Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/1817

1817 Why and when is knowledge of previous lives necessary?....

February 17, 1941: Book 27

It is not important what people think about a teaching that deals with the soul's previous life if they only lead a God-pleasing way of life on earth. For them, knowledge of the time before earthly life is not absolutely necessary. However, people who live irresponsibly, who do not think of their souls and eternity and only consider earthly life worthy of attention, should be made aware of the consequences of their way of life and thus be presented with the knowledge of the unspeakably agonizing and endlessly long path the soul has already travelled and the consequences of an unused earthly life. The recollection has to be taken away from the human being but the knowledge about the time before the embodiment as a human being can be imparted to him because he is free to accept it or not. The unbelieving person will indeed deny the truth of it and he will not feel influenced by it. However, God sends him the warning so that he can somehow take a stand on it, either in the affirmative or in the negative. An unbelievable indifference prevails amongst humanity, life is taken for granted, but not the slightest thought is given to the fact that the human being also has a responsibility for the time of his earthly life, that he is expected to perform, that he is given a task which he has to fulfil.... And in order to awaken this sense of responsibility in him, he should know about his past life, as far as this is possible without coercion of faith. The thought of it can be an incentive to live more consciously, and therefore God imparts this knowledge to people, which can now be received by willing earthly children, yet again it need not necessarily be conveyed to all people if they endeavour to live pleasing to God without this knowledge. But to give people the recollection would burden them excessively and render them incapable of living their earthly existence, for it would then no longer be lived of their own free will but the human being would forcibly decide to live in accordance with God's will, providing it were possible for him to look back on his long earthly life. However, if a person endeavours to lead a right life, the knowledge of his past life will not frighten him either, but will only increase his striving to meet the demands of life and to shape himself according to divine will. Admittedly, the human being is often reluctant to accept something completely unknown to him as truth, therefore the reasoning has to be conveyed to him at the same time, and then it will seem understandable to him that this is also only intended to be a means of help in order to lead misguided people back onto the right path of faith. And from this point of view it will also be acceptable to him what he is told about the soul's continuation of life. Mankind, which is so distant from God, needs such means, for God knows about its adversity and therefore provides it with knowledge which is suitable to remedy the spiritual adversity. The will of man nevertheless remains free. If he is reluctant to accept the knowledge of it as truth he will not be forced, yet the time before the embodiment as a human being cannot be visualized to him in any other way than through such teachings which are imparted to earthly people with divine approval....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers