To Go No More Out. Reconciling Reincarnation & Resurrection
Five times in the Book of Mormon, and once in the New Testament we are introduced to the phrase “to go no more out”, which I suggest may be telling us much more than we might initially guess. In fact, the restorationist texts, The Gospel of the Holy Twelve suggest that the phrase (as well as a few other cryptic references to a type of reincarnation) might be a remnant of one of the many “plain and precious truths” that the Book of Mormon tells us were eradicated from the Jewish canon & theology by pre-exilic Jewish reformers. This misunderstanding and bias against the concept of reincarnation was then carried on by early western Christianity. In this article I’d like to through these phrases and use a few restorationism texts to speculate as to how they might help to reconcile the doctrines of reincarnation and resurrection.
Alma 7:25 reads:
25 And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.
This principle seems simple enough. The righteous gain rest in the kingdom of heaven, where they “go no more out”. But lets look a little closer and then think of the implications. Alma exhorts his people here to not only be righteous enough to be permitted to attain the kingdom of heaven, but it is his prayer that they might have garments spotless enough that they can enter the kingdom of heaven, and like Abraham, Issac and Jacob, go no more out. This implies that all but the most righteous, who enter the kingdom of heaven, stand the chance of entering and in some way going back out.
Lets look at the phrase again as it is given in the book of Revelation:
12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev. 3:12)
It’s not hard to see there is some deep symbolism portrayed in these verses. We see that ‘going no more out’ has to do with ‘overcoming’ the world. It has to do with getting a new name or identity which is the name of God. It has to do with obtaining a heavenly city; the new Jerusalem. There are three other references to “going no more out” of the kingdom of heaven in the Book of Mormon, but before looking at more LDS scripture, lets first take a look at the insights the restorationist book The Gospel of the Holy Twelve (which supports my points but isn’t necessarily required to get there). Like a few other modern channeled revisions of the New Testament, the book claims to be a “restored” version of the New Testament Gospels which were channeled to a Reverend Ouseley from angelic beings who claimed to have found and translated the text from a early Christian manuscript found in Tibet. It’s a spurious text, but insightful none the less.
1. As Jesus sat by the west of the Temple with his disciples, behold there passed some carrying one that was dead to burial, and a certain one said unto him, Master, if a man die, shall he live again?
2. And he answered and said, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the Good, the Beautiful, the True, if a man believe in me he shall not die, but live eternally. As in Adam all die, so in the Christ shall all be made alive. Blessed are the dead who die in me, and are made perfect in my image and likeness, for they rest from their labours and their works do follow them. They have overcome evil, and are made Pillars in the Temple of my God, and they go out no more, for they rest in the Eternal.
3. For them that have done evil there is no rest, but they go out and in, and suffer correction for ages, till they are made perfect. But for them that have done good and attained unto perfection, there is endless rest and they go into life everlasting. They rest in the Eternal.
4. Over them the repeated death and birth have no power, for them the wheel of the Eternal revolves no more, for they have attained unto the Centre, where is eternal rest, and the centre of all things is God.” (HT 69:1-4)
Regardless of whether this text is true, it weaves together some pretty interesting symbolic wording. Here the term “to go no more out” is used to uniquely merge the hindu/buddhist idea of Saṃsāra, and the wheel of Dharma with the Christian concept of resurrection and eternal salvation. As I’ll attempt to show in the rest of this article, there are several interesting phrases and concepts in Christian scripture and Mormon theology that could be used to reconcile the idea of reincarnation with the concepts of resurrection. Its a concept that’s not only ubiquitous in near-death experiences and modern channeled texts, but also prevalent in Jewish Kabbalah texts such the Zohar.
As long as a person is unsuccessful in his purpose in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, uproots him and replants him over and over again. (Zohar I 186b)
All souls are subject to reincarnation; and people do not know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He! They do not know that they are brought before the tribunal both before they enter into this world and after they leave it; they are ignorant of the many reincarnations and secret works which they have to undergo, and of the number of naked souls, and how many naked spirits roam about in the other world without being able to enter within the veil of the King’s Palace. Men do not know how the souls revolve like a stone that is thrown from a sling. But the time is at hand when these mysteries will be disclosed. (Zohar II 99b. See this article for many other references)
The LDS Premortal life and Reincarnation
The idea that there might be some truth to the doctrine of reincarnation, should be easier for Mormons to consider than most Christians. In fact, the mainstream Mormon doctrine of premortal life actually teaches a loose form of reincarnation that most LDS members don’t see. Although Mormon doctrine concerning the matter generally tries to shy away from specifics, it distinctly teaches that each human being “lived before they were born as spirit offspring of a heavenly father [and heavenly mother]” (see gospel topics). So from a certain perspective, that makes earth-life a re-embodied or second cycle of progression–in fact in Abraham 3:20–26 mortal life is referred to as a “second estate”. This scripture also suggest that mankind’s previous cycle of life included a type of agency that allowed certain souls to progress faster than others. From one perspective, it might almost seem that the Mormon doctrine of pre-existence might be a way of slowly bridging the theological gap between eastern religious views of reincarnation and western Christian views which strongly oppose the idea of any previous life before birth. Some LDS leaders such as Brigham Young have even specifically taught that this former spiritual birth in the “premortal existence” was accomplished by sexual reproduction.
