Did We Exist As Pre-Mortal Spirits Before We Came to Earth?

Welcome to Day 5 of our 60-Day Challenge! Today, we’re diving into question number four, but before we get there, let’s take a moment to reflect on the question from yesterday: Who decides what books make it into the Bible, and which ones are left out?

Let’s be honest—when most people pick up the Bible, they assume they’re reading the complete word of God, perfectly preserved through the centuries. But here’s the thing...

📖 There are 75 missing books that were once considered scripture.

Who decided they weren’t worthy? Why do some letters attributed to Paul make it in, while others get left out? And what does this mean for our understanding of God’s true word?

Let’s dig in.

The Bible Wasn’t Always “The Bible”

One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that the Bible was written as a single book, delivered straight from heaven. But in reality, it was written over thousands of years, by dozens of authors, across multiple civilizations, and in different languages.

👉 The Old Testament was compiled before Christ.
👉 The New Testament books were written in the first century A.D.
👉 But the Bible as we know it today? That wasn’t officially compiled until the 4th century A.D.

And guess what? The Catholic Church played a major role in deciding what got in and what got left out.

So the question is: Who made the call?

Who Chose What Made It Into the Bible?

There was no divine email sent down from heaven saying, “These are the books I want in the Bible—nothing more, nothing less.” Instead, early church leaders debated, discussed, and voted on what they believed was scripture.

Here’s what happened:

- The Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325)—a group of bishops under Emperor Constantine—helped solidify Christian doctrine, but they didn't decide the canon.

- The Council of Carthage (A.D. 397)—This is where the final list of New Testament books was officially recognized.

- The Catholic Church held the authority to decide what was scripture—and that’s where things get interesting.

Now, what about the books that didn’t make the cut?

The 75 "Missing" Books—Why Were They Removed?

If you look up the list of missing books of the Bible, you’ll find texts like:

• The Book of Enoch (quoted in Jude 1:14)

• The Book of Jasher (referenced in Joshua 10:13)

• The Shepherd of Hermas (widely read in early Christianity)

• The Gospel of Thomas (containing teachings attributed to Jesus)

If these books were known, respected, and even quoted in scripture, why were they removed?

Many were rejected because:
🔹 They didn’t align with the teachings of the early church leaders.
🔹 They contained mystical or apocryphal elements.
🔹 Some were deemed too controversial or too “Jewish” for a Christian audience.
🔹 They conflicted with the growing church’s authority over doctrine.

Basically, church leaders in the 4th century decided what they believed best supported their theology, and they left out the rest.

Which leads to another question: Did they get it right?

Did Paul Write All His Letters?

Most Christians assume that Paul wrote all the letters attributed to him in the New Testament. But did he?

Scholars widely agree that Paul wrote seven of the 13 epistles:

• Galatians

• Romans

• 1 & 2 Corinthians

• Philemon

• Philippians

• 1 Thessalonians

But what about the others?

1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus are often seen as pseudepigraphic—meaning they were likely written by someone else in Paul’s name.

So why are they in the Bible while other early Christian writings were excluded?

Because early church leaders deemed them “doctrinally valuable”—even though they may not have been written by Paul himself.

And if that’s the case, then what else might have been lost from the original teachings of Christ and His apostles?

What Does This Mean for Us Today?

Here’s where things get real.

If early church leaders decided what made it into the Bible, and entire books were removed, then:

Are we missing parts of God’s word?
Should we be open to other scripture God may reveal?
Could the Restoration of Christ’s church bring back lost truths?

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the answer is clear:

👉 God is still speaking today.
👉 The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.
👉 Modern revelation continues to restore what was lost.

Next Up: Question 5

Now that we know that books were removed from the Bible, here’s the next big question:

Did we exist as pre-mortal spirits before we came to Earth?

Hint: You’ll find the answer in Jeremiah 1:5 and Job 38:7.

Think about it, and we’ll explore the answer in the next lesson!

Transcription:

    Hi, my name is Joe Cirillo with Gospel First, and thanks for your decision to follow me on this exciting journey to find Christ's restored church in our day. But before I give you question number five, did you get the answer to question number four? As I mentioned, there is a list of 75 missing books which were removed from the Bible.

Who gets to decide what goes into the Bible and what gets left out? Example, most of the scholars believe that Paul actually wrote seven of the 13 epistles. Galatians, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philomenes, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians. While three of the epistles in Paul's name are widely seen as pseudepigraphic, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, why didn't they get in?

Well, the Old Testament books were written well before Jesus, and all of the New Testament books were written by roughly the end of the first century AD. But the Bible as a whole was not officially compiled until the late fourth century, illustrating that it was the Catholic Church who determined the canon.

Now take a look at my video and you'll see 75 books that were missing, or you can Google that to get a list of them. Here's question number five. Did we live as pre mortal spirits before we came to earth? Well, you can find the answer in Jeremiah 1, verse 5, Job 38, verse 7, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.