Latter-day scripture has a curious phrase about wisdom that pops up quite often. It is the use of the words, ‘for a wise purpose’ about God working with a prophet on a current decision that affects the future. In 1 Nephi 9:5, Nephi is the first to introduce us to the phrase when he says, ’the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.’ The phrase stands out so much in our scripture that Elder Holland titled an article on the phrase and an old teacher’s manual does as well¹. Many of the ‘wise purpose’ references are spoken in context of the small plates of Nephi and the Church education system titled a 1993 seminary video ‘For a Wise Purpose’ telling this story. However, none of these references focus on why prophets chose this phrasing or what this phrasing might imply about God’s attribute of wisdom. Now, I want to ponder the phrase and its surrounding text to help us understand the wisdom of God.

Wise planning for the future

Nephi, Alma, and Mormon all see God using His wise purposes. In their explanations we will gain insight into the wisdom of God.

Wisdom, knowledge, and fulfillment according to Nephi

In 1 Nephi 9:3–6, Nephi frames the context of the use of this phrase quite well. In verses 3 and 4 he explains that he is writing the small ‘plates, for the special purpose that there should be an account engraven of the ministry’ of his people and that ’the other plates are for the more part of the reign of the kings and the wars and contentions of my people.’ when he gets to verses five and six he shares;

Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a wise purpose in him, which purpose I know not. But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.

I think it is essential to watch how Nephi phrases each part. Notice how ’the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning’ to help him work with a living prophet ‘for a wise purpose’ that anticipates a future need. Finally, that the future need will be accomplished by God because ‘he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words.’ In other words, God uses all His available knowledge to make choices in the current time through wisdom and then uses His faith and power to bring that future into reality.²

Wisdom and power according to Alma

Alma provides a similar commentary in speaking to his son Helaman in chapter 37 of Alma. Alma is not using the phrase to talk about the small plates of Nephi. Alma is talking about general sacred records as he is counseling Helaman to continue the record on the large plates of Nephi. In verse two, Alma says ‘it is for a wise purpose that they are kept.’ Then ‘for a wise purpose’ is used in verses 12, 14, and 18 in conjunction with statements about God’s intentions and the future.

12 And it may suffice if I only say they are preserved for a wise purpose, which purpose is known unto God; for he doth counsel in wisdom over all his works, and his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.

14 And now remember, my son, that God has entrusted you with these things, which are sacred, which he has kept sacred, and also which he will keep and preserve for a wise purpose in him, that he may show forth his power unto future generations.

18 For he promised unto them that he would preserve these things for a wise purpose in him, that he might show forth his power unto future generations.³

God’s wise purposes are exemplified in the future so that we can understand His power. Maybe that power is ‘fixed future omniscience’ and this is what Alma means when he says God’s ‘paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round.’ Or, the reference to His power could be to His omnipotence. His ability to make promises and then work the plan in a ‘straight course’ to bring them to fruition. This covenant process is something He has done over and over again. To the point that we might call it ‘one eternal round.’

Wisdom and knowledge according to Mormon

In Words of Mormon 1:7, Mormon adds more detail about God’s knowledge. Mormon states that his actions are ‘for a wise purpose’ because he doesn’t ‘know all things’ but that the ‘Lord knoweth all things which are to come.’ Verse seven states;

And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.

Some may say that Mormon tells us that God knows ‘all things which are to come ‘ and Nephi says that God ‘knows all things from the beginning’ to explain omniscience of all things past, present, and future. However, I see Mormon telling us that God does know elements of the future - not that he knows every last detail of the entire future. Specifically, He knows those ’things which are to come ‘ because He and we use our faith to make it so⁴ or because there are events set in motion in Nephite times that have guaranteed that certain events will happen in the future. With the assurance of certain events, he can make wise choices in the now to be prepared for the future.

For a wise purpose is different than fixed future knowledge

I believe Nephi, Alma, Mormon, and Joseph Smith⁵ use the phrasing as inspired of the Lord to give us a window into the wisdom of God. All three seem to put the wise act in the ‘NOW’ or the moment of action. All three reference the faith and knowledge of their history. Finally, after explaining how wisdom helped them choose in the ‘NOW’ they then explain that their current choice will work together with God’s will to create or protect the desired future.

Maybe it is my way of reading scripture these days. When I hear the scriptures say ‘for a wise purpose in him ‘, I listen to them telling us the difference between timeless knowledge and time-based knowledge where decisions are based on a contingent future. I can hear some saying that the wisdom referenced above is only talking about the wisdom of the prophets as they trust in God’s knowledge of the future. I think D&C 61:35 uses a slightly different phrasing which helps us see how God is differentiating between choices in time and decisions based on a perfect fixed future omniscience. It says;

And let them journey together, or two by two, as seemeth them good, only let my servant Reynolds Cahoon, and my servant Samuel H. Smith, with whom I am well pleased, be not separated until they return to their homes, and this for a wise purpose in me.

God says, ‘for a wise purpose in me ‘ to help us understand that he makes optimal choices to prepare for a future of contingent possibilities. His use of infinite or perfect knowledge in a way that He can leverage that information to optimally move forward through time in an interaction with His libertarian children that make choices beyond his control.

I see this wise God in the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Bible. I want to let our scripture explain God’s wisdom, not our greek and roman Christian philosophers. N.T. Wright in Jesus and the Identity of God argues for a biblical reading of God. To let Jesus represent God instead of making Jesus fit into predefined definitions of God.⁶ He explains,

This God was both other than the world and continually active within it. The words “transcendent” and “immanent,” we should note, are pointers to this double belief, but do not clarify it much. Because this God is thus simultaneously other than his people and present with them, Jews of Jesus’ day had developed several ways of speaking about the activity of this God in which they attempted to hold together, because they dared not separate, these twin truths.

He then goes on to explain the most often used analogy of wisdom that the Jews used to describe this relationship between man and God.

God’s Wisdom is his handmaid in creation, the firstborn of his works, his chief of staff, his delight. God’s wisdom is another way of talking about God present with his people in the checkered careers of the patriarchs and particularly in the events of the Exodus. Wisdom becomes closely aligned thereby with Torah and Shekinah. Through the Lady Wisdom of Proverbs 1-8, the creator has fashioned everything, especially the human race. To embrace wisdom is therefore to discover the secret of being truly human, of reflecting God’s image.

God is wise and acts in His wise purpose. I don’t think that there are two wisdoms. The concept of wisdom for God and man involves optimality of choices through a balancing of one’s self-interest with the interests of others with the ability to project the consequences of our solutions far into the future to decide what is useful for the most significant number of people for the long run.

Man can look to the wisdom of God to understand how we can improve our wisdom. But, we can only emulate the wisdom of God if we let it out from under the shadow of ‘fixed future omniscience’ to see how to make optimal decisions in the face of a contingent future. In our COVID-19 world, where wisdom is needed above all else, I hope that we can learn from His wisdom to improve our decision making based on an uncertain future.

This post is part of a series on wisdom. The next in this series is Does God have wisdom?.

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