1. Yes, we are all predestined.
2. Yes.
3. Yes.
4. Our free will is very limited.
We can limit our free will by sinning, but if we follow God, our free will is limitless.
For instance, can God sin? It is not in his nature to sin and he is literally incapable of sinning.
Sin takes away free will - to be an addict, to be impure... to not sin is to have limitless free will.
God does not have free will to do anything. He can't create another being like himself.
1 Cor 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Ps. 82:6 (1, 6);
1 GOD standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods.
2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do ajustice to the afflicted and needy.
4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.
5 They know not, neither will they understand; they awalk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.
6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
John 10:34 (34–36);
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
1 Cor. 8:6 (5–6);
5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Ie – there are many gods, but only one of them is ours – just as there are many fathers on Earth, but only one of them is our father…
God has always been so if he created something like him, it would have always been.
29 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.
30 All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed it, to bact for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.
Think about it - either
God IS perfect - and did not create us 100% out of nothingness,
or
He is not perfect, as evidenced by us...
Free will only exists if we are self-existent... Free will cannot be created - it would be God's will - nothing but a big pile of dominos, if we were 100% his creation...
God is perfect only if part of us is self-existent.... we have free will only if part of us is self-existent..... He has adopted us, mercifully, He is Loving - but will not take away our free will... as for who we are? We are being tested right now, power will not be given to those who would abuse it...
Isa 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
The potter did not create the clay... but we can become His creation... He will not take away our free will though...
Rom 8:
15 For ye have not received the spirit of abondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
John 1:
1 IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
It does not say God was alone, nor does it say He made everything... IF it was made, He made it... however, not everything is "made" ...
read Gen again... does not say created man - formed him, then placed a spirit in - breathed in life - not created it, placed it in...
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Eccl. 12:7 the spirit shall return unto God who gave it
Return means we have been there before…
Jer. 1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee
Rom. 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
Eph. 1:4 chosen us in him before the foundation of the world
Our life did not start with our birth here on Earth…
Eph. 1:4 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world
Eph. 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself
2 Thes. 2:13 God hath from the beginning chosen you
2 Tim. 1:9 called us ... before the world began
1 Pet. 1:2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God
1 Pet. 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world
God molded intelligences into spirits, then placed spirits who wanted to progress into bodies... He is our Father as He formed our spirits... He did not created us out of nothingness... we are being formed...
5. Not really. We have a limited free will when it comes to our eternal destiny. What if you were born in a tribe in the middle of Africa and never heard about God or Jesus or anything? What if you were born mentally retarted and were inacapable of understanding anything presented to you? Who decides where you are born or what mental state you are in? God. We don't choose. It says in the Bible that the Father has to draw us. If we are not drawn, then we cannot come to Jesus and ultimately be saved. God knows exactly everything that will happen. It says in the Bible he already has our names written in the book of life.
We chose to come here, all will have equal opportunity to choose everlasting life...
23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.
Work is currently underway in temples across the world...
16 And now, in relation to the baptism for the dead, I will give you another quotation of Paul,
1 Corinthians 15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead?
17 And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for
Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.
18 I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the
gfoundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto
hbabes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.
19 Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; glad tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that bring glad tidings of good things, and that say unto Zion: Behold, thy God reigneth! As the dews of Carmel, so shall the knowledge of God descend upon them!
Salvation for the Dead (see also Baptism; Baptism for the Dead; Genealogy and Temple Work; Salvation)
Isa. 24:22 in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited
Isa. 42:7 bring out the prisoners from the prison
Isa. 49:9 (1 Ne. 21:9) say to the prisoners, Go forth
Isa. 61:1 (Luke 4:18) proclaim liberty to the captives
Obad. 1:21 saviours shall come up on mount Zion
Zech. 9:11 sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit
Mal. 4:6 (Luke 1:17; 3 Ne. 25:6; D&C 2:2; 110:15; JS-H 1:39) turn ... the heart of the children to their fathers
Matt. 16:19 (D&C 128:8) bind on earth shall be bound in heaven
Luke 4:18 preach deliverance to the captives
John 5:25 dead shall hear the voice of the Son
Rom. 14:9 Lord both of the dead and living
1 Cor. 15:19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.
1 Cor. 15:29 why are they then baptized for the dead
Heb. 11:40 (D&C 128:15) that they without us should not be made perfect
1 Pet. 3:19 preached unto the spirits in prison
1 Pet. 4:6 gospel preached also to them that are dead