“[God] created man, as we create our children; for there is no other process of creation in heaven, on the earth, in the earth, or under the earth, or in all the eternities, that is, that were, or that ever will be.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 11:122. see here for more references)
Although many traditional Christians deride Mormonism for these teachings, it seems possible that LDS doctrine is simply seeking to bridge a theological gap to reincarnation by using veiled terms to suggest that people, (1) lived a conscious life previous to their current earth life and (2) were physically/spiritually born to a different set of parents in that life. Both of these principles are entirely shared by the doctrine of Reincarnation. Years after Joseph Smith, Brigham Young expanded the LDS premortality doctrine to suggest that couples who are exalted to God status are responsible for creating the ‘spirtis of men’. But from one perspective one could speculate that LDS church leaders were inspired to introduce aspects of this teaching in veiled and ambiguous language simply because of the strong bias western Christianity has developed (possibly reaching all the way back to disagreements between Jewish sects such as the Sadducees and Pharisees) against even considering reincarnation as a possibility in the scheme of eternal progression. It also might be important because the doctrine tends to promote wild speculation and certain types of excuses for bad behavior.
Within the LDS concept of premortal existence, we might further speculate that the “gods/parents” of whom we are spiritually begotten, might actually have been exalted mortals such as Abraham, who D&C 132 says gained the right of the “continuation of the lives” (D&C 132:22) and “continuation of the seeds for ever and ever” (D&C 132:19).
In fact, by translating the scriptural word αἰῶνος or aiōnos as “age” instead of “world” (as many modern translations do), scriptures used to support random predestination or foreordination, such as Ephesians 1:4 which speak of premortal election “before the world was”, might actually be metaphorically referring to events occurring “before the current age”. (This will be more important as we look at scriptures concerning future resurrections. see Matt 13:39,49; 24:3; 28:20, Heb 9:26, 1 Ne 14:22, Moses 6:7). Even scriptural events which seem to clearly allude to a separate premortal realm or planet, such as Abraham 3:22, might actually be interpreted to support some type of reincarnation of life in a previous cycle of ‘this world’ when one considers scriptures supporting the ancient belief that our current earth has gone through repeated cycles of destruction and re-creation such as the following.
The end [shall] come when the earth shall pass away. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. (Ether 13:8–9)
And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.” (Moses 1:38)
Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:6–7)26 Wherefore, [earth] shall be sanctified; yea, notwithstanding [the earth] shall die, it shall be quickened again, and shall abide the power [energy level] by which it is quickened, and the righteous shall inherit it. [after the telestial earth ‘dies’ and terrestrial dimension emerges on the higher plane for terrestrial spirits to be born into] 27 For notwithstanding they die, they also shall rise again, a spiritual[ized or higher dimensional] body. 28 They who are of a celestial spirit shall receive the same body which was a natural body; even ye shall receive your [physical] bodies, and your glory shall be that glory by which your [physical] bodies are quickened.
32 And they who remain shall also be quickened [or resurrected]; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place [on earth], to enjoy that which they are willing to receive… (D&C 88:2–32)
It seems possible, that all this cryptic symbolic language might simply be using an ambiguous “premortal life” to teach the concept that the eternal progression of souls is a lot more lengthy and complex than many suppose. There are a few verses in the New Testament which could be used to suggest that at least a portion of the Jewish people held to some form of this idea of cyclical rebirth of prominent individuals across certain “ages” or master cycles. Look at Matt 11:13–15 for instance which says, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, he [John the Baptist] is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Another example is found in Matt 17:10–12, “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things, But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not… [speaking] of John the Baptist.” Even if we suppose that Elias/Elijah is just a title/function that John the Baptist assumed, its hard to not see a Jewish belief in reincarnation in scriptures like John 9:2 which says “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” It certainly seems possible that Judeo-Christian scriptures supports the idea that some of the most noble souls (among those who haven’t exited the Saṃsāra wheel yet) are reincarnated as key figures or even as the father of nations and cultures–becoming the head of entire people’s who reincarnate at given times and seasons or intervals of human history.
The Urantia Book, another spurious channeled text generally against the idea of reincarnation, suggests that it does occur, but never within a single dispensation.
“A mortal never returns to his native planet during the dispensation of his temporal existence, and if he should return during a subsequent dispensation, he would be escorted by a transport seraphim of the universe headquarters group.” (The Urantia Book, 39:4.15)
In fact the LDS first resurrection itself could possibly be construed as supporting a type of Millennial reincarnation of the righteous depending on your interpretation of the scriptures. In D&C 101 a detailed description of the Millennium is given where we are told there will be infants (birth) but no death,
