Yes.
One supposed point that Nibley likes to bring up on a regular basis though out his books is that people in ancient times were much more philosophically oriented and sophisticated than people of current times, which tends to indicate that, despite all of our modern technology, people back then were more intelligent than they are now.
In April of 1999, LDS General Conference Sunday Morning Session MORmON PRofit Gordon B. Hinckley / Gordon BS Hinckley gave an Easter theme talk titled: He is not Here, But is Risen.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1999/04/he-is-not-here-but-is-risen?lang=engQuote:
His friends must have wept. The Apostles He loved and whom He had called as witnesses of His divinity wept. The women who loved Him wept. None had understood what He had said about rising the third day. How could they understand? This had never happened before. It was totally unprecedented. It was unbelievable, even for them.
End Quote:
Just as Hinckley says leading up to this quote from his talk, conquering death was one of mankind's highest aspirations, a thought/ notion most prevalent on the human consciousness just as death itself is.
Jesus upon accomplishing this grand task -a grand mission assigned to Him in a pre mortal existence well before the inception of life on earth according to MORmON doctURine, would unquestionably be the greatest figure of all humanity and history. Also according to MORmON doctUrine: the glory of God is intelligence.
This makes things very quizzical, from the standpoint that according to PRofit Hinckley's account, Jesus had managed to pick as His special witness apostles for His greatest mortal accomplishment ever of permanently defeating death, some guys who were so Dense that they just could NOT grasp exactly what the savior of all mankind was trying to do with respect to rendering death ineffective, a story line task that most 8 year old children can fairly readily master and explain.
From the MORmON temple ceremony, The apostolic figures of Peter, James, and John are also identified as pre mortal cohorts of the Universe creating ULTRA Genius super intelligent Jesus, and so, it can be implied that the rest of the ancient apostles also have this same pre mortal familiarity with the New Testament Messiah.
Sure, Jesus can create the universe, and Jesus can atone for the sins of all mankind, and Jesus can defeat death, but Jesus does not have the reserve left after all of that messianic heavy lifting to see to it that his closest associates are provided with mental capabilities above that of Idiots. SO, after they end up on earth, Jesus' apostles are all as dumb as posts. They definitely were NOT the more philosophically inclined people that Nibley was talking about.
From the Hinckley account, it can be concluded that ancient apostles were not very smart and that there must have been some dialog at various times like this between Jesus and his chosen (retard) apostles:
Jesus (attempting to explain): OK, first, I am alive, then I am dead, then I am alive again. Now you try it!
Apostle A : Ok, First, you are....... (confused) DEAD !
Jesus: (interrupting) No! FIRST, I am ALIVE, just like right now, THEN I am dead, then I am Alive again! Now, try it again.
Apostle A : (On a fast roll) Ok, first you are dead.
Jesus: (Interrupting) No! First, I am ALIVE !
Apostle B: OK, let me try!
Jesus: OK
Apostle B: OK, First you are Alive, then you are Alive ....
Jesus: NO, first, I am alive, then I am dead.....
Apostle B: OK .....First, you are Alive, then you are.... dead.....
Jesus: (Coaxing and encouraging) Yes, Yes, and then......
Apostle B: ....you are still dead!
Jesus: No! No ! that is NOT it !!!
First, I am alive,then I am dead,then I am alive again.
You try it.
Apostle C: Ok...... firrrrrssssst you arrrrrre .......dead!
Jesus: ( in utter frustration) No! listen! First, I am ALIVE......
The one thing even more entertaining than listening to a MORmON make things up, is listening to several MORmONS make up stuff and then comparing notes. Hugh Nibley was a REAL MORmON. Gordon Hinckley was an even bigger MORmON.
Hinckley told lots of LIES in his life time.
Here is Nibley telling one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuKb2HbiihI