Hebrews 12:9 teaches that Heavenly Father is the Father of our spirits. Obviously we have tangible physical bodies here in this life. The implication then is that our spirits existed before this life. The idea that we existed before this life must have been taught to the apostles as they referred to it in John 9 as they come across a man “born blind.” Let’s pick it up in verse 2: “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
It is apparent that both Jesus and His apostles understand that it was possible for this man who was born blind to have “sinned” in some previous estate. This estate is referenced in Proverbs 8:22-31. God is speaking of “wisdom” in these verses and says, “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.”
If we did not have verse 31, which explains that wisdom existed WITH the sons of men (us) before the foundations of the world, then we could dismiss this passage as a description of one of the characteristics of God, but it is very apparent that we were existent with wisdom (and thus with God), before the Earth was formed!
Thus, before the Earth was formed, God, as our Father, created our spirits, of which Jesus was the firstborn (Spirit Creation: Numbers 16:22 & 27:16, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Zechariah 12:1, and Hebrews 12:9… Christ as Firstborn: Colossians 1:15-16, Psalms 89:27, Romans 8:29, Revelation 3:14). The spirits were created with gender as an essential characteristic. Our Father instituted and taught us a plan whereby we might be able to receive the joy and happiness that He has and wanted us to have. He wanted (and still wants) to give us all things (Romans 8:31-32). We were taught that we could come to this mortal Earth and be tried and tested to see if we would do everything He asked of us. Both males and females were to have specific powers and responsibilities in God’s plan. They are to work together in concert to bring as many of God’s children as possible to receive all that God has in store for them. When we heard this plan, we “shouted for joy.” (Job 38:7) We were made to understand that we would not be perfect in mortality. We would have free will, choice or “agency” as Latter Day Saints call it. We could choose between good and evil, light and darkness. We would make mistakes. We would separate ourselves from God through sin.
Sin led to the consequences of physical death (the separation of the immortal spirit from the mortal physical body) and spiritual death (separation from God). These consequences were and are such that we could not overcome them on our own. Our Father taught us the need for a Savior and Jesus responded that He would fulfill that role in the plan. Jesus would show us how to live, but even more than that, His mission was to overcome physical death through His own conquering of that enemy (1 Cor. 15:20-22). His gift of immortality is to be given to all, regardless of the lives that they lead here (John 5:25-29). Another part of His mission was to suffer for our sins in order to give us the opportunity to be forgiven of those sins, be cleansed to be able to exist in the presence of God. His mission is so important, that I will be adding a whole separate post to discuss His role in greater depth later on.
There were those who opposed God’s plan. Foremost among them was Lucifer, or Satan. (Revelation 12, Isaiah 14, D&C 29, Moses 4) Satan wanted something different and led many after him. John taught that Lucifer drew away a “third part” in this pre-mortal conflict between good and evil (Revelation 12:4-10). All those who chose to follow God’s plan were given the opportunity to come here to earth to prove themselves (Abraham 3:22-26). They were able to overcome the efforts of Satan “by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.” (Revelation 12:11)
This mortal life that God gave us would provide tests, trials and difficulties. The rain would come on both the just and the unjust. We would be subject to all of the natural consequences of a natural world. Our efforts here should be directed at following the example of the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These verses describe in detail the purpose of mortality (2 Nephi 2:21-27, Alma 12:24, Alma 34:32-34, Abraham 3:26, Article of Faith 13).
Families are “central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” Our families are to help us as we “obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize” our “divine destiny as heirs of eternal life.” God’s “plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.” (https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation ). The greatest joys in this life come in these family relationships. I can personally testify to that, and if you read other posts on this blog you will hopefully see why I feel that way.
To find this true joy and happiness in family life, we must base our efforts “upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.” (https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation ) Truly, God’s plan and organization can lead to great joy in this life, even in the midst of pain and sorrow. Elder Richard G. Scott provides an excellent summation of mortality in the 2003 New Era when he said, “No one escapes suffering in this life. We all go through some pain, sadness, and adversity. God allows us to go through trials so we can be tested and have our agency.
Bad things can happen to good people when people misuse their agency. Those who make poor choices hurt themselves and sometimes other people, even good people. Crime and divorce, for instance, are often the result of poor choices.
But poor choices don’t cause all suffering. Difficult circumstances like disease, accidents, starvation, or natural disasters are a part of mortal life. Difficulty rains “on the just and on the unjust” (Matt. 5:45).