28 And in that day Satan shall not have power to tempt any man.
29 And there shall be no sorrow because there is no death.
30 In that day an infant shall not die until he is old; and his life shall be as the age of a tree;
31 And when he dies he shall not sleep, that is to say in the earth, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up, and his rest shall be glorious. (D&C 101:28–31. see also D&C 45:58)
Bruce R. Mckonkie clarified that these infants will be born through natural birth as mortals—and are not to be resurrected until they reach the “age of a tree” and are “changed in the twinkling of an eye” (Mormon Doctrine, p.496-497). Now why would there be mortals and birth in the immortal, paradisiacal millennium? And is there any scriptural indication that these blessed millennial mortals never lived a previous mortal birth? I submit that there is not. For all we know, many who “come forth in the morning of the first resurrection” will come forth by mortal birth just as others “fly through the air with Jesus” (D&C 76:102; 88:96-98; 109:75; 1 Thes 4:17). In fact some significant modern channeled texts seem to suggest that the eschatological nature of the resurrection at Christ’s coming is laced with metaphor. And that the transition of the earth to a millennial terrestrial glory will occur as a natural evolutionary and cosmic process.
63.27 Questioner: I will make this statement, and you correct me. What we have is, that as our planet [is] spiraled by the action of the entire major galaxy… the [terrestrial] vibrations become more and more pronounced. These atomic core vibrations begin to create more and more completely the [appropriate] core vibrations [of the] the [terrestrial] sphere and the [terrestrial bodies] for inhabitation of that sphere. Is this correct?
Response. This is partially correct. To be corrected is the concept of the creation of [terrestrial bodies]. This creation will be gradual and will take place beginning with your [telestial] type of physical vehicle and, through the means of bisexual reproduction, become by evolutionary processes, the [terrestrial] body complexes. (Law of One 63:27)
What’s more, some text suggest that most of the supernatural references to flying through the air to meet Jesus are descriptions of events occurring primarily to spirits in the earth’s heavens (or higher dimensions) as the veils which divide the heavens temporarily drop and spirits who are ready to ascend to the higher, more physically real levels of heaven are permitted to do so. (see Oahspe, book of resurrections) In the next section I will show how the Christian word and concept of resurrection might actually be a dualistic term which symbolically references both mortal re-incarnation as well as the traditional belief of heavenly ‘physical’ incarnation.
The Second Death and Telestial Resurrection as a reference to Reincarnation
31 And also they who are quickened by a portion of the telestial glory shall then receive of the same, even a fulness. 32 And they who remain shall also be quickened; nevertheless, they shall return again to their own place, to enjoy that which they are willing to receive, because they were not willing to enjoy that which they might have received. (D&C 88:31–32)
The word biblical word resurrection comes from the Hebrew יְקוּמ֑וּן / yekumun or Greek ἀνάστασις, εως, ἡ / anastasis, which literally mean to stand up, awake or rise again. As such it stands as the antithesis or reversal of the biblical concept of the fall from immortality or spiritual death.
The Bible, LDS Pearl of Great Price and endowment actually presents a narrative similar to the Eastern concept of a souls descent into Māyā (duality or illusion). The drama symbolically points to the idea that an eternal aspect of Mankind (symbolized by Adam), existed with God before his earthly or mortal body was created (cycle 0). Later, his eternal spirit was veiled in flesh or placed in a body God created for him in a paradisiacal immortal earth (cycle 1). It was also then separated into two aspects (man and woman). Because of sin, this divided mankind then falls from this immortal (or spiritual) eternal abode in God’s partial presence and becomes a mortal living in a fallen earthly hell subject to death, sin and the temptations or illusions of the devil (cycle 2). In this mortal cycle mankind goes through many different stages of priesthood and changing laws to awake or rise again back through the various layers of redemption, resurrection and unification. To reverse the effects of the three cycle fall, Christ came to help show us how to rise from the death and sin of this temporal earth and return to live immortally and eternally with God once again— and eventually to attain complete moksha or unity with him (John 17:11–22).
Another verse in the Gospel of the Holy Twelve follows this same line of thinking to suggest that the word resurrection might actually be have dual metaphorical meaning in Christian scripture. One which corresponds to Eastern religious traditions.
2. As all creatures come forth from the unseen into this world, so they return to the unseen, and so will they come again till they be purified. Let the bodies of them that depart be committed to the elements, and the Father, who reneweth all things, shall give the angels charge over them, and let the presbyter pray that their bodies may rest in peace, and their souls awake to a joyful resurrection.
3. There is a resurrection from the body, and there is a resurrection in the body. There is a raising out of the life of the flesh, and there is a falling into the life of the flesh. Let prayer be made For those who are gone before, and For those that are alive, and For those that are yet to come, for all are One family in God. In God they live and move and have their being. (GHT 94:2-3)
Here we see a dual use of the word resurrection; using it to refer to both reincarnation in addition to a somewhat traditional meaning. “Resurrection from the body” or “raising [it] out of the life of flesh” being a type of resurrection referred to in the traditional Christian interpretaion as well as Alma 40:15–18 and ubiquitously used in the channeled text Oahspe. (see my article Cosmology for more details on heavenly ascension/resurrection). And “resurrection in the body” or “falling into the life of the flesh” which seems to be referring to reincarnation.
What I would like to suggest by using LDS scripture, is that part of the “resurrection of damnation” (see John 5:29) is being forced to cycle between spiritual and earthly hell (telestial glory) through reincarnation. Whereas spirits worthy of the “resurrection of life” (John 5:29, Mos 16:11, 3 Ne 26:5, D&C 19:6–12) escape the second death and are freed from the cycle of rebirth “to go no more out”.
