Heart Intelligence - A combination of spirit and body

Recent discoveries reveal the heart has a brain and operates by an intellect of its own. This has been called heart intelligence in some discussions. What if we expanded this idea to include the intelligence of the spirit in addition to the intelligence of the heart-brain? This slide presentation considers this broader definition of heart intelligence and may prompt new questions to explore.

1. Heart Intelligence Growing in Light and Truth

2. What is Heart Intelligence? From a spiritual perspective, heart intelligence is broader than emotional intelligence. Heart intelligence includes both the physical and spiritual heart

3. What is Heart Intelligence? Heart intelligence is described as inner guidance that reaches deep into our spiritual beginnings as beings of light and truth. It allows for choices to be made with clarity and wisdom instead of being overwhelmed by emotions.  Heart intelligence is described as more than just a feeling; it is a way of perceiving and understanding, a deep form of awareness that goes beyond simple emotion.  By cultivating heart intelligence, we allow agency, or the power to act and not be acted upon, to transform reactive emotions like insecurity, anger and fear into healthier responses and actions.  Heart intelligence has the capacity for growth through obedience to God and receiving His grace.

4. HeartMath Institute heartmath.com "The heart's intelligence encompasses some of the highest core values we have as humans.  Many of the highest quality feelings we experience are associated with the heart.  They would include emotions like appreciation, care, love, kindness, patience, compassion."

5. Martin Luther King "One day we will learn that the heart can never be totally right if the head is totally wrong.  Only through the bringing together of head and heart-intelligence and goodness shall man rise to a fulfillment of his true nature."

6. Jiddu Krishnamurti "Intelligence comes into being when the mind, the heart and the body are really harmonious" 

7. How do the scriptures contribute to our understanding of heart intelligence? D&C 93: 37 "The glory of God is intelligence , or in other words, "light and truth” D&C 93: 29  "Intelligence, or the light of truth was not created or made, neither can it be" 

8. Increasing Heart Intelligence Will Change Our Character The manner in which we perceive and respond to the world around us is capable of change and refinement. These changes occur as we increase in heart intelligence

9. How is heart intelligence different from knowledge and understanding?

10. Gleaned from the teachings of Elder David A. Bednar

11. Elder David A. Bednar "Through persistent, effective, and diligent work, a person can accumulate knowledge in the form of facts, data, information, and experience. Intelligence, however, can only be gained through obedience. Thus, knowledge is a prerequisite to and foundation for true spiritual intelligence.” Intelligence is living in such a way that the doctrines of the gospel are active within us.

12. What is light? “The Light of Christ is the divine energy, power, or influence that proceeds from God through Christ and gives life and light to all things.” (Gospel Topics)  Jesus Christ is the Light of Truth Light is essential for life The light which shineth and giveth you light is through him who enlighteneth your eyes , which is the same light that quickeneth your understanding."   (D&C 88:11) Light makes vision possible. It is something that enlightens or informs.

13. Elder Bruce R. McConkie: Christ is the light; the gospel is the light; the plan of salvation is the light; that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light growth brighter and brighter until the perfect day. As the light of the sun enters the body through our natural eyes, so the light of heaven, the light of the Spirit which illuminates our souls – enters through our spiritual eyes.” (The Mortal Messiah, 4 vols. 2:153)

14. Truth and Light

15. What is truth? “To thine own self be true, therefore thou canst not be false to any man.”   -William Shakespeare

16. What is truth?   Mortal relativism and situational ethics attempt to change truth based on the circumstances, but truth is independent and cannot be altered.    D&C 93: 24  "truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come."  D&C 93: 30 - all truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to act for itself, as all intelligence“

17. How can we protect ourselves from look-alike truth? "One of the great tragedies we see in our lives is that the adversary, through the influences of our "flesh" can cheat us into establishing images of truth or perceptions of truth.  Our brain, the great computer where all the facts of life's memories are held together, can also be programmed by the "flesh" with its self-centered ideas, to deceive the spiritual self. 

18. How can we protect ourselves from look-alike truth? “Without the constant striving through prayer and contemplation to reach the ends of self-awareness and honesty, our so-called intellect can, therefore, based on look-alike truths, play many games of reason to impress, to get gain, to intimidate, or even manipulate truth with the vain results of deceit.”  Elder F. Enzio Busche, “Truth is the Issue” October 1993 General Conference

19. What is the light of truth? “D&C 93:29 “Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth , was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” Theodore M. Burton: “God’s light includes the physical light we see, which makes us feel so warm and comfortable. God’s light is also the power to understand and comprehend all things. In other words, all kinds of light are related to intelligence and truth.” (April 1981 General Conference)

20. The opposite of light is darkness. The opposite of truth is falsehood.

21. How do we increase in light and truth? Consider how the eyes of the physical body adjusts to greater amounts of light Too much light at once can be uncomfortable until our eyes adjust. Similarly, we grow in our ability to receive greater light Some light is so bright, we cannot adjust without the help of God. Glory increases our capacity to endure greater light

22. How do we increase in light and truth? The process is cyclical – not linear Spiritual momentum keeps the cycle moving in a forward direction. Intelligence, or light and truth, increases as we are obedient to correct principles. Having an eye single to the glory of God provides the lift as we cycle through doctrine of Christ over and over again throughout our lives.

