Something strange happens when you put a group of people—any group of people—into a situation where their production can be measured. It really doesn't matter what is produced—mining coal, making cars, making money—you will find that the vast majority produce very little, some few produce a lot, and some outliers produce more than all the others combined. This behavior is described by the Pareto distribution.
The Pareto distribution is described by the Lord. For example, when he gave the parable of the sower, he explained how most don’t bear fruit, some bear thirty times the planted seed, some sixty, and some one hundred:
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13)
The Pareto distribution says, in effect, that 80% of production comes from 20% of people. The details are even more extreme. The top 1% of producers tend to produce around 34% of what is produced! Again, this pattern holds true anywhere human production is measured. It holds true as much in spiritual matters as it does temporal matters.
While production in this world is determined by a sophisticated cluster of factors, many of which are outside of an individual's control, spiritual intelligence is fully within the control of an able-minded individual.
How much we produce spiritually is determined by two things and two things only: how well we obey what God has revealed to us and how much effort we impart in seeking him (see Alma 12:9).
The scriptures are plain when it comes to these ideas. For example, Alma 13 plainly states that we are all given equal opportunity to grow spiritually, and any differences are solely due to obedience and effort:
1 And again, my brethren, I would cite your minds forward to the time when the Lord God gave these commandments unto his children; and I would that ye should remember that the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly <u>great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling</u> which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great <u>privilege as their brethren.</u>
5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared. (Alma 13)
God provides an equal opportunity to all people, but many do not accept his invitation at all, and very few accept it completely, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14) Indeed, “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:14 NIV)
Unto every one that hath shall be given
It is incredibly incorrect to think of light and truth as something that is set at birth, like one’s height or eye color. It just isn’t so. Rather than a static characteristic, your light and truth is more like how much money you have. It is about what you obtain, not what you start with.
In the parable of the talents, the Lord describes how and why it is that to those who have, he will give more (see Matthew 25). In the parable, two men are given more above what they already have because of their efforts to earn interest on what they have. By growing what they already have through their efforts, they earn the extra blessing and approbation of their master.
In the parable, their initial increase does not come from the master, who is away on business. It comes from the servant’s independent initiative. So where do they get it from?
They get it from other people, namely those who have it to give. God will give direct revelation to anyone who seeks it, but you can't completely control this through your own behavior. You can't force God to reveal something to you. However, you can seek light and truth that is already around you.
Our access to this light is limited only by our initiative. It is everywhere, just waiting for us to dig it out. We ought to assume that every person we meet might know something more than we do on some topic.
The difference between what we learn directly from God and what we learn through others is like the difference between gold nuggets lying on the surface of the earth, and flecks of gold dust embedded in tons of rock. Gold nuggets exist, but they are extremely rare. But you can mine rock as long as you have the resources to do so.
To mine gold you need to use the gold you already have to buy equipment, you need to expend the effort to dig it out of the ground, and you need to sort the gold from the much more abundant dross.
To mine truth, you need obedience to what you have already been shown, effort to seek out higher truth, and a willingness to test what you find.
Some an hundredfold
Some exercise a great desire for truth. They end up on the far right of the Pareto distribution of spiritual intelligence; they are far more spiritually intelligent than others. Applying ratios from measurable forms of human production, it stands to reason that 80% of the light resides within 20% of the people, and that the top 1% produce 34% of the light. In the scriptures, these are called the “noble and great ones”:
22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them; (Abraham 3)
What makes them noble and great? As quoted previously in Alma 13, it is merely that they exercised greater effort in obtaining light and truth and obedience to what they obtained than their fellows. This blessing is available to all, but not all desire it.
Why did God send the “noble and great ones” here? Why was it necessary for them to be here in order for the rest of the spirits to be proved to see if they would “do all things whatsoever that God shall command them?”
These people are vital to holding creation together. Just as the first world would fall apart without the production of the top 20% of producers, leaving a desolation for the remaining 80%, the spiritual top 20%: (1) Emit the light and truth necessary to stay the entropy that would otherwise destroy this world in a literal, physical sense; and (2) Churn out light and truth for the “residue of men,” just like large trees churn nutrients to the surface via their dropped leaves for the benefit of shallow-root plants:
And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men. (Moroni 7:32)
These light bearers, through their condescension, provide opportunities for light and truth beyond what is deserved by the people who are exposed to it. Just as the sun receives unperceived energy and transmits it outward, energy that is transformed into light that is effectual to our earth, “chosen vessels” perceive and respond to the light that comes from God but is unknown and unknowable to normal people. They transform it into packets of light and truth that are easier to be understood and received by normal people.
This comes in at least two ways.
Most are familiar with the mechanism of explicit teaching for the promulgation of truth:
1 ...the Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people.
