Feb 17, 2017
Where Did We Come From?
The LDS take great pride in telling prospective members that they have an answer to the great mystery of where we came from. Most Christians merely believe that God created us at birth and that was the beginning of our existence, but Mormon missionaries add a new dimension to our existence by explaining that we had a life with God before we were born.
Yes, it is true that the LDS have a piece of knowledge here that sets them apart from most other Christian religions, but unfortunately it is only a piece when many pieces are needed for a clear picture to be obtained.
Here is the essence of the church doctrine. We existed forever as intelligences until God came along and gave birth to those intelligences into spirit bodies. It is assumed by most members that God had a wife who was our heavenly mother.
Just about anything else one can assume about the pre-mortal existence is considered speculative by the church and nothing further is taught in any church classes.
This doesn’t stop members from guessing what our past life was like. Here are some things that most Mormons students assume.
The male God, who is called Heavenly Father, along with his wife (or possibly wives) obtained their exaltation on another earth something like this. They were resurrected and the planet along with them were changed into a celestial glorified state.
After moving into the celestial state our heavenly parents started having children, lots of them. Their resurrected physical bodies had sexual relations and our heavenly mother gave birth to intelligences into spirit bodies.
It is assumed that our heavenly parents then raised us from being babies to adults on that planet similar to how ideal Mormons would raise their children. When we became adults we looked very close to what we look like on earth in our prime, except our spirit bodies were perfect. No one was overweight, ugly or had blemishes or handicaps.
Members assume that we made numerous commitments to our heavenly parents and many of us chose the person who was to be our mate while in this realm.
How long we lived with these heavenly parents and all our billions of brothers and sisters is a mystery. Members figure it must have been quite a long time for our parents to give birth to enough spirits to populate the whole earth, which would be 30 billion or more. They wonder if perhaps the gestation process was speeded up in our Heavenly Mother. Maybe she could give birth to lots of children in a short period of time by some process unknown to us.
In addition to the birthing mystery there are many others that curious Mormons ponder such as:
(1) Before we were born into spirit bodies we were intelligences. What an intelligence is and what that existence was like is completely unknown.
(2) Do our heavenly parents have their planet all to themselves or do they share it with thousands of other gods who were resurrected and exalted with them? If they share the planet then where would they find room for the children of the other gods? After all, members are taught that all the billions here on earth have the same God as our Father.
(3) It is believed that our God had a father and his father had one. Was there a first God. If so, how did he get started?
(4) The Mormon scriptures say that our God has created worlds without number and there are many earths like this one with His sons and daughters on the surface.
Where did God raise these trillions of other children for other worlds and how could a wife or two give birth to so many? How birth was given to the billions of earth spirits is mind boggling enough to consider without taking many other worlds into consideration.
(5) How is God able to hear or answer prayers of billions of his children while at the same time spend time teaching and preparing spirits on his planet who are yet to be born?
(6) Some of the writings of Joseph Smith speak of there being one God who created all things and others saying there are many Gods. How is this contradiction explained?
(7) What is he fate of the Sons of Perdition who have committed the unpardonable sin? What does it take to become one? Will they ever be given another chance?
If a member asks any of these questions to church leaders he will get the standard reply which is:
“The answer is not necessary to your salvation. We’ll find out soon enough in the afterlife. Right now we need to learn more about faith and how to live more perfect lives.”
That response never satisfied me as I take Joseph Smith’s words to heart:
“A man is saved no faster than he gains knowledge.”
Gaining knowledge is the great quest and knowledge does indeed shed light on the mysteries. When light and truth arrive the seeker will often have to completely rearrange the picture of the whole that he had previously arraigned in his mind.
Copyright by J J Dewey
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