And thus cometh about the salvation and the redemption of men, and also their destruction and misery. (Alma 42:26)
From what are we saved? This is the key question to ask if one is to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, what he lived and died for, and how we are to live.
We are saved from the consequences of the fall, meaning the fall of Adam and Eve. In the beginning, this earth was free from sin. Everything created by God obeyed God’s law. That all changed when Adam and Eve transgressed in Eden.
As a result of eating the fruit of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden. Adam was cursed to farm against the thorns and weeds of the earth, and Eve was cursed to suffer in pregnancy and childbirth. Yet, these were only the temporal consequences of the fall. The spiritual effects of the fall were that Adam and Eve were cast out of God’s presence for their sin, and knowing good from evil, were capable of more sin. The spiritual effects, like the temporal ones, were passed down to their posterity.
Being saved is broadly defined as reversing the two consequences of the fall, death and sin:
6 But behold, it was appointed unto man to die...and man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man.
7 And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will. (Alma 42)
Both of these consequences of the fall keep men out of the presence of God: “...the fall...brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal, that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord...” (Alma 42:9)
The Lord told Adam that if he ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge, he would die (see Genesis 3:3). He ate, and in doing so, brought sin and death into the world.
Death, a consequence of the fall, is more of a blessing than a curse in the context of sin, the other consequence of the fall. Death allows a parting with our old bodies, which are tainted with sin, to take up new bodies that are not corrupted by this earth.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (1 Corinthians 15)
Even this mortal shall put on immortality, and this corruption shall put on incorruption, and shall be brought to stand before the bar of God, to be judged of him according to their works whether they be good or whether they be evil— (Mosiah 16:10)
Jesus Christ overcame physical death. He came to take away the consequence of physical death levied against Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. The sacrifice of Jesus unconditionally takes away the penalty of death from all men through the universal resurrection. Mankind will one day be raised from the dead.
And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. (Mosiah 16:7)
Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death. (Alma 11:42)
Though men still die, they will be resurrected. The resurrection could not occur without Jesus having come to earth to live a perfect mortal life, thereby gaining the right to absolve humanity of physical death without violating God’s perfect justice.
The second death is the term used to refer to the consequences of individual sin. In the initial state of the garden of Eden, there was no knowledge of good and evil. The fall created an environment where men tended toward sin:
Therefore, as they had become carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature, this probationary state became a state for them to prepare; it became a preparatory state. (Alma 12:10)
Without Jesus, there would be no way to recover from the sins committed in this life:
11 And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan of redemption, (laying it aside) as soon as they were dead their souls were miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord.
12 And now, there was no means to reclaim men from this fallen state, which man had brought upon himself because of his own disobedience;
15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also. (Alma 42)
Without redemption through Jesus Christ, men would be forever exiled from God’s presence due to their own sins: “And thus we see that all mankind were fallen, and they were in the grasp of justice; yea, the justice of God, which consigned them forever to be cut off from his presence.” (Alma 42:14) As Paul explained it, “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)
To experience more joy, it is necessary to acquire greater knowledge. The purpose of the gospel is to impart knowledge to men. We acquire greater knowledge as we learn to choose good over evil in increasingly difficult situations. Opposition is required to create difficult situations. Without this opposition, it becomes easy to choose good over evil, but the choice is vacuous and not beneficial.
For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn 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. (2 Nephi 2:11)
In Eden, without that opposition, mankind’s ability to commit sin was incomparably attenuated compared to the environment in which we live, but so was their ability to acquire knowledge.
23 ...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. (2 Nephi 2)
Here, we have abundant opportunities to choose carnality or spirituality, sin or obedience, Satan or God, and death or life.
This environment is precisely what is needed for men to become more capable of living in God’s presence. Living in God’s presence requires the acquisition of more knowledge than you currently possess. Since God reveals to us as much as we are able to bear, what you do not already know is necessarily beyond your capacity to obey. Therefore, until your faith in God becomes unshakeable, acquisition of further light and truth will involve transgression. Our environment here provides the opportunity to recover from these sins in a way that does not effect our eternal state.
We all sin and experience the natural consequence of sin, “remorse of conscience unto man.” (Alma 42:18) Knowledge of transgression of God’s law causes men to feel gross discomfort in the presence of God.
Jesus Christ provides the missing ingredient: a way to both learn greater knowledge and recover from failures in the attempt:
22 But there is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law, and the law inflicteth the punishment...
23 ...mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice. (Alma 42)
Overcoming the second death is how we come back into the presence of Jesus, and how we are saved.
32 Therefore God gave unto them commandments, after having made known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to things pertaining unto righteousness; for on such the plan of redemption could have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to the supreme goodness of God.
33 But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;
34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.
35 And whosoever will harden his heart and will do iniquity, behold, I swear in my wrath that he shall not enter into my rest. (Alma 12)
The plan of redemption is the focus of Book 1, and will be explained via subtopics in the remaining chapters.
The fall of Adam created the environment necessary for men to obtain greater joy and dwell in God’s presence. Jesus Christ redeems men from the first death through the universal resurrection and provides a way for them to be saved from the second death.
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. (2 Nephi 2)
Because men are redeemed from the first death, they are provided an opportunity to choose eternal life by keeping his commandments, or to choose eternal death, which consists of remaining outside of his presence.