I have oft heard it explained that who we are–our personalities, our ‘individualness’–is a result of a particular combination of chemicals and electrical pulses in our brains.  If this were the case, I would be able to understand people who have chemical abuse problems.  They were unhappy with who they were and are making an attempt to fundamentally change what makes them themselves.

This is not the case.  Human beings are made of two parts: a physical body and a spiritual body (together forming a soul–see Doctrine & Covenants 88:15).  The chemicals and electrical pulses in our brains are how our soul interacts with our physical body and gives it direction.  When a person interferes with this process through substance abuse, he or she is preventing their soul from communicating with and directing their body.

We did not receive our physical bodies until we came to earth, but we existed a long time before we were born.  Jesus Christ was chosen to be our savior before the foundations of the earth (Ephesians 1:4).  The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jeremiah 1:5).  Abraham testified, “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; 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” (Abraham 3:22-23).

So, if I existed before I was born where did I come from?  Consider the following verses:

  • “Ye are the children of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1)
  • “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:6)
  • “That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God.” (Doctrine & Covenants 76:24)
  • “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?” (Hebrews 12:9)
  • “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” (Psalms 82:6)
  • “Ye are the sons of the living God.” (Hosea 1:10)
  • “we are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29)

And lastly, the one which invites you to find out for yourself if this doctrine is not true:

  • “The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:” (Romans 8:16)

God is the Father of our spirits.  That is where you came from–from Him.

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