Was there neutrality in premortal life?

Question

 

Gramps,

 

Answer

 

Don,

It’s an interesting question because we often hear about the war in heaven as though every spirit immediately chose between following Jesus Christ and following Lucifer. We also read that the morning stars sang together and the sons of God shouted for joy when the foundations of the earth were laid (Job 38:4–7).

But does Latter-day Saint doctrine leave room for neutrality in the premortal existence? And what do we actually know about those who supported Heavenly Father’s plan, those who rebelled, and those who may have chosen not to participate?

According to Latter-day Saint teachings, before we were born on earth, we lived as spirit children of Heavenly Father. During that premortal existence, Heavenly Father presented a plan that would allow His children to receive physical bodies, experience mortality, exercise agency, and eventually return to His presence.

The plan required a Savior. We would make mistakes, experience sin, and face death. Jesus Christ volunteered to be that Savior, offering to carry out the Father’s plan and give all of Heavenly Father’s children the opportunity to return home.

Lucifer, however, proposed an alternative. He wanted to save everyone, but his plan would have eliminated the need for individual agency. He also sought the Father’s honor and glory for himself.

The Lord revealed the outcome of that rebellion in Doctrine and Covenants 29:36:

And it came to pass that Adam, being tempted of the devil—for, behold, the devil was before Adam, for he rebelled against me, saying, Give me thine honor, which is my power; and also a third part of the hosts of heaven turned he away from me because of their agency;

This is an important passage because it identifies a specific group who followed Lucifer. They exercised their agency by rejecting Heavenly Father’s plan and choosing to follow the adversary. But what about everyone else? Did they all actively support Jesus Christ, or were some simply unwilling to choose? According to traditional Latter-day Saint teachings, the answer is no. There were no neutral spirits in the war in heaven.

President Joseph Fielding Smith addressed this question directly in Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 1, pages 65–66:

There were no neutrals in the war in heaven. All took sides either with Christ or with Satan. Every man had his agency there, and men receive rewards here based upon their actions there, just as they will receive rewards hereafter for deeds done in the body.

This is a pretty straightforward statement. According to President Smith, every spirit eventually had to choose a side. Remaining neutral was not an option.

Elder Jörg Klebingat of the Seventy also addressed this subject in his September 2017 Ensign article, Defending the Faith. He explained that the conflict in heaven required each spirit to make a decision:

Ultimately, retreating indecisively to neutral ground was not an option in this conflict. Nor is it today.

He went on to explain that some spirits eagerly sought to learn and obey, while others listened with varying degrees of interest and intent. Some defended the Father’s plan, while others defected from it.

This gives us an interesting perspective. Not everyone necessarily approached the council with the same enthusiasm, understanding, or willingness to defend the plan. But when the conflict came to a decision, each spirit had to exercise agency.

Now let’s consider another interesting part of the question. If there were no neutral spirits, did everyone who supported Heavenly Father’s plan shout for joy?

The scriptures give us a beautiful account in Job 38:4–7. The Lord asks Job where he was when the foundations of the earth were laid. He then describes the reaction of the premortal children of God:

When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Latter-day Saints generally understand this passage to refer to the joy experienced by God’s children when they learned about the opportunity to come to earth, receive physical bodies, experience mortality, and progress toward eternal life.

The Church’s teachings on the premortal life explain that we were excited about the opportunity to participate in Heavenly Father’s plan, even though we understood that mortality would include challenges, suffering, temptation, and death.

But there is something worth recognizing here. The fact that the scriptures say the sons of God shouted for joy does not necessarily mean every spirit expressed that joy with exactly the same enthusiasm or understanding.

Elder Klebingat’s remarks are helpful because he describes differences in how spirits responded to Heavenly Father’s teachings. Some eagerly sought truth and obedience, while others were less interested. Nevertheless, the scriptural account emphasizes the joy associated with the Father’s plan and the opportunity it provided.

We also need to be careful about how we understand the expression “a third part of the hosts of heaven.”

Revelation 12:4 uses the imagery of the dragon drawing a third part of the stars of heaven. Doctrine and Covenants 29:36 provides additional information, explaining that a third part of the hosts of heaven followed Lucifer.

Moses 4:1-4 provides more detail about what happened. Lucifer wanted to redeem all mankind, but his proposal would have taken away agency. He also wanted the glory and honor for himself.

Jesus Christ, on the other hand, supported the Father’s plan, saying:

Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. (Moses 4:2)

The difference between the two proposals was significant. Heavenly Father’s plan allowed His children to exercise agency, make choices, learn from their experiences, and become more like Him through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Lucifer wanted to remove that freedom. Those who followed Lucifer were cast out of heaven and lost the opportunity to receive physical bodies and experience mortality.

An important point here is that the scriptures do not give us a detailed account of every conversation, disagreement, or individual decision made during the war in heaven. We know the outcome and the major principles involved, but we should be careful not to fill in details that have not been revealed.

There is another interesting point worth considering. The Church’s official teachings on premortality explain that those who followed Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were permitted to come to earth, receive physical bodies, and experience mortality.

The Church’s Agency study guide makes this statement:

The fact that you’re here on earth means you used your agency to accept God’s plan and follow Him.

This is an important distinction. Our very opportunity to be born into mortality is evidence that we accepted Heavenly Father’s plan in the premortal existence. Of course, that does not mean we were perfect spirits or that we never struggled with questions, disagreements, or weaknesses. We came to earth because we needed to grow, learn, and develop spiritually.

It also doesn’t mean that accepting the plan in the premortal existence guarantees that we will remain faithful throughout mortality. We still have agency, and we must continue choosing to follow Jesus Christ. In other words, the decision to accept the Father’s plan was only the beginning of our eternal journey.

Based on traditional Latter-day Saint teachings, there was no neutral group in the war in heaven. Every spirit eventually chose whether to support Heavenly Father’s plan or follow Lucifer’s rebellion.

We also learn that the children of God rejoiced at the opportunity to come to earth and experience mortality. Some were apparently more enthusiastic than others, but the scriptures describe the occasion as one of great joy.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons we can take from this is that agency has always been central to Heavenly Father’s plan. It was important before we came to earth, it is important during our mortal experience, and it will continue to be important throughout eternity. Heavenly Father never intended to force His children to follow Him. He wanted children who would willingly choose Him, accept His Son, and eventually become like Him.

The war in heaven was not simply a disagreement between two brothers. It was a conflict over the very nature of God’s plan and whether His children would be free to make their own choices. And according to Latter-day Saint doctrine, every one of us who received the opportunity to come to earth had already made that important choice.

 

Gramps