In the Pre-Existence we had choices which we freely made, and it is many of those choices which most likely allowed us to be born into the situations, family, and country we were.
Harold B. Lee, LeGrand Richards, and Alvin R. Dyer speak about this idea below. I don’t believe this idea is necessarily “Doctrine” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it makes sense to me. We are always free to choose but we are not free to choose the consequences of that choice. It makes sense that God did not place us where He wanted us, but rather we choose through our free will and actions, where we would be placed on earth, in order to have the most fair chance of getting back to our Father in Heaven. God is no respecter of persons and loves us all the same.
Harold B. Lee said, “You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come, as a reward for the kind of lives you lived before you came here”, and in LeGrand Richards book on a chapter page said, “Jacob’s Sons Not to Share Equally in the Lord’s Blessings.” (Full quotes below)
Live Above the Law to be Free
“The story of Joseph, the son of Jacob who was called Israel, is a vivid representation of the great truth that ‘all things work together for good to [those] who loved God.’ (See Rom. 8:28.) Joseph always seemed to do the right thing; but still, more importantly, he did it for the right reason. And how very, very significant that is! Joseph was sold by his own brothers as a slave and was purchased by Potiphar, a captain of the guard of Pharaoh. But even as an indentured servant, Joseph turned every experience and all circumstances, no matter how trying, into something good.
“This ability to turn everything into something good appears to be a godly characteristic. Our Heavenly Father always seems able to do this. Everything, no matter how dire, becomes a victory to the Lord. Joseph, although a slave and wholly undeserving of this fate, nevertheless remained faithful to the Lord and continued to live the commandments and made something very good of his degrading circumstances. People like this cannot be defeated, because they will not give up. They have the correct, positive attitude, and Dale Carnegie’s expression seems to apply: If you feel you have a lemon, you can either complain about how sour it is, or you can make a lemonade. It is all up to you.” (Hartman Rector, Jr., “Live above the Law to Be Free,” Ensign, Jan. 1973, p. 130.)
What Criterion Was Used in Determining Which Tribes Would Have Prominence? Genesis 49:1–33.
LeGrand Richards, Israel Do You Know
Elder Legrand Richards said, “Through a careful study and consideration of the blessings of the Lord pronounced through Jacob, upon his twelve sons, it is evident that they were not to share equally in the promises of the Lord.
“It is evident that the blessings given to Judah and Joseph were choice above the blessings pronounced upon their brothers.” (Richards, Israel! Do You Know? pp. 9–10.) Source
“Jacob’s Sons Not to Share Equally in the Lord’s Blessings… Through a careful study and consideration of the blessings of the Lord pronounced through Jacob, upon his twelve sons, it is evident that they were not to share equally in the promises of the Lord…” Page 9
“It is evident that the blessings given to Judah and Joseph were choice above the blessings pronounced upon their brothers…” Page 10
“Isaiah saw downfall of, Asher, son of Jacob not to share equally… Benjamin, son of Jacob, not to share equally… Dan, son of Jacob, not to share equally…” Page 245
“Gad, son of Jacob, not to share equally…” Issachar, son of Jacob, not to share equally…” Page 246
“Jacob’s sons not to share equally…” Page 248
“Levi, son of Jacob, not to share equally…” Page 249
“Naphtali, son of Jacob, not to share equally…” Page 250
LeGrand Richards, Israel Do You Know pages 9,10,245, 248, 249, and 250
One’s activities in his premortal life had an influence on his being born into a particular situation on this earth. President Harold B. Lee made this observation:
“‘When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.’ (Deut. 32:8.)
“Now, mind you, this was said to the children of Israel before they had arrived in the ‘Promised Land,’ which was to be the land of their inheritance.
“Then note this next verse: ‘For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.’ (Deut. 32:9.)
“It would seem very clear, then, that those born to the lineage of Jacob, who was later to be called Israel, and his posterity, who were known as the children of Israel, were born into the most illustrious lineage of any of those who came upon the earth as mortal beings.
Understanding Who We Are Brings Self-Respect
President Harold B. Lee Address delivered at the Friday morning session, October 5, 1973
“All these rewards were seemingly promised, or foreordained, before the world was. Surely these matters must have been determined by the kind of lives we had lived in that premortal spirit world. Some may question these assumptions, but at the same time they will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn’t it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth life was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here?” (“Understanding Who We Are Brings Self-Respect,” Ensign, Jan. 1974, p. 5.)
In Deuteronomy 33:6–29, Moses recounted again the blessings given to each tribe. This passage should be studied and compared to Jacob’s original blessings recorded in Genesis 49.
“When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.” (Deut. 32:8.)
