Agency Proved To Be A Major Cause Of The Great War In Heaven, When "satan . . . Sought To Destroy The Agency Of Man" (moses 4:3). Fortunately, Those Of Us Here Today, Together With All Who Have Lived Or Will Yet Live On This Earth, Had Enough Confidence In Ourselves, And Enough Faith In The Plan Of Our Heavenly Father And In The Promised Atonement Of Jesus Christ, To Use Our "decision-making" Power To Support Our Heavenly Father's Plan Of Progression And Eternal Life. This Plan Depends Upon Our Freedom Or Right Of Choice, Our Power To Make Decisions, And The Exercise Of Our "will."

certainly A Major Reason For Our Mortal Probation, With Its "veil Of Forgetfulness," Is To See Whether Our Spirits Will Use Their Inherent "decision-making" Powers To Choose To Do Right.

notice This Pertinent Statement In The Council Of The Gods, Made Even Before The Foundations Of The Earth Were Laid: "and There Stood One Among Them That Was Like Unto God, And He Said Unto Those Who Were With Him: We Will Go Down, For There Is Space There, And We Will Take Of These Materials, And We Will Make An Earth Whereon These May Dwell; And We Will Prove Them Herewith, To See If They Will Do All Things Whatsoever The Lord Their God Shall Command Them; And 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" (abraham 3:24-26).

the Terms "first Estate" And "second Estate" Obviously Refer To Our Spirits, Not To Our Physical Bodies.

3. when The Spirit Leaves The Physical Body At The Time Of Temporal Death, It Continues To Exist And Operate On Spiritual Principles, And It Continues To Be "tried And Tested." The "second Estate" Begins With Physical Birth But It Does Not End With Physical Death; Rather, It Ends With The Resurrection And Final Judgment.

notice The Clear Words Of Alma On This Subject: "now, Concerning The State Of The Soul Between Death And The Resurrection—behold, It Has Been Made Known Unto Me By An Angel, That The Spirits Of All Men, As Soon As They Are Departed From This Mortal Body, Yea, The Spirits Of All Men, Whether They Be Good Or Evil, Are Taken Home To That God Who Gave Them Life. And Then Shall It Come To Pass, That The Spirits Of Those Who Are Righteous Are Received Into A State Of Happiness, Which Is Called Paradise, A State Of Rest, A State Of Peace, Where They Shall Rest From All Their Troubles And From All Care, And Sorrow" (alma 40:11-12).

joseph Smith Taught: "the Spirits Of The Just Are . . . Blessed In Their Departure To The World Of Spirits. Enveloped In Flaming Fire, They Are Not Far From Us, And Know And Understand Our Thoughts, Feelings, And Motions, And Are Often Pained Therewith." 15

concerning The Scripture In Alma, Brigham Young Explained: "it Reads That The Spirit Goes To God Who Gave It. Let Me Render This Scripture A Little Plainer; When The Spirits Leave Their Bodies They Are In The Presence Of Our Father And God, They Are Prepared Then To See, Hear And Understand Spiritual Things. But Where Is The Spirit World? It Is Incorporated Within This Celestial System. Can You See It With Your Natural Eyes? No. Can You See Spirits In This Room? No. Suppose The Lord Should Touch Your Eyes That You Might See, Could You Then See The Spirits? Yes, As Plainly As You Now See Bodies, As Did The Servant Of Elijah. If The Lord Would Permit It, And It Was His Will That It Should Be Done, You Could See The Spirits That Have Departed From This World, As Plainly As You Now See Bodies With Our Natural Eyes. . . .

"the Spirit World . . . Is On This Earth That Was Organized For The People That Have Lived And That Do And Will Live Upon It. No Other People Can Have It, And We Can Have No Other Kingdom Until We Are Prepared To Inhabit This Eternally." 16

these And Similar Teachings By The Prophets Indicate The Difference Between The "pre-earthly" Spirit World And The "postmortal" Spirit World. In The Post-earthly Spirit World, The Spirit Continues To Be Tested And Proven Until The "veil Of Forgetfulness" Is Removed Through Righteousness Or Until The Spirit And The Physical Body Are Reunited Through The Resurrection.