The Book of Revelation teaches that those who are redeemed to “go no more out”, also escape the “Second Death”. Following the scriptural phrase “second death” through its multiple uses seems to suggest it might also be a dualistic term which actually refers to to both spiritual hell (at death) and mortal reincarnation (at the time of resurrection). so in one case it may refer to those telestial glory souls who at the time of resurrection return to the telestial earth by rebirth (D&C 76:84 defines a telestial resurrection as hell. ). Rebirth on earth separates souls spiritually from God, just as death reunites the righteous to Him (Alma 12:16). When the righteous die, they pass to paradise, being “taken home to that God who gave them life” (Alma 40:10). However, the wicked who do not overcome the desires of the flesh and sin, take part in the resurrection of damnation where instead of rising to higher more blissful levels of heaven they are “cast out” and resurrected or reborn to earth to pay the karma for their acts and desires.
24 And now, my son, this is the restoration of which has been spoken by the mouths of the prophets—
3 …it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; and if their works were good in this life, and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good.
5 The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil; for as he has desired to do evil all the day long even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh.
15 For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all. (Alma 40:24, 41:3-15)
Read these verses from the Book of Revelation concerning the resurrection. I submit that the “lake of fire” is the telestial glory (both fallen earth life, and the telestial glory/hell of the spiritual realm). Those not in the Book of Life (a symbol of those who have attained a terrestrial or celestial glory and are escaping the rebirth cycle of Saṃsāra), are cast into “the lake of fire” to experience the “second death”.
13 And the sea [group 1] gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell [group 2] delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And [those still found in] death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire [samsara].
Revelation 21:8 explains the type of individuals who experience the “second death” in a bit more detail,
8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Rev 21:8)
Compare this to D&C 76’s words on those of the telestial resurrection, where it speaks of telestial souls who “suffer the wrath of God on earth” (v. 104; the rebirth cycle of Saṃsāra), as well as those who “suffer the vengeance of eternal fire”, those same souls who end up in prison/hell between incarnations.
103 These are they who are liars, and sorcerers, and adulterers, and whoremongers, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
104 These are they who suffer the wrath of God on earth [reincarnation].
105 These are they who suffer the vengeance of eternal fire [damnation at death]. (D&C 76:103–105)
So those who attain a Celestial Glory, go no more out, or in other words they remain in heaven nearly indefinitely to reign with God in a state of nearly nirvanan peace. However, terrestial souls reincarnate, but far less often than telestial souls, and have part in the first resurrection, (once again, resurrection being a dualistic term veiled with its own cryptic symbolism referring to those worthy to be raised to heaven OR reincarnated during the latter-day Golden Age of the cycle when earth attains a terrestrial glory) . Hell-bound or telestial souls, on the other hand, will come forth after this symbolic millennium, in the resurrection of the unjust to continue their cycles of mortal experience after the Golden Age has collapsed and war comes back to give them the miserable conditions needed to learn their needed lessons. Only the “sons of perdition” or those who refuse to learn the lessons of telestial justice and willingly choose to follow Satan (selfishness) after all possible cycles of progression have passed will not be redeemed from the wheel of “second death” (see D&C 76:37).
A few more references from the Gospel of the Holy Twelve
The scriptures seem to be symbolically veiled and cryptic when referring to the time frame between resurrections as well as the exact nature of those resurrections. But Christian, Islamic, Hindu and Buddhist scriptures seem to make clear that their prophetic authors saw the history of the world divided into cycles, times, seasons and ages. (D&C 43:18) To some resurrection and rebirth is an individual thing occurring over and over in the same age. To others it is more broad, occurring only into different worlds. In Mormonism, I hope I have shown that there seems to be scriptures supporting both ideas. Concerning the latter, we are taught in Ether, “the end [shall] come when the earth shall pass away. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new. (Ether 13:8–9) And as God tells Moses, “And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works, neither to my words.” (Moses 1:38) The goal of all Christ’s followers however, is not to be born again of the earth (telestial reincarnation) or even simply born of the water (terrestrial resurrection in a future cycle of the present or some other temporal world), but to be born again of the Spirit to live “eternally in the heavens (or a celestialized earth which has become like unto the heavens) with God.
In chapter 59 of the Gospel of the Holy Twelve we find another of many clarifying verses which shows the dispensational or cyclical nature of restoration:
11. For they who know the Godhead, and have found in the way of Life the mysteries of light and then have fallen into sin, shall be punished with greater chastisements than they who have not known the way of Life.
12. Such shall return when their cycle is completed and to them will be given space to consider, and amend their lives, and learning the mysteries, enter into the kingdom of light. (59:11-12)
Here are the rest of the scriptures given in the Gospel of the Holy Twelve teaching this new view of the resurrection
1. JESUS sat in the porch of the Temple, and some came to learn his doctrine, and one said unto him, Master, what teachest thou concerning life?
