Why Adam Lost His Agency in the Garden – Chapter 2

Why Adam Lost His Agency in the Garden
and Why His Fall Matters to Us

Prepared by
Elder Dwight Burford
December 15, 2024, Printing
[pdf copy]

Helaman 5:85,86 – And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; And whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; For behold, ye are free—ye are permitted to act for yourselves; For behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and He hath made you free—He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and He hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; And ye can do good and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; Or ye can do evil and have that which is evil restored unto you.

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Chapter 2: Agency Principles

Agency involves making decisions and acting on those decisions in the place and time in which we live—which, at present, is on earth in this mortal (temporal) life.[17] The consequences of our decisions and actions depend on whether they are in harmony with God’s commands, covenants, and laws by which He governs our existence.[18] Contemplating beyond this mortal life, how we choose to think and act now will determine the place in which we receive our agency in eternity.[19]

Consider Adam. When first created, he was given dominion over all the earth and placed in the garden of Eden where he lived freely with one exception; God commanded him to not eat the fruit of a specific tree.[20] While all other decisions made by Adam did not bring him under condemnation, choosing to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree did. After he partook of the fruit, he was cut off from God’s presence by God driving him from the garden and limiting his time on the earth.

Adam’s agency in the garden meant he had power to make consequential decisions based on the terms and conditions presented to him by God while he was in the garden, e.g. with respect to what he could and could not eat. Thus, his agency did not give him unlimited liberty whereby he could make decisions that violated God’s commands and laws without penalties.

When Adam transgressed God’s command, his agency was curtailed dramatically by God. The new but more restrictive bounds and conditions of Adam’s agency in the mortal state into which he was placed after his fall were markedly different compared to the unique bounds and conditions of the agency he had been given in the garden. These new terms and conditions of his agency in mortality were more limiting by God’s design based on His justice and mercy.

In the garden, Adam faced a choice between living forever in the garden by walking with God or dying spiritually and physically by defying God.[21] In the mortal state in which God placed him after his defiance, Adam faced a new set of choices: keeping God’s command to repent and reconcile his will to God’s will through His Word,[22] or dying an eternal, permanent spiritual death to God and His kingdom.[23] In this mortal state, Adam’s immortal life was in the balance and awaited his decision.

When Adam fell, he became subject to his own will, and when he submitted to the temptation of Satan, he became subject to the will of the devil and the flesh.[24] This meant he would live or die eternally based on whether he chose to become reconciled to God and His will for him, or if he chose to continue living by his own will and the temptations of the devil and the flesh.[25]

While in the garden Adam was free to eat of most all the fruits and herbs in the garden, but after Adam was placed in a mortal life, he had to grow his food among thorns by the sweat of his brow.[26] In this intermediate state, Adam was also free to feast on God’s Word by repenting and relying by faith on Christ’s atoning merits.[27] If he chose Christ as God’s way of salvation from his fall, Adam would be restored to God. If not, Adam would be barred from eternal life in God’s presence.

The choice Adam faced in this mortal life is the same choice each of us now face. We can choose to obey God or die to Him eternally. How we respond to this choice determines if we will be raised from the dead in either the resurrection of the just—to reign on earth with Christ—or later in the resurrection of the unjust after His 1000 year reign.[28] Because this is the primary choice facing us in this life, we must take great care in the decisions we make with respect to God’s will for us.

Like Adam,[29] our reward in the resurrection depends on our response to the Word of God.[30] If we live valiantly by faith in His words we will be resurrected with a glory like that of the sun, i.e. with celestial glory.[31] Stated another way, if we live by the law of the celestial kingdom we will receive our agency in celestial glory with Jesus.[32] Otherwise we will receive the agency of a lesser glory, like that of the moon (terrestrial glory), the stars (telestial glory), or that of no glory.[33]

To highlight certain aspects of the foregoing statements, here is a list of agency principles from scripture relating to the agency God has given us in this mortal life to prepare us for the immortal life to come in a kingdom of glory or one of no glory (i.e. a kingdom of no light and truth):

God formed all created beings and objects for specific reasons and places of habitation in keeping with His plans and designs.[34] Each exists and is preserved by God through the laws He has established to order and perfect His creation.[35] When Adam transgressed the command of God, he was no longer preserved by the law governing his residence in the garden.