3 ...they were ordained...from the foundation of the world...on account of their exceeding faith and good works....
6 ...to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest. (Alma 13)
Fewer are aware of the much larger benefit that these people provide by creating and sustaining systems that promote righteous living.
There are three kinds of people in this life. The first kind will be good, no matter in what environment they are placed. The second kind are good if they are placed in an environment that supports and encourages that. The third kind are bad, no matter in what environment they are placed. The second describes most people on this earth.
It takes those who will do what is right no matter what to create environments where the majority can be better than they otherwise would. Whether it is in the receipt and publication of commandments, the creation and sustainment of righteous culture, or the creation and sustainment of governments or other organizations, these actions go far in helping others experience a better life than they would if left to their own devices.
The prophet-king Nephi provided an example of what God expects from those he has blessed with greater light and truth. Nephi's job was to a) acquire more light and truth than his fellows by applying more heed and diligence than they did, and b) sacrifice himself to a greater extent for their benefit than they themselves did. Though Nephi was indeed more advanced than his brothers, he suffered far more than they did. It was not a glamorous job. It wasn't something to be envied. This is the unavoidable experience of all who, like Nephi, listen to God's voice and do what he says. They will unavoidably receive more light and truth than their fellows, immediately be charged to impart what they can of what they have received to others, and consistently be rejected and persecuted because of their attempts to help others.
What happens if these spiritual leaders do not lead?
Each individual is responsible for the good they can do in the world. It is hard to overstate the effect of just a few righteous people. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)
A righteous person’s efforts can save the lives of a person, a city, or even a nation. And you wouldn't even know about it.
One reason things aren't worse than they are is because the efforts of a few righteous men and women are holding back the judgments of God from the earth (see, for example, Jacob 5:50).
Still, one reason that things are as bad as they are on earth today is because people who are at the top of the Pareto distribution are not living up to their potential. They are either doing only what others do, and therefore less than they could, or they are using their gifts to make the world a worse place instead of a better one.
An example from the scriptures of each of these two scenarios would perhaps help.
The kings of Israel were meant to be spiritual leaders. Unfortunately, few were. Hezekiah was a wonderful example of one who lived up to his role. By living righteously in a wicked kingdom, he was able to reverse the covenant curses laid on his fathers, and obtain God's mercy for an entire kingdom.
The watchers—fallen angels who used their advanced knowledge to curse mankind instead of bless them—are a great example of what can happen when the spiritually advanced attempt to subvert God's purposes. Many of the problems on earth today can be traced back to information revealed inappropriately by the watchers, and much of the wickedness on earth at the time of the flood was tied to their influence and actions.
The wicked erroneously believe that the only reason a person would want to know whether they are exceptional or not is to gloat. Pride is not the motivation for being great. The cost of greatness is far greater than the benefit to all who are motivated by the vanity of carnality. Instead, the truly great are motivated by just one thing: the love of their fellowmen. The selfrecognition of their greatness has very little to do with whatever recognition they desire in the eyes of others. Instead, it has to do with their ability to cope with the exponentially increasing demands of living true to what they know, and having the stamina to continue to work against the entropy of the world.
For most, a focus on what you do right will lead to an overinflated ego: entitlement, covetousness, and sin. At some point in your ascent, though, if you don't realize you are different, you will not have enough drive to continue to act beyond what everyone else does. The status quo is far below your own potential, but you need a reason to break through it.
When you are normal and you act below your potential, bad things happen, mostly for you and sometimes for others. When you are exceptional and you act below your potential, really bad things happen, mostly for others, who rely on your light even if they don't realize it.
Ezekiel quotes the Lord in saying that a priest's duty is to: “...teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” (Ezekiel 44:23) Without people who know better, those who do not know better will become far more wicked than they otherwise would be. Those who are only good when placed in an environment that promotes being good will be evil, and joined with those who will be evil no matter their environment, they will create a majority problem that then makes it even harder for those who would be good no matter what.
What evidence is there that many people will be evil when their environment promotes it? The Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram's studies show that many people have an “innate propensity” for evil. It is the environment that brings it out. This can be seen in inner cities, third world countries, and Indian reservations. The poverty of these people is not a result of their genetics or geography, but a direct result of their systems of thinking. Those from their communities who are raised outside of their systems of thinking prosper. Those born into their systems of thinking suffer.
Their systems of thinking were created by and are sustained by those in power. “When the wicked rule, the people mourn.” (Proverbs 29:2) The way they interact with the world around them, their government, and their principles (or lack thereof) are to blame.
