2 Nephi 2

Lehi now spoke to his second youngest son and said, “Jacob, you are the first of my two sons to be born during our journey through the wilderness. Throughout your childhood you have suffered greatly because of your brothers’ rudeness. Nonetheless, you know the greatness of God, who can turn suffering into strength. Your soul is blessed because you can and will follow Nephi. I know that you will be redeemed because you have seen the time when God brings salvation to men. Your redemption will come through the Messiah Jesus Christ, who will offer himself as a sacrifice to sin for those who honestly repent, and through whom men may be resurrected from death after his first example. Those that believe in him will be saved. Whoever stands in opposition to him will be punished.

“There is an opposition in all things,” Lehi continued, “and men need to choose between right and wrong, between holiness and wickedness, between happiness and misery. Without opposites there would be no opportunity for choice. Without opposites life would be no different from death, and mortality no different than immortality. Without God’s laws there is no sin. Without sin there would be no righteousness or happiness, and no punishment or misery. Without these things there is no God. And without God there would be no earth, for there would have been no creation. There would be nothing.”

Then, speaking again to all of his sons, Lehi said, “For your benefit I say that there is a God, and that he created all things in the heavens and of the earth, both to act and be acted upon. God has also created the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life, so that man could act for himself and choose between the opportunities offered.

“According to what has been written, an angel of God sought that which was evil, and fell from heaven to become a devil. Because he fell from heaven and became miserable forever, he also sought the misery of all mankind. Through the serpent he said to Eve, ‘Come, eat of the forbidden fruit and you will not die. You can be like God, knowing both good and evil.’ After eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were driven from the garden and forced to till the soil, and bring forth the children who now populate the earth.

“Our time here has been prolonged by God so that we can repent while we are mortal, according to his commandments. Had Adam and Eve not defied God’s words and fallen, they could have remained in the garden of Eden, and things would have remained as they were, in innocence, with no children. Having no joy, they knew no misery. Doing no good, they knew no sin. But as you can see, in God’s wisdom that is not the way things happened. Adam fell so that men might know joy.

“The Messiah will come,” Lehi continued, “to redeem the fallen people. Once redeemed, they will be free forever, knowing good from evil. Therefore, men are free to act and choose liberty and immortality through Jesus Christ, or to choose slavery to the devil, and death. The devil wishes for us to be as miserable as he is, while God wishes for us to be faithful to his laws and choose eternal life. My sons, I want you all to choose God’s will and listen to his commandments, be faithful to him, and live eternally. Do not choose eternal death and alignment with the evil that allows the devil to hold you captive in his kingdom of hell.

“My sons, these are the last days of my life and I have chosen the path of God according to the words of the prophet. My final wish is for the everlasting welfare of your souls.”