Did we choose or agree to our earthly circumstances?
Question
Gramps,
Did we choose or agree to our earthly circumstances?
C Brady
Answer
C Brady.
The concept of whether or not we were able to choose/agree to our earthly circumstances is highly debated by members of the Church. The reason this question is highly debated is due to the fact that we do not have any clear statement within scripture or from our prophets that would definitively suggest one way or the other. In order to come to any correct conclusion an individual must pray, fast, and then study the words of scripture and prophets to gain personal revelation on the matter, and even through this member’s feelings may differ.
In our scriptures we are taught that without agency there would be no purpose to our existence. We would not have the ability to act or be acted upon; as such, we know our agency existed in the pre mortal councils of heaven. With a little bit of research it would appear Joseph Fielding Smith once declared,
“We have no scriptural justification for the belief that we had the privilege of choosing our parents and our life companions in the spirit world. This belief has been advocated by some, and it’s possible that in some instances it is true, but it would require too great a stretch of the imagination to believe it to be so in all, or even in the majority of cases” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Way to Perfection, 44).
In light of this quote, as to my personal thoughts and feelings, I would assume it would be difficult to agree to choose our life’s circumstances, if we didn’t have the opportunity to choose our parents–our parents representing the primary element for the first 18 years, if not more, of our earthly circumstances and experiences as we first enter mortality.
Indirectly, however, it may be argued if we accepted Heavenly Father’s plan we also chose to accept our earthly circumstances and experiences on a whole. We were instructed in the heavens pertaining to this earth life. We were most likely instructed regarding the possible good and evil we may encounter or experience. In this light, one might say, “Yes, definitely, on a whole we chose/agreed with our earthly circumstances because we agreed to the plan given by our Heavenly Father.”
Gramps
I also think that the Promises made to us outweighed anything and everything else…
This is the hardest one for me. I do not think that we chose our parents, or even the time we come to earth. I think that there is a possibility that we were chosen, possibly by God, to come to our selected parents and selected time and place. But then, I cannot imagine why any spirit would deliberately want to come during the dark ages, or third world countries in extreme poverty with no chance of escaping that situation, or to be born with disabilities, or to be born of a certain color in order to suffer prejudice, especially during years and centuries prior to this time, or to be born of a raped mother, etc., etc., etc. It seems to me that, especially those born in the church, are the ones who believe that they were destined to be born of Godly parents and to be born in this church. I may be 100% wrong, but I can not put my mind around choosing to be born under other than ideal circumstances.
Most likely our parents chose us if there was any such choice. I would not have chosen to come to the family I was in. I am in my late 50s and all my relatives are dead–without root nor branch. I’m a little young for that. As I don’t care for being alone and I was probably much like I am not I doubt I chose this situation–unless there was some award that I want that requires me to be in this situation.
It’s so hard to gauge! I believe there is a reason for everything that happens- including when/where/what we are born into. We just may not understand it. It’s important to remember too, that there’s agency. That’s something we cannot dispute. We all have agency. We can all make choices. We made our own choices before coming to this earth. I cannot speak for everyone, but I know I chose my family I was born into. I chose my parents and my siblings. I also know that I knew some of my friends before and we made promises to each other in the pre-mortal existence. I also know that I knew my husband. The second I met him my Spirit was screaming with joy that I found my long-lost best friend. I also believe that I have a gift of that knowledge, for me. I know that doesn’t happen to everyone. I want to believe everyone made their choices in the pre-mortal existence regarding their family. And because of choices made in that life, we are born into certain circumstances based on our choices, from the pre-mortal life and this life. I hope this makes sense. God makes no accidents. He is a purposeful God, even if we don’t understand it. I have zero proof of what I believe, but I do have my knowledge in regards to myself and my family.
I am pretty certain I did not choose the family I was born into. I was born into a broken home and don’t have many relatives. I know I would have preferred to be born into a large family. Of course there is the possiblity that maybe for a certain blessing I wanted I had to be born into this situation but as far as I can see I did not choose this family that I’m in. Actually my family is dead and I am alone.
I have grown up in the Church and have been taught by virtually all of my Primary, Youth and Bishopric leaders that I, and my peers, we’re save for this time, to usher in the last days and the Second Coming. I am now a mother and I find it equally exciting for myself, yet terrifying for my daughters to be saved for the end. That being said, I was blessed with the “gift of discernment in ferreting out concepts of the gospel” for personal revelation. I was also told very plainly that I am here “not by chance or pattern, but because the Lord intended that you (I) be here at this time and in this place to fulfill the mission that you (I) are foreordained to.” I can’t speak for anyone other than my family, but I know as sure as I am sitting here that my family existed prior to this mortal probation. I also knew my husband the moment we met. I sure didn’t tell him though! I had many, many plans that did NOT involve meeting him at that point in my life. It took me some time to come accept that Heavenly Father’s plan was much bigger than my own and would happen in His time, not mine. Yes, covenants and promises were made, families existed, all things were created before creation on this planet. Everyone has agency to seek the things that the Spirit tries desperately to lead us to. It all comes down to agency. We have had it since our premortal conception. For good or ill, the best or the worst circumstances, the ideal or the painfull, it all comes down to agency. We were not meant to know, remember or understand all the choices we made prior to this life, hence the veil. We’re it not so, this plan wouldn’t have been much different than the other one we vetoed.