Pre-Earth Life

AGENCY:

Perhaps one of the finest accounts of agency in literature is the message Lehi shares with his son Jacob in 2 Nephi 2.  In this discourse Lehi makes three main points pertaining to this:

1.  Lehi defines agency as "man...act[ing] for himself" (2 Nephi 2:16).  Lehi notes that man can act for himself only if he knows both good and evil (2 Nephi 2:5) and is "enticed by the one or the other" (2 Nephi 2: 16).

2. Lehi points out that gaining agency was a blessing to Adam and Eve only because of the atonement of Christ. "...And because they were redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing god from evil' to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.  

Wherefore, men are free according tot he flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man.  An

d they are free to choose liberty and eternal life through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself" ( 2 Nephi 2: 26-27).  This is also illustrated in Alma 12:23, "And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar...".

3.  Lehi affirms the esence of agency is to be able to choose good or evil, so we should  "...look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life...and not choose eternal death...which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom" ( 2 Nephi 2: 28-29)

True To The Faith-says this on agency:

"Your Heavenly Father has given you agency, the ability to choose and to act for yourself.  Agency is essential in the plan of salvation.  Without it, you would not be able to learn or progress or follow the Savior.  You had the power to choose even before you were born.  In the premortal Council in Heaven, Heavenly Father presented His plan, which included the principle of agency...

You are responsible for th

e decisions you make.  You should not blame your circumstances, your family, or your friends if you choose to disobey God's commandments. ...

You are also responsible for developing the abilities and talents Heavenly Father has given you.  you are accountable to Him for what you do with your abilities and how you use your time".

FOREORDINATION:

Foreordination is the premortal selection of individuals to fulfill pre-designated responsibilities

, being appointed to fulfill specific missions during this mortal life. True To The Faith, a publication of the church, states that "foreordination does not guarantee that individuals will receive certain callings or responsibilities.  Such opportunities come in this life as a result of the righteous exercise  of agency, just as foreordination came as a result of righteousness in the premortal existence".  The calling of the sons and daughters of God to perform particular labors throughout their life on earth can be seen several times throughout the Book of Mormon.  

1.  The Nephite High Priests were "prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their heart

s....and thus being called by this holy calling, and ordained unto the high preistood of the holy order of God to teach his commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest" (Alma 13:5-6).

2.  In Abraham 3 God reveals the eternal nature of spirits for, "he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born" (vs. 23).

3.  Our Savior Jesus Christ is the most notable example of premortal choosing, he was "beloved [of our Father] and chosen in the beginning" (Moses 4:2).  

4.  Mary was "a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God" (Alma 7:10).  

5.  "This is the manner after which they were ordained--being called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

And thus they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the Spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this they might have had as great privilege as their brethren" (Alma 13:3-4).

6.  The Zoramites are a prime example of how this doctrine can be applied in the wrong way.  They prayed, "Holy, holy God...we believe that thou hast separated us from our brethren...we believe that thou hast elected us to be thy holy children...and thou hast elected us that we shall be saved whilst all around us are elected to be cast by thy wrath down to hell" (Alma 31:15-17).   The Book of Mormon then corrects this with teachings of individuals and groups being foreordained, or elected, in premortal life to certain blessings and responsibilities on earth, the fulfillment of which depends upon their faithfulness.  

7.  Jeremiah also illustrates this principle when in the Bible the Lord tells him, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth our of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations" (Jeremiah 1:5).

The church website also says, "The doctrine of foreordination applies to all members of the Church, not just to the Savior and his prophets.  Before the creation of the earth, faithful women were given certain responsibilities and faithful men were foreordained to certain priesthood duties.  As people prove themselves worthy, they will be given opportunities to fulfill the assignments they then received".

In the Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith we are told inasmuch as "every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was" (Smith, 365).