Where Were We before Birth? | Come unto Christ (2024)

To understand your purpose here, it helps to know where you came from. In short, your spirit lived in heaven before you were born.

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We once lived in the presence of God

Before the earth was created, we all lived with God, our Heavenly Father. He wanted us to learn from experiences here on earth to help us become more like Him. Much like children leaving home for college, we needed to leave our heavenly home in order to grow personally, learn from our mistakes, find joy, and develop faith. To progress, we needed an environment that would test us and challenge us. So God created this earth and taught us His plan for our happiness. We are all here because we trusted in His plan, which is designed to allow us to return to live with Him again.

“Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.”—Ecclesiastes 12:7

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Learn about God’s plan for us

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Where did I come from?

Before you were born, you lived with God, your Heavenly Father. He knew you, loved you, and taught you about the choices that would lead to lasting happiness. This period is called the premortal life.

God presented His plan to us

God wanted us to come to earth to gain a physical body. Here, we face challenges and situations that help us learn and grow so we can become more like Him.

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Jesus was chosen as our Savior

God knew that we would make mistakes, so He chose Jesus to come to earth and suffer for our sins. Jesus’s sacrifice allows us to be forgiven and cleansed of our sins so we can live with God again someday.

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What is my purpose in life?

Here on earth, we don’t remember living with God. As a result, we must have faith and learn to choose between right and wrong. Life isn’t easy, but hard times let us appreciate happiness and peace.

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Jesus’s sacrifice

Jesus suffered and died for our sins. But that doesn’t take our responsibility away—we must choose to accept Jesus by repenting when we make mistakes, being baptized, and keeping His commandments.

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Where do we go after we die?

When we die, our spirit and body separate. Our spirit goes to the spirit world. It is a place of rest and happiness for those who have made good choices and a place to learn and progress for those who have not yet received the gospel of Jesus Christ. For those spirits who have rejected Jesus Christ, it a place to suffer for their sins.

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The spirit world is not a final destination or judgment. In fact, because God is so loving and fair, those people in hell who never knew about Jesus are taught His gospel and given the opportunity to accept Him.

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We will all live again

Jesus overcame death so we can all live again. This is called the resurrection. When we are resurrected, our spirits and bodies reunite. Our bodies will be perfect and will never die again.

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Judgment

Jesus will judge us according to our actions and the desires of our hearts. He will be as merciful as He can. Because our actions and desires vary, heaven includes different kingdoms or degrees of glory.

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The celestial kingdom

Our Heavenly Father and Jesus reside in the celestial kingdom. If you live by Jesus’s teachings and are cleansed from sin by His sacrifice, you will go there. You will live in God’s presence and experience lasting joy.

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The terrestrial kingdom

People who refuse to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ but who live otherwise honorable lives will receive a place in the terrestrial kingdom.

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The telestial kingdom

Those who continue in their sins and do not repent will receive a place in the telestial kingdom.

The purpose of life on earth

As part of God’s plan, we gain a physical body at birth.We face many challenges and temptations, but we also experiencehappiness and love. In order to learn by faith, God caused us to forget our life in heaven. He also gave us the freedom to choose so we could decide for ourselves between good and evil. Earth life became a proving ground where our decisions to live good lives and follow God would determine if we would be ready to return and live with Him again someday.

God gave His Son to be our Savior

Heavenly Father knew that during this life, none of us would be perfect. To overcome our sins and mistakes, God provided a Savior for us. He sent His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to allow us to be forgiven and to teach us how we can return to our Heavenly Father.

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Missionaries can explain in detail the plan of salvation and the role of Jesus Christ, and they are happy to answer any questions you may have. The knowledge of God’s plan can change your perspective and help you live life with more hope, joy, and purpose.

Meet with missionaries

You can know God’s plan through the Book of Mormon

You can know for yourself about the reality of God’s plan. You can also know how the teachings of Jesus Christ can help you live life with greater purpose, hope, and happiness, even in times of difficulty or uncertainty. These truths are taught clearly in the Book of Mormon. You can receive your own copy of this book for free.

Request a Book of Mormon

Missionaries will hand-deliver a copy and give you an overview. Or you can read or listen online and we’ll visit with you virtually.

