Adam and Eve: Conflict Before Eden's Garden— A Doctrinal Prelude (Episode Three)

Not all of the children of Heaven celebrated God’s plan. Some actively rebelled against it—a rebellion that shaped eternity and continues to influence us today.

The previous episode, Adam and Eve: The Great Premortal Debate — A Doctrinal Prelude (Episode Two), reveals a divine truth: that every human life began long before birth and extends far beyond death. We once lived with God as spirits, learning to become like Him. In that premortal state, we matured in truth and glory until we were ready to progress further on Earth.

On Earth, God desires that we actively seek truth and live by it—both the truths found in science and those revealed through religion. Above all, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the Truth He wants us to embrace. However, this world contains many belief systems, each offering different interpretations of what is true. Discerning between them is part of our mortal test.

We are meant to experience the full spectrum of mortal existence: pain, hunger, sorrow, joy, heartbreak, and hope. These are things spirits could not fully grasp without physical bodies. Through these challenges and blessings, we gain the experiential knowledge that helps us understand what God understands.

The ultimate purpose of mortality is to pass through all these things and still choose to become like our Heavenly Father. Despite the veil and the hardship, we are expected to rise above fear and confusion and voluntarily follow the path that leads to godliness.

After death, our spirits are separated according to the choices we made and the covenants we kept during life. Our bodies return to the grave, and our spirits enter the Spirit World. Some rest in Paradise, often referred to as Heaven, while others go to Spirit Prison, a place commonly associated with Hell. Those who accepted and followed Christ in mortality will reside in Paradise until the resurrection.

But the justice of God is never without His mercy. Many who never heard the gospel in life—or were misled by false traditions—will have the opportunity to receive the truth in the Spirit World. As the apostle Peter declared:

“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” (1 Peter 4:6)

Every soul will have a fair and loving opportunity to hear and accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Atonement is for all.

Resurrection will come to every person born on Earth, regardless of their choices. Whether one lived a life of righteousness or wickedness, the resurrection is a free gift—granted through the grace of Jesus Christ and His triumph over death.

After the resurrection, each soul will be judged and assigned to a kingdom of glory. Jesus taught, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

Those who become joint-heirs with Christ will dwell in Celestial mansions, in the presence of the Father. Others will inherit Terrestrial or Telestial glory—still magnificent, yet lesser in degree—each according to the law they chose to live by.

For the rest who choose not to follow God, outer darkness awaits—a state without glory, where the devil and his angels reside. In God’s plan, every soul will receive a just reward. Eternity is not simply harps and clouds; it is a continuation of our choices, magnified into everlasting consequence or joy.

War in Heaven Rages on Earth: The Ongoing Battle for Souls

After the creation of Earth, Lucifer rebelled against God the Father and Jesus Christ. Michael, the archangel, led the armies of heaven in direct opposition to Lucifer—who, after his rebellion, became known as the dragon. Alongside his fallen angels, Lucifer sought to thwart the divine plan.

Unaware, or perhaps unwilling to admit the truth, Lucifer became a vital piece of the very plan he despised. His rebellion did not derail God's work but instead highlighted the agency at the heart of the Plan of Salvation. In becoming the embodiment of rebellion, Lucifer confirmed that opposition must exist if agency is to be meaningful.

As the war began in heaven, so it continues on Earth—through the daily decisions each of us makes. Lucifer’s influence endures, but so does our power to resist. The war, though spiritual, is real—and every soul is a participant.

Evil Has Always Existed: Why Satan Isn’t the Source of All Darkness

Evil, like God, is eternal—it has always existed and will always exist, even without a devil to tempt us. The moment agency was granted, the possibility of choosing evil was born. Lucifer, once our spiritual brother, exercised that agency by choosing pride and selfishness. That decision set him in direct opposition to everything good. In turning against righteousness, he became the enemy of his Father.