The most important thing is to trust God and obey His will. Suffering in this life will eventually come to an end, and God’s perfect mercy, justice, and judgment will resolve all the “why’s” we wonder about now. The Lord loves us and sees the eternal view, so we can trust Him to guide our lives. He promises that our trials and difficulties can work for our good if we’re trying to live the right way (see D&C 90:24; D&C 122:7). He promises us peace that transcends the evil of the world (John 16:33). Psalms 34:19 says, ‘Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.’”https://www.lds.org/new-era/2003/07/qa-questions-and-answers?lang=eng
The knowledge that Jesus has overcome death and that we will continue to exist after this life brings great comfort. As the prophet Joseph F. Smith once said,
“All fear of this death has been removed
from the Latter-day Saints. They have no dread of the temporal death,
because they know that as death came upon them by the transgression of
Adam, so by the righteousness of Jesus Christ shall life come unto them,
and though they die, they shall live again. Possessing this knowledge,
they have joy even in death, for they know that they shall rise again
and shall meet again beyond the grave. They know that the spirit dies
not at all; that it passes through no change, except the change from
imprisonment in this mortal clay to freedom and to the sphere in which
it acted before it came to this earth” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 428).
After death, we enter a realm called “the spirit world” where we continue our existence as spirits even as our mortal bodies are laid in the grave. It is apparent that there will be those who do not hear the saving message of the gospel of Jesus Christ during their mortal existence. In the spirit world, all who have not yet had the opportunity to hear the gospel will be taught it (1 Peter 3:18-19; 4:6 and DC 138). In the mercy of God, none of God’s children will be judged on something that they did not even know about (Mosiah 3:11). What a blessing to know that God loves ALL of His children, regardless of race, religion, etc., and will give ALL of them an opportunity to choose to hearken to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This quote encapsulates this idea:
“In the justice of the Father, he is going to give to every man the
privilege of hearing the gospel. Not one soul shall be overlooked or
forgotten. This being true, what about the countless thousands who have
died and never heard of Christ, never had an opportunity of repentance
and remission of their sins, never met an elder of the Church holding
the authority? Some of our good Christian neighbors will tell you they
are lost forever, that they cannot believe in the grave, for there is no
hope beyond.“Would that be fair? Would it be just? No! The Lord is going to give to every man the opportunity to hear and to receive eternal life, or a place in his kingdom. We are very fortunate because we have had that privilege here and have passed from death into life.
“The Lord has so arranged his plan of redemption that all who have died without this opportunity shall be given it in the spirit world. There the elders of the Church who have died are proclaiming the gospel to the dead. All those who did not have an opportunity here to receive it, who there repent and receive the gospel, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:132).
This doctrine brings great peace and reaffirms the perfect justice and mercy of our loving Heavenly Father. He will give every one of His children the best opportunity to learn, grow, receive the gospel and become what He knows they can become.
Following this "Spirit World" existence is a 1,000 year period on the Earth termed the "Millennium." The righteous (good people from both within and without of the church) will be resurrected and enjoy this peaceful time. This period will begin with the Lord Jesus Christ coming a second time in great power and glory (Matt. 16:27-28; Matt. 25:31). The Lord will reign personally upon the Earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4, Article of Faith 10). During this time, Isaiah describes, there will be no pain, sickness, war, etc. (Isaiah 2:4, 11:9, 35:2, 65:17). The work for those who didn't have the opportunity in mortality will be completed during this time. Parents who lost children during mortality will have the opportunity to raise them from the precise age that they lost them. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, all things will be made right.
John the Revelator describes this time as follows: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
As Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught earlier this year, "the Savior makes all things right. No injustice in mortality is permanent, even death, for He restores life again. No injury, disability, betrayal, or abuse goes uncompensated in the end because of His ultimate justice and mercy." https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/the-resurrection-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng
Everyone will be resurrected (spirit and body will be reunited in perfect form, to never be separated again). All will live forever because of the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ that comes in and through His infinite Atonement for all of us. These quotes help explain/illustrate the doctrine:
- “What a glorious thought it is, to me at least, and it must be to all who have conceived of the truth or received it in their hearts, that those from whom we have to part here, we will meet again and see as they are. We will meet the same identical being that we associated with here in the flesh—not some other soul, some other being, or the same being in some other form, but the same identity and the same form and likeness, the same person we knew and were associated with in our mortal existence, even to the wounds in the flesh. Not that a person will always be marred by scars, wounds, deformities, defects or infirmities, for these will be removed in their course, in their proper time, according to the merciful providence of God. Deformity will be removed; defects will be eliminated, and men and women shall attain to the perfection of their spirits, to the perfection that God designed in the beginning” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 23).
