Mormonism and disability - Revision history

SpencerMarsh at 21:13, 6 February 2026

2026-02-06T21:13:35Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:13, 6 February 2026
Line 1:		Line 1:
	< [[Main Page\|<small>'''Back to FAIR Answers Index'''</small>]]		< [[Main Page\|<small><i>'''Back to FAIR Answers Index'''</i></small>]]
	<h1><b>Harold B. Lee's Comments About Disability</b></h1>		<h1><b>Harold B. Lee's Comments About Disability</b></h1>
	'''Summary:''' In a series of radio lectures given from January 1 to June 24, 1945 and republished in 1973 under the title of ''Decisions for Successful Living'', Elder Harold B. Lee stated the following about economic status, race, and disability in relation to valiance in the premortal battle against Satan. Hyperlinks to the cited scriptures are included for convenience:		'''Summary:''' In a series of radio lectures given from January 1 to June 24, 1945, and republished in 1973 under the title of ''Decisions for Successful Living'', Elder Harold B. Lee stated the following about economic status, race, and disability in relation to valiance in the premortal battle against Satan. Hyperlinks to the cited scriptures are included for convenience:

	<blockquote>Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: . . . 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. For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/32.7-9?lang=eng Deut. 32:7–9].)		<blockquote>Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: . . . 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. For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/32.7-9?lang=eng Deut. 32:7–9].)
Line 11:		Line 11:
	'''A Priceless Privilege'''		'''A Priceless Privilege'''

	<span style="color:blue">The privilege of obtaining a mortal body on this earth is seemingly so priceless that those in the spirit world, even though unfaithful or not valiant, were undoubtedly permitted to take mortal bodies although under penalty of racial or physical or nationalistic limitations.</span> Between the extremes of the "noble and the great" spirits, whom God would make his rulers, and the disobedient and the rebellious, who were cast out with Satan, there were obviously many spirits with varying degrees of faithfulness. May we not assume from these teachings that the progress and development we made as spirits have brought privileges and blessings here according to our faithfulness in the spirit world? Now don't be too hasty in your conclusions as to what conditions in mortality constitute the greater privileges. That condition in life which gives the greatest experience and opportunity for development is the one to be most desired and any one so privileged is most favored of God. It has been said that "a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner, neither do uninterrupted prosperity and success qualify for usefulness and happiness. The storms of adversity, like those of the ocean, rouse the faculties and excite the invention, prudence, skill and fortitude of the voyager. The mariners of ancient times, in bracing their minds to outward ~~calamaties~~, acquired a loftiness of purpose and a moral heroism worth a lifetime of softness and security."		<span style="color:blue">The privilege of obtaining a mortal body on this earth is seemingly so priceless that those in the spirit world, even though unfaithful or not valiant, were undoubtedly permitted to take mortal bodies although under penalty of racial or physical or nationalistic limitations.</span> Between the extremes of the "noble and the great" spirits, whom God would make his rulers, and the disobedient and the rebellious, who were cast out with Satan, there were obviously many spirits with varying degrees of faithfulness. May we not assume from these teachings that the progress and development we made as spirits have brought privileges and blessings here according to our faithfulness in the spirit world? Now don't be too hasty in your conclusions as to what conditions in mortality constitute the greater privileges. That condition in life which gives the greatest experience and opportunity for development is the one to be most desired and any one so privileged is most favored of God. It has been said that "a smooth sea never made a skillful mariner, neither do uninterrupted prosperity and success qualify for usefulness and happiness. The storms of adversity, like those of the ocean, rouse the faculties and excite the invention, prudence, skill and fortitude of the voyager. The mariners of ancient times, in bracing their minds to outward calamities, acquired a loftiness of purpose and a moral heroism worth a lifetime of softness and security."