D&C 85:8a,b – And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law, is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same. That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, cannot be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, or judgment; therefore, they must remain filthy still.[36]

God was, however, merciful to Adam and placed him in a probationary state with appropriate laws and provisions so he might be preserved by those laws and become reconciled to God and His eternal laws and thereby be restored to His kingdom.

Adam and all of mankind were initially created by God in His image and likeness,[37] and thus we will always exist in terms of eternity.[38] In other words, we will always have some level of agency. The question is, in which kingdom (and thus according to which law) will we have our eternal agency, and what form of restrictions will be placed on our agency?

D&C 85:9a,b – All kingdoms have a law given: and there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or lesser kingdom. And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also, and conditions.

God initially created each of us for His kingdom. If, however, we choose not to abide with Him according to the loving countenance He manifests in and through Jesus Christ, we will receive our eternal agency in a lesser kingdom—one with more restrictive terms and conditions—in keeping with and according to the plan of restoration and redemption.[39]

Alma 19:65-70 – … the plan of restoration is requisite with the justice of God, for it is requisite that all things should be restored to their proper order; Behold, it is requisite and just, according to the power and resurrection of Christ, that the soul of man should be restored to its body, and that every part of the body should be restored to itself. And it is requisite with the justice of God that men should be judged according to their works; And if their works were good in this life and the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also at the last day be restored unto that which is good; And if his works are evil, they shall be restored unto him for evil. Therefore, all things shall be restored to its proper order—everything to its natural frame, mortality raised to immortality, corruption to incorruption, raised to endless happiness, to inherit the kingdom of God, or, to endless misery, to inherit the kingdom of the devil; The one, on one hand; the other, on the other—the one, raised to happiness, according to his desires of happiness, or good, according to his desires of good; and the other, to evil, according to his desires of evil, for as he has desired to do evil all the day long, even so shall he have his reward of evil when the night cometh. And so it is on the other hand—if he hath repented of his sins and desired righteousness until the end of his days, even so shall he be rewarded unto righteousness—these are they that are redeemed of the Lord, yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness. And thus they stand or fall, for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.

According to God’s plan of restoration, we will remain in the spiritual (not physical) state of being we are in when we pass from this life into the next.[40] Having agency in this mortal life means we 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.[41]

Mormon 4:71-74 – Behold, [God] created Adam, and by Adam, came the fall of man, and because of the fall of man, came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son, and because of Jesus Christ, came the redemption of man, and because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord. Yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; And they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before His bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death. And then cometh the judgment of the Holy One upon them; And then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still, and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.

Revelation 22:11-13 – He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Because God gave each of us a limited agency in this mortal life to prepare us for the eternal state into which He will usher us after this life concludes, we will have our agency in eternity based on our works and desires in this world.[42] In other words, we are required to take responsibility for our actions, both now and in eternity, based on God’s commands, covenants, and laws.

God granted us agency in this mortal life to give us the capacity (capability and power) to act in love and compassion according to His image and likeness.[43]

I John 1:5-7 – This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

I John 2:1-4 – My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. But if any man sin and repent, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

I John 4:13-17 – Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

Mankind, however, became carnal, sensual, and devilish by way of the temptations of the devil.[44] Consequently, we now have our agency in the presence of these temptations, which gives us an opportunity to choose to live by Satan’s temptations or to live by the light and love of God through His Word.[45] Choosing to live as God intended in this world involves living by faith, hope, and charity versus remaining carnal, sensual, and devilish.[46]

Dissenters from faith in God’s Word—who is Jesus Christ—become worse than had they not known the Lord.[47]

Alma 14:58 – And thus we can plainly discern that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God and hath had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened; And thus their state becometh worse than as though they had never known these things.

Alma 21:121-122 – Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions, they became more hardened and impenitent and more wild, wicked and ferocious than the Lamanites—drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites, giving way to indolence and all manner of lasciviousness, Yea, entirely forgetting the Lord their God.

For such as those who sin against the atoning blood of Jesus Christ there remains a certain fiery judgment.[48]

Hebrews 10:26-30 – For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses; Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.

Dissenting from the word of the Lord causes people to be blinded to the truth because they no longer have the Spirit of truth to guide them in wisdom’s path.[49] Their falling away may also cause many of their posterity to remain in unbelief for generations.[50]

What we have done to others in this mortal life will be done to us in the day of the Lord.[51]

D&C 1:2e – … the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man.

