Council in Heaven

I’ve been thinking about the phrase “Council in Heaven” that we regularly speak of in the Church, and I realized that this phrase does not come from the scriptures.  In fact, we have precious little in the scriptures that speak about our premortal existence.  There are some indications, though, which suggest that such a council could have taken place.  We know that at some point when the Lord “laid the foundations of the earth” that “all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:4, 7).  This suggests some kind of gathering and announced decision like we would expect in a council at which the sons of God would have reason to celebrate.  

In Joseph F. Smith’s revelation we learn that many people “received their first lessons in the world of spirits and were prepared to come forth in the due time of the Lord” (D&C 138:56).  Certainly this supports the idea of a council at which the Father would certainly have provided teachings for His children.  From the book of Revelation we also have record that there was a “war in heaven” between Michael and Satan in which the dragon “prevailed not” and was “cast out into the earth.”  This seems to indicate some kind of decision that was discussed there that was divisive enough to cause a “third part” of the children of God to reject the Father’s plan (Revelation 12:4,7-9).  Certainly some kind of council or councils at which the people could have discussed the merits of these plans seems likely to have happened.  We get a bit of the conversation that took place during these premortal discussions in the account in Moses.  Satan said to the Father, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.”  The Savior, on the other hand, said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever” (Moses 4:1-2).   These certainly suggest a kind of dialogue that we would expect in a premortal heavenly council.  Perhaps the scriptures which give the strongest indication of the reality of a heavenly council are found in the account of the creation in the book of Abraham.  We read that “the Gods took counsel among themselves and said: Let us go down and form man in our image” and once they had finished their work they said, “On the seventh time we will end our work, which we have counseled; and we will rest on the seventh time from all our work which we have counseled” (Abraham 4:26, 5:2).  While the counseling together spoken of here may not refer to the Council in Heaven, it certainly shows that the pattern of heaven was to counsel together in preparation for the creation and peopling of this earth.

                So while the scriptures mentioned certainly support the idea of a Council in Heaven in which the Father presented and discussed His plan, in reality it is from the revelations of modern prophets that we have the specific teachings about this event.  The Prophet Joseph said, for example, “The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he would save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him” (see here).  From the days of Brother Joseph the leaders of the Church have continuously taught about this great event in heaven and our participation in it.  How grateful we should be for modern day revelation which helps us to understand both what took place before this world began and how we participated in it.  We all chose the plan of Christ in that great council, and now we have the privilege to continue choosing Christ and seeking in this life too to overcome the adversary “by the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 12:11).