Unit 1: Our Premortal Life with God
Chapter 2: Our Heavenly Family
Comments and Resources "The First Presidency of the Church has taught "All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and literally the sons and daughters of Deity". (The First Presidency [Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder and Anthon H. Lund], "The Origin of Man," Improvement Era, Nov. 1909, p. 78). "Spirits are eternal.At the first organization in heaven we were all present, and saw the Savior chosen and appointed, and the plan of Salvation made, and we sanctioned it" (Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 77) "There is no way to make sense of life with out a knowledge of the doctrine of premortal life. "The idea that mortal birth is the beginning is preposterous. There is no way to explain life if you believe that... "We are the children of God, created in his image. "Our child-parent relationship to God is clear" (Boyd K. Packer, "The Mystery of Life", Ensign, Nov 1983, p. 18) During the study of this topic, we will learn that all men were spirits before they came to this earth, that we lived with God, and that He is literally our Father.
Resources:
Gospel Principles: Chapter 2: Our Heavenly Family
A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, chapter 20.
Jesus The Christ, chapter 2 Scriptures:
Alma 13:2-5
"2 And those priests were ordained after the order of his Son, in a manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.
3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the 13/3d">foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.
4 And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren.
5 Or in fine, in the first place they were on the same standing with their brethren; thus this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son, who was prepared." Ether 3:13-16
"13 And when he had said these words, behold, the Lord showed himself unto him, and said: 3/13b">Because thou knowest these things ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I show myself unto you.
14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to 3/14b">redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ.I am the Father and the Son.In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
15 And never have I showed myself unto man whom I have created, for never has man 3/15b">believed in me as thou hast.Seest thou that ye are created after mine own image? Yea, even all men were created in the beginning after mine own image.
16 Behold, this body, which ye now behold, is the body of my spirit; and man have I created after the body of my spirit; and even as I appear unto thee to be in the spirit will I appear unto my people in the flesh." D&C 29:40-45
"40 Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, wherein he became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation.
41 Wherefore, I, the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wicked when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed.
42 But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death, until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentance and redemption, through faith on the name of mine 29/42e">Only Begotten Son.
43 And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his 29/43a">probation that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe;
44 And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not;
45 For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey." 3/5#5">Moses 3:5
"5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew.For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, 3/5b">spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air;" Abraham 3:22-28
"22 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;
23 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.
24 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;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God'shall command them;
26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
27 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.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him." 14/12-15#12">Isaiah 14:12-15
"12 How art thou fallen from 14/12b">heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
13 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:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." Jeremiah 1:4-5
"4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 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." Ephesians 1:4-11
"4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"
Topical Guide:
Council in Heaven
Earth, Purpose of
Jesus Christ, Antemortal existence of
Man, a Spirit Child of Heavenly Father
Man, Antemortal Existence of
Man, Potential to Become Like Heavenly Father
Spirit Body
Spirit Creation Bible Dictionary:
Election
Spirit
War in Heaven Guide to the Scriptures:
Council in Heaven
Election
Premortal Life
Spirit
War in Heaven