	'''All Are Equal'''		'''All Are Equal'''
Line 19:		Line 19:
	{{Seealso\|Question: Do the scriptures promote racism?}}		{{Seealso\|Question: Do the scriptures promote racism?}}

	The highlighted portion is the one most often cited by critics. There is no question that Harold B. Lee stated that premortal valiance affects our mortal racial, economic, and physical circumstances. The ~~deeper~~ questions being asked by those ~~that~~ have sent this quote or a portion of it into FAIR are about whether the Church affirms this same idea today, what support there may be for or against the idea, and so forth.		The highlighted portion is the one most often cited by critics. There is no question that Harold B. Lee stated that premortal valiance affects our mortal racial, economic, and physical circumstances. The more profound questions being asked by those who have sent this quote or a portion of it into FAIR are about whether the Church affirms this same idea today, what support there may be for or against the idea, and so forth.

	Joseph Fielding Smith made similar comments on this issue in his ''Doctrines of Salvation'': "There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less."<ref>Joseph Fielding Smith, ''Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith'', comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954), 1:61.</ref>		Joseph Fielding Smith made similar comments on this issue in his ''Doctrines of Salvation'': "There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less."<ref>Joseph Fielding Smith, ''Doctrines of Salvation: Sermons and Writings of Joseph Fielding Smith'', comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954), 1:61.</ref>

	~~This article seeks~~ to ~~gather what we know and don't know about~~ this ~~topic from official~~ and ~~authoritative Church sources~~.		While the Church has said explicitly that ''dark skin'' is not a sign of divine disfavor in our premortal life, it has not said whether ''disability'' is such. It's not wise to get ahead of Church leaders on this or any other issue. We can trust all things will be made known to us and that justice will be meted out well by a loving Father in Heaven.
	----		----
	{{CollapseHeaders		{{CollapseHeaders
	\| title = ===Does the Church affirm this same idea today?===		\| title = ===Does the Church affirm this same idea today?===
	\| state = closed		\| state = closed
	\| content = One does not hear Church leaders today speculating about how premortal valiance affects our mortal circumstances. Thus they certainly don't affirm it, but they ~~haven't~~ outright denied it ~~either~~. Speculation about this topic was more common in Harold B. Lee's and Joseph Fielding Smith's time given the Church's then-commitment to the priesthood and temple restrictions placed on men and women of African descent.		\| content = One does not hear Church leaders today speculating about how premortal valiance affects our mortal circumstances. Thus, they certainly don't affirm it, but neither have they outright denied it. Speculation about this topic was more common in Harold B. Lee's and Joseph Fielding Smith's time, given the Church's then-commitment to the priesthood and temple restrictions placed on men and women of African descent.

	{{Seealso\|Mormonism and racial issues/Blacks and the priesthood}}		{{Seealso\|Mormonism and racial issues/Blacks and the priesthood}}
Line 37:		Line 37:
	\| title = ===What support is there for or against the idea?===		\| title = ===What support is there for or against the idea?===
	\| state = closed		\| state = closed
	\| content = It's interesting to note that Harold B. Lee thought that his belief was a matter of reason. As he said: "Is it not '''just as reasonable''' to suppose that the conditions in which we now live have been determined by the kind of lives we lived in the pre-existent world of spirits?" Thus, Harold B. Lee's opinion on this was not a matter of revelation, but reason. The same can be said of Joseph Fielding Smith's position. There are ''no scriptures'' that ''explicitly'' comment on how our premortal valiance may affect our mortal circumstances. However, ~~there are~~ a couple ~~that~~ are strongly suggestive.		\| content = It's interesting to note that Harold B. Lee thought that his belief was a matter of reason. As he said: "Is it not '''just as reasonable''' to suppose that the conditions in which we now live have been determined by the kind of lives we lived in the pre-existent world of spirits?" Thus, Harold B. Lee's opinion on this was not a matter of revelation, but reason. The same can be said of Joseph Fielding Smith's position. There are ''no scriptures'' that ''explicitly'' comment on how our premortal valiance may affect our mortal circumstances. However, a couple are strongly suggestive.

	Harold B. Lee quotes one of them above: John 9:1–3. Jesus is recorded as passing by a man who was blind from birth and ~~his~~ disciples ask whether the man or his parents sinned that he was born blind. The verse has been used many times by Latter-day Saint leaders to ~~provide~~ support ~~for~~ the idea that ~~there was~~ a premortal existence ~~of human spirits~~ and that premortal valiance affects our mortal circumstances.		Harold B. Lee quotes one of them above: John 9:1–3. Jesus is recorded as passing by a man who was blind from birth, and His disciples ask whether the man or his parents sinned that he was born blind. The verse has been used many times by Latter-day Saint leaders to support the idea that human spirits had a premortal existence and that premortal valiance affects our mortal circumstances.