- •“Every creature that is born in the image of God will be resurrected from the dead. … But just as sure as we go down into the grave, through the transgression of our first parents, by whom death came into the world, so sure will we be resurrected from the dead by the power of Jesus Christ. It matters not whether we have done well or ill, whether we have been intelligent or ignorant, or whether we have been bondsmen or slaves or freemen, all men will be raised from the dead” (Joseph F. Smith, in Millennial Star, 12 Mar. 1896, 162).
At this time, all mankind will be judged according to their works, words, thoughts and desires by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 5:22, Matt. 16:27, Revelation 3:15-21, Romans 2:1-13, James 2). This judgment will not be a tallying of good and bad marks, but is described by Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
The judgment will most certainly be perfect. As The Prophet Joseph Smith once taught that “He [God] holds the reins of judgment in His hands; He is a wise Lawgiver, and will judge all men, not according to the narrow, contracted notions of men, but, ‘according to the deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil.’ … He will judge them, ‘not according to what they have not, but according to what they have,’ those who have lived without law, will be judged without law, and those who have a law, will be judged by that law. We need not doubt the wisdom and intelligence of the Great Jehovah; He will award judgment or mercy to all nations according to their several deserts, their means of obtaining intelligence, the laws by which they are governed, the facilities afforded them of obtaining correct information, and His inscrutable designs in relation to the human family; and when the designs of God shall be made manifest, and the curtain of futurity be withdrawn, we shall all of us eventually have to confess that the Judge of all the earth has done right.” (History of the Church, 4:595–96.)
Following the judgment, we will be assigned to a degree of heavenly glory, based on what we have become. Although the degree of glory we will receive depends upon our own personal works, we are only able to receive this degree of glory because of Jesus Christ's grace and mercy provided through His Atonement. We did nothing to earn the gift, He gives it to us and it is up to us to receive it. "What doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift? Behold, he rejoices not in that which is given unto him, neither rejoices in him who is the giver of the gift." (DC 88:33).
Those who have received this gift in its fullest sense will have become like God (Romans 8:16-17, Revelation 3:20-21, Luke 22:29, Psalms 8:5-6, Matt. 5:48, Acts 17:29, Galatians 4:7, 1 John 3:2).
They will have the privilege of living eternally in family units (DC 131:1-4, 1 Cor. 11:11). This is a doctrine that brings great peace to myself and my family. Knowing that God promises that we can be together with the ones who we love most. "The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally." https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation These families will receive all that God has (Romans 8:31-32, 2 Tim. 2:11-13). Others will be assigned a degree of glory based on their words and works and what they have become (1 Cor. 15:40-42, 2 Cor. 12:2, John 14:2). Only those who have committed the unpardonable sin will not receive a degree of heavenly glory (Luke 12:10, Mark 3:28-29, Matt. 12:31-32).
This doctrine is more fully explained in the Doctrine and Covenants (section 76), as those who committed the "unpardonable sin" are "the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath.
39 For all the rest shall be brought forth by the resurrection of the dead, through the triumph and the glory of the Lamb, who was slain, who was in the bosom of the Father before the worlds were made.
40 And this is the gospel, the glad tidings, which the voice out of the heavens bore record unto us—
41 That he came into the world, even Jesus, to be crucified for the world, and to bear the sins of the world, and to sanctify the world, and to cleanse it from all unrighteousness;
43 Who glorifies the Father, and saves all the works of his hands, except those sons of perdition who deny the Son after the Father has revealed him.
44 Wherefore, he saves all except them—they shall go away into everlasting punishment, which is endless punishment, which is eternal punishment, to reign with the devil and his angels in eternity, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched, which is their tormentTruly this is the gospel! The good news! The glad tidings! That because of Jesus Christ, death is overcome and that we have the opportunity to overcome our sins through His sacrifice and be with our families forever.
Great are the promises of our Heavenly Father to us. His love is incredible and how He provides for all of His children shows that love.
“The
[Doctrine and Covenants] explains clearly that the lowest glory to
which man is assigned is so glorious as to be beyond the understanding
of man. It is a doctrine fundamental in Mormonism that the meanest
sinner, in the final judgment, will receive a glory which is beyond
human understanding, which is so great that we are unable to describe it
adequately. Those who do well will receive an even more glorious place.
Those who dwell in the lower may look wistfully to the higher as we do
here. The hell on the other side will be felt in some such way.
“The
Gospel is a gospel of tremendous love. Love is at the bottom of it. The
meanest child is loved so dearly that his reward will be beyond the
understanding of mortal man.” (Message of the Doctrine and Covenants, p. 167.)
For more information: https://www.lds.org/topics/plan-of-salvation?lang=eng
