Intelligence

Charles says God is intelligence. In many ways he is correct; he just doesn’t go far enough. God is real and in my belief system he has body, parts, and passions. He loves us – his children. He has given us our very lives through creating our spirits; then, allowing those spirits to be united with a temporal body which we use here on earth to test ourselves and determine the person we will be for eternity.

Intelligence is far from wisdom. I have known individuals with great intelligence who do the most absurd things. While teaching at the Utah State Prison for women, I met many of these ladies serving time for everything from selling drugs to murder. One girl had the IQ of a genius and did illegal acts for the sheer pleasure of seeing that she could. What a waste of great abilities. I asked her once if she had any plans for her after-prison life. She told me about her daughter being raised by her parents. I never saw her again after the semester was over and although I wish the very best for her I strongly suspect that she continues to use her intelligence to compound the tragedies of her life, bringing heartache to her family and herself.

Another woman from the prison, Linda King, was the exact opposite. She worked very hard to complete the classes we offered at the prison, was released and continued to take classes until she completed her degree. She was free of drugs, violence, and her decadent past. She began a job and was doing very well. Her temporal life was cut short when her pace maker battery shorted, or died and she left this earth. She not only completed her education, but her mission in mortality and went on to her heavenly reward. She was happy, fulfilled, and satisfied that she had begun her life again and completed the requirements asked of her.

These women were in prison for breaking the law. Most of us find ourselves enslaved, or imprisoned by one thing or another in our lifetimes. We all know the seven deadly sins and try to avoid them; however, it is the little things that cause us to remain out in the cold in regards to our personal satisfaction. Most of us have the intelligence to do just about anything we wish. In reality, however, this is where wisdom comes into play. We all know that becoming angry and striking out at others will get us nothing but heartache and grief, yet how many of us find ourselves yelling at people on the freeway, striking out at our siblings, being abusive to the ones we love the most, or acting out our anger fantasies through video games, violent television games, or absurdly cruel and vicious movies. I watch little children strike each other and feel terrible because they show this violent side. Each of us a child of God must restrain ourselves and use calm, love, and personal example to bless the lives of those around us.

I have shared this true story before but it is worth using again. One of Ted Day’s aunts was in a bank with her brood. I believe she had four or five children with her. As children tend to do they were raising quite a ruckus. One of the older children kicked a younger one and told him to obey. The aunt, indignantly reached around her in the bank line and kicked the older child who had done the kicking, and said in a none to quiet voice, “I’ve told you a thousand times not to kick”. I know it happened because I heard her tell the story. Needless, she was mortified to instantly recognize the message she had conveyed.

I know this is Easter and I had a wonderful Easter message which I will share later in the week, but I felt like I wanted to share this one today.

God Bless each of you as you ponder the love of our Savior, his crucifixion, resurrection, atonement, and Godly love and sorrow for each of us.

Duane Jacobs, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, and fond friend