See also Beginning; Council in Heaven; Man, Men; War in Heaven

The life before earth life. All men and women lived with God as his spirit children before coming to the earth as mortal beings. This is sometimes called the first estate (Abr. 3: 26).

When God laid the foundations of the earth, all the sons of God shouted for joy, Job 38: 4-7. The spirit shall return unto God who gave it, Eccl. 12: 7. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, Jer. 1: 4-5. We are all his offspring, Acts 17: 28. God chose us before the foundation of the world, Eph. 1: 3-4. We are to be in subjection to the Father of spirits, Heb. 12: 9. The angels which kept not their first estate, he hath reserved in everlasting chains, Jude 1: 6 (Abr. 3: 26). The Devil and his angels were cast out, Rev. 12: 9. They were called and prepared from the foundation of the world, Alma 13: 3. Christ looked upon the expanse of eternity and hosts of heaven before the world was made, D&C 38: 1. Man was also in the beginning with God, D&C 93: 29 (Hel. 14: 17; D&C 49: 17). Noble spirits were chosen in the beginning to be rulers in the Church, D&C 138: 53-55. Many received their first lessons in the world of spirits, D&C 138: 56. All things were created spiritually before they were on earth, Moses 3: 5. I made the world, and men before they were in the flesh, Moses 6: 51. Abraham saw the intelligences that were organized before the world was, Abr. 3: 21-24.