LDS question....?

Question

If we pre-existed as spirits in Heaven with God the Father, why is it we can't remember that time, and why is it we had to go to earth to be born just to go back to Heaven later? explain that.

one person here said this:
Jesus had a premortal existence. The apostle John, who speaks of Christ as the Word made flesh (John 1:14), opens the book that bears his name by testifying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1.) In other words, in the beginning was Christ, and Christ was with God, and Christ himself also was a God. The important thing for our purpose at the moment, however, is simply that “in the beginning” was Christ.

The apostle Paul also says that in the days of Moses—more than twelve hundred years before Jesus was born—the children of Israel “drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:4.)

You may wish to note a statement that Jesus himself made the night before his crucifixion. He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

I know what you're getting at, but the reason why it's hard for you to understand is because God is a trinity--three people in one. It's hard for anyone to understand, but that's how it is. Jesus was "with God"--that's talking about the other part of the trinity. They are all one.

Answer 1

First - look at what the Bible says about the pre-existence -

1. Jesus had a premortal existence. The apostle John, who speaks of Christ as the Word made flesh (John 1:14), opens the book that bears his name by testifying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1.) In other words, in the beginning was Christ, and Christ was with God, and Christ himself also was a God. The important thing for our purpose at the moment, however, is simply that “in the beginning” was Christ.

The apostle Paul also says that in the days of Moses—more than twelve hundred years before Jesus was born—the children of Israel “drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.” (1 Cor. 10:4.)

You may wish to note a statement that Jesus himself made the night before his crucifixion. He prayed, “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5.)

Thus we see that Jesus was in existence long before his advent into mortality. But what about people other than the Savior having had a previous spirit life.

2. Jeremiah had a premortal existence. The Lord spoke to him and said, “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.” (Jer. 1:5.)

3. Job had a premortal existence. On one occasion the Lord asked the prophet Job, “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

“When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4, 7.)

Now although the Lord didn’t tell Job where he was before the foundations of the earth were laid, the very question implies that Job was in existence somewhere—and not only Job but “all the sons of God.” And when we recall that the Bible teaches that we are the sons of God (“the offspring of God” is the way the apostle Paul phrases it in Acts 17:29), we can’t help but conclude that we were in existence with Job (and Jeremiah and the Lord Jesus Christ) before the earth was created.

4. In the ninth chapter of John. In reference to a blind man the apostles asked Jesus, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2.) Note that their question was not simply whether the man’s parents had sinned before he was born but whether the man himself had sinned before he was born. Their query plainly shows that they believed that the man had been both alive and capable of sinning before he was born.

Jesus explained (John 9:3) that neither the man nor his parents had sinned, but the striking fact is that he made no attempt to challenge or correct or alter their basic assumption that the man had had a premortal existence.

5. Certain passages of the Bible make sense only in the light of man’s premortal existence. We as Latter-day Saints understand that during the course of man’s premortal spirit career one third of God’s children rebelled and followed Satan. This understanding gives meaning to a number of biblical passages bearing on the expulsion from heaven of certain disobedient beings. Consider, for example, 2 Peter 2:4 [2 Pet. 2:4], Jude 1:6, and Revelation 12:7–9 [Rev. 12:7–9].

The value of the veil is that we can sustain free will. Without it, there would be sufficient knowledge retained fromthe pre-existence to affect the choices we have made/will make.

EDIT: “We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.” We believe these three divine persons constituting a single Godhead are united in purpose, in manner, in testimony, in mission. We believe Them to be filled with the same godly sense of mercy and love, justice and grace, patience, forgiveness, and redemption. I think it is accurate to say we believe They are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable except believing Them to be three persons combined in one substance, a Trinitarian notion never set forth in the scriptures because it is not true.

Answer 2

First....There's a lot of stuff I can't remember. 0-3 years old, surgeries, sleeping time, a lot of things from my youth. Just because I don't remember it, doesn't mean that it didn't happen.

Prophets have told us that there was a "veil" put over our memories. This was necessary so that we would exercise faith here on earth.

I've got a shotgun. I'll let my brother play with it. I won't let my one year old play with it. I love them both.

God wants to give us all that he has.....this includes power. However, he'll only give it to those who are able to use it righteously.

The trinity is a Catholic doctrine. Are you catholic? Try to find the "trinity" in the bible. It's not there.

Christ was baptized, God's voice spoke from the heavens, and the holy ghost manifest itself. That sounds like 3 beings, not one.

Why would "God" be his own father or his own son? Seriously, can you explain that? That's not one of the "mysteries of God" that's one of the mysteries of Catholicism.

I've prayed to God to find out if Joseph Smith was really a prophet chosen by HIM. God told me that he was. Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ as 2 separate beings.

God, Christ, and the Holy Ghost are 3 beings that are perfectly united in purpose.

Answer 3

We can't remember that time because we are not meant to remember it. If we could remember it, there wouldn't be much need for or point in having faith.

