2 Nephi 2
1 And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my first-born in the days of
my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast
suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy
brethren.
2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the
greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy
brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God.
Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of
thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to
bring salvation unto men.
4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory; wherefore, thou art blessed
even as they unto whom he shall minister in the flesh; for the Spirit is the
same, yesterday, today, and forever.
And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.
5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And
the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law
men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the
spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable
forever.
6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is
full of grace and truth.
7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the
law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto
none else can the ends of the law be answered.
8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto
the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can
dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and
grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh,
and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the
resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
9 Wherefore, he is the first-fruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make
intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be
saved.
10 And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God;
wherefore, they stand in the presence of him to be judged of him according
to the truth and holiness which is in him. $ Wherefore, the ends of the law
which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is
affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the
happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement —
11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so,
my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass,
neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad.
Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it
should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither
death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense
nor insensibility.
12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught;
wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation.
Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal
purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.
13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye
shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if
there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no
righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these
things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the
earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be
acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.
14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and
learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens
and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to
be acted upon.
15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had
created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air,
and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an
opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one
being sweet and the other bitter.
16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself.
Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was
enticed by the one or the other.
17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I have read, must needs
suppose that an angel of God, according to that which is written, had fallen
from heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was
evil before God.
18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable
forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. $ Wherefore, he said unto
Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies,
wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye
shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
19 And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were
driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.
20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the
earth.
21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the
will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state
became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the
commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he
gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men
that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.
22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen,
but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. $ And all things which
were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after
they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have
remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery;
doing no good, for they knew no sin.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth
all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the
children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the
fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for
themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law
at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath
given.
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given
them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and
eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and
death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that
all men might be miserable like unto himself.
28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator,
and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words,
and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;
29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the
evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate,
to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.
30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my sons, in the last days of
my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of
the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare
of your souls. Amen.