So, if we existed as spirits before this life, why do some people refer to the pre-mortal world as the pre-existence?
12 thoughts on “Pre-existence”
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So, if we existed as spirits before this life, why do some people refer to the pre-mortal world as the pre-existence?
Comments are closed.
Ok, Mr. Specific….Pre-EARTH Existence. :)
Oh, Kim! Must we spell it out for you??? :-)
“There was this place called the pre-existence
Where we lived with our friends so dear
A council was called
And Plans were made
Free agency is why we’re here”
Sing it with me now…
Pre-mortal existence if we’re to use common parlance… of course, that’s a mouthful.
Because we haven’t caught up with the efforts to call it the “pre-earth life.” Comparing search results on the Church web site for the phrases “pre-existence” and “pre-earth life”, I get: curriculum, 2 vs. 13; Ensign 8 vs. 16; New Era, 4 vs. 6; Friend, 0 vs. 13. Looking at the hits for “pre-existence” in the Ensign, the four that occurred since 1979 were all quotes of much older statements.
One surprising thing to me is that “pre-earth life” showed up in the New Era only twice since the 1970s, even though it together with “pre-existence” appeared in that magazine eight times from 1972 to 1981. It looks like Saturday’s Warrior was part of its time, a time now past.
There is a movement in the official church to change from “pre-existence” to “pre-mortal life.” (Much like the change from “free agency” to “agency.”)
In defense of the former term, it doesn’t have to mean “before existence,” it could mean “the existence previous to this one.” For example think of “pre-boarding” an airplane…it’s not really before any boarding, it’s just the first boarding.
Kim’s right. One can’t (or at least shouldn’t) call it a pre-existence and then go on to say that, “well actually yes, we existed at this time.”
The statement, “the existence previous to this one” is a logical fallacy with reference to identity because your identity can only exist once, though you can exist multiple times at a particular location, or in a particular state. ie. “Our brief existence on earth as mortals”.
Most Latter-Day Saints know that “our pre-existence” actually means “our pre-earth existence” and that’s fine, but why not just say what you mean?
For Brian Duffer,
The song that you quoted, “There was a place called the pre-existence…” My mother is looking for the rest of those words, and the only search the internet brought up was your blog. Would you ind please directing me to where you found the song or the words? I have tried church websites, deseret…but have not been able to find it. Please let me know if you can help my mother and I…I really appreciate it. Regards..Rosina (ddlang@bigpond.net.au) personal adress
Sorry Brian DUFFIN, not Duffer…:)
hi, I am also looking for a web page that has someone actually singing the song. I know the words, but I would really like to share the song with some of my friends. To me the the song has great meaning, being I have a twin whom passed away years ago. I had the piano played at his funeral and the actual words sang at my mission farwell. Absolutely beautifull song, but can not find it on Youtube or any other sites so far. Please help me. dexter_19_77@yahoo.com
President Joseph F. Smith used the term “pre-existence” to describe pre-earth life: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=da135f74db46c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=c7e5f48fa2d20110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&hideNav=1&contentLocale=0 I believe he was using “pre” to mean “prior.” His use of the term may account for the popularity it enjoyed for a long time. Not the best use of English, I agree.
It is the existence that we had before we had a physical body.
Right, but how can it be preexistence, if we existed? Preexistence means before existence.