I felt impressed that I needed to write a post about my beliefs and understand of reincarnation. From what i understand, reincarnation is the spirit of an individual being born into a different body after the body dies, and the nature of the new body, whether human, animal, or other, is the result of that individual's choices in this life. Thwn, with a new kife and a new body, the cycle starts again.
I remember, on my mission, that I was teaching and wonderful woman and her husband about the Plan of Salvation. The Plan of Salvation, also called the Plan of Happiness, is God's plan for us to return to Him. Various steps, points, or principles of this plan include: pre-mortal life, the creation of the world, Adam and Eve and their fall from grace, our earth life, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, death, the spirit world: including paradise and prison, resurrection judgement and immortality, and finally the three degrees of glory: Celestial, terrestrial, and telestial.
I do not recall at which point the sister made her comment, but she roughly said, "What is your church's standing on reincarnation?" This question took me by surprise, I had only been on my mission for about 12 months, and never before had anyone asked about reincarnation. So, my companion and I took a quick breather, and the Spirit instructed me to ask her a question, "Are you asking because this is a belief you have?" She confirmed that it was. Then I asked, "Do you believe in reincarnation because of experiences you have had?"
She then proceeded to tell me about how she had always had a love of mountains, and has memories of being on mountains she has never been to before. She also has memories of a woman dressed in red, in the West, like a bordello harlot.
I had no idea what to say. I have not had any experiences myself like that. The only similarity is that I always loved monsters and creatures. From as far as my parents and I can remember, even to the present day, I still love monsters. This did not help me answer her initial question, but it allowed the Holy Ghost to work through me and testify to all of us in the room of a truth. In our pre-mortal life, not all of us having been born at the same time, come to the earth to be born at different times. After the creation of the world, what do our spirits do while waiting to be born in the flesh? Do they just sit there and do nothing, or do they accumulate intelligence? Not just learning from God, but what about likes and dislikes?
This is what the Spirit testified to us, that our very spirits have personalities, that her spirit likely either helped with the creation of mountains, or at least visited them in her pre-mortal life. This is where she gained her love for them and their beauty, and God saw fit to allow some of those pre-mortal memories to seep through the veil.
As for the harlot in red, she could have been an ancestor in the flesh, which this sister's spirit visited, either for support or just to learn what trials she might face in mortality. Another possibility, is that the harlot's spirit was a dear friend of her's in the pre-mortal life, and that she was looking out for her friend.
These answers satisfied her inquiry and helped her understand that though reincarnation is false doctrine, it does not mean that the reasons the doctrine was created are not true.
This answer helped me in a later situation. It was roughly 6 months later. My companion and I were teaching a less active member and his non member, investigating housemate. Again, we were teaching the Plan of Salvation, and the member mentioned how the cycle then repeats for reincarnation. First, we tried to emphasize that the kingdoms, or degrees of glory, are a final place estate after the resurrection. Then, again perceiving that there was a reason behind his belief, I asked him if he has had experiences that have lead him to believe in reincarnation. He said yes, then I said that from what I have come to understand, memories of past events that have never happened to us in this life, are memories we got to keep from our pre-mortal lives, as we went for learning and growing. I was surprised at how quickly he agreed with me, because he said, I understand now, I felt the Spirit tell me that what you said is true. All the while, the investigator had been actually on the missionaries' side, not having a belief in reincarnation.
My main point is, that the doctrine or belief of reincarnation was derived and developed because of these memories that religious leaders could not understand or explain in any other way. Since the truth has been restored through Joseph Smith and modern revelation, we can see clearly now, and have acceptance, and even appreciation for these memories, or personality traits.
Having said that, I would like to address the growing disillusionment, or clarity behind the doctrine of reincarnation.
I enjoy many shows, including Avatar: the Last Airbender. In this cartoon, Aang, the Avatar, is a "reincarnation" of Avatars from the past. He, being able to communicate through the spirit world, is able to talk to his past selves. Something I found intriguing was that they were each individuals. They had their own personality, their own morals and values, and most importantly, their own lives lived. This leads me to believe that part of this doctrine it is not spirits that are reincarnated into bodies, from one life to a next, but rather, some power choosing or following a life. In the case of this show, it is like the Avatar power is born again, or more accurately, given, to an individual in each generation, after the current Avatar passes on. Then this power acts like a tie or bond between the different spirits who had used that power while in mortality, keeping them close.
