~by Michelle

Truths about God’s love and His plan and His Son Jesus Christ are truths that even children can comprehend. Today, a children’s song came to mind that carries with it this kind of beautiful simplicity — and also points to so many layers of awe-inspiring truths.

This song talks about how we all lived with God before this life. We were given the opportunity to choose whether or not we wanted to come to earth and receive bodies and learn by experience through this mortal journey. We knew Jesus before this life, because He was central to God’s plan to allow us the opportunity to come back Home.

In this life, we have an opportunity to choose God’s plan and to choose to have faith in Jesus — again.

The song reminds me of William Wordsworth’s poem, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.” (I’d never seen the whole poem before; I recommend reading it in its entirety.)

Wordsworth was an English poet who was born in the later 18th century. His poem articulates this sense that our existence didn’t start here, but that

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:

Wordsworth also acknowledges that as we grow older, experiences of life can leave us forgetting, growing blinded to our divine identity evidences of Light all around us.

But we don’t have to walk blind, in the dark. We can, as the scriptures say, be as little children.

As these children sing, we can “Choose Him Again.”

[Song written by Shawna Edwards and performed by One Voice Children’s Choir]

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Can science and religion co-exist? Dr. John Lewis, a planetary scientist — interested in the “chemistry of the universe” –shares some thoughts on the “who” and the “why” of the divinity of creation: on God’s plan, on Jesus Christ‘s role as “builder” of Heavenly Father’s plan for creation, of the reality that we lived with God before this life, and that we can look forward to the opportunity to live with Him again.

He also talks about how science and religion are complementary, how the scientific wonders of the earth and the universe are another witness, along with scriptures, of the reality of God:

“…[T]he universe is God’s handiwork….[S]cience and religion represent two independent witnesses of creation. And we are told [in the scriptures] …that two or more independent witnesses are required in order to certify the truth. They are not opposites, but they are like the vision seen from your two eyes. If you close one eye, and then close the other [and] alternate back and forth, you don’t see the same thing with the two eyes. But it is the combination of those two views…that shows you a lot of things that neither eye by itself sees.”

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Answer by Heidi**

I had the opportunity to answer this question in a high school sociology class.  The discussion of the day centered around organized religion, and it wasn’t long before Mormons became the subject of conversation.  Suddenly the misconceptions and half-truths I had heard all of my life started cropping up all over the classroom.  When someone piped up with “Mormons believe that Jesus Christ and Satan are brothers!” the electricity crackled from person to person like fire sweeping down a field of dry cornhusks.  Everyone began to babble.

Tears sprang to my eyes and my heart began such a strong and insistent thumping that I thought it would break out of my chest.  I knew that what I was feeling was my strong belief in the truthfulness and pure precepts of the gospel as well as my gratitude for the direction it gave me in my life. I wanted to defend my religion but, like most teenagers, I was afraid of ridicule and rejection.

Finally, a friend who sat behind me started kicking my chair and saying my name.  She was not a member of my faith but her expectation that I stand up for my beliefs gave me the courage to speak.  Dashing the tears from my face, I spoke in a voice shaking with emotion.: “We believe that we are all children of our Heavenly Father,” I began — but the bell rang and I was not able to say anything more. If I had had the chance, I would have told them that, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, we believe that we all lived as literal spirit children of our Heavenly Father in a pre-mortal existence.  This means that all the children of our Father in Heaven are brothers and sisters, including Jesus Christ and Lucifer [otherwise known as Satan or the devil].

“Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning.”  This statement, as well as the following, was made by Jess L. Christensen, former Institute of Religion director at Utah State University in Logan, Utah in the June 1986 issue of the Ensign.  “Lucifer, too, was an angel ‘who was in authority in the presence of God,’ a ‘son of the morning.’ (See Isa. 14:12; D&C 76:25–27.) Both Jesus and Lucifer were strong leaders with great knowledge and influence. But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother. (See Col. 1:15; D&C 93:21.)”

However, as Elder M. Russell Ballard, a general authority of the LDS church, stated in a talk given on February 2, 2010, “. . . he {Satan} chose to use his agency [the power to choose] in an unrighteous way.”

Jess L. Christensen adds that

. . .he was not created evil, but became Satan by his own choice.  When our Father in Heaven presented his plan of salvation, Jesus sustained the plan and his part in it, giving the glory to God, to whom it properly belonged. Lucifer, on the other hand, sought power, honor, and glory only for himself. (See Isa. 14:13–14; Moses 4:1–2.) When his modification of the Father’s plan was rejected, he rebelled against God and was subsequently cast out of heaven with those who had sided with him. (See Rev. 12:7–9; D&C 29:36–37.)

An example in the Bible of two brothers who made dramatically different choices, choices which led to evil works in one and great and righteous works in the other, is that of Cain and Abel.  There are other examples throughout the scriptures of people choosing different paths, of the contrast between good and evil. It’s been the story from before we came to earth.

