The Pre-existence

I’m thinking that there was probably a lot more to the pre-existence than the basics we usually teach concerning it.  I’m not sure we appreciate how important the pre-existence was in the plan, and its place in our progression and this earth life.

We all know the basics about the pre-existence - we were spirit children there; a plan for our progression was presented; we were taught the reasons for the plan and what would be involved. And we know basically how people reacted to the plan: Most accepted it but some rejected it, went to battle and were cast out.  The general perception is that a third rejected the plan and the rest of us accepted it more or less unequivocally.

What is not generally understood, though, is that this is quite a simplified version of what actually happened.  The reality is that among those who were not cast out there were many varying degrees of acceptance of the plan. There were many, for example, who accepted the plan but weren’t convinced it would work.  Others accepted the plan but were afraid that they would fail in it; still others simply went along with the crowd and accepted it because their associates did.

Some of our brothers and sisters didn’t care for the plan at all, but weren’t excited about Lucifer’s plan either, so they really didn’t actively take sides.

And then, of course, there were some who loved Lucifer’s plan and hated the Father’s plan, who actively advocated for Lucifer’s plan.  But when it came to a pitched battle they, at the last minute, decided not to risk outer darkness and stayed out of the battle.  These were a few who really should have gone with Lucifer but didn’t, and so technically kept their first estate and thus qualified to have a second estate.

I’m convinced that some of these who should have gone with Lucifer have become the dictators and despots of the world.

All of this is but a precursor to  what I really want to talk about.  I want to talk about you.  You as a Latter-day Saint, and the 14 million just like you, and all who have had the Gospel before you, and those who will have it in the future, including those whom our missionaries are seeking in the world - You are special.

You are special in that you did much more in the pre-existence than simply accept the Gospel.  You accepted it wholeheartedly.  You loved the plan.  You loved the central figure in the plan, Jehovah.  You loved the presenter of the plan, our Father.

You loved it so much that you became an active advocate for it.  You reached out to those who weren’t sure.  You taught, you encouraged, you brought people to it - in short, you were Missionaries for the plan, and allies of the Lord, and did everything in your power to make the plan successful.  You were valiant in the plan, and accomplished much good and helped the Father in all the ways you could.

Now I come to what I really want to talk about.  This doctrine is not generally understood, and I am going to declare it to you because it is so important to understand.

Because of your valiance, you qualified in the pre-existence for some wonderful blessings that most Spirits didn’t qualify for.  In fact, you qualified for the greatest gift that God could give you - Eternal Life.  Your valiancy was so great that the Lord promised you, before you even came here, that you would inherit exaltation.  Abraham saw you, that you were noble and great, and that you and your eternal companion would become rulers in the eternities.  And thus you were declared by God Himself to be sealed up unto eternal life before you ever even entered mortality.  Now, it's important to note that this sealing was conditioned upon your faithfulness in mortality, but it was a true sealing and qualified you to receive certain blessings in mortality, which we will discuss in a moment.

So you were, unlike most of your fellows, given the greatest blessings the Lord has to offer, having proved yourselves so completely in the pre-existence.  Now, in our LDS parlance, this is known as having been ‘called’.  Let me state it again, in our parlance: everyone in this Church, or who has had the Gospel at any time in the history of the world, was ‘called’ before they came to this earth, having qualified for it under very special circumstances in the pre-existence.

I remind you that many did not qualify for these blessings.  You did.

Now, there was another great and marvelous gift given to you.  You were to be placed in a situation where you could either find the Gospel, or you would be born right into it, thereby ensuring that the knowledge of how to be exalted would be available to you.  And you would have access to the Priesthood, which contains the keys of making exaltation possible.  In short, you were given the great blessing of having achieving exaltation made as easy as it could possibly be made.  You were sealed up unto eternal life, conditionally, before you came here, and you would have or would be able to find all the tools necessary to make it a final reality.

Now, what all this means is that you received the marvelous blessing of entering the great marathon of life at the 23 or 24 mile mark, with only 2 or 3 miles left to finish the race.  Many miles ahead of most others who enter mortality. All of this was made possible for you because of what you accomplished in the pre-existence.  Don't ever forget who you were - you were choice and noble and great in the eyes of the Lord, even if you think otherwise about yourself.  The mere fact that you are a Latter-day Saint, or have the opportunity to become one, is evidence.  That great blessing had to be earned, and you certainly did.  Now, you Called, take your great blessing and move forward toward the greatest of all blessings, that of Election.