Wisdom of the Ages

I've had the privilege of working with and for some very, very smart people.  It can be both fascinating and intimidating to see how the mind of a very, very smart person works.  Our culture places great value on intelligence.  The more one has, the more esteemed the person is.

But like our skin color or our height, one's intelligence is non-negotiable.  Some people are born with brown skin.  And some with black or white skin.  Some people are very tall while others are very short.  And some are born with very high intelligence, while most are quite average.

And how are we doing?  The world is saturated by violence, abuse, dishonesty, greed, war and terrorism.  Intelligence without boundaries provides no hope for a better future.  Years ago a colleague was fond of saying, "The sum of human knowledge is zero."  Evidence abounds that the math is still correct.

Our world would be better off valuing wisdom over intelligence.

The ancient prophet Abinadi (see Mosiah 12:27 in the Book of Mormon) was chastising a group of priests who thought they knew it all.  He said, "Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise."

To become wise, one must apply their heart to their understanding.  In other words, one must combine the feelings and emotions that resonate with heaven, with the knowledge one has gained on earth.  The mixing of these two important, but often separate realities, creates wisdom.  When one is only emotional, no one cares to listen.  And the same is true when one is a self-centered know-it-all.

Our society is in desperate need of more wisdom.  Politicians, celebrities, talk show hosts, champion athletes, rappers, teachers, judges and juries -- all need more wisdom.   And in our own lives we can provide much more positive influence on our spouses, family members and friends by applying our hearts to our understanding.

Human nature has not changed throughout the ages.  The need for wisdom is as great now as it was in the days of Abinadi.