At the Grand Council in Heaven, where God presented His plan to the spirits of all humanity, Lucifer—who would later be called Satan—refused to accept the risk of mortal agency. Using fear, deceit, and persuasive influence, he lured away a third of the hosts of heaven. Many followed him not because of doctrine, but because they feared they might never return to the paradise they had known.

In response, God sent Michael, the great captain of the armies of Jesus Christ, to cast Lucifer out of heaven and bring an end to the rebellion. Thus, Lucifer fell—but his influence continues, not as the source of all evil, but as its most recognizable advocate.

Jehovah’s Plan Involved Risk—and Eternal Reward

Even when confronted by Michael—the champion of the plan God instituted—Lucifer’s ambition remained unchecked. He was determined to persuade as many spirits as possible to join his doomed cause. Buoyed by support from those deceived by his twisted logic, Lucifer began to believe his illegitimate plan could succeed. In arrogance, he imagined himself ascending the throne of God and ruling over the sons of heaven.

Jehovah’s plan involved risk.

Not all spirits would return to the Father’s presence or regain the glory of heaven. Lucifer, unwilling to accept that outcome, proposed a plan in which no soul would be lost. But his version stripped away agency and the possibility of becoming like God. It was a plan of control, not of eternal growth. He desired divine glory—yet refused to descend below all things, as Jesus Christ willingly did.

Two-thirds of the hosts of heaven chose Jehovah’s plan, knowing it meant forgetting our heavenly home. But that forgetfulness allowed for genuine righteousness—choosing good for its own sake, not from nostalgia. Every person ever born, or yet to be born, made that courageous choice: to follow Jesus Christ and accept the Father's plan.

We are the ones who kept our first estate.

Only One Plan: The Lie That Sparked War in Heaven

The great lie Satan told his followers was that if they won, his plan would reign supreme. But he had no sanction from the Father—no divine authority to propose a competing path. There never existed an alternative to the Plan of Salvation. There was no contest. There was only God’s plan.

Blinded by pride and fueled by selfish ambition, Satan deceived himself—and one-third of our brothers and sisters. He refused to yield to Michael, God’s appointed champion.

By the authority of Jesus Christ and the command of our Eternal Father, we cast them out of heaven and down to Earth, which had been prepared as the stage for our mortal journey. That war among siblings, which began in heaven, has never truly ended. It continues now—still fought through the power of Christ—to expose and defeat the deception of the adversary.

Looking Ahead: From War in Heaven to the Dust of Creation

The War in Heaven is not merely a past event—it is a living conflict that continues in every soul. Each of us, born into this world, once stood in the great premortal council and chose God's plan. That sacred choice still echoes through every trial we face, every truth we seek, and every act of faith we choose in mortality.

Though Lucifer was cast down with those who followed him, he did not cease his rebellion. His influence persists on Earth, tempting and persuading, just as he did before the world began. The same battle that raged in heaven is now fought in our hearts. The decisions we make either align us with Christ’s cause or pull us into Satan’s deception.

It’s important to remember that this war has not ended—it continues even now. According to prophecy, it will not conclude until the final battle of Gog and Magog, described in Revelation 20:7–15, when the devil and his angels are cast into outer darkness forever. Until then, the Plan of Salvation unfolds before us—and within us—one choice at a time.

And yet, we are not without hope or power. We were born not as forgotten souls, but as spirit sons and daughters of God, armed with agency and offered the redeeming grace of Jesus Christ. The Atonement stands at the center of this great conflict, and it ensures that victory is possible for all who choose to follow Christ.

This is not the end of the story.

In the next episode, Adam and Eve: The Dust of Creation — Episode Four, our focus shifts from the heavenly war to the beginning of earthly life. We will witness how God formed Adam and Eve—not just as the first man and woman, but as divine creations with eternal roles. Their story begins in "dust" and divine breath, pointing all humanity forward to purpose in Christ, partnership with God, and promise of eternal progression.

• What can the dust of the earth teach us about the breath of God?
• What divine secrets lie hidden in the forming of humankind?

Continue the journey, as the eternal story unfolds from celestial councils to mortal beginnings.