Did We Live Before This Life?

Did We Live Before This Life? A Scriptural Exploration

MARK CALKINS

Why is it that only a few acknowledge the possibility of pre-earth life, when it explains so much about our current existence?

DID WE LIVE BEFORE THIS LIFE?

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ou often hear the questions “Where did we come from?” or “Did we live before this life?” This universal yearning to understand any potential pre-earth existence can come from many diverse experiences. For example, have you ever experienced déjà vu, where you felt like you have been at a certain time and place before, only you knew that it couldn’t have happened in this life? Or have you ever “learned” something for the first time, only to feel like you “knew it before,” like you were just remembering it again? Many individuals have believed and written of a premortal existence, including philosophers Plato, Cicero, and Seneca; theologians Essenes and Philo of Alexandria (Jewish theologians), Origen of Alexandria (early Christian scholar) and Jacob Boehme (17th century religious leader); and poets and authors Alfred Lord Tennyson, Henry Vaughn, Thomas Traherne, Herman Hesse and Marcel Proust. Even modern authors such as Alex Haley (author of Roots) have written about it. One such example is from the English poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) in his work titled Immortality of the Soul. Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting: The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star, Hath had elsewhere its setting, And cometh from afar; Not in entire forgetfulness, And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory do we come From God, who is our home: Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

There are many things in life that are hard to explain without the notion of a pre-earth life. How do you explain how identical twins growing up in the same environment can be so different in their talents, personality and likes/dislikes? How is it that some individuals are child prodigies in music, art, mathematics or other areas? Human theories are very weak in their ability to explain such situations.

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SCRIPTURAL EXPLORATION OF OUR PRE-EARTH LIFE

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o, did we live before earth life, and if so, where? How did we come into being? What were we like? What did we do there? What laws and conditions, if any, prevailed during this premortal life?

An examination of Biblical scriptures strongly suggests that the belief in a premortal life was generally accepted and that the Savior Himself believed it.1 One episode during the life of the Savior indicates a premortal existence. The disciples, when they met a man born blind, asked Jesus, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2). This question shows the disciples believed in a pre-earth life, or they would not have asked the question. The Savior says nothing to dispel or correct the disciples’ belief. Rather he states, “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3). How could the man have “sinned” before he was born? This incident shows that both Christ and his disciples believed not only that we lived before mortality, but that we must have been subject to law and had agency to follow or disregard that law. Ecclesiastes speaks of the immortal nature of man as evidenced in death. “Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). How can a spirit return to a place or state of being where it has not been before? One concept that supports life before our earth life is foreordination. Jesus was foreordained to become the Savior of all mankind before the “foundation of the world.” Peter wrote: “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (1 Peter 1:19-20). This means Jesus was called by God the Father to bring about the great Atonement that would enable all to gain eternal salvation. The phrase “before the foundation of the world” means that this “calling” happened during the premortal life, before mortal life began.

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DID WE LIVE BEFORE THIS LIFE?

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ome may say that the foreordination of Christ does not imply anything about our premortal existence. However, Paul’s teachings show otherwise. He preached that Christ was the “firstborn of every creature” (Colossians 1:15), the Father’s “firstbegotten into the world” (Hebrews 1:6) and the “firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). Since Christ was not the first born in our physical world, this repeated statement by Paul must indicate that Jesus was God the Father’s first born somewhere else, specifically in a premortal spirit world. There is no other way Christ could be the first born of the Father. The apostle Paul taught that in addition to having a father of our “flesh,” we also have a father of our spirits: “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?” (Hebrews 12:9). Paul further states that “the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God” (Romans 8:16), that God is the “Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:6). This literal father of our spirits is our Heavenly Father. Hence we see the Savior referring often to the Father, such as in Matthew 6: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven … Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? … for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things” (Matthew 6:9, 26, 32). We were “spiritually born” before earth life. We lived as literal spirits with our Heavenly Father before we were physically born on earth. Moses spoke of God as “the God of the spirits of all flesh” (Numbers 16:22). The apostle Paul said to the Athenians: “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.” (Acts 17:29). We were created spiritually in the image of God as His offspring.2 “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness … So God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:26).