4. our Spirits Will Be Given Power To Join Eternally With Our Physical Bodies.

joseph F. Smith Taught: "what Is The Body Without The Spirit? It Is Lifeless Clay. What Is It That Affects This Lifeless Clay? It Is The Spirit, It Is The Immortal Part, The Eternal Being, That Existed Before It Came Here, That Exists Within Us, And That Will Continue To Exist, And That By And By Will Redeem These Tabernacles And Bring Them Forth Out Of The Graves." 17

john Taylor Said: "in The Resurrection, Both Body And Spirit Will Finally Be Reunited. . . . The Body Is Not Perfect Without The Spirit, Nor The Spirit Without The Body; It Takes The Two To Make A Perfect Man, For The Spirit Requires A Tabernacle, To Give It Power To Develop Itself And To Exalt It In The Scale Of Intelligence, Both In Time And Eternity." 18

the Degree Of Righteousness Achieved By The Spirit In This Mortal Life And In The Postmortal Spirit World Will Determine The Degree Of Glory To Which The Body Will Be Resurrected By The Power Of That Spirit.

the Lord Has Declared: "for Notwithstanding They Die, They Also Shall Rise Again. . . . They Who Are Of A Celestial Spirit Shall Receive The Same Body . . . , And Your Glory Shall Be That Glory By Which Your Bodies Are Quickened" (d&c 88:27-28).

note These Words Of Joseph F. Smith, The Sixth President Of The Church In This Dispensation: "when We Come Forth Out Of The Grave, . . . Our Spirits Shall Enter Into [our Bodies] Again, And They Shall Become Living Souls. . . . And Then Those Who Have . . . Been Subject And Obedient To The Celestial Law Will . . . Be Quickened By The Celestial Glory. And Those Who Have . . . Been Subject And Obedient To The Terrestrial Law Will . . . Be Quickened By The Terrestrial Glory. And Those Who Have . . . Been Subject And Obedient To The Telestial Law, Will . . . Be Quickened By A Telestial Glory." 19

president Spencer W. Kimball Taught: "there Will Be A Literal Resurrection, When This Live And Conscious Spirit Will Return To The Earth To Take Up Its Reconstructed And Resurrected Body . . . And The Soul, Composed Of The Resurrected Body And The Eternal Spirit, . . . Will Come Before The Great Judge To Receive Its Final Assignment For The Eternity." 20

only After The Resurrection Can We Achieve A Fulness Of Joy As Taught In This Scripture: "for Man Is Spirit. The Elements Are Eternal, And Spirit And Element, Inseparably Connected, Receive A Fulness Of Joy" (d&c 93:33).

5. because The Spirit Comprises The "will" And "decision-making" Ability Of Our Being, We Will Be Judged By Every Desire, Inclination, And Thought Of The Spirit. Thus, We Will Be Judged By Our Words, Actions, And Thoughts.

the Relationship Of The Spirit To The Final Judgment Provides A Good Opportunity To Review In Some Detail The Two Major Areas We Have Been Discussing: (1) The Various Characteristics Of The Spirit And (2) The Different Ways The Spirit Helps Us Achieve The Purposes Of Our Mortal, Physical Existence.

the Savior Taught: "a Good Man Out Of The Good Treasure Of The Heart Bringeth Forth Good Things: And An Evil Man Out Of The Evil Treasure Bringeth Forth Evil Things. But I Say Unto You, That Every Idle Word That Men Shall Speak, They Shall Give Account Thereof In The Day Of Judgment" (matthew 12:35-37).

king Benjamin Said: "if Ye Do Not Watch Yourselves, And Your Thoughts, And Your Words, And Your Deeds, And Observe The Commandments Of God . . . Even Unto The End Of Your Lives, Ye Must Perish. And Now, O Man, Remember, And Perish Not" (mosiah 4:30).

alma Added This Testimony: "our Words Will Condemn Us, Yea, All Our Works Will Condemn Us; We Shall Not Be Found Spotless; And Our Thoughts Will Also Condemn Us" (alma 12:14).

john Taylor Spoke Extensively On This Subject: "we May Succeed In Hiding Our Affairs From Men; But It Is Written That For Every Word And Every Secret Thought We Shall Have To Give An Account In The Day When Accounts Have To Be Rendered Before God, When Hypocrisy And Fraud Of Any Kind Will Not Avail Us; For By Our Words And By Our Works We Shall Be Justified, Or By Them We Shall Be Condemned." 21

