Introduction
The “War in Heaven” is a foundational concept that provides profound insight into the purpose of life and the role of agency. It refers to the pre-mortal conflict described in scripture, where God’s children were presented with two opposing plans.
I believe these opposing plans are too often portrayed as two viable options, with one simply being less desirable than the other. I would suggest that Satan’s plan is not only evil, but would result in an entirely different outcome; it was a big fat lie.
By exploring the principles at the heart of this conflict, we can gain deeper appreciation for the divine gift of agency and its role in our eternal destiny.
The Conflict
God’s work and glory is “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). As Elder Bruce R. McConkie often taught, “eternal life is the name of the kind of life that God lives.” The end goal of a plan in the first place was to provide a way for us to become like God. The “War in Heaven” revolved around a fundamental misunderstanding of how God’s children can achieve this potential.
Elohim, in His wisdom, knew exactly how we could attain eternal life. He understood that growth, by its very nature, required agency. Without the ability to choose, there could be no learning, no development, and no becoming. By granting us the ability to choose, He could create an environment that would foster growth and development.
I believe Lucifer also had a testimony of this truth. His only problem with Elohim’s plan was that he wouldn’t be the one to hold the power and glory. So, in an attempt to usurp the Father Himself, he fabricated a new plan—a way for him to gain power, falsely disguised as a means for us to attain eternal life. He insidiously campaigned that he could guarantee the return of all God’s children by eliminating the risk of failure through the removal of agency. This wasn’t just some lesser, more evil way of achieving the same outcome, as I have often heard it taught. To gain eternal life without agency is fundamentally impracticable. The only end that Lucifer’s plan could accomplish would be his own rise to power.
The Dumbbell Analogy
An analogy I often use to better understand this concept is weightlifting. Imagine that in the pre-mortal life we had weak arms, representing our current state in spiritual progression. Now, picture that God had infinitely strong arms, symbolizing His advanced spiritual status. God’s work and glory was for our arms to one day be as strong as His. To achieve this, He would give us a set of dumbbells and teach us how to use them, patiently guiding us through the process if we so chose.
Satan’s plan was much different. He would chain the weights to right to our wrists and then move them up and down for us. While this would technically achieve the same motion, we wouldn’t gain any strength or progress in this way. Without the opportunity to choose to lift the weight ourselves, we would never develop the the muscle it took to be like God. Satan’s plan didn’t offer a true alternative—it’s impossible for us to progress without choosing to do so on our own.
The Reality of Choice
While agency is essential for growth, it’s important to recognize that it unfortunately doesn’t guarantee everyone will choose to become like God. But it at least offers the opportunity to those who desire it. In contrast, Satan’s plan removed that possibility entirely.
Conclusion
Agency is key to our progression. Satan’s plan was never a viable option for God’s children to achieve eternal life. While the Father’s plan doesn’t guarantee everyone’s return, it offers the only true path to it: agency.