2 Nephi 9:6

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Reference Search: 2 Nephi 9:6

6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Quotes for Discussion

Death is just as important in the welfare of man as is birth. There is no greater blessing that can come than the blessing of birth. One third of the hosts of heaven, because of rebellion, were denied that privilege, and hence they have no bodies of flesh and bones, that great gift of God.

But who would like to live forever in this mundane world, filled with pain, decay, sorrow, and tribulation, and grow old and infirm and yet have to remain with all the vicissitudes of mortality? I think all of us would come to the conclusion, if that proposition were placed before us, that we would not like to have it. We would reject it. We would not want life of that nature. Life here in this world is short of necessity, and yet all that is required may be accomplished, but death is just as important in the plan of salvation as birth is. We have to die—it is essential—and death comes into the world “to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator.”

Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:116

I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin….This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin.

Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:114, 115

Transgression of Adam

It is proper and according to the scriptural pattern to speak of the transgression of Adam, but not the sin of Adam. Lehi says, for instance, “If Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen.” Then he explains that while in their state of innocence in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve “knew no sin.” (2 Ne. 2:22-23.) Knowledge of good and evil is an essential element in the commission of sin, and our first parents did not have this knowledge until after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 804

Fall of Adam & Eve

Thus we see why the Lord gave two conflicting commandments-one to become mortal and have children, the other to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil out of which mortality and children and death would result. The issue is one of choosing between opposites. Adam must choose to become mortal so he could have children, on the one hand; on the other hand, he must choose to remain forever in the garden in a state of innocence. He chose to partake of the forbidden fruit so that the purposes of God might be accomplished by providing a probationary estate for his spirit children. Adam must needs fall so that he would know good from evil, virtue from vice, righteousness from wickedness. He could not have done this without breaking a law and becoming subject to sin. He chose the Lord's way; there was no other way whereby salvation might come unto the children of men.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.91