"now, This Is . . . Remarkable. . . . Look At The Millions Of Human Beings That Inhabit This Earth, And That Have Inhabited It From The Creation Up To The Present Time. . . . Then, If We Could Discover The Thoughts And Reflections Of These Numerous Millions Of Human Beings, . . . It Is So Vast And Complicated . . . It Seems As If It Would Be Almost A Thing Impossible For God . . . To Comprehend The Whole, And Judge Of The Whole Correctly. How Shall This Be Done? My Understanding Of The Thing Is, That God Has Made Each Man A Register Within Himself, And Each Man Can Read His Own Register, So Far As He Enjoys His Perfect Faculties. . . .

" . . . Now, If You Are In Possession Of A Spirit Or Intellectuality Of That Kind, Whereby You Are Enabled To Read Your Own Acts, Do You Not Think That That Being Who Has Placed That Spirit And That Intelligence Within You Holds The Keys Of That Intelligence, And Can Read It Whenever He Pleases? Is Not That Philosophical, Reasonable, And Scriptural? I Think It Is. . . . Well, Then, Upon This Principle We Can Readily Perceive How The Lord Will Bring Into Judgment The Actions Of Men When He Shall Call Them Forth At The Last Day. . . .

" . . . Then The Secret Thoughts Of All Men Are Revealed Before Him With Whom We Have To Do; We Cannot Hide Them; It Would Be In Vain For A Man To Say Then, I Did Not Do So-and-so; The Command Would Be, Unravel And Read The Record Which He Has Made Of Himself, And Let It Testify In Relation To These Things, And All Could Gaze Upon It. If A Man Has Acted Fraudulently Against His Neighbor—has Committed . . .

adultery, Or Anything Else, And Wants To Cover It Up, That Record Will Stare Him In The Face, He Tells The Story Himself, And Bears Witness Against Himself. It Is Written That Jesus Will Judge Not After The Sight Of The Eye, Or After The Hearing Of The Ear, But With Righteousness Shall He Judge The Poor, And Reprove With Equity The Meek Of The Earth. It Is Not Because Somebody Has Seen Things, Or Heard Anything By Which A Man Will Be Judged And Condemned, But It Is Because That Record That Is Written By The Man Himself In The Tablets Of His Own Mind—that Record That Cannot Lie—will In That Day Be Unfolded Before God And Angels, And Those Who Shall Sit As Judges." 22

"if I Had Time To Enter Into This Subject Alone I Could Show You Upon Scientific Principles That Man Himself Is A Self-registering Machine, His Eyes, His Ears, His Nose, The Touch, The Taste, And All The Various Senses Of The Body, Are So Many Media Whereby Man Lays Up For Himself A Record Which Perhaps Nobody Else Is Acquainted With But Himself; And When The Time Comes For That Record To Be Unfolded All Men That Have Eyes To See, And Ears To Hear, Will Be Able To Read All Things As God Himself Reads Them And Comprehends Them, And All Things, We Are Told, Are Naked And Open Before Him With Whom We Have To Do." 23

brigham Young Said: "each And Every Intelligent Being Will Be Judged According To The Deeds Done In The Body, According To His Works, Faith, Desires, And Honesty Or Dishonesty Before God; Every trait Of His Character Will Receive Its Just Merit Or Demerit, And He Will Be Judged According To The Law Of Heaven." 24

[Hemidakota]

PART 4 [final]

In concluding our discussion of being judged by our words, actions, and thoughts, we should note the promise of the Lord: "He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more" (D&C 58:42).

Those bad thoughts, words, and actions that might have condemned us but of which we have fully repented will be erased from our record so far as judgment is concerned. God will remember them no more, and other persons may not know them. But this does not mean we cannot remember them and use that memory in helping us to avoid a repetition of the same mistakes.

6.When our thoughts, words, and actions are totally consistent with the teachings of our Heavenly Father, we will become "like him." Our goal and our potential is to "become as God is."

Jesus commanded when he lived on the earth: "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matthew 5:48.) After his resurrection, Jesus added another example to his commandment: "I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect" (3 Nephi 12:48).

