Fundamental questions are: Where did we come from, why we are here on earth, and where are we going after we die? Over the last few decades there have been several books written about near death experiences. These books, along with the scriptures, give us significant insight into the last question. However, very little has been written about the first. Roy Mills book is quite unique in this regard in that he remembers his pre-mortal existence. Having been published in 1999, it provides extremely interesting information about where we came from and why we are here on earth. Roy was given heavenly assistance both in its writing and in its publication. He was not given permission to share this information until he was nearly 50 years old. Unfortunately, the book is now out of print.

I have written this that you may enjoy a few of the many insights shared in the book about our pre-mortal existence and the purpose of life. He is the only person that I know of who has been given the specific mortal mission to share (at the appropriate time) his knowledge of his pre-mortal experiences. To do this he was given the unique privilege of remembering it. The veil of forgetfulness was never placed over his mind for many of the choice experiences that he had before he was born. He requested of Heavenly Father during his pre-mortal existence the opportunity of sharing of the glorious realms there with us mortals here, and he was granted that privelege.

We learn from his book that we each have a “life book,” and that we chose, within the massively important influence of the infinite love and wisdom of our Heavenly Father, our life’s mission. Roy was shown his life Book - showing some of the experiences that he would have during his life. He then tells of some of the training he received to prepare him for his life's mission. He describes that his angelic trainers took “great pleasure in making me laugh..., but their jokes were all harmlessly amusing... But they took their role in preparing me for my birth very seriously. They taught me a lot, but the things they stressed the most were: unconditional love, using free will wisely, praying from the heart, gaining knowledge and experience, and seeking truth. They said these were the building blocks of a good life on earth.”

In his pre-mortal state, Roy became very good friends with the three sons that he would have in mortality. He saw his mother and other family members and friends with whom he would spend time during his earthly sojourn. He saw that they would mean a great deal to him. He tells of his incredible experience with the Father in helping him determine his life’s mission, and of the marvelous mission instructions that Father gave to him. He learned the fundamental truth that we are literally the spirit offspring of God. He also tells of his marvelous experience with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He tells of the incredible light emanating from the Savior’s Being, which goes out to all of Father’s children, and which will guide and direct us in our paths if we will choose to listen to that inherent guidance toward goodness that is within each of us. Roy felt the Savior’s “tremendous unconditional love...” “Not only did I feel His great love for me as one of God’s spirit children, but I also felt His love as a close friend. Jesus is the best friend we will ever have in this life or the next, and I knew in that moment that He would always be there for me, no matter what happens... ...nothing can separate us from the love of Christ”

Roy tells of his birth experience, which all by itself makes the book worth reading – very fascinating. He describes, “My spirit made contact with the mind in my body, and a complete sharing of information took place. I was amazed that this mind could already function on its own, and that it was so absorbent, with the ability to comprehend what I was communicating to it. Once connected with my spirit, this wonderful mind worked with great speed, and it didn’t take long before the information exchange was completed. Soon, my spirit and my mind merged into one consciousness; my spirit settled completely into my physical body, and the two began to feel and act as one.”

He explains that even as a very young person, “Because my spirit had a heavenly knowledge, I often knew what people were going to say or do before it actually happened. When my mother took me to various places, I sometimes recognized them, even though I was seeing them for the first time in my earthly body. And I recognized a lot of people the first time I saw them, because I had met them in Heaven before I was born. It wasn’t their physical faces that I new, but their spirits. I believe infants can recognize a person’s spirit when they see it, because the child’s ties with Heaven are still strong so soon after being born. But before long most children forget that they are mighty spirit beings who came from Heaven. That forgetfulness is part of God’s plan, because if we could keep talking to angels and remembering Heaven every waking moment, we would limit the earthly experiences we are meant to have by constantly choosing the right.” We often learn and progress spiritually the most from the mistakes we make.

