2Ne Ch2

Ah! Ok I love this chapter! It is so very important when trying to understand agency and the atonement! The context is of this chapter is Lehi talking to his son Jacob who was born in the wilderness.

Jacob has suffered afflictions and sorrow because of the rudeness of his brothers, nevertheless he knows God and His greatness (v1-2). Because of his righteousness, Jacob will be as his brother Nephi, that is serving The Lord (v3). Jacob has "beheld in thy youth His glory," and accepted it (v4). In v5, Lehi speaks of the temporal and spiritual law that is given unto men that prevents us from returning to Heavenly Father and makes us miserable (setting up for talking about the atonement). Redemption is spoken of slightly in v6-7, then the importance of sharing this knowledge with all the inhabitants of earth in v8. 

Because Christ made an intercession for all the children of men, we are judged of Him at the last day (v9-10). Read the second half of v10 very carefully and you'll see that there is an absolute need for the atonement in order to be happy. 

If you've ever heard of the three pillars of eternity you know that they are: the creation, the fall, and the atonement. 

 Here is a visual if you've never seen it.

I find it somewhat more accurate to display something like this

But still it's not the exact same because after the atonement we can be made better than during the creation, so imagine this

A little sloppy but they are my scriptures and I'm ok with that.

So now we can talk about each pillar. The creation is spoken about in v11-16 and explains the need for opposition in all things as well as proving the existence of God because this life has purpose. An important aspect of creating all things is the agency we have because there are "both things to act and things to be acted upon," we are the things to act and choose what we do each day (v14-16). The fall is described in v17-25 first talking of the fall of "an angel of God" (lucifer) to set up how miserable it is to be fallen. This fallen angel also wanted others to fall and told Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden which cause mankind to fall from the presence of God. Obviously Heavenly Father didn't like that so he allowed a prolonged probationary state for men to repent. Being now knowledgeable about good and evil, Adam and Eve were commanded to have children to give everyone a chance to live and be tested. If they had not partaken of that forbidden fruit they never would have known that and nothing would have changed. We wouldn't be here because there would be nothing changed. But "all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things" (aka God), he allowed the fall so we could know happiness.

The atonement is finally talked about in v26-29, although it's been talked about before too. This is the final overall statement of the atonement where it says the Messiah will come in the fullness of times and redeem men from the fall but men still have to choose that liberty. If we don't choose liberty, satan has power to make us miserable in captivity.

Lehi's last words in this chapter is to say 'I'm dying but telling you this good stuff for the "everlasting welfare of your souls" because it has been spoken by the prophets' (v30) or at least that's how I interpret it. Good stuff! Next we'll hear what he says to his last-born son in the wilderness, Joseph. It's a good history of the name sake he has and also a peak into the future (our past).