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SCRIPTURAL EXPLORATION OF OUR PRE-EARTH LIFE

We gained a spirit body that resembled our physical body,3 only that it is composed of a completely different material (spirit matter). “There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes” (D&C 131:7).4 As spirit children, we were reared to spiritual maturity by our Heaven Father. And just as we inherit various attributes and characteristics from our earthly parents, our spirits likewise inherited divine attributes from our Heavenly Father. One spiritual leader wrote: “There is the nature of deity in the composition of our spiritual organization. In our spiritual birth our Father transmitted to us the capabilities, powers and faculties which He himself possessed … although in an undeveloped state.”5 As spirit children of our Eternal Father, we are of a royal lineage. We possess in an embryonic capacity the ability to eventually become like our Heavenly parent, if we will develop these spiritual traits and abilities through the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Psalmist wrote: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High” (Psalms 82:6). Jesus quoted this same scripture: “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (John 10:34). Paul taught that “the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).

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DID WE LIVE BEFORE THIS LIFE?

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e don’t know much about our pre-earth life. But we do know a few things. We do know that earth life is a continuation of our premortal existence. When we pass from our premortal life to earth life we bring with us traits and talents we developed there. We pick up our course of progression right where we left off. In the premortal life, we were subject to law and had our agency. There we developed aptitudes, talents, capacities and abilities of every kind. This explains why some individuals have amazing gifts in music, the arts, science, mathematics, and human relations in mortality. Some excelled in one area, while others excelled in another while there. The most important talent or ability one could attain in the premortal world was that of spirituality. This talent allowed one to easily recognize truth and to more easily accept it and follow it. This notion gives greater meaning to the Lord’s comment that ‘His sheep know His voice and follow Him’ (John 10:3-4). While in the premortal world, we developed certain desires, passions and dispositions. One spiritual leader wrote: Notwithstanding this fact that our recollection of former things was taken away, the character of our lives in the spirit world has much to do with our disposition, desires and mentality here in mortal life. The spirit influences the body to a great extent, just as the body in its desires and cravings has an influence on the spirit. … Environment and many other causes, however, have great influence on the progress and destiny of man, but we must not lose sight of the fact that the characteristics of the spirit, which were developed through many ages of a former existence, play a very important part in our progression through mortal life.”6

This can be seen in children of a same family, such as identical twins. Though they grow up in the same environment with the same parents, yet they are often quite different in personality, attitude, talent and ambition. Likewise, it may be possible that many of the people we are attracted to in this life were ones we knew in our premortal existence. Some believe in “kindred spirits” to whom they are attracted. We may meet someone for the first time who we feel we have known for a long 7

SCRIPTURAL EXPLORATION OF OUR PRE-EARTH LIFE

time. These experiences may be more real than we know. We probably knew many of the people we interact with here in mortality in our pre-earth existence. There are probably many ways we are influenced by our premortal life even though we have no memory of it. As one person said, “We just don’t realize how much of everything we have in this life is based on [our] preexistence.” Maybe it is surprising we don’t experience déjà vu more often.

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DID WE LIVE BEFORE THIS LIFE?

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ne of the most important things we know about our preexistence was that our Heavenly Father presented a plan of salvation to all of His spirit children during our time there. His goal was and always has been “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). Therefore, he presented a plan that outlined a series of steps we would need to take in order to obtain a higher status of happiness (eternal life), similar to the happiness that He enjoys. We learned that a world would be created,7 whereupon we would need to experience mortality and obtain a body. We were taught that Heavenly Father would provide a Savior for us, one who would suffer for our sins thereby allowing us to overcome sin and death. We also learned that we would need to accept the Savior and adhere to certain conditions in order to gain this higher status of happiness in the eternities. While the plan was presented, Jesus Christ accepted the divine commission to be the Savior of all mankind. In His intercessory prayer, Jesus prayed to his Father to “glorify thou me ... with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5). At another occasion, he told His disciples “What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before” (John 6:62). The apostle John wrote of the premortal role of Jesus Christ as the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). He also referred to Christ as the Word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God … And all things were made by him” (John 1:1, 3). The majority of God’s spirit children accepted Heavenly Father’s plan. In fact, when the plan was presented, the majority shouted for joy, as did Job: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? … When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4, 7). (Why would God ask Job where he was during this event, if Job had not also had a prior existence?) When this plan was presented, not everyone accepted it, however. One spirit who did not was named Lucifer. He was one of the more influential and admired of Heavenly Father’s spirits.8 Lucifer presented an alternate proposal, one that would give him personally greater status and glory. His proposal sought to take away our free agency and force us to obey during our trial period in mortality so as to gain salvation. The Lord told Moses “that Satan … is the same which was from the beginning [who] came before me, saying—Behold, here 9

