Before this life we were spirit beings. We were (and are) literal sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. We lived with Him and we were happy.
So why on earth would we leave his presence? (Pun fully intended).
One way that we know that we existed before the earth is a verse in Jeremiah in the Old Testament: Jeremiah 1:5 which says that before God created Jeremiah's body, He knew him.
Well, while we were happy, we did not experience the same complete joy that our Father did. In order for us to become equally happy as He, we needed to become like Him.
There were three distinct differences between us and Him:
-He was perfect, we were not
-He had a body of flesh and bone, while we were just spirits
-He had children, we did not
So God presented a plan that would change each of these points. He told us that He would create a world for us to live, where we would be given physical bodies. He told us that on this world we would pass through many trials and difficulties. Part of the experience would be to live in faith. In order to do that, we needed to forget our life with our Heavenly Father, and so he placed a veil between us and him, to make us forget. This makes perfect sense; how easy would it be to always make the right choice if we remembered our life with Him and what it was like? It's like taking an exam with all of the answers on the board. We'd all get a perfect mark, but none of us would learn a thing.
After living our lives, if we did our best to follow God's Laws, given to us by His prophets (who he promised to send) then we would go back to live with Him, where we could continue to learn and progress (but now having physical bodies and having had personal experiences, and probably children too).
But then He told us about one problem. Only those who are pure can dwell in His presence. No unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God. So the moment we sin, we would be disqualified to return to live with our Father.
Well that stinks. Especially considering that part of the whole thing was our lack of perfection, so we're pretty much doomed to fail.
It was at this point that God told us about the most wonderful (and awful) part of His plan. He needed a Savior for His children. He needed someone who would go to the earth and live a perfect life. Someone who would be the ultimate example of love and purity. Then that person would need to pay the price, that none of us could pay, for all of our shortcomings. It truly is a wonderful, and awful, idea. That one man would love us so much to endure temptations, pains, and trials for us (and endure them perfectly). And then that that person would suffer at the hands of all of the places where we failed, and die for us.
I know that God's plan is perfect. And that it works.
Our eldest brother, the first born of our Heavenly Father said "I Will Go. I will resist all temptation. I will endure a life as difficult as any of my brothers and sisters." (I'm paraphrasing) "I will teach them exactly how they must live. And then I will pay the ultimate price for all of them, because they could not live as I. And let all the glory be The Father's"
How beautiful is the love of Jesus Christ for each of us?
Well, the part of the title that describes a "war in heaven" probably caught your eye. Here's where it starts.
Another son of God, named Lucifer, said "I have a better idea! I will be the Savior. I will ensure that each and every one of these our brothers and sisters will return to live with us by forcing them to obey. And when I have brought all of your children back, Father, give the glory to me."
Now, God didn't leave the plan open for discussion. He laid out the plan and called only for a willing Savior. So when Lucifer suggested they change the plan God declined, and chose Christ to perform the task.
Lucifer became very angry (I don't really know why, to be honest) and rebelled against God. He went about convincing many of our brothers and sisters to follow his plan instead of the father's.
Many of our siblings gave in and followed him.
For rebelling against Him, God cast them out of the Celestial Kingdom, and they became "angels to the devil" (Matthew 25:41).
Do you want to know how I know that you chose to follow our Father before this life? Because you're sitting here reading this. Everyone on this planet chose, at least before birth, to follow their Father's plan. Otherwise they wouldn't be here.
God created this plan for the happiness of His children, and if we live according to His plan, we will not only return to Him, we will come to know a perfect joy as we could never experience on this earth.
check out mormon.org if you have any questions.
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Next post we will talk about the creation of the earth.
I will also touch on The Big Bang Theory, which I am not disregarding as possible.
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