One day, in the temple, Jesus had taught this very doctrine to the Jews. In answer to one of their questions. He had replied, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. Before Abraham was I am." The answer provoked the Jews, and they took up stones to stone Him. "But Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." Then follows a remarkable little story, touching the doctrine He had just presented in the temple, and here discussed in this chapter. "As Jesus passed by, He saw a man which was blind from his birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Now, we must remember that in those days people believed affliction to be always a punishment for some sin or other. We can easily understand that the parents of the man might have sinned; and through their sin, they might have brought blindness upon their son. But since he was born blind, how could the affliction have come as the result of his own sin? In only one way. If the man had had an existence before he was {51} born in the flesh, he might there have sinned. The Lord might then have punished him for his sin by causing him to be born blind. Evidently, the disciples understood that there is a pre-existent state. But were they right? If they were not, surely Jesus would correct them. Listen. Jesus answered, "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him." Jesus, then, did not rebuke them. He, too, accepted the doctrine. At least, the affliction of blindness was not because of sin committed in the spirit world. And the works of God were truly made manifest in the miracle which Jesus then performed. [Sidenote: Conclusion.] From the teachings of Jesus, in the spirit and in the flesh, it is clear, then, that the spirits of all men existed in the spirit world long before they were born into bodies of flesh in this world; that the body of the spirit is like the mortal body in form; and that Jesus was chosen before the earth was organized to redeem mankind from sin. "We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live?" THE REFERENCES Ether 3:4-16. John 17:28. John 17:5. John 9:1-7. John 6:62. Heb. 12:9. {52} THE QUESTIONS 1. Relate the story of the vision of the brother of Jared? 2. What was it that enabled the brother of Jared to behold so remarkable a vision? 3. What three important points are taught in the vision? 4. How did Jesus show in His teachings in the flesh that He believed in a pre-existence? 5. What lesson do you derive from the story of the healing of the man born blind? 6. What is the teaching of Jesus brought out in this lesson? 7. How should this knowledge of a spirit existence affect our lives on the earth? {53} {54} PICTURE: THE SOWER, Millet {55} VII THE PRESENCE OF EVIL