SCRIPTURAL EXPLORATION OF OUR PRE-EARTH LIFE

am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor” (Moses 4:1).9 Lucifer’s plan was quite appealing to many of his fellow spirits. He claimed he could “guarantee” their salvation without effort, hard work or individual responsibility or accountability. A plan that would guarantee all salvation without effort, sacrifice or suffering was theologically impossible. Nevertheless, many spirits chose to follow Lucifer because he was so persuasive. He probably showed his fellow spirits how difficult the Father’s plan would be to gain eternal life, and how easy his version would be instead. Those who wanted a smooth and simple path must have been attracted to it. They wanted the reward without any of the effort. They were willing to follow someone who promised to guarantee them salvation, when the Father’s plan could not make that promise. Lucifer’s proposition was contrary to Heavenly Father’s plan and was rejected by Him. Because his proposal was rejected, Lucifer rebelled. He was angry that Jesus had been chosen as the Redeemer in the Father’s plan. He was blinded by jealousy. He wanted the adulation and praise of others; he sought to be lifted above the rest. When the Father denied Lucifer the ability to be the redeemer, and chose instead His firstborn in the spirit world (Jesus), Lucifer rebelled. This caused a war during the premortal spirit world. The apostle John writes that “there was war in heaven” and that God’s followers “fought against the dragon (Lucifer) and his angels” (Revelations 12:7).10 This was a war of words, a conflict of ideologies; a war between truth and error, between light and darkness; a war for the ‘hearts, souls and minds’ of all of God’s children. Lucifer and his followers, in their efforts to win the war for souls, accused, denounced, swore falsely against, and spoke evil of not only Jesus, but also the Father and all who supported the true plan of salvation.11 He was the master at twisting the truth and calling good evil and evil good.12 After this war was waged for a period, the Father ultimately cast Lucifer and his followers out of the premortal spirit world.13 The apostle John writes that “the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him” (Revelations 12:9). The scriptures also indicate that one third of the spirits during the premortal spirit world were cast out.14 Their opportunity for progression was over. The redemptive power of Christ's Atonement at that point would be unable to help them. They would not be allowed to come to earth or receive a body. Ironically, those who sought the easy way to salvation will not have any opportunity to obtain it. They came out in open rebellion of the Father’s plan of salvation while they walked in the presence of the Father and the Son. They had a perfect knowledge of the course they pursued and the consequences that would follow. Once he and his followers were cast out, Lucifer then became Satan or the devil, and his followers became his angels. Their goal is to get individuals to ignore God and not accept Christ during their mortal life.15 They make an open war in an attempt to thwart the eternal 10

DID WE LIVE BEFORE THIS LIFE?

progression of each of God’s children since they know they personally can never achieve it. The war in heaven essentially continues on. Satan and his followers know they have a limited time to do their work, and that they will ultimately be cast out forever.

CALLED AND PREPARED

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hat of the other two-thirds who were not cast out? All were given the opportunity to remain in the premortal spirit world and participate in the Father’s plan of salvation. Every person who enters mortality was among these two-thirds who followed God the Father and the Savior. Of those who were valiant in their defense of the Father and the Son, many were chosen and foreordained to callings they would be given in mortality, much like Jesus was called to be the Savior. “Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born” (Abraham 3:22-23). Likewise, Jeremiah was foreordained to be a prophet of God during a certain time and place for a certain group of people: “Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:4-5). The Lord knew Abraham and Jeremiah prior to their birth and was familiar with their spiritual attitudes and abilities. Because of that knowledge and because of Abraham’s and Jeremiah’s premortal faith, obedience, and valiance in defending and sustaining the Father’s plan, both were called to be prophets to ancient Israel during the premortal world. It is likely that all of the apostles and prophets were foreordained during the pre-existence to come to earth at particular times and places to assist God in furthering His work. This was based on the “foreknowledge of God the Father” (1 Peter 1:2) to chose those who He knew had the talents and abilities to perform such responsibilities. Likewise, many were “called” before the foundation of the world to perform certain callings during mortality.16 It would make sense that these foreordinations would take place during this spirit existence before men began their earth life. It is important to note that foreordination is not the same as predestination. Predestination implies we have no choice, no agency; that the result will happen independent of any action of our own. Free agency is a gift from God that applied both in the pre-existence as well as now in mortality. 17 Foreordination, then, is a calling given with implied agency. It still requires the individual foreordained to make wise choices while in mortality, to fulfill the

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earlier calling he or she was given. The notion that some are “predestined” to eternal life and others to damnation independent of their own freedom to choose is not a true principle.18