2. And he said unto them, Blessed are they who suffer many experiences, for they shall be made perfect through suffering: they shall be as the angels of God in Heaven and shall die no more, neither shall they be born any more, for death and birth have no more dominion over them.
3. They who have suffered and overcome shall be made Pillars in the Temple of my God, and they shall go out no more. Verily I say unto you, except ye be born again of water and of fire, ye cannot see the kingdom of God.
4. And a certain Rabbi (Nicodemus) came unto him by night for fear of the Jews, and said unto him. How can a man be born again when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born again ?
5. Jesus answered, Verily I say unto you except a man be born again of flesh and of spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and ye hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth.
6. The light shineth from the East even unto the West; out of the darkness, the Sun ariseth and goeth down into darkness again; so is it with man, from the ages unto the ages.
7. When it cometh from the darkness, it is that he hath lived before, and when it goeth down again into darkness, it is that he may rest for a little, and thereafter again exist.
8. So through many changes must ye be made perfect, as it is written in the book of Job, I am a wanderer, changing place after place and house after house, until I come unto the City and Mansion which is eternal.
4. Nevertheless if any be sick among you, let them send for the presbyters of the church that they may anoint them with oil of olive in the Name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith, and the going out of power, with the voice of thanksgiving, shall raise them up, if they are not detained by sin, of this or a former life. (92:4)
… I say, unto you there is no death to those who believe in the life to come. Death, as ye deemed it, is the door to life, and the grave is the gate to resurrection, for those who believe and obey. Mourn ye not, nor weep for them that have left you, but rather rejoice for their entrance into life.
2. As all creatures come forth from the unseen into this world, so they return to the unseen, and so will they come again till they be purified. Let the bodies of them that depart be committed to the elements, and the Father, who reneweth all things, shall give the angels charge over them, and let the presbyter pray that their bodies may rest in peace, and their souls awake to a joyful resurrection.
3. There is a resurrection from the body, and there is a resurrection in the body. There is a raising out of the life of the flesh, and there is a falling into the life of the flesh. Let prayer be made For those who are gone before, and For those that are alive, and For those that are yet to come, for all are One family in God. In God they live and move and have their being.
4. The body that ye lay in the grave, or that is consumed by fire, is not the body that shall be, but they who come shall receive other bodies, yet their own, and as they have sown in one life, so shall they reap in another. Blessed are they who have worked righteousness in this life, for they shall receive the crown of life. (94:1-4)
23. As in the inner so in the outer: as in the great so in the small. As above, so below: as in heaven so in earth. We believe in the Purification of the soul: through many births and experiences. The Resurrection from the dead: and the Life everlasting of the just. The Ages of Ages: and Rest in God forever.— [Amen]. (96:23)
19. And this by ascent of the soul into the spirit and the descent of the spirit into the soul. Who cometh from heaven, and is incarnate of the Virgin ever blessed, in Jesu-Maria and every Christ of God: and is born and teacheth the way of life and suffereth under the world rulers, and is crucified, and is buried and descendeth into Hell. Who riseth again and ascendeth into glory; from thence giving light and life to all. (96:19)
8. Put ye not off from day to day, and from cycle to cycle and eon to eon, in the belief, that when ye return to this world ye will succeed in gaining the mysteries, and entering into the Kingdom of Light. (65:8)
Joseph Smith’s views on reincarnation were a bit ambiguous, but he specifically clarified that he did not believe in the idea of being reborn from animal to human, and that many who profess to be reincarnated famous religious figures are likely being led captive by evil spirits. I agree with those statements, but have a funny feeling that Christian scripture is helping us take baby steps in reconciling all the religious ideas of the world’s great religion into the true view of reality.
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Additional Thoughts
The Unity Perspective
Another channeled work gives an idea which I believe is remarkably helpful in reconciling eastern and western views of reincarnation and resurrection. This work expands upon the concept of group consciousness and an underlying unity among human consciousness. A concept which is touched on repeatedly in LDS and Biblical Scripture (refs.) but generally only explained in detail in Christian mysticism and esotericism. The idea is that we as human beings often see ourselves as completely separate from one another, but that Higher beings looking down on us, see us as different aspects of the same being. As an example, if an individual cell within us had conscious thought, it might see itself as completely separate from its fellow biological cells. However, from the brain’s perspective, those cells are all simply different aspects of One being controlled within bounds by the brain through the nervous system. One cell might die away and another take its place, but the purpose and memory of that cell is stored in the brain—not just the cell. As the organism grows and the cells divide and multiply they grow further and further apart in location and function and these semi-conscious cells might come up with all sorts of crazy explanations to explain where they came from and where they go after death. But the truth is that their lack of knowledge of the unity that binds them prohibits them from even coming close to understanding the full picture.
In the Law of One and many other esoteric texts, mankind IS ONE organism, symbolized by the biblical Man Adam or the Hindu Manu/Atman. As he divides himself, veils and partitions are created between his progeny to give himself more evolutionary choices to experience himself. The “ego” of new age authors is a concept of separation of self from the whole, for the purpose of creating conflict and drama. But to follow our analogy to the body, the brain (highest beings) do not see these imaginary divisions… their higher perspective sees the unity of the whole organism.