Mormons worship Jesus Christ as our Lord and Redeemer who rose above all things, who died on the cross for our sins and whose power and glory will reign forever.  We regard Satan as someone who is real and who still wants all the power and glory to be his alone.  Unlike our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ, both of whom we worship with all our hearts, Satan has no body, and can earn no glory. We strive to avoid the devil and his evil influence at all costs.

Knowing that we who live on this earth are all brothers and sisters and are potential heirs to a royal heritage is a testimony to me that our Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us to return to live with Him again one day.  They love us and I love Them as real personages who fill powerful roles in my life.  As long as I seek to follow Christ, repent when I make mistakes, and obey the commandments, I can be with Them again.  This is what gives me the strength and the power to endure great adversity as well as the desire to be more like Jesus Christ . . . my Brother, my Savior.

– – – – – – –

**Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” reflect the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of individuals. Although here at Mormon Women: Who We Are, we strive to have our content consistent with the Church’s doctrine and teachings, we do not speak officially for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For official information about or from the Church, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

Have a question you would like to ask? Send an email to us at gmail, with username ‘mormonwoman’

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Almost three weeks ago, I gave birth for the fifth time.

It didn’t matter that this was the fifth time; the reaction I felt at seeing my baby for the first time was the same as all the others before him. The overwhelming feelings of love took away the pain, and I felt nothing but joy for those moments. I have often wondered if this is the same for most women around the world –do they see the positive amid the negative? After traveling through the “valley of sorrow” and “travail,” do they feel the extreme opposite? Do they realize what they are holding in their arms?

These questions have pierced my mind even more this time around, because of some things we are facing as a family. Our oldest child is 8 years old, and, like many highly religious families, having five children (or six, or seven, or whenever we feel we are finished adding to our family) is not seen as a burden, but a blessing. But for others, having large families is nonsensical. In fact, a nameless family member of ours expressed concern over our decision to have more children. We were told, in no uncertain terms, that if we were to continue adding to our family, this person would be very upset with us. At first, I was taken aback and hurt. But then, after sitting down and pondering their words, I realized this person’s position and reasoning and why they would say such things. See, this person is an atheist and an extreme environmentalist. This background made me realize how they see things: “This life is the only one. We did not live before we were born. We will not live after we die, and so this life is all we have, and we must take care of the earth.” Of course they would be upset in us having several children –it goes against everything they believe.

But for me? My view is very, very, very different.

It’s not that I don’t care about taking care of the earth. But for me, there’s more. As a Mormon (LDS) woman, I have been taught that I am a daughter of God. Not only am I His daughter, but I lived with Him before I was born. All of my brothers and sisters lived with him, too (that’s you!). Simply put, He is the literal Father of my spirit. We all knew each other, and we all knew God. He loved us then, and He loves us now. In fact, that love was so great, He presented a plan to us. Elder L. Tom Perry, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles said:

What occurred in this first estate is dimly understood, but we do know that we lived there as spirits, children of our Heavenly Father, and we made certain steps of advancement to prepare for the opportunity of housing our eternal spirits in earthly bodies. We also know that our Father held a great council to explain the purpose of earth life. We had the opportunity of accepting or rejecting the plan of salvation. It was not forced upon us. The essence of the plan was that man would have an opportunity of working out his own salvation on earth, with God’s help. A leader was selected to teach us how to follow the plan and to redeem us from sin and death. As the Lord explained to Moses, “Behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:2).

President Boyd K. Packer has said:

The doctrine is simply this: life did not begin with mortal birth. We lived in spirit form before we entered mortality. We are spiritually the children of God.

What clarity I feel when I hear these words! I am so grateful to have knowledge of who I am, where I am going, and what my purpose is in this life.  My faith in the plan our Heavenly Father presented to us is the guiding light in my life. Each time I make a choice, regardless of whether or not it is seen by others as “wrong,” I know that the reasoning behind it comes from my belief in life before and after death. This belief, along with my faith in Christ, is my anchor –to know that my existence on Earth did not just spontaneously occur through birth. I existed before birth! What a glorious thing to know.

Still, I don’t blame my family member for their words of concern and anger; in fact, I appreciate them now. They made me pause long enough to think about why I would choose to have more children, what I truly believe, and why I (and my husband) felt it was necessary to add to our family so soon. I sometimes think about those concerns even now, as I gaze into my newborn’s eyes. I see him focus just past my face, and I wonder what he sees. I wonder if he remembers who his is –a child of God –and I wonder if he remembers just a glimpse of where he has recently come from. I’m so grateful that as he grows, I will have the opportunity to teach him, remind him of what he once knew. I will tell him where he has come from, where he is going, and pray that he will realize in his own heart, the beauty of God’s plan for us.

For all of us.

——

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