Lorenzo Snow coined this axiom:

"As man now is, God once was:

"As God now is, man may be." 25

Note some of the other teachings of President Snow and others of the prophets on this vital subject:

Lorenzo Snow: "We believe that we are the offspring of our Father in heaven . . . There is the nature of deity in the composition of our spiritual organization; in our spiritual birth our Father transmitted to us the capabilities, powers and faculties which he himself possessed, as much so as the child . . . possesses, although in an undeveloped state, the faculties, powers and susceptibilities of its parent." 26

"He has given us faculties and powers that are capable of enlargement until His fulness is reached which He has promised—until we shall sit upon thrones, governing and controlling our posterity from eternity to eternity, and increasing eternally." 27

Brigham Young: "Man is made an agent to himself before his God; he is organized for the express purpose that he may become like his master. . . . [W]hen we have been proved in our present capacity, and been faithful with all things He puts into our possession . . . [we will become] capable of creating worlds on worlds, and becoming Gods." 28

John Taylor: "Man . . . is a God in embryo and will live and progress throughout the eternal ages, if obedient to the laws of the Godhead, as the Gods progress throughout the eternal ages." 29

Relationship of the Characteristics and Attributes of Man's Spirit to Education and Learning

By way of a brief review, it might be helpful to place the characteristics of man's spirit against the background of education and learning. For instance, all of the academic offerings and many of the service functions of a university are related directly to the characteristics of the spirit, or the intellect, or mind. Indeed, if the mind is not capable of understanding a subject and of organizing facts related to it, then no academic department is organized for that subject. This is true with all the departments from Accounting through Zoology.

Education also continues after our formal training, such as we receive at a university, throughout mortal life and all eternity. Again, a pertinent scripture: "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" (D&C 130:18-19).

Whether we're involved in formal training or not, all study eventually becomes independent and individual. The ideal educational process has been defined as a teacher on one end of a log and a student on the other. The key element in this equation is the student rather than the human teacher. Unless something has been learned, nothing has been taught.

One of the greatest teachers is the Holy Spirit, but unless we are receptive to its influence we will not be edified. Indeed, we learn of eternal things almost in direct proportion to our ability to receive the influence of the Spirit. It was not a human teacher who taught the boy Jesus the things he expounded in the temple, causing the learned ones of his day to be "astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2:47), nor was it a human teacher that enabled the Savior to continue "from grace to grace, until he received a fulness" (D&C 93:13). To help us take advantage of the blessings and powers of the Spirit as a teacher, the Lord has commanded us to teach by that Spirit: "And if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach" (D&C 42:14).

During my tenure at Brigham Young University I had particular interest in educational experiences that involve other cultures, peoples, and places. I believe if we are actively participating in the learning process, we are more likely to internalize such learning so it will affect our behavior.

I think most would agree that one of the best ways to learn about other peoples and cultures is to visit or, even better, to live among such people. This is the value of travel and of travel study programs. The increasing costs of travel and living abroad might cause some to forego this type of educational opportunity. But I would like to offer another perspective on this.

When we buy a ticket to visit another country we are being charged only to provide space for the physical body; in this sense, the mind or spirit goes free of charge. Because our spirit is not bound by time or space, once it has traveled to a certain location with the body, it can return to that place time and time and time again—without purchasing additional tickets or going through the bother of procuring visas, obtaining shots, and making other preparations.

This month I had a telephone call from a sister who went to Israel with a group I directed in 1975. She said, "Brother Ludlow, that experience has influenced almost everything I have thought and done since our trip. Virtually every time I read a newspaper or a magazine or listen to a news report, and certainly every time I attend Church, participate in the sacrament, or read the scriptures, I relive some of my experiences in the Holy Land." When viewed from this perspective, perhaps study abroad and travel study will, in the long run, be among the least expensive methods of obtaining a meaningful education.

Brigham Young provided some interesting thoughts on the future potential of such travel programs. Speaking of the postmortal spirit world, he said: "The brightness and glory [of the spirit world] . . . is inexpressible. It is not encumbered. . . . [The spirits] move with ease and like lightning. If we want to visit Jerusalem, or this, that, or the other place—and I presume we will be permitted if we desire—there we are, looking at its streets. If we want to behold Jerusalem as it was in the days of the Savior; or if we want to see the Garden of Eden as it was when created, there we are, and we see it as it existed spiritually, for it was created first spiritually and then temporally, and spiritually it still remains. And when there we may behold the earth as at the dawn of creation, or we may visit any city we please that exists upon its surface. If we wish to understand how they are living [elsewhere], we are there; in fact, we are like the light of the morning. . . .