The importance of the ministering of angels is clearly portrayed. Roy had a very difficult childhood, and he was visited on numerous occasions by angels to help him through various crises. He says, “It may seem unusual that I’ve been helped so many times by angels, but the truth is that we are all helped by angels. Most of us are just not aware of it. They look out for us in all kinds of ways. If you have an uneasy feeling that won’t go away, a thought or warning that suddenly pops into your head, an unexpected delay, or something that throws a monkey wrench into your plans, it may be that your guardian angel has just kept you from a mistake or a disaster. They... come to us... At moments of our greatest grief and sorrow and need. God sends angels to help us. We might not always see or hear or feel their presence, but they are there. And they will bring us God’s love and help if we will let them and if we will be humble and listen... Angels are wonderful beings, who serve God by serving His children. They do many different things, but most of what they do is to help us in completing our missions...”

In speaking of the ministering Angels he says, "The Angels were especially good to me, and there are no earthly words to describe the love that flowed between us. They performed many roles - guide, teacher, escort, friend, and at times they even attended to my needs almost like servants. They are glorious beings who act upon the knowledge that serving others is the best expression of love." One of the Angels he was privileged to meet was the mother of the Son of God. He says of their meeting, "There was so much love and strength and beauty in her presence! As I stared into her penetrating eyes, I was filled with awe and great love, and I told her I loved her. ' I love you, too,' she replied with a beautiful smile...”

"Some spirits choose a life of extreme sacrifice or nearly unbearable suffering. The light of God shines brightly around these people, and in heaven they are thought of as mighty spirits, because they come to earth to suffer so that others can grow in understanding and love." He further says, "When we see a child who is confined to a wheelchair because of a problem with his our her muscles or nerves or brain, we feel compassion for the child. But the deeper truth is that this individual had compassion for us first, having chosen their condition to help us grow... These courageous souls choose their conditions in order to inspire love, compassion, caring, patience, or forgiveness in others... I was told that many people live with their personal problems so long that they sometimes just accept them. They say to themselves, ' That's just part of who I am. I can't change it.' But this is the result of earth-bound thinking. While in heaven, we didn't choose these problems because we wanted to live with them. We chose them because we wanted to grow and to learn by overcoming them. God doesn't want us to merely endure hardship; He wants us to learn from it and find happiness." He further explains that God does not send us to earth without the necessary tools to overcome life’s challenges. By overcoming we grow closer to God.

“The angels help us choose our experiences, because what we choose must fit with our mission and with God’s overall plan for our lives...” The Angels “...explained that the more difficult a challenge was, the more knowledge and wisdom and love it could bring. I knew that it would be pleasing to God if I dealt with many experiences in a positive way, so I began selecting all kinds of challenges. ...the angels finally warned me that I was choosing too many... So when I selected my earthly experiences, I had no concern for what they would do to my physical body. I knew that the more I suffered for others, or because of others, the more I would grow in spirit. And with that knowledge, I had a completely different perspective on adversity and the experiences I chose for my own life.... ...always knowing God has a perfect plan.” One of our greatest opportunities in this life is to be grateful for every experience and that in it is the potential for spiritual growth. God is the master in turning evil into good. He will help us do the same if we will but turn to Him.

Roy further explains that, “A mission can be very short... Some... are sent here to be spiritual teachers, or good stewards of the earth, or care givers. Others are sent to be healers, or artists, or helpers. Many are sent to be good parents or friends... ...no two people have the exact same one. And they are all important.. Whether He sends us here to take care of one child or to change the world, each and every mission is noble and valuable.

“Some people become so earthbound in their thinking that they use their freewill to ignore their mission... The angels taught me that when we feel dissatisfied or restless or empty, our spirit is trying to tell us that we have strayed from the course God laid out for us. Those are the times when we need God’s guidance the most. If we ask for direction and stay open to the answer – no matter what it is – God’s Spirit will lead us back where we belong. All we have to do is listen to our inner spirit, which recognizes and promotes feelings of peace when we are correctly directed. Feelings of joy and contentment are the fruits of doing God’s will, and our spirit helps us feel and know our choices are right.”

In regard to our missions, one of the pearls that Roy shares is that, “...how much joy we experience is up to us. When we realize that we, ourselves, chose many of the difficulties in our lives, and that all things happen for a reason, we begin to let go of earthbound thinking... We begin to understand that life isn’t cruel or unfair, but is a spiritual journey that leads us to meaning and joy and real happiness. Knowing the truth about ourselves sets us free to be the happy, loving people God wants us to be.”

