Pre-Existence

We are taught in the church that we lived with God before coming to this Earth. This is known as the pre-existence. There are scriptures that attest to this teaching. A favorite one is found in the Bible.¹ There are a few examples in the Bible actually. When Jesus spoke to his disciples about the blind man.² Their question was who had sinned him or his parents that he was born blind. That is showing a knowledge of something before this life.

Then in the book of Revelation we learn that Michael fought against the devil and his angels. That 1/3rd of the hosts of heaven were cast out from God’s presence.³ How terrible a moment that must have been for God to cast out his son. Lucifer, the Devil, Satan, however you wish to refer to him. He was a “Shining One” or “Lightbearer”, also “Son of the Morning”. Such titles display he was high up. As we know from the Pearl of Great Price, Lucifer asked to come to earth to be the Savior of the world. He wanted God’s power in order to do so, and he would have saved us all no matter what.⁴

But God knew it could not be this way. Jesus stepped forward and said to send Him instead and the glory would be God’s.

It is interesting to note that Satan’s way of thinking is how some people in the LDS church think. They would drag you kicking and screaming into heaven given the chance. I am not certain if they understand this is what they are doing by saying such things, but it is interesting for sure.

We learn that the premortal realm was the first estate.⁵ Those who kept their first estate earned bodies. That is, we were born to this earth to be able to grow and learn through experience that we might be able to come back to God someday. At the same time, Satan and his followers were sent to earth, but they are not able to receive bodies or progress. They have been damned. They have no veil over their minds and they are able to remember everything that happened before the world was.

It would be interesting to have a glimpse back into that first estate. To be able to remember such things which we have lost. Yet we are commanded to learn by faith and reliance upon the Holy Spirit that we might recall unto our remembrance those things which were taught before we came here.

Perhaps, when all is said and done and we do have that recollection of times past, we will have a better understanding of all the things which we accepted to by coming here. Until that time comes of course, we are but simply trying to do our best to learn and grow as children of God.

There is no telling how many estates there are in this existence, that being pre, earth, and post. We know that this earth life is the second estate for sure. Those who keep their second estate continue on to the third estate, are judged, and then end up in the kingdom they belong in. If there are estates beyond that? It is only for God to know.

1. Proverbs 8

2. John 9:1-12

3. Revelation 12:4-9

4. Moses 4:1-4

5. Jude 1:6