Chapter 23, The Little Soul and the Sun
The Little Soul and the Sun, a children’s book by Neale Donald Walsch, Hampton Roads, 1998
The story is about two little souls. One of the little souls wants the experience of learning to forgive. The problem is that all the little souls in the kingdom are perfect. So in order for this little soul to learn to forgive, another little soul has to be willing to become something they are not, in order to do something terrible to the little soul who wants to learn to forgive.
One of the perfect little souls steps forward and offers to become someone he is not, in order to do something terrible to the little soul who wants to learn to forgive.
The little soul asks the other little soul why he was willing to do that for him. His reply, “Because I love you.”
An agreement is made between the two. The perfect little soul will become someone he is not, in order to do something terrible to the other little soul. The other little soul will experience something terrible so he can learn how to forgive.
The only request from the Little Soul who is going to do something terrible is that the Little Soul who wants to learn to forgive will not forget who the other Little Soul really is.
As the Little Soul, wanting to learn to forgive, is leaving heaven, God reminds him, “Remember, I only send Angels.”
The pattern for this principle was set in that grand council in Heaven. “And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? . . . And another answered and said: Here am I, send me.”
The principle of the story: In that time before time, when we sat with heavenly parents and others, to choose experiences that would help us become more like our heavenly parents, so we wouldn’t be alone.
For some of those experiences we would need a little soul or two, as it were, willing to play a role in our lives. That little soul could be a spouse, a child, a sibling, a relative or a person with no known connection. An illness, a disability, an accident. Any one of a number of things or ways in order to give us the experience we desired. Angels come in many forms. There are no villains, only heros.
Apostles and prophets from our dispensation have verified the principle discussed in the book.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell , Quorum of the Twelve The Great Plan of the Eternal God, April Conference 1984The plan places a striking emphasis on present human freedom to choose. Yet some of our present circumstances may reflect previous agreements, now forgotten, but once freely made.
Elder Orson Hyde—one of the original members of the Quorum of Twelve in this dispensation who and served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve for 27 years—said of life in the premortal world:
We understood things better there than we do in this lower world . . . . Is it not impossible that we signed the articles thereof with our own hands—which articles may be retained in the archives above, to be presented to us when we rise from the dead, and be judged out of our own mouths, according to that which is written in the book’s . . . . Just because we have forgotten, our forgetfulness cannot alter the facts.
Brigham Young Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:314-15Brothers and sisters, the degree of detail involved in the covenants and promises we participated in at that time may be a much more highly customized thing than many of us surmise. Yet, on occasion even with our forgetting, there may be inklings.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell In a talk at BYUThere are clearly special cases of individuals in mortality who have special limitations in life, which conditions we mortals cannot now fully fathom. For all we now know, the seeming limitations may have been an agreed-upon spur to achievement–a “thorn in the flesh.” Like him who was blind from birth, some come to bring glory to God (John 9: 1-3). We must be exceedingly careful about imputing either wrong causes or wrong rewards to all in such circumstances. They are in the Lord’s hands, and he loves them perfectly. Indeed, some of those who have required much waiting upon in this life may be waited upon again by the rest of us the next world–but for the highest of reasons.
President Brigham Young Teachings of Presidents of the Church, Brigham Young, page 220Judge not, that ye be not judged. Let no man judge his fellow being, unless he knows he has the mind of Christ within him. We ought to reflect seriously upon this point; how often it is said, “Such a person has done wrong, and he cannot be a Saint or he would not do so.” How do you know?… Do not judge such persons, for you do not know the design of the Lord concerning them; therefore do not say they are not Saints.
Boyd K. Packer The Play and the Plan, CES Fireside 7 May 1995Do not suppose that God willfully causes that for which, his own purposes, he permits. When you know the plan and purpose of it all, even these things will manifest a Loving Father in Heaven.