What would have happened if Moses wasn't who he was? Could God have blessed the Israelites the way he did? He could not. Israel was far too wicked to merit the blessings it received. Moses was the vital ingredient that balanced the equation. Because of the righteousness of Moses in the face of the wickedness of the Israelites, God was able to bless Israel and retain his justice. Moses' intercession for Israel, in spite of all their shenanigans, opened the way for God to continue to bless them long after justice would have required their destruction.
Modern consequences
We live in a world devoid of leadership from those who have the capacity and responsibility to provide it.
Our natural scientists sell their souls to fabricate unmerited fear about climate issues, choosing their paychecks over their consciences.
Our social scientists spin tales about gender choice, abolishing biologically-dictated gender roles by edict, promoting sexual promiscuity over traditional family units, and ignoring the harmful mental and social effects of homosexuality, as if they could create reality in the image they would like it to appear.
Our technologists create a world so complex that the majority of people cannot add value, as their IQs and/or training do not provide for creative problem-solving contributions.
Our bankers feed an unsustainable system where inflation makes it impossible to retire, trading in a birthright of contribution for the mess of porridge of the few pennies they receive from every dollar of debt they create.
Our politicians have developed a nanny state where individuals are completely disincentivized to take personal responsibility and where regulations make it nearly impossible to build a business, all in the shortsighted interest of votes from the ill-informed.
Our generals foster endless immoral wars, selling their soldiers as chattel in exchange for high salaries and cushy post-military jobs in the military/industrial complex.
The consequences of the leadership vacuum lie all around us. When Babylon falls, and it will, every aspect of the carnage will be traceable to the present failure of leaders to lead.
What could cause these spiritual leaders not to lead?
Being better is not what you think it is. It means suffering more than anyone else, for less personal benefit. This is repugnant to people because: 1) It is indelible proof that being less is a choice. That doesn't feel good to those who have decided not to be better. 2) People project their own wickedness onto the person who is better. They assume that he or she will do what they would if they were in that place.
Beyond the effects of these beliefs, there is an incessant stream of people telling them that they are the same as everyone else; that there is no such thing as someone who is better than another, or of one idea being better than another, or of a culture being better than another.
When God assigns someone to do something, is he making them arbitrarily special by imbuing them with special magical power? Or is he simply using someone who has already acquired most if not all of the light and truth they need to be used in the ways he chooses? God told Moses to part the Red Sea before he did it, and without that word he would not have been able to do it. But was Moses a normal man when he was told to do it? Or had he already completed 80 years of training under God's graceful tutelage? What man do you know who, if a voice in his head said, “command the seas to part and they will obey my word”, would then convince 6 million people to follow him to the beach, and then proceed— in front of all of them as they are pursued for their lives by the most powerful army in the world—to command the sea to part with no doubt that it would be done?
By fooling ourselves into believing that God instantly transforms normal men and women into holy men and women, we cut ourselves off from the instructional period every single one of them underwent. We avoid that intense, painful, prolonged journey thinking that somehow we can possess what they had after this life without doing any of the things they did during this life, which is exactly how they became who they were, and without which they could not receive what they did.
God might not command you to part the Red Sea, sure. And you might not end up rich and powerful. But if you follow every commandment you know, and every one he will give you after that, one thing will happen for sure. You will grow in light and truth at an exponential rate. Knowledge will flow to you in a way that is so powerful that no thing, no person, and no situation in your life will be able to stop it. This is how Joseph of Egypt was able to become the wisest man in the known world while locked in a dungeon for ten or so years.
If we do not accept that some people are greater than others, we cannot believe that there are behaviors, attitudes, and motivations better than our own, or worse than our own. This is damning in two ways. First, it terminates any real effort to become better. Whatever gulf exists between us and God is cemented through believing there is no bridge between. Second, it will result in the eroding of your character down to the lowest common denominator. If one isn't greater than another, then there is no reason not to adopt the most depraved behaviors, attitudes, and motivations.
We see both perspectives in play in modern society. We see the middle class adopting the worldview of the underclass in everything from work ethic to dress to music. Now, what happens on the outside is far less important than what happens on the inside, but the latter is usually evidenced by the former.
That some are better than others is objectively true.
At what point can a woman call herself wealthy? When her net worth is $100k? $200k? $20mm? Whatever the threshold, surely there is a point where the facts support that she is, in fact, wealthy.
At what point can a man call himself an expert weightlifter? When he can squat 500 lbs? 600? 700? When he holds the world record? Whatever the threshold, surely there is a point where he is, in fact and not in opinion, an expert weightlifter.
How many times does someone have to actually do exceptional things before their belief that they are exceptional ceases to be hubris or narcissism?
“For of him unto whom much is given much is required...” (D&C 82:3) If you possess more light and truth than your fellows, you have a responsibility to help them more than you would if you didn’t.