Firstly, you must understand that the distinction between yourself and others is not visible to us. We do not consider that a separation exists between the consciousness-raising efforts of the distortion which you project as a personality and the distortion which you project as an other personality. Thus, to learn is the same as to teach… (LoO 1.10)
Opposing views
The channeled Urantia Book while partially disagreeing with the the idea of reincarnation tells of the damage this teaching did to Vedic peoples…
…of all the contaminating beliefs… none was so stultifying as this belief in transmigration—the doctrine of the reincarnation of souls—which came from the Dravidian Deccan. This belief in the weary and monotonous round of repeated transmigrations robbed struggling mortals of their long-cherished hope of finding that deliverance and spiritual advancement in death which had been a part of the earlier Vedic faith. This philosophically debilitating teaching was soon followed by the invention of the doctrine of the eternal escape from self by submergence in the universal rest and peace of absolute union with Brahman, the oversoul of all creation. Mortal desire and human ambition were effectually ravished and virtually destroyed. (94:2.3)
Although many, if not most, modern channeled works speak of reincarnation there are many religions and modern channelled texts such as Oahspe which are adamant about the falsity of the idea of individuated consciousness re-entering the womb, except for instances of demon obsession. To illustrate here are a few quotes, which echo the views held by many religions.
As I have quickened the seed of the first born, so will I quicken all seed to the end of the earth. And each and every man-child and woman-child born into life will I quicken with a new spirit, which shall proceed out of Me at the time of conception. Neither will I give to any spirit of the higher or lower heaven power to enter a womb, or a fetus of a womb, and be born again. (Jehovah 6:21)
Suffice it, these spirits lost all sight of any higher heavens than to dwell on the earth; they knew no other. And they watched about when children were born, and obsessed them, driving hence the natural spirit, and growing up in the new body of the newborn, calling themselves re-incarnated; and these drujas professed that when they previously lived on earth they were great kings, or queens, or philosophers. And they taught as their master, Osiris, the false, did: That there was no higher heaven than here on the earth, and that man must be re-incarnated over and over until the flesh became immortal. Not all of these spirits drove hence the natural spirit; but many merely engrafted themselves on the same body; and whilst such persons lived, these spirits lived with them and dwelt with them day and night; not knowing more than their mortal companion. And when such person died, behold, the druja went and engrafted itself on another child, and lived and dwelt with it in the same way; and thus continuing, generation after generation. (Wars 51:11-12)
O man, beware of angels who say: In heaven there is no organization, nor God, nor Holy Council, nor discipline, nor order, nor teaching, nor self-denial, or, Who say: There is no God, no Jehovih, no government in heaven, or, Who say: There is no bondage after death; no place or condition of suffering, or, Who say: When thou diest thy spirit shall enter paradise and dwell in perpetual ease and glory. Who say: Heaven is an endless summer land, with silvery rivers and golden boats for all, or, Who say: Eat, drink and enjoy thyself for the gratification of thine earthly passions, for when thou art dead thy path shall be straight to glory. Who say: Heap up riches, for there is no punishment after death, or, Who say: Turn not thy thoughts into thine own soul to discover thy ungodliness, for when thou art dead thy spirit shall revel in bliss, or, Who say: The angel world is a place of progression without self-abnegation and good works, or, Who saith: Behold me, I am from the highest, most exalted sphere, or from a far-off star, or, Who saith: I have visited the planets, or, Who saith: Resurrection cometh by reincarnation–first a stone, then lead, then silver, then gold, then a tree, then a worm, then an animal and then man, or that a spirit re-entereth the womb, and is born again in mortality, or, Who saith: Blessed art thou; for a host of ancient spirits attend thee–thou hast a great mission. For all of these are the utterances of the angels of the first resurrection. And though they may inspire great oratory and learned discourses, yet they are flatterers, and will surely lead thee into grief. (Discipline 3:19-32)
Joseph Smith also seemed to echo similar views that those professing reincarnation are often possessed of demons; speaking of a traveling minister Robert Matthews he said,
“He said that he possessed the spirit of his fathers, that he was a literal descendant of Matthias, the Apostle, who was chosen in the place of Judas that fell; that his spirit was resurrected in him; and that this was the way or scheme of eternal life—this transmigration of soul or spirit from father to son.
I told him that his doctrine was of the devil, that he was in reality in possession of a wicked and depraved spirit, although he professed to be the Spirit of truth itself; and he said also that he possessed the soul of Christ. (Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 2:307)”
It certainly seems reasonable that this is often the case. That many channeled works are in fact deceptive spirits of the lower heavens feeding people’s egos with fabricated stories and bologna. However, there seems to be credible sources and valid global religions which hold this view and are not so easily discounted. I’v spent a lot of time trying to reconcile these very different predominate views and it occurs to me that, like most things, it is a difference in perspective.
