The Looming Last Week of School

As the final week of the school descends on us, and as finals loom its nice to preview what nastiness is ahead of me...

I've already finished two finals and two classes with A- (luck), and a B (ugh, could have done better, but the final saved my butt). I've raised my dismal chinese grade, slowly and painfully, from a D+ to a respectable 85%. I think I'm actually within distance to nail an A-. For missing the first unit test, THAT's CRAZY (not really, I've had to hit almost 100% on all assignments and quizzes). I'm just so mad at myself for missing that test.

My next two finals should be easy (hopefully) after getting a 92% and a 96% on the last two midterms in those two classes. Hopefully, and let me not get prideful, I can repeat. After that I don't know what's happening to me. lol.

So. I was studying the scriptures and came across some interesting thoughts (and that's what they are, not doctrine or anything). But

modern revelations tell us that "the glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth" (Doctrine and Covenants: 93:36). So what is light and truth? The same section in the Doctrine and Covenants says, "truth is knowledge of things as they are and as they were, and as they are to come" and continues, "truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence also" (Doctrine and Covenants 93:24, 30). In this sense then, I think, part of the glory of God is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come. It also mentions "He that keepeth his commandments receieveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things" (Doctrine and Covenants: 93:28, italics added).The scripture makes sense with what we've read before. Light seems to be the effect of gaining truth.

Back in section 93, verse 29 of the Doctrine and Covenants it says, “Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made” (italics added). The following scripture makes sense then, God says, “And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, said the Lord of Hosts (Doctrine and Covenants 1:33)”. Sounds like rejecting truth means diminishing light. Makes sense also that as we increase in knowledge of truth that we come closer to God. Some scriptures take on interesting new concepts when viewed in this light. For example, Jesus preaches in the Sermon on the Mount, “the light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light” (St. Matthew 6:22). The Joseph Smith Translation clarifies the teaching saying, “if therefore thine eye be single to the glory of God”.Makes sense again.

Understanding that light and truth corresponds, at least somewhat, to glory a scripture like the following is rendered understandable. Speaking about those who will live with God again, the prophet Joseph Smith says in a vision, “these are they whose bodies are celestial, whose glory is that of the sun, even the glory of God, the highest of all, whose glory the sun of the firmament is written of as typical” (Doctrine and Covenants 76:70. Here glory is used again. Remembering that glory means intelligence, and that intelligence means truth and light, it can be understood that those whose bodies are celestial are those who have an eye single to the glory of God.

again, all my own thoughts, but it makes sense to me, and it really isn't anything new when you look at it.