VEIL OF FORGETFULNESS

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art of the test of mortality is that we do not remember anything about our premortal existence. If we remembered it, then mortality really wouldn’t be much of a test. During our premortal life, we had the opportunity to walk in the presence of the Father and the Son. During our time in mortality, however, it is vital to our eternal growth that we walk now by faith, not by sight. If we remembered our pre-earth life, it would not be possible to walk by faith. This would limit our spiritual growth, hinder our eternal progress and potentially make it difficult to gain eternal salvation. Therefore, our growth is accelerated because of the veil. It gives us the opportunity to grow, from grace to grace, from line upon line, precept upon precept,19 choosing good over evil through wise use of our agency. As we grow here a little and there a little, we will finally overcome and triumph over all our imperfections through the grace and glory of the Redeemer, that we may receive with Him the same glory that he inherits, being a “joint-heir with Christ.”20 In this sense, the veil is a blessing from God, who seeks our eternal salvation and happiness. Occasionally, as we grow spiritually, we may find we get a small glimpse of our previous life. Sometimes we will learn again what we may have already learned before. It will seem as though we knew it all along, but just forgot it. This “relearning” may in reality just be a remembering from our previous life.

SO WHAT?

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hy is an understanding of our preexistence of value to us now? Why should we care? Here are some benefits that we can derive from a knowledge of our pre-earth life:

1. It helps us to understand where we came from. 2. We come to know that God is the literal Father of our spirits, and that we have inherited from Him the qualities of divinity in an embryonic state. 3. Knowing we are children of God strengthens our self-respect and inspires us to greater realization of our spiritual potential. 4. We realize that earth life is part of our overall eternal progression. 5. By understanding that God has a plan for us, we can better handle the difficulties and trials of life. We can understand that there may be a reason for us to go through certain experiences. 6. We can see that we came to earth to for a reason, and that God will help us succeed as we do our part. 12

DID WE LIVE BEFORE THIS LIFE?

7. By understanding that we are children of a Heavenly Father, we understand that we have great potential to grow and eventually become like him (through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 8. We come to understand we have a responsibility to do whatever is required of us in order to return back to live with Him again. 9. Because of our understanding that all of mankind are our brothers and sisters, we have a greater obligation to help and serve them. 10. We realize that there is a real opposition here in mortality. The devil and his followers are not a figment of some ancient prophet’s imagination. They are real and want us to fail in our goal to obtain eternal life. 11. The Father’s plan and Jesus’ mission is to bring about the Atonement was to help us overcome the opposition of the adversary and conquer death. This plan will ultimately succeed and the adversary’s will fail.

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he knowledge of our preexistence can be of great value to us. While we do not know much, there are many important concepts we learn about the premortal existence from the scriptures and the prophets. We were born as literal spirit children to our Heavenly Father and had a body of spirit. We had the opportunity to develop many talents and abilities during our premortal state, which come with us as we enter mortality. Of great value is to know that our Heavenly Father created a plan that would enable us to ultimately gain eternal life, a higher level of happiness similar to the one He enjoys, and that Jesus Christ accepted the divine commission to be the Savior of all mankind to enable the plan to be in effect, which He did accomplish during His time in mortality. We had the free agency to follow God’s plan or reject it and follow Lucifer during the premortal life. The great news is that all spirits who accepted God’s plan either have been, are now being given, or will be given the opportunity to participate in this plan by coming to mortality and obtaining a body. All memory of our premortal existence has been taken from us to enable mortality to be a test and an opportunity for personal growth. This enables us to grow in ways we could not if there was not a veil over our premortal life. To learn more about our about our premortal life, please visit this website.

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Notes Below are additional comments, scriptural and other references to points made in the document. All scripture are from the Bible (King James Version) unless noted otherwise. 1

The Council of Constantinople in the sixth century A.D. pronounced belief in the pre-existence of our spirit to be heretical. Since this belief was well accepted by many before this council, one might well ask whether a decision made by a group of men in the sixth century should be regarded as binding today. For example, a local church in Rome condemned Galileo’s heliocentric doctrine in favor of a geocentric one and the church in question turned out to be wrong. Why should decisions made long ago be regarded today as valid if they were made by uninspired or misinformed individuals?

2

“‘God created man in His own image.’ This is just as true of the spirit as it is of the body… The spirit of man is in the form of man.” (“The Origin of Man,” Improvement Era, November, 1909, p. 77. 3

The spiritual elements were organized into a spirit being “in the likeness and after the pattern of the fleshly tabernacle. It [the spirit] possesses, in fact, all the organs and parts exactly corresponding to the outward tabernacle.” Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, p. 79.

