Preextistence/premortality: A Spirit World existence preceding the Second Estate. All spirits born of God the Father had to choose between the salvation plans offered by Jesus and Lucifer. Those who sided with Jesus were allowed to be born on the earth with physical bodies, necessary to achieve Exaltation. Those who chose Lucifer were cast out of heaven and were prohibited from obtaining physical bodies.
According to eighth President George Albert Smith, “We lived before we came here and our birth into this world was the reward of having kept our first estate” (Conference Reports, October 1926, p. 103).
For a more detailed look at this teaching, click here.
Also see:
Mormonism 201 Rebuttal to Chapter 4
Black Skin and the Curse of Cain
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