Lessons on the Plan of Salvation
Lesson No. Eleven

Our Pre-Mortal Experience

Introduction – Our understanding of our pre-mortal existence is wonderfully unique.  When the scriptures speak of the “beginning” they are referring to the pre-mortal existence.  After we were begotten and born as spirit children of Heavenly Parents our pre-mortal existence had two parts – our experience in the celestial world and our experience in the pre-mortal spirit world. 

We loved and trusted Jesus in the pre-mortal spirit world.

Our pre-mortal experience in the celestial world –“Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body.”  (The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency and the Twelve, June 30, 1916).  Jesus was the Firstborn spirit child of our Heavenly Parents.  (See D&C 93:21)

Brigham Young taught that “we were begotten, born and educated in the celestial world” (Journal of Discourses 18:258).  Certainly, as part of our education, in the pre-mortal existence, we were taught and grew in understanding of the principles of the plan of salvation.

Our pre-mortal and post-mortal experiences in the spirit world – The spirit world is the place where the children of God have two opportunities for continued growth.  It is the place where the spirits of all people go after death to await their resurrection.  Jesus told the thief next to him on the cross that, “today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).  He was saying that they would both be in the spirit world. I refer to this as the post-mortal spirit world.

In the post-mortal spirit world the righteous who have died are in paradise and the unprepared are in darkness.  (See Alma 40:11-14)  Another of the wonderfully unique aspects of our understanding of gospel is that those who are in darkness will have the opportunity in the post-mortal spirit world to receive the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  (See D&C 138)          

President Joseph F. Smith was given a vision of the spirit world where he saw that Joseph Smith and others of our dispensation continue their labors in the post-mortal spirit world.  He also saw that these same people had been prepared and chosen in the pre-mortal spirit world to labor for the salvation of the souls of men in mortality.  (See D&C 138:53-57).    

Life in the pre-mortal spirit world was in many ways like our life on the earth – When we had matured to the point of accountability in our celestial home it was time to leave the immediate presence of our Heavenly Parents and continue our spiritual growth in the pre-mortal spirit world.  The scriptures teach important doctrine about the pre-mortal spirit world:

Our Father chose our Savior.

  • The pre-mortal spirit world is also referred to as the “first estate.”  (See Abraham 3:26; Jude 1:6)
  • Everyone came to the pre-mortal spirit world innocent.  (See D&C 93:38)
  • It was where we received our first lessons, outside of the immediate presence of our Heavenly Parents, and were prepared to be born into mortality.  (See D&C 138:56)
  • We did not lose our memory of our pre-mortal experience in our celestial home.  We knew our Father and our Savior, and were taught by them.  (See Abraham 3:21-26)
  • Our understanding of the plan of salvation increased.  We learned that the earth would be created where we would have the opportunity to gain a physical body and to be tested.
  • We also learned that a Savior would be provided.  The Father asked, “Whom shall I send.”  Two spirit sons stepped forward.  One was Jehovah and the other was Lucifer.  Jehovah was chosen.  (See Abraham 3:27-28)  For all of this we “shouted for joy” (Job 38:7).
  • When Lucifer’s bid was rejected he became angry and sowed seeds of rebellion in the pre-mortal spirit world.  This resulted in an ideological war known as the war in heaven.  Lucifer was cast out and became Satan.  He still desires to captivate us.  (See Moses 4:1-5)
  • In the premortal spirit world agency, opposition, and the opportunity for growth increased. Sin and repentance was possible, and there was need for a “preparatory redemption…. through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son” (Alma 13:3-5) whom we loved, followed, and trusted.  Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ all people are born into mortality “innocent before God” (D&C 93:38).
  • Like Jesus we were also called, prepared and ordained in the pre-mortal spirit world for our responsibilities in this life.  (See Alma 13:4-9)
  • Our circumstances in this life were determined by our faith and good works in the pre-mortal spirit world.  (See Alma 13:3) There we earned the great blessing of being born into mortality at a time and place and in circumstance were we would have the gospel in our lives.  (See LDS Bible Dictionary, Election, p. 663)

Testimony – We are begotten spirit children of Heavenly Parents and as such we inherited their divine potential.  We lived with them for an extended period and grew in spiritual capacity.

In the celestial kingdom, as in this life, we cannot reach our potential if we live with our parents to long.  Therefore, we left Their home and went to live in the pre-mortal spirit world.  There we learned to trust the great Jehovah who is our Elder Brother and our Redeemer.  Like Him we brought the talents, capacity, and spiritual ability we had developed in the pre-mortal existence with us into this life. 

We have become what we are now after an almost infinite period of time and experiences.  Because we now have a physical body, which allows us to experience the full range of opposition, and because our memories are now veiled, we are experiencing the final and most important test of our entire existence.

This life in comparison to what can be is, as Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “like one night in a third-rate hotel.”  If we understand our true history and who we really are, it will motivate us to live the gospel.  If we so do then that one night hotel will have a very comfortable bed, and in the morning we will rise renewed and exalted to eternal life.