Hello,Bennettresearch said:I am misunderstanding this?Jonny said:Could you explain this a little more? We believe that our spirits are eternal - is that what you're refering to?
I hope I can clear this up. Let me know where exactly you have questions.
We believe our spirits are eternal, but that they were also created. How does this work?!? Mormonism rejects the idea that you can create something out of nothing. Even our spirits were created from something. I believe we (and I am guilty of this) use the term "created" when we should actually use the term organized. Joseph Smith said,
"The spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and will exist to eternity. Anything created cannot be eternal; and earth, water, etc., had their existence in an elementary state, from eternity."
Also, he said this.
"Intelligence is eternal and exists upon a self-existent principle. It is a spirit from age to age, and there is no creation about it."
I should add that we believe that intelligence is the substance from which our spirits were created.
"In tracing the thing to the foundation, and looking at it philosophically, we shall find a very material difference between the body and the spirit; the body is supposed to be organized matter, and the spirit, by many, is thought to be immaterial, without substance. With this latter statement we should beg leave to differ, and state the spirit is a substance; that it is material, but that it is more pure, elastic, and refined matter than the body; that it existed before the body, can exist in the body, and will exist separate from the body, when the body will be mouldering in the dust; and will in the resurrection, be again united with it."