Chapter III reminds us that we pre-existed this earthly plane, and had direct contact with our Heavenly Father before inhabiting an earthly body.
“Every man should live because upon his shoulders rests a divine responsibility.” We should live with courage and without complaint, Annalee tells us. When Job began his rant to the Lord loathing the day he was born, God told him to stop complaining and reminded him of pre-existence with God. Annalee reminds us that the prophet Jeremiah was ordained even before he was in his mother’s womb. Abraham was chosen before he was born; and Christ, though he came to earth in the meridian of time – was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world!
Your body houses your spirit that pre-existed. The body united with the spirit of man - is the soul of man. Therefore, there must be a resurrection for “souls” who experience death. That resurrection involves the restoration of man’s spirit and body in perfectness. That resurrection is a merciful “saving of souls” only made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ.
As we contemplate our hope in the resurrection, we must seek to remember the divine contact within ourselves. That divine contact was placed in us so that we may escape the gloom and darkness that tries to enfold us even in this earthly plane. The divine contact was placed in us so that we can unfold our own pattern of existence for the glory of God. Never lose your contact with the divine! When life’s burdens seem unbearable, and you feel your prayers are too weak to be heard even by the nearest bug on the wall, let alone God Almighty – overcome the burdens by lifting up your heart and being thankful! Find something, anything, to thank Him for and soon your divine contact will flow in rhythm with the divine. “If there is no joy in you – if that song of ecstasy does not sing in your soul, you have lost contact with your own pattern of existence”, wrote the author.
The chapters that follow are written with the purpose of unfolding "the great plan of life" to the reader who has eyes to see and ears to hear. If we are really paying attention, we will begin to understand, comprehend, and thus fulfill our parts upon the stage of life.
If your earthly parents did not create you, then some greater power must have had a hand. Surely you did not create yourself. If you had, you would know how to keep yourself in perfect health, you would have the power to live without age leaving its marks and stooping your shoulders, dulling your sight, and making your hair white. You, having created all the intricate parts in the beginning, would know just what to do about it. But you did not create yourself because you know nothing more about this body of yours than your parents do. That is, not with the physical mind. If you did not create yourself, and your parents could not create you, then it must be assumed that some greater intelligence had a hand in this marvelous personage of YOU.
"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was (the little clay body of earthly elements); and the spirit shall return to God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes, 12:7).
Then John, the Beloved, adds still another bit of information: "No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man which is in heaven."1 In other words, even the Son of Man in order to get back into heaven had to come down from heaven in the first place -- and NO MAN shall ever return who did not abide in heaven before he came to earth.
Job, in his grief and despair over the hardships and trials he was called upon to endure, at last lifted up his voice to God and cursed the day he was born. He gave it a "going-over" as only Job was capable of. "And Job spoke, and said, let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, there is a man child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for the night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months. Lo, let that night be solitary, let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day; because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes."2 This is only part of it. There is a whole chapter given over to Job's grief for having been born into this world. Most of us at some time or other in our lives have wondered why we were born, and even perhaps resented being here.
Here is God's answer to Job, and also to us: "Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding -- when the morning stars sang together and ALL THE SONS OF GOD shouted for joy." (Job 38:3-7). This is what is really being said to Job: Stop whining and be a man. Have you forgotten how badly you wanted to come to earth? Are you not one of my sons? Where you not among them when I laid the foundations of the earth? Did you not shout for joy with the others that you were to have the privilege of being born into this world and gain a body of flesh and bones -- to learn good from evil -- to learn to handle tangible material -- to choose between right and wrong -- to prove your worth? God in reality was giving Job a stern rebuke for cursing the day of his birth. He was also reminding him of his great eagerness to come here.
God always desires His children to "Gird up their loins like men." His children must be self-reliant, not whining weaklings. He led the children of Israel for forty years in one of the most desolate spots upon this earth. Why? Because they whined, and had to be taught self-reliance and faith in God.
In this day He again led, or perhaps drove, his noble and great ones from the nations of the earth to this new land, to build, to conquer, to achieve -- but mostly to become "MEN" -- men of vision and courage and stamina -- men who could stand united for democracy and truth and goodness and honor. On the State capital building of California are these words: "Bring us men to match our mountains." The cry of America from the beginning of its development has gone up that invitation for the great and noble to come and partake of the greatness of a heritage of freedom, and to give of their strength to the land in which they live, be it village, hamlet, town or city.
God desires a people who can pioneer in physical, scientific and spiritual fields. He desires mankind not only to understand the purpose of their existence, but to courageously cast out all fear -- to march with their faces to the light, unwaveringly and uncomplainingly. He desires that they learn to humble themselves in great and mighty prayer that they might be a great people. No man is greater than his power to humble himself. He desires a people who can exercise faith to accomplish the things beyond human power.
