This "Plan" is organized into three phases; Premortal Existance, Mortal Life and Postmortal Existance.
Premortal Existance
This phase of the plan consists of the time that we lived in our Heaven Father's presence prior to coming to this earth and gaining a mortal body. Throughout the Bible and other LDS scripture there are many references to an existance prior to this mortal one. Below are some common questions and answers surrounding this phase of the plan.
Where does life begin?
An old testament prophet, Jeremiah, wrote that prior to birth he was known of God (Jeremiah 1:5). In the LDS scriptures the prophet Abraham (Abraham 3:22) writes about a vision he had where the Lord showed him many of teh "inteligences that were organized before the world was." These "inteligences" that were organized were the creations of God including us. The vision goes on to talk about how this world was created and those person that were involved under the direction of God.
How was Heavenly Father different from us?
Heavenly Father is a perfected, immortal being. During this phase we were not in that state. In fact Abraham refers to us as "Intelligences". We did not have physical bodies as our Father in Heaven does. The scriptures talk of the "Holy Ghost" which is another one of these "Inteligences" and they refer to people being filled by the Holy Ghost (Acts 4:8, Acts 6:3). His state is such that he can "fill" others which means that he does not have a physical body. The Doctrine and Covenants documents a vision that Joseph Smith had regarding the body of our Father in Heaven an the body of the Holy Ghost (which is the same form that we had in the Premortal existance), Doctrine and Covenants 130:22.
What do we know about the differences between Heavenly Father's plan and Lucifer's plan?
At some point during out Premortal Existance there was a "Council in Heaven" where God, desiring for us to be like him, presented this plan whereby we could come to earth, gain a body, and through a redeemer return to him again. While at this council, Lucifer propsed a different plan. This plan would result in everyone returning back to our Father in Heaven though it would result in the loss of our ability to choose for ourselves or own path and would also result in the loss of our Father's glory (I am not exactly sure what that would entail). I find it interesing that Lucifer used the power of agency that our Father gave to us to propose a plan that if chosen would result in the removing of that agency. In the book of Moses we get a bit of the events that happened in that Council in Heaven (Moses 4:1-4).
Why do you think Heavenly Father values agency so much that he would allow Lucifer and his followers to start a "War in Heaven"?
We are not really sure what a "War in Heaven" is or what it entails. All we know from scripture and the prophets is that there was an event where Lucifer was able to gather 1/3 of the hosts of heaven (the intelligences) in an attempt to force his plan into action instead of the one that Father proposed. The end result was Lucifer and his third being "cast out of heaven". Since we are not really sure what or where Heaven is (except that our Father dwells there) it is hard to say where these intelligences reside. We do know that some if not all of them reside here unseen tempting people to go against this plan that we fought for. Now as to why Father values agency so much. I believe that he desires for us all to return to him though he loves us enough to allow us to choose where we will end up. This is similar to how we as parents want the best for our children and may encourage a certain path for them though because we love them we let them make their own choices. With that being said, I believe that in order for us to truly have the agency to choose this plan Father needed some opposition to that plan. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi said "Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other." (2 Nephi2:16). Or in otherwords in order for man to be able to act for himself he needed different options to choose from otherwise there would not be a choice and he would be following the desires of another.
Mortal Life
This phase starts at the conception of a baby and continues unil the mortal death. The scriptures talk about the veil that was placed over our minds to prevent us from remembering the first phase of this plan so for most of us this is all that we remember. Some common questions and answers are listed below.
Since Satan will eventually be cast into outer darkness why did Father allow him to come and tempt us?
As was mentioned previously, in order for us to be able to act for ourselves we need different options to choose from. If Eve was never presented with the apple she would still be in the garden going about the only options she knew about. Today we have many options for us to choose in how we will act, and most of them are not good. Yes the consequences of these actions can hurt at times and we may wish that we had not made that choice or even be angry that the choice was even available, though in order for us to be able to know joy or happiness we have to experience heartache and bitterness. We cannot know one without knowing the other. A verse in the Doctrine and Covents expresses this much better than I can "And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have the bitter they could not know the sweet" (Doctrine and Covenants 29:39).
What were he consequences of the "Fall" and why was it necessary?
The "Fall" is referring to Adam and Eve partaking of the forbidden fruit. Nephi gives a very good but lenthy explaination in 2 Nephi 2:14-25 though the basic are that Adam and Eve were in a state of innocense similar to a child. In this state they were not able to procreate (now whether that is due to a lack of knowledge or some physical attribute I do not know, all I know is that this is what the scriptures and prophets tell me) even though they were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. As a result the tempation by Lucifer actually provided them the knowledge that they needed to fulfill the commandment to multiply and replinish the earth though it also let them to break another commandment which was not not eat of that fruit. As a result they were banished from the garden of eden and now had to work and toil in order to survive.
Why was the redeemer chosen in Premortality and what would be the result if there were no redeemer?