	Harold B. Lee doesn't quote/cite verse 3 of that chapter:		Harold B. Lee doesn't quote/cite verse 3 of that chapter:
Line 45:		Line 45:
	:3 Jesus answered, '''Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents''': but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.		:3 Jesus answered, '''Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents''': but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

	Some might take this to mean that ~~there are~~ no ~~people who are~~ born into ~~the~~ circumstances ~~they're born into~~ because of actions in the premortal life. That's a valid interpretation. It certainly isn't the only possible one.		Some might take this to mean that no one is born into their circumstances because of actions in the premortal life. That's a valid interpretation. It certainly isn't the only possible one.

	We learn in [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/76.79?lang=eng Doctrine & Covenants 76:79] that whether or not we are valiant in the testimony of Jesus in mortality affects whether or not we receive either Celestial or Terrestrial glory in the post-mortal life. Couldn't the same be true of pre-mortality affecting our mortal circumstances? [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/13?lang=eng Alma 13] and Jesus' own foreordination to be our Savior ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/4?lang=eng Moses 4:1–2]) show that premortal, disembodied spirits progressed to ~~certain~~ points that they were given ~~certain~~ assignments here in mortality (See also [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/abr/3.15-16?lang=eng Abraham 3:15–16]). Why couldn't spirits be less valiant and receive some sort of punishment? Those who support or are at least open to ~~this position~~ don't necessarily have to disagree with Jesus' words above. They might say that some people are born into ~~the~~ circumstances ~~they're born into~~ because of actions in a premortal life and others not. Thus, for those ~~that~~ would hold this position, ~~it's at least possible that~~ some people's unfortunate circumstances were the result of less premortal valiance and others' unfortunate circumstances not. Correlatively, someone else's more fortunate circumstances may or may not be an indication of their greater premortal valiance.		We learn in [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/76.79?lang=eng Doctrine & Covenants 76:79] that whether or not we are valiant in the testimony of Jesus in mortality affects whether or not we receive either Celestial or Terrestrial glory in the post-mortal life. Couldn't the same be true of pre-mortality affecting our mortal circumstances? [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/13?lang=eng Alma 13] and Jesus' own foreordination to be our Savior ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/4?lang=eng Moses 4:1–2]) show that premortal, disembodied spirits progressed to specific points that they were given specific assignments here in mortality (See also [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/abr/3.15-16?lang=eng Abraham 3:15–16]). Why couldn't spirits be less valiant and receive some sort of punishment? Those who support this position or are at least open to it don't necessarily have to disagree with Jesus' words above. They might say that some people are born into certain circumstances because of actions in a premortal life, and others are not. Thus, for those who would hold this position, some people's unfortunate circumstances were the result of less premortal valiance, and others' unfortunate circumstances were not. Correlatively, someone else's more fortunate circumstances may or may not be an indication of their greater premortal valiance.

	Ultimately, we don't know. It's not wise to get ahead of either the Church or the Lord on issues where we haven't had much explicit revelation nor is it wise to speculate about things that we ~~simply~~ don't know and can't know without further revelation from God (which is unlikely to come on such a peripheral issue).		Ultimately, we don't know. It's not wise to get ahead of either the Church or the Lord on issues where we haven't had much explicit revelation, nor is it wise to speculate about things that we don't know and can't know without further revelation from God (which is unlikely to come on such a peripheral issue).

