The End From the Beginning
Some Thoughts on Progression
Written in the early 80’s, this is a short discussion (about 25 pages) regarding such issues as progression from kingdom to kingdom, eternal progression, progression from intelligences to godhood, progression of deity, etc.
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The following is an excerpt from this manuscript:
THE PROBLEM
I would first like to express some events and thoughts that lead me to begin thinking about this subject. I do this in hopes that it will give the reader more understanding about my thoughts.
Throughout my latter teens and up to the present I have been intrigued by people. I quite often have looked at certain people and the things they do and have asked “why.” What makes that person do (or not do) what he or she is doing? Especially during my mission these questions came to me quite often, almost constantly at times. I wanted to know why people would react so differently to the same basic gospel message or even to basic gospel principles which they had never before even linked to the gospel or a church of any kind. What made them different? Naturally such things as wealth, language, customs, parental influence, etc. would take their toll. But it became apparent that there was something much deeper than this involved.
Now let's turn to some scriptural examples of what I'm talking about. Let's first consider the situation of Laman and Nephi. Here we have two brothers who most likely grew up under pretty much the same circumstances, with the same parents, etc. and yet as far as the gospel was concerned they seemed as different as night and day. Nephi, in describing his father, uses the word “goodly” and shows a great respect for Lehi's visions and dreams. Laman, on the other hand, describes the same person quite differently and refers to Lehi's visions as “foolish imaginations of his heart.” Throughout the record we find Nephi doing all he can to do what's right, while Laman (and Lemuel), even after seeing and speaking with angels, can't quite seem to bring himself to do the things he should and at various times even desiring to kill his own father, Lehi, and Nephi, his brother. One brother turns out to be the spiritual leader of a righteous nation while the other leads his people in such a way as to receive a curse from the Lord. Quite obviously there was a difference between these two brothers that extended far beyond anything they had learned in mortality, something that seemed to be more a part of their very nature or being than something they had merely grown into. At one point along the way Nephi seems to ask the basically the same type of questions that I have asked about the differences between himself and others. After a rebellion of Laman, Lemuel, and others, Nephi asks the following questions, “Behold ye are mine elder brethren, and how is it that ye are so hard in your hearts, and so blind in your minds, that ye have need that I, your younger brother, should speak unto you, yea, and set an example for you? How is it that ye have not hearkened unto the word of the Lord?” Then Nephi continues to ask why they can't understand certain things, which, to Nephi, even at his young age, seemed so obvious or to be such a part of him.
Consider now Christ and Satan. Both were very influential spirits in the pre-mortal existence. Both had a great amount of knowledge and authority. Yet one turned out to be the most important man ever to be born while the other is described as “being an enemy to all righteousness.”
I believe Elder Bruce R. McConkie touched on this difference I'm looking for when he said, “The devil has tremendous power and influence because of his knowledge, but he is entirely devoid of the least glimmering of intelligence. An intelligent person is one who applies his knowledge so as to progress in the things of the spirit: he glories in righteousness.”