Helaman 8

After Nephi reviews all the evidence and the testimony of the prophets concerning the coming of Christ, Nephi adds, speaking of Christ -

"...behold, he is God, and he is with them, and he did manifest himself unto them, that they were redeemed by him; and they gave unto him glory, because of that which is to come."  (Book of Mormon | Helaman 8:23)

I believe that those words are literal.  Before His birth, as a spirit, He associated with the spirits in paradise.  This would justify my argument that the spirits of men before birth are here as well as the spirits of those that have passed on.