In the midst of the Christian world there are very many conflicting
theories in relation to man's existence here and hereafter; also as to
the duties he owes to himself, his fellowman and to his Creator. It is
an undisputed question that some knowledge of
WHERE WE CAME FROM, WHY WE ARE HERE, AND WHERE WE GO AFTER WE LEAVE
THIS PROBATION,
is essential to the enjoyment and well-being of the human family.
In the following pages of this tract we shall seek to briefly set
forth the belief of the Latter-day Saints on these points. While they
may differ widely from the accepted ideas of the Christian world, we
may be allowed to mildly suggest that the difference is not so much
between those sects of the day and the Latter-day Saints, as it is
between those sects and the Bible, a fact for which we are in no sense
responsible, and a fact that we can in nowise alter or change, even
were we so disposed.
It is deemed proper in the commencement of this investigation to refer
to another point so that we may clearly understand each other. It
is this: sincerity of belief does not, by any means, establish the
correctness of a principle. Testimony of an unimpeachable character
can alone do that. Man's belief does not affect a principle in the
least. The whole world may believe it, and yet it be untrue; the whole
world may refuse to believe it, and yet it be true. The unbelief of the
people of Noah's day did not stay the flood; the unbelief of the Jews
did not prove Jesus an impostor; and the killing of the apostles did
not prove their doctrines false. The assassination of Joseph Smith was
no proof one way or another as to the divine nature of his authority;
neither will the rejection of the doctrines he taught prove them wrong.
If they {307} are true, though he was slain, his followers mobbed,
driven and persecuted, yet in the end they will rise triumphant over
every obstacle and grow stronger and stronger, as error shall grow
weaker and weaker.
In presenting the principles of _pre-existence_ the _first principles
of the gospel_ and _baptism for the dead_, we shall simply quote
scripture; and we again state that if there is any difference of
opinion, it is between the reader and holy writ.
The Apostle Paul's injunction to the Thessalonians was: "Prove all
things: hold fast that which is good" (_I Thess. v_. 21); and the wise
man, Solomon, asserted: "He that judgeth a matter before he heareth it,
is not wise."
Let us, then, refer to the word of the Lord, which is the end of
argument, and see what the teachings of the Great Creator of all are.
Speaking to Job, one of the most ancient writers of the Bible, He says:
"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up
now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou
me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? * * *
When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted
for joy?" (_Job xxxviii_, 2-7.)
Job certainly must have been somewhere when the "foundations of the
earth were laid," or why the question?
There was doubtless more meaning to the words, "When ALL _the sons of
God_ shouted for joy," than one at first supposes. The reader asks,
"Who were these sons of God?" Luke, in giving the genealogy of the
human family, gives the necessary information on this subject: "Which
was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of
_Adam, which was the_ SON OF GOD" (_Luke iii_, 38). But let us turn to
another text. One of the ancient writers says: "Then shall the dust
return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who
gave it." (_Ecc. xii_, 7).
Let us ask ourselves how it would be possible to _return_ to a place,
point or locality, which we had never visited. How could we _return_
to God unless we had once been in His presence? The logical conclusion
is unavoidable, that to enable us to _return_ to Him we must have once
enjoyed His associations, which must have been in a pre-existent state,
before we became clothed upon with this body of flesh and bone.
Again, we find that the apostles must have had some conception of
pre-existence, judging from their question to Jesus: "Master, who did
sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" (_John ix_, 2.)
It will, doubtless, require no argument {308} to convince the reader
that the justice of God would scarcely permit the punishment of the
individual before the crime was committed. If so, then the sin must
have been committed before he came upon the earth, for he was _born
blind_. It was evident that the question was not a doubtful one in
the minds of the apostles as to whether a man _could_ sin previous to
his existence in the flesh, but as to whether this particular man had
sinned or not.
Paul, in his writings to the Hebrews, says: "Furthermore we have had
fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence:
shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits,
and live?" (_Heb. xii_. 9.) We here gain the information as to who the
sons of God were who _shouted for joy_ in the beginning. We also learn
the reason why we address Him as, "Our Father which art in heaven,"
is to distinguish Him from the father of our earthly tabernacles. In
other words, He is the Father of the spirits that inhabit our bodies,
in precisely the same sense that our earthly fathers are the fathers of
our bodies of flesh and bone.
When death ensues, we bury the earthly body, which decomposes and
mingles with the elements surrounding its place of deposit; but what of
the spirit which "returns unto God who gave it?"
When Jesus appeared to the disciples after His resurrection, "They were
affrighted, and supposed they had seen a spirit." But He corrected
them, saying, "Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and
bones, as ye see me have" (_Luke xxiv_. 37-39). From these, words we
may gather the information that man, while existing as a spirit, was
not clothed upon with flesh and bone, but nevertheless, existed in the
exact shape and form that he now possesses. He had eyes to see, ears to
hear and many other faculties with which man is here endowed. He was
also doubtless in possession of intelligence, and much that goes to
ennoble man. He had the ability to pass from place to place, increase
in knowledge, and perform certain duties that devolved upon him in that
sphere of action.
An unembodied spirit is one that has not yet taken upon itself a body.
An embodied spirit is one dwelling in the flesh. A disembodied spirit
is one that has passed through this stage of existence and laid its
body down in the grave, to be finally taken up and again united, spirit
and body, those of the righteous never more to be separated.
The word of the Lord to Jeremiah was: "Before I formed thee in the
belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I
sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a {309} prophet unto the nations"
(_Jer. i_. 5). Here we have the sure word of the Lord relating to one
of the children of men who was but a type of the rest, only that in
this particular case we have the fact made known that, for good and
sufficient reasons, our common Father in the heavens saw proper to
ordain one of His children to a certain office prior to sending him
down upon the earth. Having so gained the confidence of his Father
while in his first or pre-existent state, he was ordained to a high and
holy calling, previous to his advent upon the earth, and we learn from
holy writ, that this confidence was not misplaced, but that he in honor
filled his mission and proved himself true to the trust reposed in
him, not veering or turning a hair's breath from the line of his duty,
though met by obstacles that would have appalled the stoutest heart.
The reader will please be cautious not to confound the principle of
fore-ordination with that of predestination, in the case of Jeremiah,
for there is a broad distinction between the two. A man may be
fore-ordained, set apart or commanded to do a certain work, yet he
retains his agency in the matter, and it is optional with him whether
he performs the duty assigned him or not. If predestined to perform
a certain work, there would be no choice but to do that work. Not
having any choice, he would not incur the responsibility of his own
actions, nor control them, but would be controlled by the power which
predestined him. While Jeremiah was fore-ordained to be a prophet to
the nations, we do not read that he was predestined to fill the office
of a prophet by any means.
The principle of pre-existence is plainly illustrated in the life of
our Savior, who thus spoke to the people: "What and if ye shall see the
Son of man ascend up where he was before?" (_John vi_. 62.) Again, "And
no man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven."
To all human appearances, Jesus resembled very much the rest of the
children of our common Father. So close was this resemblance, that
those by whom He was surrounded failed to see any contrast between Him
and any ordinary man. They enquired of each other, "Is this not the
carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren James
and Joses, and Simon and Judas?"
Let us ask ourselves the question: Is it so difficult to comprehend
our own pre-existence, when that of Jesus is so plainly taught, and
also that of many of the Biblical characters of whom we read? Paul,
the great apostle, speaking of himself, says, "In hope of eternal
life, which God, that cannot lie, _promised before the world began."_
(_Titus i_. 2.) Here {310} was a promise made to Paul of eternal life,
_"before the world began,"_ continued upon obedience, as was said to
Cain aforetime, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?"
(_Gen. iv_, 7.) Yet, notwithstanding this promise, Paul was under
the necessity of performing certain duties to enable him to claim
the promise made. After being stricken with blindness on the way up
to Damascus, and hearing the voice of a risen Redeemer, he was told
to "Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou
must do." (_Acts ix_. 6.) After fasting and prayer, he was visited at
the end of three days, by one Ananias, who had been commanded of the
Lord, in vision, to visit Paul, and was furthermore told that he was a
"chosen vessel," or in other words, one whom the Lord had made promises
to, before the "world began," and who had a mission to perform before
"Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." The question of
Ananias was, "And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and _be baptized_, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (_Acts xxii_. 16.)
We have presented for the consideration of the reader but a few
Biblical proofs of man's pre-existence, out of the many that can be
selected, yet consider that sufficient has been advanced to show
conclusively that the claim of the Latter-day Saints to a belief in
this principle, is founded upon holy writ. Their ideas only coincide
with the prophets and servants of God in all ages of the world who have
alluded to this subject.
Having answered this question: _Where did we come from?_ let us now
consider