Wants2Know Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I've recently learned of this piece of doctrine, and perhaps it's because I'm pregnant that I'm now extremely curious about where it came from, what it means... any personal thoughts, direction to links, scripture or other LDS beliefs in this area are welcome. Thank you! Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubaloth Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Where did you learn the doctrine? The only real doctrine is that at one time we were all born spiritually. We had to grown. But, spirits are now fully grown. (They wouldn't leave pre-mortal life, unless they have gone through that stage). The the baby you have is actually a full grown spirit, it now just needs a body to completly the learning process! That is left up to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wants2Know Posted April 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Perhaps Doctrine is the wrong language for my understanding. I'm hearing from others that it isn't doctrine at all??? Maybe what I'm interested in knowing is about this pre-mortal life? My understanding is that we somehow chose our families? Is that the correct belief? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
talisyn Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Your unborn baby loves you very much, maybe that feeling is why you're wondering about spirit babies congrats btw Let me look in the scriptures. I know a bunch has been said on the subject... Off to LDS.org! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applepansy Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Life Before Life by Richard Eyre (This book is out of print but available used at amazon)Amazon.com: Life Before Life: Origins of the Soul...Knowing Where You Came From and Who You Really Are: Richard Eyre: BooksThe Life Before by Brent L Top DeseretBook.com - Search Results Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruthSeekerToo Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I am unaware of any official church doctrine about how families are chosen. There hasn't been any revelation regarding when the spirit unites with the body or anything like that. However, we do often hear that we chose our families and different aspects of our lives. I've had 2 miscarriages and so I've done some searching to see if there was any official stance. I couldn't find one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HEthePrimate Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Hi, Wants2Know, I think the important thing is that God created our spirits, that we are therefore his children. I don't know if they were "babies" at one point, as we tend to think of babies, or not. It's our relationship with God that matters the most. A big congratulations for being pregnant! That's really exciting. :) HEP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikbone Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 (edited) Perhaps Doctrine is the wrong language for my understanding. I'm hearing from others that it isn't doctrine at all??? Maybe what I'm interested in knowing is about this pre-mortal life? My understanding is that we somehow chose our families? Is that the correct belief?I haven't read any formal doctrine on the subject of being able to choose our families in the pre-existence. But, my parents, wife and my patriarchal blessings all allude to the idea that we knew each other...Just based on the numbers though... Only 1.4% of the USA population is LDS. If the pre-mortal male spirits are destined to have the priesthood (as explained in the following quote) it makes sense that they would more than likely be sent to a LDS family. "Alma taught the great truth that every person who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood was foreordained to receive that high and holy order in the pre-existent councils of eternity. "This is the manner after which they were ordained," he says. They were "called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works [while yet living in pre-existence]; in the first place [that is, in pre-existence] being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceeding 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." Thus, he explains, Melchizedek Priesthood holders have been "prepared from the foundation of the world" for their high callings. The Lord has prepared them "from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things." (Alma 13:3-9.)" Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1, Foreordination, Bruce R. McConkie Edited April 14, 2009 by mikbone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tubaloth Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Perhaps Doctrine is the wrong language for my understanding. I'm hearing from others that it isn't doctrine at all??? Maybe what I'm interested in knowing is about this pre-mortal life? My understanding is that we somehow chose our families? Is that the correct belief?More it would help to know what YOU heard or think, and WE could go from there. What is doctrine is:Based off of what we did in pre-mortal life it determined where we would end up here. Not only the time and place, but from what the scriptures teach also which part of the house of Israel we would end up in. What isn't know. Is how we were organized in the pre-mortal life. Yes there is ideas that we also were organized into some form of the twelve tribes. But how detailed that got we don't know. There was an (LDS) movie many many years ago called Saturdays Warriors. Over all a good LDS movie, but it did teach a lot of unknown doctrines. One of them was about this idea that we were in a family before we came to this earth. People tend to like that teaching and followed it. The simple answer is we don't know. Personally, I can't see we didn't know at least some of our family. But I think the circle of people we knew was probably pretty big, our parents and family were only a small number that we knew. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moksha Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I haven't read any formal doctrine on the subject of being able to choose our families in the pre-existence. Has anyone speculated about it being like like filling a dance card at a singles dance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest missingsomething Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 Perhaps Doctrine is the wrong language for my understanding. I'm hearing from others that it isn't doctrine at all??? Maybe what I'm interested in knowing is about this pre-mortal life? My understanding is that we somehow chose our families? Is that the correct belief?Im not sure we got to choose our families... heck - if we did, I must have been sleeping through the selections and got left overs (just kidding)....But seriously, this is what I believe: I believe I am LITERALLY a daughter of a father in Heaven. I believe I also have a mother there. I believe they love me and watch over me. I believe that I chose to come to earth to be tried, tested... not so much that I chose my family but that I chose to accept "COME WHAT MAY" to prove to my Heavenly Father that my love and faith in his way of life was true and strong. I believe I knew I would be promised great blessings and even more knowledge if I did this. I believe that I work to becoming more like Him. I believe Jesus is my savior, my brother, and my example. And one day I will be reunited with both of them. Personally, I also believe that those babies that are miscarried or that die very young were so spiritually strong that they did not need to be tested - they just had to fulfill the requirement to agree to come to this world and get a physical body and agree to undergo this trial - but that they are actually rewarded for their loving, spiritual, knowledgable spirits. Im sure some wont agree with this, its not doctrine - its just my impressions born from prayer. You know - everyone eventually asks - where did I come from? where am I going? and why am I here. Im glad you are here asking - and I hope to get to know you better. Good luck w/ pregnancy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest missingsomething Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 I haven't read any formal doctrine on the subject of being able to choose our families in the pre-existence. But, my parents, wife and my patriarchal blessings all allude to the idea that we knew each other...Just based on the numbers though... Only 1.4% of the USA population is LDS. If the pre-mortal male spirits are destined to have the priesthood (as explained in the following quote) it makes sence that they would more than likely be sent to a LDS family. "Alma taught the great truth that every person who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood was foreordained to receive that high and holy order in the pre-existent councils of eternity. "This is the manner after which they were ordained," he says. They were "called and prepared from the foundation of the world according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works [while yet living in pre-existence]; in the first place [that is, in pre-existence] being left to choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceeding 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." Thus, he explains, Melchizedek Priesthood holders have been "prepared from the foundation of the world" for their high callings. The Lord has prepared them "from eternity to all eternity, according to his foreknowledge of all things." (Alma 13:3-9.)" Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 1, Foreordination, Bruce R. McConkieJust a thought... if you are likely to be sent to an LDS family - how does one reconcile the convert factor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest missingsomething Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 More it would help to know what YOU heard or think, and WE could go from there. What is doctrine is:Based off of what we did in pre-mortal life it determined where we would end up here. Not only the time and place, but from what the scriptures teach also which part of the house of Israel we would end up in. What isn't know. Is how we were organized in the pre-mortal life. Yes there is ideas that we also were organized into some form of the twelve tribes. But how detailed that got we don't know. There was an (LDS) movie many many years ago called Saturdays Warriors. Over all a good LDS movie, but it did teach a lot of unknown doctrines. One of them was about this idea that we were in a family before we came to this earth. People tend to like that teaching and followed it. The simple answer is we don't know. Personally, I can't see we didn't know at least some of our family. But I think the circle of people we knew was probably pretty big, our parents and family were only a small number that we knew.OH man... I LOVE Saturday's Warrior! Love love love it... infact, thats why I named my daughter Emily! (but shhhh- my husband doesnt know that). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saguaro Posted April 13, 2009 Report Share Posted April 13, 2009 There was an (LDS) movie many many years ago called Saturdays Warriors. Over all a good LDS movie, but it did teach a lot of unknown doctrines. One of them was about this idea that we were in a family before we came to this earth. People tend to like that teaching and followed it. The simple answer is we don't know. I was struck by the term "unknown doctrines". They were unknown because they were purely speculative and arguably false. Like you said, the simple answer is we don't know, we don't know exactly what life was like in the pre-existence or who knew who when. This quote from Spencer W Kimball is very relevant:“Soul mates” are a fiction and an illusion; and while every young man and young woman will seek with all diligence and prayerfulness to find a mate with whom life can be most compatible and beautiful, yet it is certain that almost any good man and any good woman can have happiness and a successful marriage if both are willing to pay the price. "Gospel Classics: Oneness in Marriage", Ensign, October, 2002. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikbone Posted April 14, 2009 Report Share Posted April 14, 2009 Just a thought... if you are likely to be sent to an LDS family - how does one reconcile the convert factor?More than likely (the greater majority), of course the balance of the percentage would be converts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wants2Know Posted April 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 What about the girls then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TruthSeekerToo Posted April 15, 2009 Report Share Posted April 15, 2009 What about the girls then?What about what girls? What are you asking? Sorry, I think I'm lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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