The redeemer was chosen in Premortality because it was necessary to shape the plan. The result of there not being a redeemer would be that no one would be able to return back to our Father. As a result of the "fall" we all became corruptable destined to not meet up to the standards that the Father put before us. Even Adam and Eve were not able to fulfill the commandment to multiply and replinish the earth without first the "fall". Now our Father being all knowing and being the architect of this plan put in a step that allowed us to over come this corruption that has been introduced to our physical bodies (leading to a physical death) and the corruption due to our incorrect actions taken when tempted (spiritual death). That step involved the sending of his son to earth. Jesus was not conceived via mortal means and thus did not inherit the corrupted body that we have inherited. He is of divine heritage and his body would not die without his allowing it to. Also he was endowed with the fortitude to resist the temptation of Lucifer and his minions. These two aspects of Jesus allowed for him to become our Savior. Someone who could over come the bonds of death and thus overshadowing the affects of the "fall" as well as to be able to overcome all temptation which made him worthy to stand in our stead to help us over come the spiritul death as well. (2 Nephi 11:6-8)
What can we do, with the help of God, to change our natures and resist evil?
In the scriptures we hear references that the "natural man is an enemy of God". This does not mean that we are born evil. Actually we are born into innocense and as we get older our natural tendencies and desires allow the temptations of Lucifer and his minions to make us "enemies of God". How we overcome this state is to listen to the "enticings of the Spirit" (Mosiah 3:19, Mosiah 4:30). Each fo us is born with something that some call the "light of Christ" others call it our "Concience." What ever you call it, it is the natuaral promptings that tell us what is right and wrong. Now as we grow up some us have learned to suppress that inne voice and to follow what is the cultural norm, or what thy feel is right. In addition to this voice we have the opportunity, after baptism, to be bestowed with the "gift of the Holy Ghost" (which is what I believe Mosiah is talking about). This "gift" is the ability to have the promptings of the spirit with us for as long as we allow ourselves to hear him. As we make choices that are against the will of what our Father wants for us then these promptings get softer and softer until we can no longer hear them. As we make those choices that are right then the promptings of the Spirit will get louder and louder.
Postmortal Life
This phase in the plan starts with one of the most feared events in the second phase and that is physical death. The sriptures tll us that when we die we will go to a place that is commonly referred to as the "Spirit World". This is not the same place as what the scriptures refer to as the place where our Father dwells. It is a waiting place where the spirits of men await the time of the judgment which will be the final determination on whether we will get to live with our Father in heaven again or in some other state that he has defined (Doctrine and Covenants 76). Some common questions and anwers are below.
What is the difference between Spritual and Physical Death?
Physical or Temporal Death is the death of our physical bodies or in other words the seperating of our spirit from our Physical bodies. Spiritual death is the seperating of ourselves from our Father in heaven due to the incorrect choices that we make (2 Nephi 9:11-13, Alma 40:11-14, Doctrine and Covenants 29:40-44).
Where do we go upon death?
Alma talks about a space that is prepared (Alma 40:6-11) for us after we die. That "space" was mentioned of by Paul as being sperated by the "just" and the "unjust". Modern day revelation has told us that the "just" persons are those that were obedient to the commandments of God in this life and the unjust were those people who were not obedient to the commandments of God.
What work do we know is going on in the spirit world?
In Doctrine and Covenants 138 11-37 we learn that the Lord has organized those persons that were in "paradise" or in other words the "just" to start preding the Gospel to those that are in "spirit prison" or in other words the "unjust" so that they will have the opportunity to chose whether they will accept the Gospel for themselves.
What possibilities are there for those that do not hear the Gopel in this life?
As was mentioned everyone will get a chance to hear the Gospel message. If they do not get a chance to hear it in this life then they will get a chance to accept it in the next life. This is one of the reasons why Geneology work is so important. It helps us to b able to assist the Lord in spreading the opportunities of the Gospel to those that have passed on from this life.
What will we be like when we ae ressurected?
Alma tells us that our bodies will be reunited again in perfect form, both limb and joint. We will have a perfect knowledge of ur life Premortal and mortal life (Alma 11:42-45). Our bodies will no longer be corruptable but would be in an incorruptable perfect state.
What is out destiny and what can we become like if we follow the "Plan of Happiness"?
Joseph Smith received a vision of the three kingdoms that we could inherit after the judgment (outer darkness is not a kingdom of Glory and onl those who have denied the Holy Ghost or were one of Lucifer's followers in the beginning will inherit that kingdom). What they were like and who would inherit each. I cannot do justice to it so I will not try. Click the link and read his words Doctrine and Covenants 76:50-70.
Summary
The summary of the plan is that we lived before we came to this mortal existance with our Father in heaven. During that existance we chose to follow his plan and come here to receive a mortal body and have the agency to choose how we will live our lives. When coming here we had a veil placed over our minds to prevent us from knowing our life before so that it would take faith to make our choices. When we die, depending upon our choices in life, we will either go to paradise or spirit prision to await the day of judgment. Prior to judgement we would be resurrected or our spirit and our body would be reunited again. At the time of judgment we will be judged as to whether we followed the precepts and commandments that the Savior gave to us. If we did then his atonment will mae up for our wrong doings. If we did not then we would have to pay for our own sins (commonly referred to as "Hell"). At this point we would then be sorted into our degree or kingdom of Glory that we qualified for.
No comments:
Post a Comment