- Dec 12, 2002
- 35,523
- 6,403
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Widowed
In Mormon teachings, First estate refers to the period of time otherwise known as premortal life. Notice the word "organize" in verse 22 below; that is the word Mormons frequently use because the intelligences had no beginning.
Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3
22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will doall things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.
(The first one refers to Jesus, the second one to Lucifer.)
Verse 26 (keeping the first estate means they were obedient). The strange thing about verse 26, is that it suggests there were some that didn't keep their first estate but weren't cast out with Satan; it's already determined that they won't make it to the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom.
So if God determines the place of our existence on earth as the Bible teaches, he sends most of the more valiant spirits of this dispensation to good Mormon families, does he not? They will be taught Mormonism from a very early age. They will be conditioned to obey the laws and ordinances of the Mormon church.
Ezra Taft Benson taught:
...To possess a testimony of Jesus is to know that the Church, which He established in the meridian of time and restored in modern times is, as the Lord has declared, “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” (D&C 1:30.)
Having such a testimony is vital. But of even greater importance is being valiant in our testimony.
A testimony of Jesus means that we accept the divine mission of Jesus Christ, embrace His gospel, and do His works. It also means we accept the prophetic mission of Joseph Smith and his successors and follow their counsel. As Jesus said, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” (D&C 1:38.)
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/02/valiant-in-the-testimony-of-jesus?lang=eng
Interesting, eh?
Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3
22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;
23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born.
24 And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;
25 And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will doall things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;
26 And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; and they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.
27 And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
28 And the second was angry, and kept not his first estate; and, at that day, many followed after him.
(The first one refers to Jesus, the second one to Lucifer.)
Verse 26 (keeping the first estate means they were obedient). The strange thing about verse 26, is that it suggests there were some that didn't keep their first estate but weren't cast out with Satan; it's already determined that they won't make it to the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom.
So if God determines the place of our existence on earth as the Bible teaches, he sends most of the more valiant spirits of this dispensation to good Mormon families, does he not? They will be taught Mormonism from a very early age. They will be conditioned to obey the laws and ordinances of the Mormon church.
Ezra Taft Benson taught:
...To possess a testimony of Jesus is to know that the Church, which He established in the meridian of time and restored in modern times is, as the Lord has declared, “the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth.” (D&C 1:30.)
Having such a testimony is vital. But of even greater importance is being valiant in our testimony.
A testimony of Jesus means that we accept the divine mission of Jesus Christ, embrace His gospel, and do His works. It also means we accept the prophetic mission of Joseph Smith and his successors and follow their counsel. As Jesus said, “Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” (D&C 1:38.)
https://www.lds.org/ensign/1987/02/valiant-in-the-testimony-of-jesus?lang=eng
Interesting, eh?