Question
Gramps,
What is known on the doctrine of multiple mortal existences? And, can this principle exist?
Gary
Answer
Gary,
The doctrine of which you speak is called reincarnation, and is a tenant of the Hindu religion. However, from all scriptural accounts, both ancient and modern, reincarnation is a false doctrine. The natural order of life is that an eternal entity, called an intelligence, inhabits a spirit body at the birth of the spirit by its eternal heavenly parents. That spirit entity has the form of a person, but of course is composed of spiritual material, and lives in the presence of God, the Eternal Father.
When a child is born into mortality that pre-existing spirit, endowed with its own intelligence, enters the mortal body, giving the child independent life. One of the great purposes of mortality is for man to determine for himself the degree of his belief in and his love for his Father in Heaven. Another related great purpose is to try to live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God. Mortal man is responsible to his Eternal Father for obedience to the Father’s commands. According to an irrevocable eternal law of justice, obedience to God’s commands merits His blessings, and disobedience merits His punishment. If disobedient man, learning of his errant ways, changes his character and becomes obedient to the Father, those errant actions are not attributed to his account. This is made possible through the great atoning sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who satisfied the law of justice by paying the price of suffering for every misdirected, sinful act of every one of our Father’s children who ever did or who ever will exist.
Thus, the purpose of mortality is completely fulfilled during the one mortal life of each individual Following the unique experience of mortality, the body and spirit of every person who has or who ever will have lived in mortality are reunited to form the eternal, indestructible, immortal soul of man. In this immortal condition, man may continue to progress and grow throughout all eternity. That is the truth of the matter. Some published information by General Authorities of the Mormon Church related to the subject of reincarnation follows:
“By an understanding of this principle of pre-existence we understand the evolution of man, if that is a correct expression, or his eternal progress, following in the footsteps of the Savior, the First-born, being born of God in the spirit, having a spiritual existence and then coming here upon the earth to have an earthly existence, passing on through death to another spiritual existence, and then the resurrection, and through faithfulness and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel go on to eternal life and exaltation. There is just the one individual from beginning to end. The fallacy of the reincarnation of man theory is here made apparent, as also the doctrine of evolution, in which it is taught that man originated with the lower animals, the very lowest type, and came up by degrees.” (Elder George F. Richards, Conference Report, April 1933, Afternoon Meeting, p.46)
“In Hindu terminology, the cosmic law of justice is called “karma.” Hindus believe that individual spirits are reincarnated repeatedly on earth in accordance with the effects of karma. Those who have not yet merited release from this wheel of rebirth are in a state of negative karma. If they improve their deeds during the next incarnation, they can improve their karmic condition and may even gain freedom to reach Nirvana” (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992, p.1591).
Gramps
