Pre-mortal life and Heaven
1. The purpose of the council in heaven
2. Why did Jesus preach only to the ones who had been disobedient in Noah's time?
3. Why should the Mormons expect there to be marriage union in Heaven?
4. Why does the Mormon church teach that the BROAD WAY leads to the Terrestrial Heaven?
1. Mormons say the purpose of the council in heaven was to prepare us for our earthly experience. We were taught all that we would need to know to return to Heavenly Father's presence one day. Why would this training be needed when the Mormon Church teaches that our spirits forget what happened to them when placed into a body?
A: Everyone in the Pre-existence had their free agency to choose Christ's plan or Satan's. We were taught all that we would need to know, not to prepare us for our life on earth, but rather so we could make a well-informed decision there to either go along with God's plan or follow Satan. Also after we leave this life and are resurrected we believe that we will remember all that we knew and learned in the pre-earth life. This added intelligence and experience will be added to our souls.
2. If Jesus preached the Gospel to disobedient spirits during the time His body was entombed, why did He preach only to the ones who had been disobedient in Noah's time? Why didn't He give a second chance to those who had lived later, such as in Isaiah's time? (see 1 Peter 3:18-20).
A: He did. But He had to start somewhere. So He started with those people from Noah's time. He then directed others to preach to all the other people that have died since Noah. D&C 138:27-36
3. If in the resurrection people will be AS the angels in Heaven, why should the Mormons expect there to be marriage union in Heaven? (see MAT 22:30 and D&C 132:15-17).
A: MAT 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
In this scripture Jesus is answering the question about which of seven men, who were each civally married to the same woman(one at a time), would be married to her in heaven(see verses 23-29). If none of them were married by God's way, in the temple, they all would be as the angels in Heaven as the scripture states. Apparently none of them were temple marriages. If any of them were temple marriages, she would remain with the first one.
The prophet Joseph Smith received revelation that there could be marriage union in heaven.
D&C 132 states that if a man and women are married "not by me nor by my word" It will not be in force after they are dead, and they will be "appointed angels in heaven" to serve and attend those who do marry by His word(temple marriage). And for those who do marry by His word it "shall be of full force when they are out of the world".
4. Why does the Mormon church teach that the BROAD WAY leads to the Terrestrial Heaven? (Jesus taught that it leads to destruction. Compare Matthew 7:13, 14 with the Free Agency chart No. 30).
A: This is referring to a chart that was made according to one persons idea about what a diagram of what happens in the next life would look like. It was probably drawn to demonstrate that the Terrestrial world was easier to get into than the Celestial World.
The spirits of all men came from God and therefore have within them the potential of entering the Celestial kingdom and returning to God. If a person chooses the "broad way" and settles for the Terrestrial kingdom, he has, in a way, destroyed himself when you consider where he originally came from and where he could have gone.
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