2 NephiChapter2

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.

Now, Jacob, I speak to you: you are my firstborn in the days of my suffering in the wilderness. In your childhood you endured hardships and much sorrow because of the harshness of your brothers.

Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

Even so, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, you know the greatness of God; and he will consecrate your afflictions for your gain.

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.

So your soul will be blessed, and you will live safely with your brother Nephi, and your days will be spent in the service of your God. I know that you are redeemed, because of the righteousness of your Redeemer; for you have seen that in the fullness of time he will come to bring salvation to all people.

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.

And in your youth you have seen his glory, so you are blessed just as those he will minister to 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.

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.

And people have been taught enough to know good from evil. And the law has been given to them. But by the law no flesh is justified; by the law, people are cut off. By the temporal law they were cut off; and by the spiritual law as well they are cut off from what is good, and become miserable forever.

Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

That is why redemption comes in and through the Holy Messiah, for he is full of grace and truth.

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.

He offers himself as a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, for all who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and for no one else can the ends of the law be answered.

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.

How important it is, then, to make these things known to the people of the earth, so they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God except through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah. He lays down his life according to the flesh, and takes it again by the power of the Spirit, so that he may bring about the resurrection of the dead; and he is the first who will rise.

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.

So he is the firstfruits to God, since he will make intercession for all people; and those who believe in him will be saved.

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—

And because of the intercession for all, all people come to God, and they stand in his presence to be judged by him according to the truth and holiness that are in him. And the ends of the law which the Holy One has given require a punishment that is attached to the law; and that punishment stands in opposition to the happiness that is also attached, to answer the ends of the atonement.

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.

For there must be an opposition in all things. If there were not, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought about, nor wickedness; neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. All things would have to be a compound in one; and if everything were one body, it would have to remain as if dead, having neither life nor death, neither corruption nor incorruption, neither happiness nor misery, neither feeling nor the absence of feeling.

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.

If that were so, everything would have been created for nothing, and there would have been no purpose in its creation. Such a thing would destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

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.

And if you say there is no law, you are also saying there is no sin. If you say there is no sin, you are also saying there is no righteousness. And if there is no righteousness, there is no happiness. And if there is no righteousness or happiness, there is no punishment or misery. And if these things do not exist, there is no God. And if there is no God, then we do not exist, and neither does the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, nothing to act and nothing to be acted upon; and so everything would have vanished away.

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.

And now, my sons, I say these things for your benefit and learning. For there is a God, and he has created all things: the heavens and the earth, and all things in them, both things that act and things that are acted upon.

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.

And to bring about his eternal purposes for humanity, after he had created our first parents, and the animals of the field and the birds of the air, and in short all things that are created, there had to be an opposition: the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life, the one sweet and the other bitter.

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.

So the Lord God gave people the power to act for themselves. And they could not act for themselves unless they were enticed by the one or the other.

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.

And I, Lehi, from what I have read, must conclude that an angel of God, according to what is written, had fallen from heaven; and so he became a devil, because he had sought what was evil before God.

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.

And because he had fallen from heaven and had become miserable forever, he sought the misery of all humankind. So that old serpent, who is the devil, the father of all lies, said to Eve, "Eat the forbidden fruit. You will not die, but you will be like God, knowing good and evil."

And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth.

And after Adam and Eve had eaten the forbidden fruit, they were driven out of the garden of Eden to work the earth.

And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth.

And they had children — the family of all the earth.

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.

And the days of the people were prolonged, according to the will of God, so that they might repent while in the flesh; so their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments the Lord God gave them. For he commanded that all people must repent; for he showed everyone that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

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.

Now, if Adam had not transgressed, he would not have fallen; he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things that were created would have had to stay in the same state they were in after they were created; and they would have remained that way forever, with no end.

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.

And they would have had no children; so they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, because they knew no misery; doing no good, because they knew no sin.

But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

But all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knows all things.

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

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.

And the Messiah will come in the fullness of time to redeem humankind from the fall. And because 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, except by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments God has given.

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.

So people are free according to the flesh, and they have been given everything they need. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all people, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeks to make everyone miserable like himself.

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;

And now, my sons, I want you to look to the great Mediator, and listen to his great commandments; be faithful to his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit.

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.

Do not choose eternal death, following the will of the flesh and the evil that is in it, which gives the spirit of the devil power to captivate you, to bring you down to hell, so that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

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.

I have spoken these few words to you all, my sons, in these last days of my probation; and I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. I have no other purpose than the everlasting welfare of your souls. Amen.