Pre-Existence, Part 2

Shawn McCraney discusses the differences between Objective Religion, which emphasizes rigid religious orthodoxy and institutional goals, and Subjective Relationships, which prioritize personal, individual connections with God, urging a shift from winning doctrinal arguments to fostering personal spiritual growth. His ministry offers books critiquing Mormonism and Evangelical Christianity while encouraging open exploration of faith beyond traditional religious structures.

Shawn teaches that baptism and sin are deeply personal experiences that each individual navigates with God, promoting an open-ended practice of repentance without rigid formalities or imposed memberships in religious communities. He emphasizes the absence of strict church hierarchies, legislative enforcement of morality, or pressure in religious activities, encouraging believers to focus on unconditional love and equality among believers, while also discussing the various theological perspectives on the pre-mortal existence of the soul which lack explicit biblical support.

Biblical scholars generally interpret scriptural references, such as the one regarding Jeremiah, as indicating God's foreknowledge rather than supporting the idea of a pre-mortal existence, a perspective also shared by some LDS scholars like Lowell Bennion. While there are late apocryphal writings and influences from Persian and Greek cultures that suggest a belief in pre-existence among Jews, these interpretations do not conclusively support the LDS view of a pre-mortal life; instead, they underscore the importance of aligning biblical interpretation with clear biblical teachings.

This teaching explores various beliefs of some Jews during Jesus's time, including the transmigration of souls and retribution beyond death that influenced concepts similar to reincarnation, but emphasizes that Jesus did not endorse these views, showing instead that biblical references to pre-mortal existence relate exclusively to Jesus. The concept of pre-mortal existence, debated in early Christian thought and addressed by figures like Origen, was ultimately condemned in the 6th century, yet finds echoes in differing religious interpretations, such as those by LDS scholars who view Origen's teachings as remnants of early theology.