Pre-Existence - What do we Know about it?

What do we know of ourselves before we came here to earth? What do the Scriptures say on this, and is there any other information we can derive from known facts?

In many places in the Scriptures we are told that we are the spirit children of our Heavenly Father. Many places in the Scriptures also demonstrate that spirits look like people (us).

D&C 131:7 tells us, "There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter, but it is more fine or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes."

So we know that our Heavenly Father had our spirit bodies made of a real substance. This means we had a beginning of our spirit, as such.

D&C 93:29 tells us, "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be." (also refer Abr 3:18)

So we also have an intelligence which was never created, but has existed forever. Then what is this intelligence? It is defined as light and truth, and the light of truth (as quoted above). D&C 93 tells us some other things about it. It must be free or it can't exist (verse 30). It exists less when it disobeys the principles God teaches (verse 39). As we accept and follow God's principles we exist more (and become more intelligent) (verse 28).

Abr 3:19 tells us, "And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord they God. I am more intelligent than they all."

This tells us that intelligences have different levels intelligence from each other.

D&C 29:36 tells us that Satan rebelled along with a third of the host of heaven. Considering that mankind rebels and that spirits rebel, it must be that even as intelligences not all would have accepted God's plan. This informs us that in spite of seeing God infront of us not all obey him. I knew my father had more power than I did when a child, but that didn't mean that I believed in everything he told me.

Job 38:7 tells us that male spirits shouted for joy when the corner stone of the earth was laid. So we were really into having the earth done.

This is what the Scriptures inform us. So do we have any further information? Yes! Piles of it! The reason we have more information than that which is recorded in Scipture is because we continue to exist. We ARE that intelligence. Admittedly we have a lot of misconceptions about ourselves thrown at us from birth. But we can overcome these by belief in what God has informed us of and examining mankind.

There is lots of evidence that people reach out to each other with senses beyond the body (eg if we concentrate hard enough on another person they will become aware of us). So we can sense strong feelings from others.

We have memories. We have feelings for others. There is just a long list when you think about it. Our intelligence has these now, and has always had these.

Male intelligences think differently from female intelligences.

It is amazing just how much information about ourselves in the pre-existence we have when it is thought through.