Mormon Intelligences Always Existed Alongside God

Intelligences

See this page in the original 1992 publication.

Author: Hyde, Paul Nolan

The word "intelligences" (plural) occurs frequently in LDS literature, having reference to the period of the premortal existence of mankind. The term has received two interpretations by writers within the Church: as the literal spirit children of Heavenly Parents and as individual entities existing prior to their spirit birth. Because latter-day revelation has not clarified the meaning of the term, a more precise interpretation is not possible at present.

It seems to me what Mormons are saying is that they are spirit children that always existed as intelligences prior to their birth whatever that means. But the problem is that to claim they always existed is the domain of God alone from everlasting. Therefore, they are making themselves equal with the uncreated Creator in terms of having always existed. God brings time and space into existence. Satan no less tries to exalt himself the same.

The scriptural source for the word "intelligences" is the book of Abraham 3:21-22. The Lord instructed the patriarch Abraham regarding the premortal experiences of all who have been or ever will be upon the earth. Among those events was the Council in Heaven, at which the Father's Plan of Salvation for his children was discussed. Abraham wrote of this, "Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; …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" (Abr. 3:22-23). The Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of intelligences as follows: "God himself, finding he was in the midst of spirits and glory, because he was more intelligent, saw proper to institute laws whereby the rest could have a privilege to advance like himself. The relationship we have with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge. He has power to institute laws to instruct the weaker intelligences, that they may be exalted with himself, so that they might have one glory upon another, and all that knowledge, power, glory, and intelligence, which is requisite in order to save them" (TPJS, p. 354).

All we hear about is God and intelligences and that intelligences were organized. Were these intelligences created when before they did not exist? What is the council in heaven comprised of? Is it just God alone from everlasting? I don't think Mormons would agree to that. Heaven is a place. Did heaven always exist alongside God? How could it if God is alone from everlasting? Did God have to create heaven? It seems to me Smith is starting a story in the second chapter where we don't even know where these characters come from. Moreover, there is no way there is some lost book of Abraham or Moses. That's made up. We can be confident Smith just made it up. Smith is like Agent Smith in the Matrix. He is evil.

Concerning man's premortal existence, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith, "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be" (D&C 93:29). "Intelligence," as used here, is singular, and it is not clear from this passage if it refers to individual, conscious identity. As noted, Abraham referred to the spirit offspring of God as organized intelligences, apparently using the word "intelligences" to mean "spirits." Church authorities have indicated that spirit birth was not the beginning. Spencer W. Kimball, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, wrote, "Our spirit matter was eternal and co-existent with God, but it was organized into spirit bodies by our Heavenly Father" (The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 5, Salt Lake City, 1969). Marion G. Romney, of the First Presidency, speaking of people's divine origin as children of God, stated, "Through that birth process, self-existing intelligence was organized into individual spirit beings" (Ensign 8 [Nov. 1978]:14). Bruce R. McConkie, an apostle, wrote: Abraham used the name intelligences to apply to the spirit children of the Eternal Father. The intelligence or spirit element became intelligences after the spirits were born as individual entities (Abr. 3:22-24). Use of this name designates both the primal element from which the spirit offspring were created and also their inherited capacity to grow in grace, knowledge, power, and intelligence itself, until such intelligences, gaining the fulness of all things, become like their Father, the Supreme Intelligence [MD, p. 387].

Here we have a big problem because Satan tries to exalt himself as Mormons do who claim they existed always and in the beginning with God putting themselves on par with God at least in terms of always existing. Satan must, therefore, be the head of Mormonism. Mormons say God can't create intelligences. So this is an admittance intelligences always existed even though that is the domain of God alone. The Christian God created man in His image. There is nothing much that Mormonism agrees with Christianity. So much rebellion you know they are not God's children. They seem to contend against God of the Bible on every last point. This is rebellion against God. Man is not like the angels for angels are spirits. Man is a living soul with a spirit and a body (Heb. 4.12, 1 Thess. 5.23).

While the revelations leave no doubt as to the existence of intelligent matter prior to its being organized as spirits, speculation sometimes arises regarding the nature of premortal existence and whether there was individual identity and consciousness prior to birth as a spirit. Some hold that the terms "intelligence" and "intelligences" have reference to a form of prespirit conscious self-existence, which included individual identity, variety, and agency (so reasoned B. H. Roberts, pp. 401-423). Others maintain that while these characteristics, attributes, and conditions are eternal, they essentially came together for each individual at the spirit birth. The question of whether prespirit intelligence had individual identity and consciousness remains unanswered. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith gave this caution in 1936: 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 [p. 10].

According to the Bible, God was alone from everlasting, and there were no intelligences or spirit matter just God before time and space. And He brought time and space into being. Again, I see rebellion by Mormons against God by claiming they always existed in one form or another; conscious or not conscious, it is wrong. By God being the uncreated Creator, none can supersede Him. Notice how they start chapter 2 without a chapter 1. Chapter 2 in Mormonism is God just appears who himself was once a spirit child organized from intelligences and became a man, a man that became an exalted God. Where did the Mormon God come from because the Mormon God used to be a man who became an exalted man? And that exalted man once was an intelligence or spirit child of another God, and on and on. So while on the one hand Mormons claim they always existed, they also say they were organized intelligences to become humans.

No formal pronouncements have been made by the leading councils of the Church to clarify what additional meanings and attributes may be assigned to the word "intelligences," beyond that which identifies intelligences as spirit children of God. [See also First Estate; Intelligence; Premortal Life; Spirit Body.]

This is all heresy. The truth is that God was alone from everlasting, before time and space, bringing time and space and man made in God's image into being. There is no need for these other things which are just nonsense and hostile to God of the Bible. Nobody really even knows what these intelligences and spirit matters are. Suffice it to say, they are imaginary and self-contradictory because the only thing not created in any way shape or form is the Triune God. Praise the Lord!

When a Mormon comes before Jesus at the Throne, he will be judged. He won't repent. Then Jesus will send him to Hell. The Mormon will lock himself in Hell, because he wants to be eternally separated from God. Mormonism is just the mode of rebellion he chooses. He could have chosen any number of other ways to rebel as in other cults or by simply being an atheist or deist. The Bible warns us of many false Christs. The Jesus of Mormonism is one of those many false Christs.


Bibliography

McConkie, Bruce R. Mormon Doctrine, pp. 386-87. Salt Lake City, 1966.

Roberts, B. H. "Immortality of Man." IE 10 (Apr. 1907):401-423.

Smith, Joseph Fielding. Progress of Man. Salt Lake City, 1936.

PAUL NOLAN HYDE