In my opinion it all boils down to misconceptions in personality and ego. As many biblical and religious texts allude to, and the law of one makes clear, those in the higher realms make little to no distinction between an individual and his close associates, or more especially one family. Those in a family unit are seen as one individual or one individuated consciousness. So although we see a huge distinction between ourselves, our parents, and our children, those in the higher densities do not. Take these words in the Law of One material for example…
Firstly, you must understand that the distinction between yourself and others is not visible to us. We do not consider that a separation exists between the consciousness-raising efforts of the distortion which you project as a personality and the distortion which you project as an other personality. Thus, to learn is the same as to teach…
So in their perspective, one could say that we are reincarnated through our posterity or progeny. As these groups raise to higher densities and are redeemed in unity, they form a collective consciousness where the thoughts and experiences of all are shared, and thus you could consider them reincarnated versions of each other. So much as Mufasa and Rafiki said to Simba in the Lion King, our parents live in us and vise-versa. The bible echo’s this idea of unity with the statement in Acts 17:28, speaking of God and ourselves it says, “In him we live and move and have our being”. Thus we could say that all mankind is a reincarnation of Adam, the first man. Or that we are all fragments of God, who has multiplied himself in an effort to know himself, which is essentially what parenthood is all about. I believe there is a great amount of both biblical and Mormon literature that symbolically seeks to teach this important principle. The “sealing” or binding together in Mormon temples is essentially symbolically teaching the principle explained in detail in Oahspe, that in order to ascend or be redeemed, a group must redeem their progeny to at leas the 6th generation. This is because this is the only way to at-one or atone the division caused by the fall of man. Mankind falls when they are divided, and is only saved when they are again re-united. There are important psychological implications to this as well, in the ways that the experiences and characteristics which we demonize, desire or fear are perpetuated in our progeny. One who hates or fears homosexuals, or apostates, or whatever other thing will by design have a child, grand child or one of their future posterity with that trait or characteristic, and neither will be able to ascend to the higher heavens until they are reconciled. Like Buddha and Jesus taught, we must overcome desire and fear in order to overcome. Through shared consciousness the “hater” ancestor will vicariously experience the thoughts and life of his progeny until he is purified and learns love, harmony and balance.
So it seems possible that with this line of thinking we can reconcile both the reincarnative and non-reincarnative doctrines.
Bringing it Together
-Show how if you understand a unity perspective, then someone who believes themselves to be the “reincarnated whoever” Its true even if it’s not true. If you can reach through space and time and connect with dead people’s consciousness and break down the divisions between you where you can see each others thoughts, then who is who is only a matter of perspective.
-I believe the christian concept of “spiritual possession” is trying to teach this concept… quote js. and oahspe..
-but what if someone claims to be the reincarnated moses or buddha but obviously is not in a accord with anything jesus stood for. Delusion is when someone thinks they are breaking through divisions and veils in order to head toward unity when in fact they are building additional ones and increasing separation. It’s easy for the brain to spot delusion… an often difficult for individual cells–try not to judge unlovingly or you will likely be doing the same thing. Lower man’s job is to divide. Lower religions job is to divide–growth spurs division.
-show that the christian concept of resurrection may be through birth or apparition. (people will have children in millennial new jerusalem, live to age of tree, etc..). Either way, resurrected states are more “unified” states of being so they break back through the divisions
-show that there are two resurrections.. “a resurrection in the body and a resurrection from the body” I believe “from the body” is a type of apparition or translation in spirit to higher dimensions (like the general christian view), but “in the body” is reincarnation into the next grand cycle of the earth when it raises to a terrestrial glory.
-I believe that the LDS doctrine of family sealing and eternal progeny (D&C 132:19–32) is teaching a type of eternal reincarnation. That families are sealed so that they can gain the “faith” or subconscious knowledge which governs our eternal progression which will allow them to be reincarnated into the same family structures in the next age (terrestrial/millennial age of earth.) Through sealing, our loved ones will not be far in the next life if it is still what we really want.
-I believe the idea of celestial marriage where you will be “gods” who have “continuation of the seeds” or eternal progeny in the next life is teaching the idea that— just like in this life there are certain individuals like Abraham or Genghis Kong or the European Hasberg Line who literally have millions of descendants and maintain prominent ruling classes for thousands of years— that those who are most “righteous” (not by Mormon standards but by the collective consciousness of humanity or god’s standards) will be chosen to be those key historical figures in the next cycle.
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Talk about Oahspe and how it has another possible interpretation of this. If the kingdom of God is a high heaven, Oahspe talks about how individuals in these heavens are constantly ‘falling’ back toward earth and seeking selfish earth things… but those who graduate to “etherean” or celestial worlds escape the earths gravity completely and have little threat of falling.
5 other accounts of “to go no more out”…. “who did sin that this man was born blind”, born again symbolism… wicked will inherit death… “mortal realms are only place death is inherited!…so of course they will be born again… people here in this mortal realm for different reasons as taught in creation drama, some are deceived, and some fall because they don’t want to leave their brides, and some fall simply to help…
etc..
