The Need for The Veil
From the additional assumptions listed below, we might further observe: the veil strongly influences/enables our ability to develop the power of independent discernment by being outside the perceived view and influence of our Heavenly Parents and their host of servants. Dare we say that it is the norm for us to struggle independently?
Typically, Mormon theology comprehends that the veil is an essential element by providing context to test our faith (and hope and desires and resolve). When this is challenged by the question of why does an all-knowing God need to test us, the common response is that God knows, but it is important for us to discover on our own. If we probe further and ask, why is it important to God for us to know? The common answer is that it is to develop faith (is that circular reasoning?).
All that may be true. BUT, if we presume that things are not binary, does the emphasis shift as we mature in spiritual sophistication? Implicitly, the shift increasingly evolves from parents to the greater society and even individual experience. In the latter case, perhaps most importantly would be to pierce the veil and be personally instructed by God. That would further imply increasing degrees of separation from men and decreasing separation from God?
This presents a paradox: is the degree of separation from God governed by our incapacity for independent discernment?1 Yes, this would naturally be coupled with many other things: humility, righteousness, knowledge, wisdom, love, charity, kindness, mercy, power of godliness, etc. Or, if you prefer, is God’s intent for us to be increasingly dependent and for God to increasingly micromanage our lives; is that what eternal life looks like?
Additional Assumptions
There are many additional assumptions well known to Mormon cosmology that are implicit in the prior post, but didn’t seem essential to state. Let’s add a few here for completeness.
- We existed prior to our mortality here on earth.
- We had opportunities for growth, had agency, and made consequential decisions.2In Mormon theology, we existed as spirits in pre-mortality [at least some in the form of angels in this scripture]: 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael [who became Adam] and his angels [including at least some of us] fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7–9)
- Many believe that these decisions were made under the guidance and tutelage of Heavenly Parents.
- Joseph Smith taught and canonized into doctrine that spirits are co-eternal with God and were not created.329 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29)4Similarly, this scripture clearly explains that intelligences are not independent from spirits, or as some contend a kind of pre-spirits. It says that God organized intelligences/spirits/souls [by Joseph’s definition, soul == spirit plus body] to become God’s rulers [please note the chiasmus, which should make it even more definitive.]: …if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. 19 And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. *** [A] Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; [B] and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; [C] 23 And God saw these souls that they were good, [D] and he stood in the midst of them, [E] and he said: These I will make my rulers; [D’] for he stood among those that were spirits, [C’] and he saw that they were good; [B’] and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; [A’] thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (Abraham 3:17–23)
- Implicitly, we were and are adopted children of God.57 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. (Mosiah 5:7)6There is an important, related topic worth pondering. If we presume that Father Ahman and Son Ahman are independent, what does it mean to be a child of God? How do we become a child of Christ? How did we become a child of Father Ahman? How many times have we been or will we be adopted? Is it “turtles all the way down?”
- Many Mormons believe that we were previously spirit babies/children born to or created by Heavenly Parents (i.e., God). There is little (perhaps no) doctrinal evidence for this.7No, this scripture does not state or imply that we were born in the pre-existence as spirits: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5).” Some would argue that it doesn’t necessarily imply the existence of a pre-earth life, thought it is easy to see how that can be the case.
- In mortality, we are covered by a “veil” of forgetfulness that separates our consciousness from those Heavenly Parents.
- And simultaneously obscures the knowledge/wisdom we had from before our birth.
- A discussion about overcoming that limitation will follow in subsequent posts.
Footnotes:
- 1Yes, this would naturally be coupled with many other things: humility, righteousness, knowledge, wisdom, love, charity, kindness, mercy, power of godliness, etc.
- 2In Mormon theology, we existed as spirits in pre-mortality [at least some in the form of angels in this scripture]: 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael [who became Adam] and his angels [including at least some of us] fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7–9)
- 329 Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29)
- 4Similarly, this scripture clearly explains that intelligences are not independent from spirits, or as some contend a kind of pre-spirits. It says that God organized intelligences/spirits/souls [by Joseph’s definition, soul == spirit plus body] to become God’s rulers [please note the chiasmus, which should make it even more definitive.]: …if there be two spirits, and one shall be more intelligent than the other, yet these two spirits, notwithstanding one is more intelligent than the other, have no beginning; they existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. 19 And the Lord said unto me: These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more intelligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. *** [A] Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; [B] and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones; [C] 23 And God saw these souls that they were good, [D] and he stood in the midst of them, [E] and he said: These I will make my rulers; [D’] for he stood among those that were spirits, [C’] and he saw that they were good; [B’] and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; [A’] thou wast chosen before thou wast born. (Abraham 3:17–23)
- 57 And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters. (Mosiah 5:7)
- 6There is an important, related topic worth pondering. If we presume that Father Ahman and Son Ahman are independent, what does it mean to be a child of God? How do we become a child of Christ? How did we become a child of Father Ahman? How many times have we been or will we be adopted? Is it “turtles all the way down?”
- 7No, this scripture does not state or imply that we were born in the pre-existence as spirits: “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. (Jeremiah 1:5).” Some would argue that it doesn’t necessarily imply the existence of a pre-earth life, thought it is easy to see how that can be the case.