"And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even a hundred-fold, yea, more."3
It is not sufficient that this people live just because they are alive. It isn't enough that they get up in the morning and eat breakfast, doing their morning assignments, eat lunch, finish their daily routine of tasks, eat dinner, relax and go to bed at night -- not day after day -- throughout a whole life no matter how busy that life. Anyone who lives a life like that is wasting it. Beyond the daily activities necessary to live comfortably, there must be a reaching, a desiring, a progress of the mind and soul, otherwise we are no better than the animals. They have as much.
Every man should live because upon his shoulders rests a divine responsibility. It has been said by many: "This old world owes me a living." That is not true. This world owes nothing to any of us. We have plundered her, robbed her, torn her jewels from her brow, bared her nakedness, feasted upon the very life of her, gouged into her very heart and at the same time continually cursed her. No man has the right to live upon this earth who does not contribute something of value in return -- buildings -- bridges -- highways -- art -- melody or great understanding and kindness for every man was created to be a messenger of light and crowned with a high destiny.
Again, in Jeremiah 1:5, God informed his son Jeremiah, when he felt too young and inexperienced to take upon himself the responsibility of being a prophet to Israel: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
Paul said: "In the hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." Here Paul is testifying that he along with all the Saints was promised eternal life before the world began. (Titus 1:2).
Also, when Paul wrote to the Hebrews he gave this enlightening revelation: "Furthermore, we have fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the father of spirits and live?" 4
From this we understand that our earthly parents were only responsible for the physical body but the spiritual part of us, the light and life of man, was created by God. It is even possible that before we were ever permitted to possess a body on this earth we each had to study chemistry in the school of the All-Wise Creator. It is even possible that some failed to apply themselves fully, hence we see sickly or deformed bodies. Be that as it may, physicians are learning that physical illness is not so much of the body as of the soul. They still call it "mind", but in reality they mean the governing intelligence, which is spirit.
"Howbeit that he made the greater star; as also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, having no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are eternal.
"And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all.
"The Lord thy God sent his angel to deliver thee from the hands of the priest of Elkenah.
"I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to deliver unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen.
"Now the Lord has shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these were many of the noble and great ones;
"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." (The above is from the record of Abraham, contained in a manuscript found in one of the ancient tombs of Egypt, entitled, "The Pearl of Great Price.")5
In scripture, Christ is called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. All who understand the mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, know that He was slain in symbol in the law of sacrifice for centuries before His advent into the world. And with deep research it is discovered that the promise of His sacrifice for the mistakes and transgressions of man had been understood and accepted from the very earliest records of earth, which helps to confirm that it was a promise made to those who came to earth, even before the foundations of the world.
"And they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the Lamb's Book of Life FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH." (Rev. 17:9). If our names were written in the Lamb's Book of Life from the very foundation of the earth, or before its construction, then we surely had to exist at that time.
And since we watched the construction of the earth and may have even assisted in designing its flowers and its trees and its mountains and streams, even shouting for joy at the laying of its foundations, then surely there was a great and eternal purpose behind it. And God said, "This is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man."6 Since that is God's work and His glory, it is also ours, for it would be impossible for Him to accomplish it without our co-operation. We must understand life and its purpose. We must comprehend our place in the great scheme of things. We must fully comprehend the great drama of the ages that has preceded our advent into this world, to take our place upon the stage of existence, and to fulfill our parts with honor. We must understand also the things that are coming on the earth, and the things that will continue to come until Righteousness is sent to rule. How can we act well our part upon the stage of life unless we understand the great plan of life? And life was meant to be eternal progress, not drab, deadly, dull, unprogressive existence.
Progress of the individual depends on the strength of the desire within. And that desire depends on his vision and his understanding, the searching power of his own soul. Some deaden this throbbing, reaching, illusive, soul-calling by drinking and dissipation. Some by spending their lives in novels or movie theaters. Some in the companionship of noisy, boisterous companions. Some in continual games of bridge. There are many ways to keep the longing urge of desire from reaching through to the consciousness, but the way of progress and achievement is to lift one's head and listen to that hungry cry from within -- the cry to permit one to reach his destiny and fulfill the purpose for which he was created. Just by having the courage to listen and the strength to follow, one will soon be lifted above the common, mediocre, and find a place of honor in a world of men. In other words, he will find his calling, and his place and be able to secure it to himself, for the benefit of the whole world. No man can completely fulfill his divine destiny without lifting all the world with him to a little higher bracket of progress.
This special calling of each individual is not found through outward display. It isn't found through make-believe or bluffing or pretending. It is only found through great desire, understanding and deep humility. Sometimes it is only found through heartbreak and tears. "This is the sacrifice henceforth that I will require of thee, even a contrite spirit and a broken heart."7 In the deepest agony of longing of the soul one is always closest to God, if it is not brought on by great transgression. It is when one's heart is broken and his soul burdened with tears that he will most readily find God. The soil of one's soul may need to be watered with tears to make it fertile. The "broken heart" according to the New Testament Apocrypha is given as "Cleft or open heart", meaning a heart that has opened to instruction, that is prepared to receive.