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Note that D&C 76 says of those in the Telestial Realm”,
106 These are they who are cast down to hell and suffer the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies under his feet, and shall have perfected his work;
Note that the D&C defines the “dispensation of the Fulness of Times” as starting with Joseph Smith and ending with the Coming of Christ. Thus those of the telestial ream are resurrected (reincarnated to earth?) at Christ’s coming. (see D&C 88:95–102)
Also D&C 43:18
18 For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again. (D&C 43:18)
D&C 43:18 sure seems to suggest this. Look at its wording as it suggests that entire nations play a part in cyclical resurrection,
18 For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again. (D&C 43:18)
This verse bares striking resemblance to the Eastern idea of cyclical rebirth of nations across certain “ages” or master cycles. Think of how much better sense certain aspects of the doctrine of resurrection make when we interpret the resurrection or “rising again” of cultures as a systematic cycle of rebirth during certain eras.
100 And again, another trump shall sound, which is the third trump; and then come the spirits of men who are to be judged, and are found under condemnation;
101 And these are the rest of the dead; and they live not again until the thousand years are ended, neither again, until the end of the earth [end of the age in many biblical translations]. (D&C 88:100–101)
Although the Kolbrin Book likely has the most profound statement on reincarnation, telling plainly that a big reason why it is not taught is because it’s not so simple as we might suppose. The spirit doesn’t just leave the body and then reinter — its far more complicated.
LUC:9:11 Now, you ask whether the unclean soulspirit, degraded in darkness and humiliated by remaining in the substance, with which it has an affinity, ever resumes life in worldly form. It may indeed extend out into the brutish body of a man, or into one more graceful though heavily fettered by destiny. To say that any soulspirit is completely reborn in a new body is not strictly true, though it may manifest again on Earth. Rebirth is accepted by those who worship the great goddesses and by some others, but it is a much more complex matter than they believe. Their assertions are clouded by ignorance of the true nature of the Higher Sphere and the laws governing birth. There is, however, some truth in the doctrine, which is much deeper than they suspect.
LUC:9:12 Nature models the earthly containers, into which the soulspirit descends. She moulds them according to a prescribed pattern and adheres to the Spiritplan drawn by destiny. She likewise moulds the bodies of animals and birds; though here, the pattern is general and not differentiated by destiny, as it is with man. (Kolbrin – Book of Lucius)
We know that we don’t bring with us our memories of our former lives in any straight foreward way, so then the quesiton remains– if we are reborn then where are our memories of our former lives retained and when and how do we get them back? Once again the Kolbrin talks a bit about this, helping us to understand that the process of rebirth and exaltation is actually quite complicated–which is why we are taught by metaphore.
SCL:6:10 Blessed is the Kohar who safeguards all memories, storing them as men store corn; who retains these for the use of the Reborn Ones; who can recall all that men forget and can draw forth a memory as men draw water from a well. The Kohar is the eternal recorder; Pilgrims become Risen Ones and enter their Kohars as a soul enters a body, and in unity, they become Glorious Ones.
As mankind ‘falls’ our individuated consciousness is bifurcated into progenic consciousness’s. Just as a parent continues on and lives through their children so do our seed contain a part of our own consciousness, and indeed often those who have lived before. But exaltation is the reversal of this process. It is the reunification of consciousness. Each individual eventually reunites or reunifies or becomes a collective consciousness with its ‘Father’. Just as Jesus said, “that they father may be one in me, as I am one in thee” (John 17). As we came from the sea of soul, so we return to the sea of soul–both retaining an aspect of individuation and gaining an aspect of reunification.
LUC:1:2 There is one Supreme Spirit, which men call God, because God means Allgood. But because men seek a closer relationship with The Supreme Spirit of Good, they refer to it as Father and as Him, and there is no wrong in this.
LUC:1:3 The Supreme Spirit contains the essences of all the perfections, and these flow out from Him in a form of vitality, which is called The Holy Spirit. The Sphere of The Holy Spirit surrounds the Sphere of The Supreme Spirit, and around this again, and below it, is the Sphere of Matter and Mortality.
LUC:1:4 In the sphere of Matter and Mortality, the Holy Spirit manifests imperfectly, for here it becomes mingled with the inert composition of this Sphere. Also, the penetrated offers resistance to the penetrator, and this, combined with the effects of intermingling, causes obscurity, illusion and ignorance. These are visualised in the form of a mist called ‘agnosia.’
LUC:1:12 Every single thought and act on Earth has its effect on the soulspirit projected into the Sphere of Matter and Mortality. Man himself is a threefold being comprising soul, spirit and matter, each having an affinity with one of the Spheres of Existence. Here on Earth the soulspirit is made ready for its life in the Higher Spheres, or it is neglected and ignored. (Kolbrin)
The law of one explains this in a slightly different way, detailing the manner that consciousness is projected in a holograph or fractal/microcosm type way as it explains how the Spirits of those who die in the core of nuclear explosions must be repaired and reintegrated by skilled higher beings in order to preserver their individuality and memory consciousnesses.
Those who were destroyed, not by radiation, but by the trauma of the energy release, found not only the body/mind/spirit complex made unviable, but also a disarrangement of that unique vibratory complex you have called the spirit complex… to be completely disarranged without possibility of re-integration. This would be the loss to the Creator of part of the Creator and thus we were given permission, not to stop the events, but to ensure the survival of the, shall we say, disembodied mind/body/spirit complex. This we did in those events which you mention, losing no spirit or portion or holograph or microcosm of the macrocosmic Infinite One. (Law of One 26:23)
