Every person who was ever born on earth was is our
spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our
heavenly parents was Jesus Christ (see D&C 93:21), so he
is literally our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 26).
Because we are the spiritual spirit children of our
heavenly parents God, we have inherited the potential to
develop their His divine qualities. If we choose
to do so Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can
become perfect, just as they are like our Heavenly
Father and receive a fulness of joy...
We were not all alike in heaven. We know, for example, that we
were given sons and daughters of heavenly parents—males and
females (see "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," Ensign, Nov.
1995, 102). We possessed different talents and abilities, and we were
called to do different things on earth. (See Discourses of Brigham
Young, p. 51.) We can learn more about our talents and callings
"eternal possibilities" when we receive our patriarchal
blessings (see Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye Thomas S.
Monson, in Holy Places, p. 117). Conference
Report, Oct. 1986, 82; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 66).
Even though we have forgotten, A veil covers our
memories of our premortal life, but our Father in Heaven remembers
knows who we are and what we did before we came here (see
Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 50)...
Our heavenly parents provided us with a celestial home more
glorious and beautiful than any place on earth. We were happy there. Yet they Heavenly
Father knew we could not progress beyond a certain point unless we left them
Him for a time. They He wanted us to develop
the godlike qualities that they have He has. To do this,
we needed to leave our celestial premortal home to be
tested and to gain experience. We needed to choose good over evil. Our
spirits needed to be clothed with physical bodies. We would need to leave our
physical bodies at death and reunite with them in the Resurrection. Then we
would receive immortal bodies like those that of our heavenly
parents Heavenly Father. If we passed our tests, we would
receive the fulness of joy that our heavenly parents have Heavenly
Father has received. (See D&C 93:30-34.)...
Since we could not progress
further in heaven, Our Heavenly Father called a
Grand Council to present His plan for our progression...
We learned that He would provide an earth for us where we would be
tested prove ourselves (see Abraham 3:24-26). A veil would
cover our memories, and we would forget our heavenly home. This would be
necessary so we could exercise our agency to choose good or evil
without being influenced by the memory of living with our Heavenly Father...
At the Grand Council we also learned the purpose for our progression: to have
a fulness of joy. However, we also learned that not all of our
Father’s children would want to receive a fulness of joy. Some of us some
would be deceived, choose other paths, and lose their way...
At this council we also learned that because of our weakness, all of us except
little children would sin (see D&C 29:46-47). We learned that a Savior
would be provided for us so we could overcome our sins and overcome death with
resurrection. We learned that if we placed our faith in Him, obeying His word
and following His example, we would be exalted and become like our heavenly
parents Heavenly Father. We would receive a fulness of joy.