Today we talked about how the past influences who we are now. It’d be naive to believe that the lives we lived before no longer have any bearing on who we are as humans. Of course it does! When we were alive before, we got to develop the people we’d be forever: our personalities, our preferences, and so on. They’re all a part of who we are. The most important part was our protection. Whether one wants to believe in it or not, every soul has divine protection. It’s not always present but it’s there regardless.

That protection is what allows us to stick to our convictions. It’s reinforced by our upbringing, our experiences, our beliefs. For example, once a person decides lying is terrible, they are better protected against the temptations to lie.

We—people on their Trial—don’t have that protection now at all. We’re vulnerable to the temptations of Satan’s servants which do his bidding.

It’s because of those temptations that people change during their Trial. Even the sweetest people can become venomous. I know Flora wants to see the people she loved during her Trial, even knowing she wouldn’t remember them, but that’s one of the worst things to want.

If I saw my wife we would destroy each other. The devils exist to make us miserable. What better way is there than destroying the bond two people forged in their first lives?

And the bloodier the confrontation, the happier the devils will be.

—Excerpt from the personal journal of Mr. Kiran Thompson, written May 5, 2015