Some grow bitter in trials or sorrow, and thus they seal the way of opportunity, and are left cold and unglorified by the experience that was meant to be the greatest blessing of their lives. Every sorrow opens the doorway of progress, of soul-growth, and greater power. The deeper one's sorrows, the greater can be one's achievements.
More is to be pitied the man who has had no sorrow or ordeal so terrifying, no misfortune so devastating that he has not needed to turn to God or be destroyed, than for those who learn the meaning of tears. There is no such thing as an insurmountable wall in anyone's life, for every obstacle can become a stepping stone along the highway of advancement. We can let a straw block our way, or we can make a mountain a stairway up.
"And he who receiveth ALL things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred-fold, yea, more." "All things" does not mean just the nice things. It means the tears, the sorrows, the hardships, the disappointments, if they are necessary until we learn obedience.
When Christ was betrayed by Judas he never mourned nor condemned Judas, nor his own terrifying lot. He lifted his head and said, "Now is the Son of man glorified."8
Sometimes our blessings come to us wrapped in mouldy, maggot-crawling burlap, and we, screaming in protest, refuse to accept the gift. But everything that comes to us can be glorified and turned into a blessing. The gift enfolded in the mouldy burlap will contain a blessing of pearls.
No sorrow should ever make one bitter and hard -- nor will it if it is used for a lever of advancement. Every disappointment can help to purify the soul, build character, stamina and strength. It is never our trials that destroy us, but our lack of understanding in meeting them. When we lose our defiance, our rebellion, our self-pity we will hold the keys of such dynamic power in our hands we will be able to lift a world, and the difficulties will melt at our glance, the touch of our fingers will be the master touch, the thoughts of our minds a singing power of utter glory -- for such there is no sorrow.
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5). Most of us accept this as applying to those of former times, but we must remember always that no passage of scripture is of any private interpretation. In the original Greek text, it reads thus: "If any of you are destitute of wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and censures not, and it shall be given him, but let him ask in faith, not hesitating." -- etc. This translation makes it clear that all the humble, those who do not pretend to know everything, can come to God and receive wisdom liberally. Wisdom is offered to all just for the asking -- wisdom to fill one's destiny -- wisdom to live honorably -- wisdom to help make a whole world better just because that person lived in it and lived up to his highest destiny by receiving divine wisdom. "And with all thy learning, get wisdom."
There is a glorious pattern for every man's life, an individual, perfect pattern. No two people are alike, not anymore than any two plants are identical. They may be the same species, yet they are vastly different. No two leaves are alike -- no two snowstorms -- no two sets of fingerprints. No two lives are alike, yet each life holds a divine pattern of unfoldment, a great and holy destiny, rich in achievement and honor. When life becomes bitter and impossible, when all conditions are sordid and ugly, and living itself is a dreary burden, it is because the contact with the divine has been lost.
Criminals have lost that contact and they try to become great by stealing wealth, or by other crimes. It does not work. Greatness can never be stolen, it has to be earned, or lived. One grows into greatness. Obtaining great wealth is not sufficient, for unless the true pattern is followed life is only an empty, artificial experience without true meaning.
If there is no joy in you -- if that song of ecstasy does not sing in your soul, you have lost contact with your own pattern of existence, and light vanishes and gloom and darkness will continue to enfold you. As you live true to the pattern of yourself, that deep, inner self, you will unfold as perfect, as joyous, as naturally beautiful as the tree will reach its full measure of fulfillment. No one can keep you from reaching your highest destiny if you will follow your own true pattern of life. No one can live your life for you, for only you hold the key to your own pattern of sublime glorious, complete fulfillment.
Such is the destiny written in the soul of every man who comes to earth. None are without it, that completely, individual highway of full expression and glorious achievement.
1. John 3:13 Inspired Version of the Bible (IVB): I tell you, No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. return to paragraph →
2. Job 3:2-10, IVB: And Job spake, and said, Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, There is a man-child conceived. Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it. Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year; let it not come into the number of the months. Lo, let that night be solitary; let no joyful voice come therein. Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning. Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day; Because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes. return to paragraph →
3. RLDS Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) 77:4c: and he who receiveth all things, with thankfulness, shall be made glorious, and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundredfold, yea, more; return to paragraph →
4. Hebrews 12:9, IVB: Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence; shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? return to paragraph →
5. Times and Seasons, Vol. 3 Chpt. 10 p. 720: (20.) Howbeit that he made the greater star, as, also, if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, yet they have no beginning, they existed before; they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are Gnolaum, or Eternal. (21.) And the Lord said unto me, these two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other, there shall be another more intelligent than they: I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. The Lord thy God sent his angel to deliver thee from the hands of the Priest of Elkenah. I dwell in the midst of them all; I, now, therefore, have come down unto thee, to deliver unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligencies thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligencies thou hast seen. (22.) Now the Lord had shewn 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, 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. return to paragraph →
6. RLDS D&C 22:23b: for this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality, and eternal life of man. return to paragraph →
7. 3 Nephi 4:49 RLDS 1908 Book of Mormon: And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings; and ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. return to paragraph →
8. John 13:31 IVB: Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. return to paragraph →