True Wisdom

Gandalf, Dumbledore, Yoda, Tiresias, Merlin - all archetypal wise men of mythical and fantastic stories. Each offers advice formed out of their many years of experience. But what makes these great men wise? And how does one measure their wisdom? What is "wisdom" in the first place?

When I think of wisdom, I imagine life-shattering quotes that clarify all of my woes and show me the direction I must take to achieve an all-encompassing happiness - once I understand what in the world it means, that is. I suppose those mythical men are what I imagine when I think of a wise man. Of course, non-mythical ancient prophets come to my mind as well, and most certainly Jesus Christ. However, must wisdom only exist in aged men who have lived a full life? Do words of wisdom have to be life-shattering in order to be considered wise? I contest that wisdom comes in the form of small and simple truths, and that anyone can be wise.

Wisdom, defined by my good friend Dictionary.com, is "knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action." Wisdom, then, stems from a basic knowledge of right and wrong, which leads us to act with integrity according to what we know. This definition of wisdom makes the concept less abstract, and more specific and attainable. After all, I like to believe that I have some form of knowledge, and that I'm empowered enough to make decisions and act on them - which is also true of all people.

True Wisdom

In the scriptures, two patterns exist that give more light to the prophetic and godly definition of wisdom. The first pattern is the dichotomy of the wisdom of the world versus true wisdom, or the wisdom of God. Time and again, the scriptures mention that all things happen by God's wisdom. The phrases "by His wisdom" (Jer. 10:22, 51:15), "in His wisdom" (Mosiah 4:6; 3 Ne. 28:29, 29:1; Morm. 5:15; D&C 3:13, 76:2), and "my wisdom" (Isa. 10:13; 2 Ne. 3:19, 20:13; Helaman 15:16; 3 Ne. 21:10; D&C 10:49, 11:26, 45:10, 124:1) each refer to the greatness and accomplishments of God's own wisdom. He achieves all things according to His design because of His omnipotence and understanding of eternity. His wisdom is revered and sought after by all prophets desiring to have righteous success. 

Conversely, the scriptures condemn those who act by their own wisdom, and warn all of the dangers and foolishness of the wisdom of the world. 2 Nephi 15: 21, 24 reads, "Wo unto the wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight! Therefore, as the fire devoured stubble, and the flame consume the chaff, their root shall be rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel." 2 Nephi 9:28-29 contains an additional warning filled with the same passionate language as the previous scripture. "And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock [meaning Christ] receive it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall. Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more the word of God, for we have enough!" Worldy wisdom, then, is completely rejecting the truth of God's gospel and acting against it according to your own desires. Those who cling to wordly wisdom will fail and be rejected by God.

These two types of wisdom oppose each other in every way. Those of the world would have all believe that happiness and success lie in the world's wisdom. God, however, holds the key to true wisdom. His wisdom will almost always differ from the world's wisdom, which Christ explains in Isaiah 55:8, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways." Through His wisdom only can we obtain salvation and true happiness.

The Wisdom Cycle

The second pattern is what I am going to call The Wisdom Cycle. In the Book of Mormon, a common pattern exists that most readers of the book are familiar with--The Pride Cycle. Essentially, the people are humble and righteous, the Lord blesses them, the people begin to be prideful, they sin, God takes away their blessings, they repent and become humble again, and so on. This cycle can be found again and again in the scriptures, and I would like to demonstrate that the Wisdom Cycle is a much happier, yet just as prevalent cycle in the scriptures.

I first discovered The Wisdom Cycle when I noticed that true wisdom (or God's wisdom) is often accompanied by the understanding of absolute and eternal truths. Scriptures is Psalms and Proverbs portray this idea beautifully, and each scripture brought me a new level of understanding. I realized that wisdom, understanding, faith, action, and knowledge were all interconnected somehow, and later discerned that they were all connected in the same way.

The scriptures say:	I learned:
Psalms 49:3 "My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding."	Wisdom and understanding cohabitate in the body with perfect harmony.
Proverbs 4:7 "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."	Wisdom is always accompanied by a deep sense of understanding. One cannot be wise without an understanding of knowledge in the context of God's vast wisdom.
Proverbs 3:19 "The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens."	God and Christ needed both understanding and wisdom to create heaven and earth. They employed both to achieve their purpose by enacting their understanding of how worlds are created, and their wisdom in knowing how to do it best.
Proverbs 1:2, 7 "To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding. . . The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction."	Only when one has faith in God can he or she begin to gain knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.
Proverbs 8:5 "O, ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart."	In order to fully gain wisdom, one must have an understanding of what true wisdom is. Wisdom is understanding knowledge and truth, and acting in accordance with that understanding.
Proverbs 24:3-5 "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches."	Wisdom is the act of building, understanding allows the building to start, and knowledge is the truth that edifies and enriches the house, leading to more understanding and wisdom.
Proverbs 2:2-6 "So that thou incline thy ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou cries after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding. If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding."	As one seeks for knowledge, he or she finds it and, if seeking in faith, gains a deeper understanding of truth. This deeper understanding causes one to act differently, and this action is considered wisdom.

(This pattern is also supported in the following scriptures: Ex. 31:3, 36:1; Duet. 4:6; 1 Kings 4:29; 1 Chron. 22:12; 2 Chron. 1:10; Job 38:36; Psalms 111:10; Prov. 3:13, 4:5, 10:13; Rom. 11:33, Col. 1:11, 2:3; 2 Ne. 21:2)

Essentially, the scriptures illustrate the following cycle: understanding leads to faith, which leads to action according to that understanding, which action develops into wisdom, or obedience to knowledge of truth, that then leads to more understanding.

Simple enough, The Wisdom Cycle can be applied not only to the scriptures, but to our own lives. Now when I ask myself "How do I measure wisdom? What makes someone wise? What is wisdom in the first place?" I have answers. Wisdom means being obedient to the truths you understand. I can measure wisdom by comparing my actions to the knowledge I have. If I am disregarding truth to act according to my own desires, I most certainly am NOT being wise. However, if I curb my appetites to live according to the truths I understand, then I AM being wise.

Be Wise
The magi who brought the young Jesus gifts are considered to be "wise men" because they understood what the sign of the star meant, they had faith that if they followed the star they would find Jesus Christ, and they then they acted on their faith and understanding. Likewise, ordinary individuals such as myself can obtain wisdom by coming to know and understand God's teachings in the scriptures, having faith that they are true, and making decisions in alignment with those truths. Even something as simple as smiling rather than yelling at the person who cut you off in traffic because Christ taught us to "love one another" is a manifestation of true wisdom. We will become wise when we do the wise thing. Wisdom is attainable, and we should do everything in our power to become wise like our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.

In the simple and profound (and could I say wise?) words of Jacob, the younger brother of Nephi, "O be wise, what can I say more?"