Roy learned that we are each given different gifts, and that one of our greatest opportunities is to use our gifts in serving others. As we seek, ask and strive in our quest for truth and light, we will be blessed with additional gifts, which will bless our lives as well as the lives of others. He learned “that all of God’s gifts are special and marvelous in their own right.” The gifts of God that we receive are just the right ones to help us fulfill our missions in mortality.

“While we are in Heaven, we promise to help each other learn and grow through our earthly relationships and experiences... Every year, every day, every minute of our time here is important, because our lives are connected to so many others... We should be thankful for each moment of our lives, even the ones that cause us pain, because while we are here, we are keeping promises that we made in Heaven: promises to friends, to family, to ourselves, and to God.”

"Everything in heaven moves steadily and smoothly, like the finest clock-work. Its pace is nothing like the frenzy here on earth." Says Roy of his experience there. He also saw that all of us are important to God; there are no inferior children. "While I was in heaven, I never saw anyone who was depressed, maimed by an accident, or suffering from disease. Our spiritual bodies are always healthy and whole; they are perfect, and our spirits shine with a radiant beauty. Our physical bodies are only a temporary home for our spirits,..."

“The angels told me that every soul is born equal. No one is more important than anyone else, no matter how it seems on earth. From the lowest to the highest, from murderers and thieves to world leaders and saints, everyone is equal and is a child of God. But for most of mankind’s history, we have fought over our differences – especially in race and religion. If people only knew what it is really like in Heaven, they would stop hating and fighting others who are different from them. They would start caring and loving instead... ...in Heaven, I never saw different races..., only spirit beings who were filled with love for each other... God chooses what our earthly race will be... for our spiritual growth... The angels taught me that when we judge someone else, we are really judging ourselves... Insulting or judging another only makes all of us weaker... We should love everyone unconditionally, no matter who they are or what they have done... You should always treat them the way you want to be treated. And you must try to help others without expecting anything in return. That is true love.” Overcoming prejudices is one of the great challenges of life. When we do so, we bring about great spiritual growth in our lives.

Roy also talks about the review of our lives after our time on earth. “During our life-reviews, we re-live how we treated other people during our time on earth... For all the times we treat people with love or kindness, we get to experience the positive emotions we made them feel. And for the times we treat people wrong or abuse them in any way, we experience the pain and hurt we caused them.”

Roy says that, "Of all my Heavenly memories, receiving my mission from God is the one I cherish most. No matter what I write about this extraordinary event, it is impossible for me to do it justice. No words can ever come close to conveying the incredible love, grace, wisdom, power, and majesty I felt in the presence of God... I am fortunate to remember heaven and to have had the company of Angels in my life, but these things aren't necessary for us to remember to talk to God and have His healing influence in our lives. We can pray for assistance and feel confident in knowing that our guardian Angels are watching over us,... ... we have family and friends that agreed to come into this life to help and support us. We can rely upon them and build our relationships with them, just as we can with God. Our greatest friend is Jesus, who loves us so completely and unconditionally. He has done so much for us already, and continues to do all He can for us."

Roy learned that agency is fundamental to Heavenly Father’s plan. We received and concurred with our missions before we came here. Here our choices determine whether we will fulfill our missions or not. Our avenue to find out the will of the Father is prayer. We should not be surprised, therefore, that the Lord commands us to pray always. It is the most oft’ repeated commandment in the scriptures – for our own best good.

He relates how prayer is our connection to God and that all sincere prayers are heard. In the Lord's infinite love he appropriately responds to them in a way that will be for our eternal best good. If by the Spirit we pray according to His will, then will follow those truths so validated.

In conclusion Roy says, "The missions God gives us are often difficult. But we did have a say in choosing our lives. God's love and guidance are always with us, and we are never alone as we try to remember who we are. Our loved ones on the other side, the Angels, and God, Himself, are always near, ready to help, and are doing everything possible to uphold us with strength, understanding and, most of all, with love.”

The Soul's Remembrance Earth is not our home by Roy Mills

See also

The Soul's Remembrance
Earth is not our home
by
Roy Mills