About seven thousand years ago, there was a great council in heaven. Many choice and noble individuals were involved in that counsel. Among them being a friend of mine, named John. We were together from the vey beginning of it all. There was a great war, and several of my brothers and sisters were cast out of the presence of my Heavenly Father. But John and I fought valiantly for the plan of our Heavenly Father and our elder brother Jehovah, and we were together after the plan of salvation triumphed.
John and I grew to be the closest of brothers. I know many times we walked and talked with our Heavenly Father, and we felt the closeness of our relationship. We learned together and prepared for the day we would come to earth to obtain a physical body. We always talked about how it would be not to remember what it was like living with our Father in Heaven, and to experience such things as pain and joy and raising a family. John and I planned and prepared ourselves. We just knew that we would someday choose to follow our Heavenly Father instead of Satan, we knew that Satan was very powerful. We remembered what it was like when Satan vowed he would do all he could to destroy the Plan of Salvation and disrupt the earth and its inhabitants. We knew that he would have the power to persuade us on earth to do evil.
But we always tried to look to the positive side of coming to earth, so John and I prepared ourselves for the day that we would receive our calling to come. That day finally came, and there was excitement everywhere. Several of us were called at the same time. I ran to find John so we could be together when we received our letters telling us to what part of the earth we would be sent. I was so happy when I read what mine had to say. It said that I would be born a member of the church, to faithful loving parents who were valiant and stalwart in the church. It also said that I would have the opportunity to serve a mission and I would help many people recognize the gospel.
When I finished the letter, the first person I looked for was my friend John, but I couldn't find him. I hoped he hadn't gone to the terminal without me. I asked someone if they had seen him and they pointed in the direction he had gone after he received his letter. I ran to that direction and there, sitting under a large tree, with his head in his hands, was John, sobbing. His letter was wrinkled up and lying by his feet. I picked it up and tried to straighten it enough so I could read it. It said that he would be born in the free country of America, and that he would know of Christ and his ministry, but his parents would not be members of the church. However, it did say that if the gospel was presented to him in it's fullness that he would recognize it and become a member of the Church. We walked together in silence down the long empty corridor that would lead to the terminal as it was time to leave heaven. It was hard for us to do or say anything to comfort him. As we were about to depart, John turned to me, his eyes still moist and in a most desperate voice said "FIND ME!"