Now, mind you, this was said to the children of Israel before they had arrived in the “Promised Land,” which was to be the land of their inheritance.
Then note this next verse: “For the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” (Deut. 32:9.)
It would seem very clear, then, that those born to the lineage of Jacob, who was later to be called Israel, and his posterity, who were known as the children of Israel, were born into the most illustrious lineage of any of those who came upon the earth as mortal beings.
All these rewards were seemingly promised, or foreordained, before the world was. Surely these matters must have been determined by the kind of lives we had lived in that premortal spirit world. Some may question these assumptions, but at the same time they will accept without any question the belief that each one of us will be judged when we leave this earth according to his or her deeds during our lives here in mortality. Isn’t it just as reasonable to believe that what we have received here in this earth life was given to each of us according to the merits of our conduct before we came here?
Now there is another important understanding that we have from the scriptures. We are all free agents, which means to some people who manifest a spirit of rebellion that they are free to do anything they please, but that is not the correct meaning of free agency as the prophets have declared in the scriptures where free agency has been defined. I quote:
“Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great mediation of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.” (2 Ne. 2:27.)
“So the Old Testament prophets declared with respect to death: “Then shall the dust [meaning our mortal bodies] return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Eccl. 12:7.)
Obviously we could not return to a place where we had never been, so we are talking about death as a process as miraculous as birth, by which we return to “our Father who art in heaven,” as the Master taught his disciples to pray.
A further truth is clearly set forth in that scripture [Abr. 3:22–23], that many were chosen, as was Abraham, before they were born, as the Lord told Moses and also Jeremiah. This was made still more meaningful by the Latter-day prophet, Joseph Smith, who declared, “I believe that every person who is called to do an important work in the kingdom of God, was called to that work and foreordained to that work before the world was.” Then he added this, “I believe that I was foreordained to the work that I am called to do.” (See Documentary History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 364.)
But now there is a warning: Despite that calling which is spoken of in the scriptures as “foreordination,” we have another inspired declaration: “Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. …” (D&C 121:34.)
This suggests that even though we have our free agency here, there are many who were foreordained before the world was, to a greater state than they have prepared themselves for here. Even though they might have been among the noble and great, from among whom the Father declared he would make his chosen leaders, they may fail of that calling here in mortality. Then the Lord poses this question: “… and why are they not chosen?” (D&C 121:34.)
Now then, to make a summary of what I have just read, may I ask each of you again the question, “Who are you?” You are all the sons and daughters of God. Your spirits were created and lived as organized intelligences before the world was. You have been blessed to have a physical body because of your obedience to certain commandments in that premortal state. You are now born into a family to which you have come, into the nations through which you have come, as a reward for the kind of lives you lived before you came here and at a time in the world’s history, as the apostle Paul taught the men of Athens and as the Lord revealed to Moses, determined by the faithfulness of each of those who lived before this world was created.” Harold B. Lee 1974
For What Purpose? Alvin R. Dyer
“Why is it that you are born today instead of 2,000 years ago? Why is it that you are sitting in this room today and were for some reason, not born in the day of Moses or in the day when Christ was upon the earth? Or do you think that is just something haphazard – that it just happened that way – that nobody had anything to do with it?…
Why is it that you were kept in the Spirit World until the last dispensation to come forth among the children of men? Was there any reason for that, and who decided it?…
I will read to your from the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price, “And the Lord said unto me,” speaking to Abraham, “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,” indicating that in the pre-existence there are three divisions of spirits. “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.”
This statement of Abraham’s is directly connected with the degrees of glory because we taught that when people die, all shall be resurrected who are born in this life – sons of perdition and all. They are then, after the Spirit World, assigned into one of these three degrees of glory – the Celestial, the Terrestrial, and the Telestial…
The suggestion here by Abraham is that they were born into this life with the same degree of division. There were three divisions of mankind in the pre-existence, and when you are born into this life, you are born into one of three divisions of people. There is an imposed judgment placed upon everyone who leaves the Spirit World, just as there will be when they leave this life and go into one of the three places. When they left the Spirit World, they had already been judged by what they had done in the Spirit World and in their previous life…
This is not like any other day in the history of the world. The Lord now is preparing to establish His Kingdom – the kingdom that will govern the earth for 1000 years before we go into the judgment period that leads into the establishment of the degrees of glory. In consequence of that, He has wisely chosen the ones that are to come into the world in this day and age. It is a battle. He fought the power of Lucifer, in the pre-existence. He had to use His best spirits to defend Him, and here again He will have to do the same thing and He knows that. Now what does that mean in a probation?…” For what Purpose by Alvin R. Dyer Talk given: March 18, 1961 Oslo, Norway Missionary Conference