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Where Were We before Birth? | Come unto Christ (2024)

FAQs

Where Were We before Birth? | Come unto Christ? ›

Before you were born, you lived with God, your Heavenly Father. He knew you, loved you, and taught you about the choices that would lead to lasting happiness. This period is called the premortal life. God wanted us to come to earth to gain a physical body.

Where is the scripture that God knew us before we were born? ›

In Jeremiah 1:5 God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I sanctified you; and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” This is one of those verses that a lot of people hate because it clearly brings to our attention the sovereignty and control of God.

Where did we come from according to the Bible? ›

The Book of Genesis tells the story of creation, of the sea, the sky, the birds and animals and, finally, Adam. Chapter 2, Verse 7 reads: 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. Eve was formed out of Adam's rib.

What part of the Bible was written before Jesus was born? ›

Archaeology and the study of written sources have shed light on the history of both halves of the Bible: the Old Testament, the story of the Jews' highs and lows in the millennium or so before the birth of Jesus; and the New Testament, which documents the life and teachings of Jesus.

What happened before the birth of Jesus Christ? ›

Years before the Savior's birth, prophets had received revelation about Jesus Christ. Old Testament prophets spoke of a king descended from King David who would be born in Bethlehem—a Messiah.

How does God know us before we are born? ›

Because God is omniscient, He knows everyone before their conception and birth. He knows those that are His and those that are not His, He isn't bound by time. Before Jeremiah was born, He appointed Jeremiah to be His prophet and appointed him to be God's messenger to the people.

Did God know us before we were in the womb? ›

Jeremiah 1 1

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." "Ah, Sovereign LORD," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a child.

Where did humans come from in the beginning? ›

Humans first evolved in Africa, and much of human evolution occurred on that continent. The fossils of early humans who lived between 6 and 2 million years ago come entirely from Africa. Most scientists currently recognize some 15 to 20 different species of early humans.

What does the Bible say about dinosaurs? ›

God told Noah, “And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female” (Genesis 6:19). A few small dinosaurs would have been on the ark. The larger species of dinosaurs were probably young and smaller on the ark.

How long after Jesus died was the Bible written? ›

Written over the course of almost a century after Jesus' death, the four gospels of the New Testament, though they tell the same story, reflect very different ideas and concerns. A period of forty years separates the death of Jesus from the writing of the first gospel.

What language did Adam and Eve speak? ›

Traditional Jewish exegesis such as Midrash says that Adam spoke the Hebrew language because the names he gives Eve – Isha and Chava – only make sense in Hebrew. By contrast, Kabbalism assumed an "eternal Torah" which was not identical to the Torah written in Hebrew.

How do we know the Bible is true? ›

[2] We know that the bulk of the Bible was written by people who were eyewitnesses of the events they recorded; eyewitness testimony is key to determining truth.

What were the years called before Jesus was born? ›

"B.C." stands for "before Christ." The system labels years based on a traditional notion of when Jesus was born — with the "A.D." denoting years after his birth and "B.C." designating the years that predate his birth.

Why was December 25th chosen as the birthday of Jesus? ›

“The real reason for the selection of Dec. 25 seems to have been that it is exactly nine months after March 25, the traditional date of Jesus' crucifixion. … As Christians developed the theological idea that Jesus was conceived and crucified on the same date, they set the date of his birth nine months later.”

What was Christmas before Jesus birth? ›

The pre-Christian Germanic peoples—including the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse—celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period, yielding modern English yule, today used as a synonym for Christmas.

What does the Bible say about before we were born? ›

Before you were born, you lived with God, your Heavenly Father. He knew you, loved you, and taught you about the choices that would lead to lasting happiness. This period is called the premortal life. God wanted us to come to earth to gain a physical body.

What psalm says "I knew you before you were born"? ›

Psalm 139:15-16 GNT

When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there— you saw me before I was born. The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began.

What does the Bible say about babies before they are born? ›

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart." "Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him."

What does the Bible verse Jeremiah 11:11 say? ›

What is Jeremiah 11:11 exactly? From the King James Bible, it reads: "Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them."

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