Great Pre-Mortal Debate Episode Two

God knew all of us would not accept the Plan of Happiness presented at the council of spirits in heaven before life on Earth. Some would rebel against the plan and not partake of the further instruction Earth life provides. Not willing to infringe on our divine right to choose, Heavenly Father allowed events to transpire in heaven according to our desires. Agency to act morally is the gift humanity received through Jesus Christ's atonement, the ability to make mistakes, repent, and receive forgiveness without eternal consequences.

"I Lived in Heaven So Did You" discusses how God has a plan for humanity called the Plan of Salvation, asserting all humans lived as spirits, offspring of God, before birth into mortality. Explored below are moral agency, Lucifer's "Plan," and God's Plan.

The largest portion of our training in heaven was to accept the plan for mortality on earth and keep our first estate (heritage) or test. We graduated to Earth life from the spirit-life on our route to becoming like God the Father.

The First Estate ...

is a term used by Abraham to describe the existence of humanity before birth to mortality. Each estate of life comes with a challenge or test (or many) to overcome to progress toward being exalted, perfect in body and spirit, like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

God revealed to Abraham that "they who keep their first estate (pass the first test) shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads. And they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever." Abraham 3:26

The Second Estate ...

of humanity is mortal life. Accepting God's plan due to the inherent goodness of our souls as we experience trials and hardships along the way is one of many tests we endure to keep this estate so we can enter the Third Estate or phase of life. During this second estate, repentance is the key, which is why Christ made it possible that we could repent. Passing from mortal life to a place in the Kingdom of God as joint-heirs with Christ would be keeping our second estate and receiving our third estate.

A modern apostle, Elder Neil L. Andersen, refers to the second estate and its purpose for humanity to repent, change:

The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God. It is the beckoning of a loving Father and His Only Begotten Son to be more than we are, to reach up to a higher way of life, to change, and to feel the happiness of keeping the commandments. Being disciples of Christ, we rejoice in the blessing of repenting and the joy of being forgiven. They become part of us, shaping the way we think and feel. [1]

The Third Estate ...

constitutes what results after the final judgment of humanity, which is a lengthy process. All people will receive an assignment to one of the many mansions in heaven Jesus Christ prepares for those who accept Him as the Savior of humanity. The third estate describes how all of humanity will enter into a Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial state of existence in permanent physically glorious bodies. (D&C 76:50-112; 88:20-24, 28-31) It is the final state of the human condition, the endless state after humanity's resurrection and determined by the laws and desires chosen to abide by each person. (Alma 41:3-5; D&C 137:9; 2 Cor. 5:10) [2]

Lucifer disapproved of any one possibly failing to return to our celestial home with God. A major concern of his was the fact that all of humanity would forget their heavenly home during our mortal sojourn. He supposed it unjust that any of us could conceivably never return to heaven.

• Keeping the first estate of life meant agreeing to a plan where many of us might not return to heaven to live with God.
• Keeping the second estate was through repentance, accepting Christ to become like God.
• The third estate is the eternal gift for following Christ, becoming joint-heirs with Him of all that the Father owns.

It was a risk coming to earth through a veil of forgetting and not worth the plan Jehovah presented on the Father's Behalf according to a good third of humanity. Lucifer swore that he could bring us all back into the presence of God if the Father gave him the Glory (power or ability) immediately. With that power, Lucifer would ensure that none of us would forget our heavenly home or miss-step in keeping God's law. There would be no need for death.

Lucifer desired the power of God the Father and was jealous of Jehovah who had progressed to be the foremost among us, even like God the Father. He had not attained glory similar to Jehovah. He was one of many Sons of the Morning, a noble and influential position. He, with that stature, wielded tremendous influence seeking the admiration of his fellows and the power that came along with it. Power was his ambition and desire from the beginning.

Ambition clouded his mind to the FACT that keeping the second estate was about learning and changing to become as benevolent as God so that humanity could live as God lives, a physical being who controlled all creation through justice and mercy. Because all creation loves the Creator, all things obey Him. Lucifer did not have this type of influence or love with the elements.

God willingly would give him the power as He willingly would to all who keep His commandments because those who do so would be able to use that power for the benefit of God's eternal plan. Unlike popular television portrayals, Godlike powers cannot be used for selfish reasons because the very elements of existence would refuse to obey.

Lucifer did not want to risk forgetting his life in heaven and failing to return. He deceived himself from the beginning assuming that God would give him His glory. He couldn't give Lucifer His experiences and love. Because Lucifer did not want to put forward the effort to attain perfection as did Christ--wanting power without mastery and glory without love--he could not succeed!

Lucifer's Heavenly Handout

God gave humanity the agency to choose to follow Him from the beginning and would not take away our choice. Under Lucifer's idea, which was a lie and impossibility from the beginning, mankind would have no choice but to follow God. We would be led about without agency in mortality and ushered back to God no better or worse for the experience.

Lucifer had appeal, but no real plan, no foundation upon which to build his words, which is why he fell. Jesus's foundation was the love of God, His love. Lucifer did not want to risk the possibility of not returning to the glorious heavenly place as stated before. God patiently heard Lucifer's plan and rejected that alternative to His original idea to have us choose our own path, as had been done from the beginning.

The attempt to usurp power was thwarted and the council continued. Lucifer a son of the morning as many spirits were, hoped to obtain more glory than he was ready to obtain. Instead of obtaining The Father's glory by grace from glory to glory, he wanted it handed to him.

Jesus Christ, Jehovah, is the first spirit child Heavenly Father created and the greatest one of all of us. He is a part of the Godhead, or counsel of Three who we call God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.

Jesus Christ, under the direction of Heavenly Father, created the heavens and the Earth, the bodies of Adam and Eve--He created all things. Gender is predetermined as we were either male or female spirits from creation since God created male and female spiritually before He did so physically, as He did everything.

Following the instructions of Heavenly Father, and ending any idea that Lucifer's assertion bore any sway, Jesus Christ stated "We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these (referring to all of us) may dwell; and we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them. Abraham 3:24-25

Jesus spoke of His partner, who would be one part of the plan of salvation. Adam is our great father, called Michael before mortal life. He and others assisted, under the direction of Jesus Christ, in the creation of this earth. It is logical that Adam would help create the Earth that he would soon populate with his progeny. He and Eve are partners in the plan to bring the souls of men to God the Father with Jesus Christ. Adam understood that he and Eve needed to produce the bodies of men so that mortal life could begin.

Eve is our great mother. Her pre-mortal name is not revealed in Scripture, but she was just as righteous and worthy as was her husband Adam before she became a mortal. Her body was created in the image of God. She understood her role in the plan as the mother of humankind before she accepted the responsibility.

The diagram above provides a visual of the plan presented to the council. The plan constitutes our birth on Earth as mortals with no memory of life with Heavenly Father, discovering and living the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed during mortality, and making and keeping sacred covenants with God to return to His presence. The reason why we have no memory is to give us an honest opportunity to experience life and make decisions based on our experience as mentioned earlier.

The Plan of Salvation is a path to becoming one with the universe and love of all things. The plan is that each child of God will have the opportunity to experience good and evil and choose which path to follow. The choices we make here in this life determine how we will spend the remainder of eternity.