Editing Pre-existence (section)

===Latter-day Saints===
{{main|Premortal life (Latter Day Saints)}}
{{see also|Mormon cosmology#Pre-mortality|Plan of salvation (Latter Day Saints)#Premortal life}}

The concept of '''premortal life''' is an early and fundamental doctrine of [[Mormonism]].<ref name=PremortalSpirits>{{Cite journal |journal=[[Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|Dialogue]] |publisher=[[University of Illinois Press]] |title=Premortal Spirits: Implications for Cloning, Abortion, Evolution, and Extinction |url=https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/premortal-spirits-implications-for-cloning-abortion-evolution-and-extinction/ |page=47 |last=Condie |first=Kent C. |volume=39 |issue=1 |date=Spring 2006}}</ref><ref name=Development>{{cite journal|last=Ostler|first=Blake|author-link=Blake Ostler|year=1982|title=The Idea of Pre-Existence in the Development of Mormon Thought|url=https://dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V15N01_61.pdf|journal=[[Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|Dialogue]]|publisher=[[University of Illinois Press]]|volume=15|issue=1|pages=59,73–74}}</ref><ref name=Intelligences>{{cite thesis|title=Joseph Smith's Concept of Preexistent Intelligences: Development and Critique|url=https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=masters |institution=[[Liberty University]]|date=May 1999|degree=Master of Religion|last=Bowen|pages=5–7|first=David R. Sr.|location=Lynchburg, Virginia}}</ref> In the faith's eponymous text, the [[Book of Mormon]], published on March 26, 1830, the premortal spirit of Christ appears in human form and explains that individuals were created in the beginning in the image of Christ.<ref name=Intelligences/><ref>{{cite book|title=Book of Mormon, Ether 3:15-16|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/ether/3.15-16?lang=eng|volume=Ether 3:15-16|date=26 March 1830}}</ref> In 1833, early in the [[Latter Day Saint movement]], its founder [[Joseph Smith]] taught that human souls are co-eternal with [[God in Mormonism|God the Father]] just as [[Jesus]] is co-eternal with God the Father, "Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be."<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Ward |first=Ryan D. |date=2022-07-01 |title=A Reflection on Joseph Smith's Restorationist Vision of Truth |url=https://www.dialoguejournal.com/articles/a-reflection-on-joseph-smiths-restorationist-vision-of-truth/ |journal=[[Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|Dialogue]] |volume=55 |issue=2 |page=94 |doi=10.5406/15549399.55.2.05 |issn=0012-2157}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Doctrine and Covenants|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/93.29?lang=eng|volume=93:29|date=6 May 1833}}</ref>

After Smith's death, the doctrine of premortal life was elaborated by some other leaders within the [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church).{{cn|date=January 2025}} Although the mind and intelligence of humanity were still considered to be co-eternal with God, and not created, [[Brigham Young]] taught that the spirit was different from the mind or intelligence, resolving the seeming conflict between [[Book of Mormon]] verses indicating God was creator and Smith's later teaching that all individuals were co-eternal with God.{{cn|date=January 2025}} Young postulated that we each had a pre-spirit intelligence that later became part of a spirit body, which then eventually entered a physical body and was born on earth.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

The LDS Church teaches that during the premortal life, there was a learning process which eventually led to the next necessary step in the premortal spirits' opportunity to progress. This next step included the need to gain a physical [[Human body|body]] that could experience [[pain]], sorrow and joy and "walk by faith".{{cn|date=January 2025}} According to this belief, these purposes were explained and discussed in [[Divine Council#Hebrew|councils in heaven]], followed by the [[War in Heaven]] where Satan rebelled against the plan of Heavenly Father.{{cn|date=January 2025}}