We are born for a couple of reasons:
1) To gain a mortal body. The complete soul is a combination of the spirit and the body. That is how God the Father is. Somehow mortality is the only way to gain a physical body, which will be perfected and become immortal through the miracle of the resurrection. In this way, we can become like our Heavenly Father.
2) To learn and grow. There are many experiences that we simply cannot have any other way than through mortality. God wants us to be able to learn and grow eternally, to eventually become like He is, in every way.

In summary, we believe that there is much more to our eternal existence than simply living in Heaven, coming to Earth, and returning to Heaven. There is a Plan for us that involves growing, learning, and progressing eternally.

Answer 4

I would recommend visiting lds.org for a more in depth explanation.

We can't remember that time because there was a veil put over our memory at birth. We come to earth to receive a body and to be tested. It wouldn't be much of a test if we had knowledge of our pre-earth life when we lived with God.

Notice how John says Jesus was WITH God it never says Jesus WAS God. I can see how you believe in the trinity because our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are all united in purpose.
The facts are these: the Bible never uses the word trinity, it is an idea made up by men. The Bible does mention a Godhead that includes three seperate beings who are united in purpose. Jesus Christ was praying to his Father in the Garden of Gethsemane not himself.

Answer 5

The problem with "trinity", is that, how come only the "Father "
knows the second coming if they are three in one.

Why does Christ pray to the "Father",in the Garden of Gethsemane, is he praying to himself?

Why Christ said to Mary, at the tomb that, "......go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God." ( John 20:17)

Why the third person address?

Before Sephen was kill by the mob, did he not said that,
" ....I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." (Acts 7:50)

Answer 6

In the pre-existence we had progressed as far as we could without physical bodies. We came to earth to get those bodies,that we may have the understanding of all things. We can not know the happy without the sad, good without the bad, etc. There must be opposition in all things so that we may use our free agaency to choose who we will follow. Satan's plan, or Heavenly Father's plan. There is more that I could say here but sapce and time.

The knowledge of our pre-existence as had already been mentioned has been veiled. It is not an inpregnable veil at all, in fact as we progress here in our faith, knowledge and obedience the veil becomes thinner and thinner. We do often break through the veil in everyday things. for example when we learn something say 2+2 = 4 we know that that is true, something inside of us tells us that it is true. Why because it is an eternal principal, it something that we knew before we came here and the Holy Ghost who testifies of all truth witnesses it to us.

We must be tested to see who we will follow. We came here for a body so that we could become more like our Heavenly Father, He want's us to be like him. Just as we want our children to be like us. We teach them what we know and then when we have taught them as much as we can they need to go and make choices for themselves. And Hopefully they will choose to make good decesions.

I hope this helps a little bit. Fell free to talk with your Bishop, Stake President, etc. and also look at the Gospel Principles Manuel, and even attend your Ward's Gospel Princioles Class. The Gospel principles are all connected so don't try to understand just one thing as a stand alone answer. Don't try to run if you are just learning to crawl. I don't mean that as an insult in anyway. Just go slow and start at the beggining, get atestimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon, and read the Gospel Principles book from beginning to end. If you do not have one then ask your Bishop for one. I f you have any more questions or clarification on anything that I have said please e-mail me at [e-mail] Good Luck. I hope this helped a little. Hope to hear from you. Have a Grea Day!

Answer 7

Why is the Holy Spirit the last to have an existance on earth as a human?

I guess this idea confuses me because this belief makes Jesus & the Holy Spirit created beings, offsprings of Father Elohim who has many wives in heaven. So? That would make God the Father & his wives God. And Jesus & Lucifer & us & the Holy Spirit are all spirit children before.

That also confuses me as the children born into this world are body & soul who listens to their conscience. And spiritual death (hardened conscience) comes with rebelling against Gods Word & Truth. So? Why did Jesus say we needed to be born again. Born of His Spirit. If we were already a spirit in heaven first?

Peter priesthood? Why was the veil ripped from top to bottom when Jesus died on the cross? The veil has been opened!. The Way into the Holy of Holies has been made!

Answer 8

We came to earth to receive physical bodies, just as God has. We don't remember the pre-existance because God placed a veil between this earth and heaven so that we would walk by faith rather than sight. It is part of eternal progression.

Answer 9

Imagine that a teacher wants to see which of her students are honest and which ones will cheat. She hands out a test and then leaves the room. If the students KNEW that the teacher was watching, none of them would cheat. Since they don't know if she is or not, the cheaters will be more open about it.

It's a similar concept. If we could remember God and what he was like, no one would be bad. For this life to be a true test, we have to live by faith, not knowledge.

Answer 10

Because there is a veil(something that obstructs our vision and knowledge) between this world and Heaven.

We believe we were sent to earth to gain a physical body, to walk in faith of the Lord, and to learn what emotion is.

When we were in Heaven, all we knew was God, we didn't know we were Happy, and that Heaven was perfect. We were sent to earth to experience Sorrow, anger, hate, happiness, etc. that way, when we return to Heaven we will see how perfect Heaven is and we will be happy because of it.

BTW, you can take your tude back...