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 Nephi 2:2
Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou
knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine
afflictions for thy gain.
2 Nephi 2:3
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.
2 Nephi 2:4
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.
2 Nephi 2:5
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.
2 Nephi 2:6
Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah;
for he is full of grace and truth.
2 Nephi 2:7
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.
2 Nephi 2:8
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 pa** the
resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.
2 Nephi 2:9
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.
2 Nephi 2:10
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—
2 Nephi 2:11
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 pa**, 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 d**h, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor
misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
2 Nephi 2:12
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.
2 Nephi 2:13
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.
2 Nephi 2:14
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.
2 Nephi 2:15
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.
2 Nephi 2:16
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.
2 Nephi 2:17
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.
2 Nephi 2:18
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.
2 Nephi 2:19
And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit
they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.
2 Nephi 2:20
And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of
all the earth.
2 Nephi 2:21
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.
2 Nephi 2:22
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.
2 Nephi 2:23
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.
2 Nephi 2:24
But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him
who knoweth all things.
2 Nephi 2:25
Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might
have joy.
2 Nephi 2:26
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.
2 Nephi 2:27
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 d**h, according
to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all
men might be miserable like unto himself.
2 Nephi 2:28
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;
2 Nephi 2:29
And not choose eternal d**h, 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 2:30
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.