Monday, May 4, 2015

BEFORE I FORMED THEE IN THE BELLY

As I continued my study of the spiritual creation, I studied many scripture verses regarding us; His children and our pre-mortal life. I also looked at  scriptures that explain that some of His children are fore-ordained to a specific work in their pre-mortal life.

I read from lesson manuals, talks, scriptures and more scriptures. Finally I had the answer come very clearly about which of these accounts was the strongest witness that we have in the scriptures about this truth. 

I was impressed that even though we have scriptures that give blatant examples of this truth; like Jeremiah 1:5 that states:

Jeremiah 1: 5

  • Old Testament
5Before 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 .

We have an even stronger witness of this truth, as we read about John the Baptist. We can remember when John The Baptist's Mother Elisabeth is pregnant with him, and only as a fetus in the womb John leaped inside of her, upon his mother hearing the voice of Mary saying hello to her. 

Luke 1: 39-41

  • New Testament
39And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; 
40And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. 
41And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: 

This scripture account reminds me of my own experiences as a mother carrying the offspring of God. I am reminded of the feelings that I had while carrying my daughter Brooke. I felt so close to her although I had not yet met her. I have no doubt that I knew her already as at one time we were both in the pre-mortal world together.
 
When I was only weeks pregnant with my precious Brooke, I did not even know what gender that she was yet; but I had a dream that awakened me in the night telling me what gender that my baby was. I will never forget the experience of hearing a male voice tell me , " You have a daughter and her name is Brooke."  I imagine that my little Brooke must have had great faith in me that if I knew whom she belonged too, I would prepare myself to become a more fit mother to her. That dream did put me on a course of action that took many years, but brought me back to the Lord. 
 
As I consider the special experience of Elisabeth as she was told that her son was fore-ordained in the heavens to make ready a people for Jesus Christ, I understand that as Mother's our children are not only ours, but were first His, and still His.

Luke 1: 13-17

  • New Testament
13But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son , and thou shalt call his name John. 
14And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. 
15For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost , even from his mother’s womb. 
16And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. 
17And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias , to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. 

I think again how this babe with in Elisabeth did leap at his mother's thoughts. This scripture did not say the babe himself heard the voice of Mary, but suppose even if he did hear Mary's voice, the shinning witness is this : That He knew who she was and he knew that she was carrying even Jesus Christ, the one He would prepare a people for. He likely knew all of these things from his pre-mortal life; yet the veil was thin if even there at all, as he was a fetus in the womb and little time must have passed since he was in the pre-mortal world.
 
At first I wondered why it mattered to God or my daughter what her name on earth would be? The longer that I carried my precious Brooke, the more I felt reminded of her personality and who she is, and it was as if I knew that she did not want to be named the name that her father and I had already chosen for her if she was to be a girl ( Scarlett ). 
And I ask, does my Father in Heaven love His child enough to send a message to a mother about the naming of her child, even if this individual is not fore-ordained to some work? Of course He does. I learned much from this. I learned that this little girl coming to me was not mine, but His, for I didn't even name her! I never forget whom it was whom named her, or who she truly belongs too? 
 
I learn that my concern for my daughter is shared by her Heavenly Father, and that when I feel that I am am inadequate for her, or if I feel I can not control everything for her, I can still remember as was told Job, about whom is in control, the highest Father, our Heavenly Father. I am also  reminded that He reminded Job that He has known him even when the sons of God rejoiced at the plan of salvation being presented in the pre-mortal world:

Job 38: 4-7

  • Old Testament
4Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth ? declare, if thou hast understanding. 
5Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? 
6Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; 
7When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy ? 

I know that when we are obedient, keep the commandments and our temple covenants, our Father in Heaven rejoices inside because He loves us more than anyone. He knows us better than anyone because He did spiritually create us so long ago. I know that He takes care of our children and us because we are His, if we will only turn to Him.

" Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in the spirit before any man existed in the flesh, and that all who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner. " ( Teachings of Joseph Fielding Smith ) 

I am thankful for those great and noble ones that were chosen to lead us, and I want to follow them towards my Savior Jesus Christ. 

Abraham 322-23

  • Pearl of Great Price
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;
23And 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...

I say this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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