23. How do we increase in light and truth? The Savior is our guide “And I John saw that he received not of the fulness at the first,but received grace for grace; and he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness.” D&C 93: 11-12

24. “Grace for grace” and “grace to grace” D&C 93: 12:  "grace for grace"  - suggests an exchange of something.  What are we doing with the grace the Lord gives to us?    God’s commandments are instructions of what we can do with the grace we receive.  The Parable of the Talents illustrates what people might do with the grace that has been extended to them. D&C 93:13  "Grace to grace" - suggests progression moving from one level of grace to the next As we keep the commandments and share the spiritual gifts we receive, we move up to higher levels to light and truth

25. The Apostle Paul suggested a similar pattern with a different vocabulary  2 Corinthians 3:18   “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

26. What is Glory?

27. “Glory to glory” Our ability to receiver greater light and truth depends on our obedience to the level of light and truth we have received.  To move up to a higher frequency or greater intensity of light, we must have the glory of God with us. 

28. Truth is the Issue (the next 6 slides are taken from a General Conference talk by Elder F. Enzio Busche) Elder Busche: “The issue is truth, and the only way to find truth is through uncompromising self-education toward self-honesty to see the original "real me", the child of God in its innocence and potential, in contrast to the influence from the other part of me, the flesh, with its selfish desires and foolishness.  Only in that state of pure honesty are we able to see truth in its complete dimension.  Honesty may not be everything, but everything is nothing without honesty.” 

29. "Initiated by the hearing of the word of truth, a disciple of Christ is therefore constantly, even in the midst of all regular activities, striving all day long through silent prayer and contemplation to be in the depth of self-awareness to keep him in the state of meekness and lowliness of heart.  It is the prophet Moroni who points out that "because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love"  (Moroni 8:26)

30. "This war is a war that has to be fought by all of Heavenly Father's children, whether they know about it or not.  But without a keen knowledge of the plan of salvation, and without the influence of the divine Light of Christ to bring us awareness, we are fighting this war subconsciously, and therefore its battlefronts are not even known to us, and we have no chance to win.  “Wars in the inner self that are fought subconsciously, with unknown battlefronts, lead to defeats which also hurt us subconsciously.”   

31. “These defeats are reflected in our conscious life as expressions of misery, such as a lack of self-confidence, lack of happiness and joy, lack of faith and testimony, or as over-reactions of our subconscious self, which we see then as pride, arrogance, or other forms of misbehavior - even acts of cruelty and indecency.  “No!  There is no salvation without Christ, and Christ cannot be with us unless we pay the price of the constant fight for self-honesty.”  

32. "Enlightened by the spirit of truth, we will then be able to pray for the increased ability to endure truth and not to be made angry by it. (2 Ne. 28:28)    “In the depth of such a prayer, we may finally be led to that lonesome place where we suddenly see ourselves naked in all soberness.  Gone are all the little lies of self-defense.  “We see ourselves in our vanities and false hopes for carnal security.  We are shocked to see our many deficiencies, our lack of gratitude for the smallest things.  We are now at that sacred place that seemingly only a few have courage to enter, because this is that horrible place of unquenchable pain in fire and burning.”

33. “This is the place where true repentance is born.  This is that place where the conversion and the rebirth of the soul are happening.  “This is the place where the prophets were before they were called to serve.  This is the place where converts find themselves before they can have the desire to be baptized for the remission of their sins.  This is the place where sanctifications and rededications and renewal of covenants are happening.  “This is the place where suddenly, when commitments have solemnly been established, the soul begins to " sing the song of redeeming love and indestructible faith in Christ is born.  This is the place where we suddenly see the heavens open as we feel the full impact of the love our Heavenly Father, which fills us with indescribable joy.”  Elder F. Enzio Busche, “Truth is the Issue” October 1993 General Conference

34. Increasing Heart Intelligence Will Change Our Character Heart intelligence increases as we open our eyes to light and truth and then choose to be obedient to that truth. The doctrine of Christ guides us through an upward progression pattern to enable us to grow in light and truth, thus increasing our heart intelligence.