Intelligences. Mentioned in the Standard Works only in Abraham 3:21-22. It can refer to either the pre-existent spirit offspring of God or individual eternal entities that existed before the pre-existence. At one time every person existed as an intelligence. Joseph Smith stated, “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). Twelfth LDS President Spencer W. Kimball said, “Our spirit matter was eternal and co-existent with God, but it was organized into spirit bodies by our Heavenly Father”(Miracle of Forgiveness, 5). Former BYU professor W. Cleon Skousen added that if God “should ever to do anything to violate the confidence or `sense of justice’ of these intelligences, they would promptly withdraw their support…. He would cease to be God. Our Heavenly Father can do only those things that the intelligences under Him are voluntarily willing to support Him in accomplishing” (The First 2000 Years, 355-356).

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