	We can trust that God is a perfect judge, that all people are of infinite, intrinsic worth and our spiritual brothers and sisters, and that as we are righteous here in our mortal lives, we can obtain a celestial reward in the life to come. Hopefully issues like this do not distract us from the much more important goal, and one supported by infinite scriptural references, of learning the law of love as the Savior taught and using it to become "one heart and one mind" with our neighbor ~~so as~~ to establish Zion and take on the loving nature of God.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22.34-30?lang=eng Matthew 22:34–40]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14?lang=eng John 14:15]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/philip/2.2?lang=eng&clang=eng#p1 Philippians 2:2]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-pet/3.15?lang=eng&clang=eng#p14 1 Peter 3:15]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-jn/4.8?lang=eng 1 John 4:8]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/7.18?lang=eng&clang=eng#p17 Moses 7:18].</ref> We can do that in part by recognizing that, just as the Savior taught us in John 9:3 cited above, no matter what someone's limitations in this life, they present an invaluable opportunity to us to learn something important about the meaning of love and all of love's operations.		We can trust that God is a perfect judge, that all people are of infinite, intrinsic worth, and our spiritual brothers and sisters, and that as we are righteous here in our mortal lives, we can obtain a celestial reward in the life to come. Hopefully issues like this do not distract us from the much more important goal, and one supported by infinite scriptural references, of learning the law of love as the Savior taught and using it to become "one heart and one mind" with our neighbor to establish Zion and take on the loving nature of God.<ref>[https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/22.34-30?lang=eng Matthew 22:34–40]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/john/14?lang=eng John 14:15]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/philip/2.2?lang=eng&clang=eng#p1 Philippians 2:2]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-pet/3.15?lang=eng&clang=eng#p14 1 Peter 3:15]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/1-jn/4.8?lang=eng 1 John 4:8]; [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/moses/7.18?lang=eng&clang=eng#p17 Moses 7:18].</ref> We can do that in part by recognizing that, just as the Savior taught us in John 9:3 cited above, no matter what someone's limitations in this life, they present an invaluable opportunity to us to learn something important about the meaning of love and all of love's operations.
	}}		}}
	{{endnotes sources}}		{{endnotes sources}}

SpencerMarsh at 21:26, 29 December 2025

2025-12-29T21:26:16Z

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{FairMormon}}
+< [[Main Page|<small>'''Back to FAIR Answers Index'''</small>]]
-<onlyinclude>
+<h1><b>Harold B. Lee's Comments About Disability</b></h1>
-{{H1
+'''Summary:''' In a series of radio lectures given from January 1 to June 24, 1945 and republished in 1973 under the title of ''Decisions for Successful Living'', Elder Harold B. Lee stated the following about economic status, race, and disability in relation to valiance in the premortal battle against Satan. Hyperlinks to the cited scriptures are included for convenience:
-|L=Mormonism and disability
-|H=Mormonism and disability
+<blockquote>Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: . . . 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. For the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance." ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/deut/32.7-9?lang=eng Deut. 32:7&ndash;9].)
-|S=
-|L1=Statements from Latter-day Saint leaders regarding disability
+Here several truths are clearly suggested. In the first place, the extent of God's temporal creations was determined by the number of spirits to come into mortality; the earth was to be divided into nations according to the number of the children of Jacob, or Israel, before she became a nation and a chosen lineage was to come through Jacob's posterity. Logically then we also must conclude that the end of this earth will not come until all these spirits who were designated as worthy of mortal bodies shall have been born into this world. In the Apostle Paul's sermon to the Athenians, he declared also that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/acts/17.26?lang=eng Acts 17:26].) It was no doubt the prospect of coming into mortal bodies and thus being "added upon" that caused the stars of morning, or the spirit children of God, as we are told in the scriptures, to sing together and all the sons of God to shout for joy. ([https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/job/38.4-7?lang=eng Job 38:4&ndash;7].)
 }}
 {{endnotes sources}}

SpencerMarsh: Created page with "{{FairMormon}} {{H1 |L=Mormonism and disability |H=Mormonism and disability |S= |L1=Statements from Latter-day Saint leaders regarding disability }} {{:Mormonism..."

2022-10-11T19:20:04Z

Created page with "{{FairMormon}} <onlyinclude> {{H1 |L=Mormonism and disability |H=Mormonism and disability |S= |L1=Statements from Latter-day Saint leaders regarding disability }} {{:Mormonism..."

New page

{{FairMormon}}
<onlyinclude>
{{H1
|L=Mormonism and disability
|H=Mormonism and disability
|S=
|L1=Statements from Latter-day Saint leaders regarding disability
}}
{{:Mormonism and disability/Statements from Latter-day Saint leaders regarding disability}}
</onlyinclude>
{{endnotes sources}}