Souls
Many in the 'traditional' Christian world believe that we have no existence before this life, or if pressed--even though their theology does not state it--that we are somehow fashioned as waiting personalities just in time to be brought into this life; but our understanding of the pre-mortal existence is unique. (Truman Madsen once pointed out that there is no such thing as "pre"-existence, since we have always existed. By our restored knowledge, you can't go back to a time or point where we didn't exist as spirits or intelligences; we just didn't exist yet on earth, we weren't mortals. So I have tried to refer to the "pre-mortal" existence instead, ever since.)
So there we are, according to this set of assumptions, brought into never-before existence as human beings, to slog through the trials of this life, and if we are so privileged as to be taught about Christ and redemption (otherwise we are lost), we overcome the limitations of this lesser, physical life, and are someday freed from it to join God in heaven. Some take the resurrection literally, some take it symbolically. Most assume that those who are not worthy do not get resurrected, and physicality is something limited, which is left behind if we merit a place with the blessed. If they see the resurrection literally, it is a blessed state compared to this earth, but it will forever be a different (lower) state from God's. After all, God is not limited by physical form, is he? A body is a lesser state of being.
Wrong. A mortal body is a lesser body than God's, but it will be made perfect like his.
First of all, Paul was very clear that all die, and all will be made alive. One is as universal as the other.(I Corinthians 15:21-22) Second, God has a body, glorified and perfected, and it is an asset to have physical capacity, not a lack. It does not limit his power, his knowledge, or his role in perfecting his children. It is not something he pulls out of a cosmic closet as a pretense to show himself to us in a way that we can understand--it is inseparably and gloriously part of who he is. Stephen was a witness to see the Father and Son, together and distinct from each other, as he was stoned for his testimony.
What was Joseph Smith told? A unique understanding: the soul is the spirit and body. The spirit, which makes us alive and gives us our individuality, is not complete alone. We did not want to stay at that level, as spirits alone. We wanted to come here and gain (add) a body to our experience and potential--we could not become perfect any other way. We could not become like our Father.
In Doctrine and Covenants 88 (and we didn't even have time to talk about this last lesson) it says:
So there we are, according to this set of assumptions, brought into never-before existence as human beings, to slog through the trials of this life, and if we are so privileged as to be taught about Christ and redemption (otherwise we are lost), we overcome the limitations of this lesser, physical life, and are someday freed from it to join God in heaven. Some take the resurrection literally, some take it symbolically. Most assume that those who are not worthy do not get resurrected, and physicality is something limited, which is left behind if we merit a place with the blessed. If they see the resurrection literally, it is a blessed state compared to this earth, but it will forever be a different (lower) state from God's. After all, God is not limited by physical form, is he? A body is a lesser state of being.
Wrong. A mortal body is a lesser body than God's, but it will be made perfect like his.
First of all, Paul was very clear that all die, and all will be made alive. One is as universal as the other.(I Corinthians 15:21-22) Second, God has a body, glorified and perfected, and it is an asset to have physical capacity, not a lack. It does not limit his power, his knowledge, or his role in perfecting his children. It is not something he pulls out of a cosmic closet as a pretense to show himself to us in a way that we can understand--it is inseparably and gloriously part of who he is. Stephen was a witness to see the Father and Son, together and distinct from each other, as he was stoned for his testimony.
What was Joseph Smith told? A unique understanding: the soul is the spirit and body. The spirit, which makes us alive and gives us our individuality, is not complete alone. We did not want to stay at that level, as spirits alone. We wanted to come here and gain (add) a body to our experience and potential--we could not become perfect any other way. We could not become like our Father.
In Doctrine and Covenants 88 (and we didn't even have time to talk about this last lesson) it says:
14 Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead.
15 And the spirit and the body are the soul of man.
16 And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.
17 And the redemption of the soul is through him[Jesus Christ] that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it.
18 Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory;
19 For after it [the earth] hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father;
We don't float off and away, to happily shed our mortal coil and say, thank goodness we're done with that! The spirit and the body are the soul of man. Together. Brother Holland points out that this is why the commandments concerning the use of the body are so important, because to harm the body is to injure the soul--not just by secondary effect, but because the body is a part of our soul. There is no such thing as harming the body 'alone.' Anyone who has ever battled to overcome an addiction can testify to that--it begins with a physical choice and destroys the spiritual.
A body is one of our chief gains in coming to this earth, and the earth itself has a part in this progression, and will be glorified as a place fit for God himself to dwell. The earth itself, the most obvious physical fact of life, must be made clean by no longer being the dwelling place of wickedness, and it will receive glory too. The physical is to be made perfect and glorious, not to be outgrown, abandoned and left behind; that is a vision unique to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ: a fullness of joy entails both body and spirit, and is gained in no other way.
We don't float off and away, to happily shed our mortal coil and say, thank goodness we're done with that! The spirit and the body are the soul of man. Together. Brother Holland points out that this is why the commandments concerning the use of the body are so important, because to harm the body is to injure the soul--not just by secondary effect, but because the body is a part of our soul. There is no such thing as harming the body 'alone.' Anyone who has ever battled to overcome an addiction can testify to that--it begins with a physical choice and destroys the spiritual.
A body is one of our chief gains in coming to this earth, and the earth itself has a part in this progression, and will be glorified as a place fit for God himself to dwell. The earth itself, the most obvious physical fact of life, must be made clean by no longer being the dwelling place of wickedness, and it will receive glory too. The physical is to be made perfect and glorious, not to be outgrown, abandoned and left behind; that is a vision unique to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ: a fullness of joy entails both body and spirit, and is gained in no other way.
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