I have speculated/compared the very bending powers in the Avatar show, to the priesthood. Having some authority that allows one to command the very elements to obey. Then there is the mantle of the priesthood, with the keys to the administrations thereof, which are passed down from Prophet of God to Prophet of God. This reminds me of what it means to be the Avatar. Are not the Prophets of old tied to those who have lead us in these latter days? Did they not hold the same power? Is not that a bond that connects them through space and time? Evidence of this would be the example of shortly after Joseph Smith's death, the members of the church did not know who the next Prophet should be, so they had members of the 12 Apostles speak. When President Brigham Young stood up and spoke, he spoke with Joseph Smith's voice and appearance. How could this be, unless the Prophet Joseph Smith's spirit had been with Brigham Young?
The idea of a power or influence bonding with someone else what recently re-emphasized to me while watching Naruto Shippuden. There were two brothers who fought and caused a great war. Their ideas and traits were "reincarnated" at least twice. One brother having his power come from friends, the other from inherit power within himself. Their powers, preserved in what the show calls chakra, which is essentially spirit energy and energy from the body being molded together, latches on to individuals who possess those same traits. Somewhat influencing the individual to nurture and focus on those traits.
This pointed out to me that it is not the same spirit, just in a new body, but residual effects or powers from the past being used again.
Lastly, in the X-files tv series, Maulder runs into a lady with multiple personality disorder, who "turns out" to just retain memories and personalities of past incarnations. Maulder has one as well who had been very close to one of hers. Then the show taught that these spirits group together with other spirits they are familiar or close with.
This reminded me of some episodes of Charmed that were very similar. However, with the knowledge of reincarnation being false, how would this kind of behavior be explained. For me, it was the key in the X-files philosophy, that the spirits group around those they are familiar with. What if those "past selves" are just spirits who have attached themselves, like the chakra from Naruto, to an individual. Thus, reliving vicariously through that individual, those things that were meaningful or profound to them. Two spirits in love choose two passionate lovers to be reciprocals of their love. Two brothers fighting choose two brothers, or close friends, and re-experience their hate.
After writing that, I cannot help but make the comparison to Sam and Dean Winchester from Supernatural. They are two brothers who do not get along a lot of the time. One follows their father blindly, and the other rebels. This was used as an explanation/example of Michael the Archangel and Lucifer the Son of the Morning. Their Father was God, and Lucifer rebelled. They, in this show, as spirit/graceful beings wanted to possess Sam and Dean's bodies to reenact their fight on earth and perform the battle of Armageddon. Thus again, beings or powers choosing people of like character or circumstance to be vessels for them.
To reiterate for the last time, there are three possibilities as to why reincarnation is a false doctrine. First, and having been testified of on two occasions by the Holy Ghost, is that some of us have memories from our pre-mortal life. Second, mostly my own reasoning using the truth I know and the depictions presented me, that reincarnation is power of the past, almost like priesthood power, Third, again my own speculation, that spirits of the past haunt, posses, or just tag along with us during mortality.
The only time that "reincarnation" would be truth, as defined as a spirit receiving a new body after death that may be different from the old and comes as a result of one's choices in this life, would be with the resurrection. For there are bodies celestial, terrestrial, and telestial, all differing in glory because of the judgment (Doctrine and Covenants 76). Then, and only then, does it meet the criteria, but it does not cycle through again.
As for me, and what I truly believe, and not just speculate or theorize, is that in most cases, these experiences are memories of the pre-mortal life. Unless I have a reason to gain further light and knowledge beyond this, I rest.
I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and feel free to comment any ideas or understanding you have on this subject. For or against what I have talked about. Even if you believe in reincarnation and just want to bear your testimony of it, feel free to do so.
Love,
Jacobugoth
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