" . . . In the spirit world we are free . . . [to] enjoy life, glory, and intelligence; and we have the Father to speak to us, Jesus to speak to us, and angels to speak to us, and we shall enjoy the society of the just and the pure." 30

Summary and Conclusion

I am grateful for this opportunity to develop some ideas on the important subject of our spirit. I realize we have barely scratched the surface. I also realize that even if we spent days or weeks discussing the topic, there would be more that we would not know about the spirit than we would know. Concerning this subject, I feel somewhat the same as Brigham Young felt about a study of the gospel in general when he said: "Could we live to the age of Methuselah . . . and spend our lives in searching after the principles of eternal life, we would find . . . that we had been but children . . . just commencing to learn the things which pertains to the eternities of the Gods." 31

Certainly in this lifetime we will never learn everything about the spirit; it will indeed be one of the final frontiers of knowledge. However, I hope some additional pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of understanding the spirit have fallen into place for you through this paper; I know this experience has been beneficial to me. I emerge from my study with a greater appreciation—and I believe with a greater understanding—of the inherent worth of each of us.

Our spirits are eternal; they will be part of us forever and ever and ever. We should learn what we can of their characteristics, attributes, functions, and powers so they can help us achieve true joy and happiness.

We are the sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, and have inherited the potential to become as he is. This is the "eternal life" promised to the faithful, which is "the greatest of all the gifts of God" (1 Nephi 15:36; see also D&C 6:13; 14:7).

We are brothers and sisters to each other and to all mankind. I hope this knowledge—and the realization of the tremendous influence we have on each other—will help us feel better about ourselves and our potential, will help us to be more thoughtful and kind and considerate to each other, and will inspire and motivate us to become better day by day.

With the memory of Christmas and what it represents still with us, with the time of making new resolutions still upon us, and with the sobering realities of the briefness of mortal life impressed upon us in recent catastrophes at home and abroad, I pray that each of us may resolve this day to exercise our spirits in "new beginnings" of worthy living.

Notes

From the Second Annual Harman Lecture, Brigham Young University, Division of Continuing Education, 7 January 1985.

1. Gospel Doctrine, 12.

2. Joseph Fielding Smith, The Progress of Man (Salt Lake City: The Genealogical Society of Utah, 1940), 11.

3. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 353-54.

4. History of the Church, 3:387.

5. Ibid., 4:575.

6. Institute of Advanced Thinking, Instant Memory: The Automatic Memory System (California: The Institute of Advanced Thinking, 1972), 3.

7. Ibid.

8. Joseph F. Smith, "A Sermon of Purity," Improvement Era, 6 (May 1903): 503-4.

9. History of the Church, 6:500.

10. Harold B. Lee, "Understanding Who We Are Brings Self-Respect," Ensign, January 1974, 6.

11. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 6:333.

12. Joseph F. Smith, in Journal of Discourses, 23:169.

13. Joseph F. Smith, in Journal of Discourses, 19:259.

14. John Taylor, "Extract from a work by Elder John Taylor about to be published in France," Millennial Star, 13 (15 March 1851): 81.

15. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 11:43.

16. History of the Church, 6:52.

17. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 3:368, 372.

18. Joseph F. Smith, in Journal of Discourses, 25:250.

19. John Taylor, The Government of God (Liverpool, England: S. W. Richards, 1852), 27, 32.

20. Gospel Doctrine, 450-51.

21. Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 46.

22. John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 24:232.

23. John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 11:77-79.

24. John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 26:31.

25. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 8:154; emphasis in original.

26. Lorenzo Snow, in Eliza R. Snow, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow (Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1884), 467.

27. Lorenzo Snow, in Journal of Discourses, 14:300, 302.

28. Lorenzo Snow, Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, comp. Clyde J. Williams (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1984), 3.

29. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 3:93.

30. John Taylor, in Journal of Discourses, 23:65.

31. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 14:231.

32. Brigham Young, in Journal of Discourses, 3:202-3.