"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?
"And this speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing." (1 Kings 3:9-10.)"And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
"And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
"For he was wiser than all men . . . and his fame was in all nations round about." (1 Kings 4:29-31.)
In his October 1982 general conference address, Elder Derek A. Cuthbert of the Seventy spoke of the need to acquire wisdom, "that which Solomon desired so that he could make righteous judgments."
Elder Cuthbert said: "Many of us are not wise, for we are blinded by the material world around us. Wisdom comes from a realization of true values and priorities. It is a spiritual quality, for it is founded on discernment and an understanding heart. Great is the wisdom of the prophets, and all who heed them are blessed.
"The Lord counseled us to `seek not for riches but for wisdom.' (D&C 6:7.) In this general conference pearls of wisdom come from those who have spoken under the inspiration of the Spirit. We would all do well to study and apply the truths that have been declared."
Elder Cuthbert said knowledge by itself can be dangerous, and those who seek to acquire knowledge must also be helped to obtain wisdom. "Wisdom is a sign of maturity," Elder Cuthbert said. "It is usually related to age and experience, but not necessarily so. When serving as a mission president in Scotland, I saw the Lord quicken the understanding of many young missionaries so that they developed beyond their years." He said that within five years, six of those missionaries had been called as bishops and two were called to serve in stake presidencies in the British Isles.
