Where Did We Come From?

Before we came to this earth, we lived with God. We did not have bodies but we lived as spirits. God is the Father of our spirits which makes all of us spiritual brothers and sisters. We are family! Yay!  "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?"(Hebrews 12:9)

There came a point where we could not progress any further. Heavenly Father has a glorified, perfected, immortal body of flesh and bones and we wanted to become like Him. He presented a plan to us, a plan that would enable us to come to earth in families, gain physical bodies, and learn and progress and eventually return to live with Him again. Because He knew we would make mistakes, He told us that He would give us a Savior to pay the price of our sins and mistakes. As long as we followed Him, we would be cleansed of our sins and could return to live with God again and be heirs of the Kingdom of God. "For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him"(1 Nephi 10:18).

Not everyone who heard God's plan was excited. Lucifer, who became Satan, or the devil, wanted a plan where everyone would be forced to obey God. Jesus, on the other hand, was in favor of God's plan which would give everyone their free agency or ability to choose good or evil. Lucifer got angry and rebelled against God and was therefore cast down from heaven and 1/3 of God's children followed him. "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole word: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him"(Revelations 12:9). The rest of us were on God's side and decided to follow His plan. Everyone who was or ever will be born decided to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's plan. We knew it would be hard, but we were excited.  

God created the heavens and the earth and created us in His image. "Behold, the Lord hath created the earth that it should be inhabited; and he hath created his children that they should possess it"(1 Nephi 17:36). The first people to live on the earth were Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth and not to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve lived in a state of innocence. They knew no happiness and no sorrow and they couldn't have kids or die. God allowed them to be tempted and Satan convinced them to eat the fruit. Because of this transgression, they were cast out of God's presence and out of the garden. They could then experience joy and pain, have children, and eventually die. Most Christians look down upon Adam and Even for eating the fruit but their decision was what allowed us to be born and move God's plan forward. 

"And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy"(2 Nephi 2:22-25).

I'm grateful for this knowledge of where I came from. We lived with God before as His children and He loves us infinitely more than we can understand. We can all return to live with Him again one day.

Amen.