Pre-Mortal Existence, Part 3

Salvation and being a Christian are distinct yet interconnected; salvation is akin to entering God's pool through faith, whereas being a Christian involves staying in the pool and exhibiting faith-driven love, as highlighted by 1 John 3:23 which unifies faith in Jesus and love for one another as a singular commandment. Faith and love are two inseparable aspects of being a Christian, symbolized as two sides of the same coin, suggesting that true faith cannot exist without genuine love, and vice versa.

To understand the complexities of beliefs among LDS leaders, consider how long-standing participation, personal benefit, rationalizations about the church's perceived superiority, and the daunting consequences of dissent can lead to the continuation of practices viewed by some as deceptive. Factors such as lifelong indoctrination, a vested identity within the church, potential self-deception, and significant personal stakes often outweigh the moral conflict of maintaining a system based on beliefs questioned by many who have left the faith.

Shawn addresses the concept of spiritual warfare, emphasizing that the battle is against darkness in high places rather than against individuals within religious institutions. He discusses the LDS belief in pre-mortal existence and critiques how missionaries use specific biblical passages to support this view, warning of the influence such teachings can have on individuals.

God's foreknowledge, as illustrated in Jeremiah 1:5, is interpreted as "Ideal Pre-existence," indicating God's awareness of all things rather than humans having existed prior to birth, a concept not supported by biblical texts according to scholars like Lowell Bennion. Similarly, in Job 38, the "sons of God" who "shouted for joy" likely refers to angelic beings within the heavenly realm rather than humans, as biblical commentary suggests, differentiating from LDS teachings of pre-mortal existence by emphasizing rhetorical context and the portrayal of human insignificance.

The concept of a pre-existent state of souls has roots in the Pythagorean and Platonic traditions, as well as in some Jewish teachings like the Talmud and Kabbalah, but the New Testament passages, such as Jesus' discussion with his disciples regarding a man born blind, do not affirm this belief in the context of human pre-mortal existence. Historical figures like Origen contributed to discussions on soul pre-existence, but an examination of biblical texts shows no clear support for the doctrine, which was formally condemned in the late 4th and 6th centuries, and interpreting early church writings should be approached cautiously without relying on later doctrinal developments.