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“The spirit, by many, is thought to be immaterial, without substance. With this latter statement we should beg … to differ and state [that] the spirit is substance; that it is material, but that it is more pure, elastic and refined matter than the body; and will exist separate from the body, when the body will be moldering in the dust; and will in the resurrection, be again united with it.” Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 207.

5

Lorenzo Snow, Journal of Discourse, volume 14, page 302.

6

Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 1, page 60.

7

Abraham 3:24-25: ”And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.”

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Isaiah wrote: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:12-15). The term “son of the morning” indicates Lucifer occupied a very high position of power and authority. He most likely had a compelling personality and was probably among the oldest of the spirit children, thereby commanding an element of respect from others. Therefore, when he rebelled and was later cast out, it had a huge impact on his spirit siblings.

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Lucifer didn’t want to become the savior under the Father’s plan. He knew that he would need to suffer for the sins of all men to be the savior. He also knew he would need to be sinless himself to be the savior, which he knew he couldn’t do. Seeking for ultimate glory and power, he came up with a proposal that would eliminate the need for an atonement, thereby eliminating the need for him to 15

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suffer for the sins of all mankind and to live a sinless life like Christ did. Therefore Lucifer’s proposal required that men’s free agency be taken away. They would need to be forced to do everything right and never sin. He, in essence, said, “Here am I, send me. I will be the redeemer of the world, but not under the conditions of the Father’s plan. I will redeem all, but it must be on my terms, and I must receive all glory and honor.” Jesus, on the other hand, was willing to be the Savior, live a sinless life and suffer for our sins because of his love for us. Lucifer lacked this love. 10

Revelations 12:7-8: “And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

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Revelations 12:9-10: “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night” (italics added).

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It is probable that this war in heaven happened over a period of time. Many spirits probably wrestled over the two views, being unstable in their minds and undecided in which force to join. There were probably many deserters from both sides. This most likely gave each spirit a chance to really determine who they would follow—God the Father and His Son, or Lucifer. For all of the Father’s spirit children, this war became the ultimate test of their valiance.

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Additional scriptures about Satan and his followers being cast out: Luke 10:18: “And he (Jesus) said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.” D&C 76:25-28: “And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the Only Begotten Son whom the Father loved and who was in the bosom of the Father, was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, And was called Perdition, for the heavens wept over him—he was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen, even a son of the morning! … we beheld Satan … even the devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ.” (Doctrine and Covenants) Abraham 3:27-28: “And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first. And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.” (Pearl of Great Price) Moses 4:3-4: “Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.” (Pearl of Great Price)

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D&C 29:36: “For, behold, the devil … rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency.” (Doctrine and Covenants)

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1 John 3:8: “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 16

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Scriptures that show many were called to positions and callings during the premortal existence, which is called foreordination: D&C 138:55: “They were also among the noble and great ones who were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church of God.” (Doctrine and Covenants) Alma 13:1, 3: “The Lord God ordained priests, after his holy order, which was after the order of his Son, to teach these things unto the people … And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works.” (Book of Mormon)

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Scriptures on free agency: Joshua 24:15: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; … but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Judges 2:22: “That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.” 2 Nephi 2:27: “men are free ... to choose.” (Book of Mormon) D&C 101:78: “That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.” (Doctrine and Covenants) 18

“The doctrine of absolute predestination, resulting in a nullification of man’s free agency, has been advocated with various modifications by different sects. Nevertheless, such teachings are wholly unjustified by both the letter and spirit of sacred writ. God’s foreknowledge concerning the natures and capacities of His children enables Him to see the end of their earthly career even from the first … Many people have been led to regard this foreknowledge of God as a predestination whereby souls are designated for glory or condemnation even before their birth in the flesh, and irrespective of individual merit or demerit. This heretical doctrine seeks to rob Deity of mercy, justice, and love; it would make God appear capricious and selfish, directing and creating all things solely for His own glory, caring not for the suffering of His victims … It leads to the absurd conclusion that the mere knowledge of coming events must act as a determining influence in bringing about those occurrences. God’s knowledge of spiritual and of human nature enables Him to conclude with certainty as to the actions of any of His children under given conditions; yet that knowledge is not of compelling force upon the creature” (James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, p. 191).

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2 Nephi 28:30: “For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more.” (Book of Mormon) Isaiah 28:13: “But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

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Romans 8:16-17: “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

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