A passage in the Teachings and Commandments explains God’s glory in these words: “The glory of God is intelligence, or in other words, light and truth. Light and truth forsake that evil one. Every spirit of man was innocent in the beginning, and God having redeemed man from the Fall, man became again, in their infant state, innocent before God. And that wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.” (T&C 93:11.)
Light and truth are another way to define “intelligence.” And “truth” is likewise defined as “knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.” (T&C 93:8.) Which raises the question of how we can know of things as they are, were, and are to come?
The most obvious source to know of things past, present and in the future is to study scripture. Scriptures require us to have faith enough to believe they are trustworthy. Exercising that degree of faith lets the believer learn about things as they are, were, and are to come, while the unbeliever rejects that opportunity.
The Book of Mormon assumes many readers will disbelieve it. Nephi recorded that Christ posed this question for the reader to contemplate: “Wherefore murmur ye because that ye shall receive more of my word?” (NC 2 Ne. 12:9.) The question is rhetorical, but certainly worth contemplating: Why do we disbelieve something that originated with Christ?
The explanation is in that first statement from the T&C: “[the] wicked one comes and takes away light and truth, through disobedience, from the children of men, and because of the tradition of their fathers.” Rejecting the words of Christ is itself “disobedience.” And justifying that rejection because it is something new and contrary to the “tradition of [your] fathers” is wrong.
The result is that the believer gains more “light and truth” than the one who refuses to believe. They are “more intelligent” because they accept more “light and truth.”
Departing from traditions can be frightening. But fear is the opposite of faith. The Book of Mormon challenges us to test truths by accepting and applying them in our life, to determine what effect the truth has. (NC Alma 16:28.) If it proves to have a good effect, then you can trust the truth is godly and good. And if it proves to have a bad effect, then you can reject it. Applying that test requires only the smallest degree of belief. That small step should be possible, even for the most tradition-bound and fearful.