Luke 6:36-38 – Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven. Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 7:2,3 – Judge not unrighteously, that ye be not judged; but judge righteous judgment.[52] For with what judgment ye shall judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 7:21 – Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the law and the prophets.

Romans 13:8-10 – Therefore owe no man anything, but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

II Corinthians 5:9-11 – Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive a reward of the deeds done in the body; things according to what he hath done, whether good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men…

Alma 19:78-80 – Therefore, my son, see that ye are merciful unto your brethren, Deal justly, judge righteously and do good continually; And if ye do all these things, then shall ye receive your reward—yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again, ye shall have justice restored unto you again, ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again, and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again; For that which ye doth send out shall return unto you again and be restored; Therefore, the word “restoration” more fully condemneth the sinner and justifieth him not at all.

This form of judgment administered by God is both just and merciful as discussed in a later section on why we are agents unto ourselves (i.e. why we are our own judges).

Jesus Christ is the life and light of the world, and it is for His sake that we have been given our agency in this mortal life.[53]

Mosiah 8:82 – He is the light and the life of the world; Yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; Yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

John 8:12 – Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 3:14-22 – And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; That whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish; but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He who believeth on him is not condemned; but he who believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed on the name of the Only Begotten Son of God, which before was preached by the mouth of the holy prophets; for they testified of me. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. For everyone who doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he who loveth truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest. And he who obeyeth the truth, the works which he doeth they are of God.

Had Jesus not come among us to atone for our sins, the first judgment of God’s justice would have remained in force forever, and thus we would have been lost forever.[54] But Jesus did atone for the sins of the world so each of us may choose for ourselves to live with Him in light and love by choosing to repent and come to Him.[55] (Even so, we may remain as if He had not redeemed us by not accepting the gift of His atonement.[56]) Rejoice then for the judgment day that is ahead of us because without there being a future judgment we would yet be under the punishment of the first judgment, that of being cut off from God’s presence.

Our agency in this life offers us the opportunity to make a covenant relationship with Jesus and thereby become one with Him through becoming members of His body.[57] For God loves those who will have Him as their God; therefore, He covenants with them.^[58]

I Nephi 5:131,132 – And He loveth them which will have Him to be their God; Behold, He loved our fathers, And He covenanted with them, yea, even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, And He remembered the covenants which He had made.

John 14:21,23 – He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. … If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

All who repent and reconcile their wills to God’s will by covenanting with Him to keep His words and commands—and thereby living out their love for Him and others—will have the right to partake of the tree of life in the eternal kingdom of God.[59]

Revelation 22:14-16 – Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

I Nephi 4:61-63 – Wherefore, the final state of the souls of men is to dwell in the kingdom of God, or to be cast out because of that justice of which I have spoken; Wherefore, the wicked are separated from the righteous, and also from that tree of life whose fruit is most precious and most desirable of all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

Remember, Adam was shut out from the tree of life when he ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After his fall, God sent the fruit of the tree of life, by way of sowing the seed of the tree, which is His Word, by messengers to Adam, his family, and to their posterity.[60] God did this so all people may grow the tree of life within themselves and, with patience and diligence, eventually eat from it by bringing it to maturity within themselves by faith in the Word.[61] Those who do so will be filled with His light and love.

Alma 16:152-153,170-173 – Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed, or a good seed—if ye do not cast it out by your unbelief that ye will resist the Spirit of the Lord—behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts … if ye will nourish the word—yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence and with patience—looking forward to the fruit thereof, and it shall take root; And behold, it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life! And because of your diligence and your faith and your patience with the word in nourishing it, that it may take root in you, behold, by and by, ye shall pluck the fruit thereof, which is most precious, which is sweet above all that is sweet, and which is white above all that is white, yea, and pure above all that is pure, and ye shall feast upon this fruit, even until ye are filled that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst; then my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith and your diligence and patience and longsuffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Genesis 6:61,62 – Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying, that by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death; and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so become of dust a living soul; Even so ye must be born again, into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye may be sanctified from all sin; and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come; even immortal glory.

Ephesians 3:14-19 – For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

To summarize, the same tree of life available in the beginning in the garden is available now to every person who is willing to receive the seed of the tree, i.e. the Word of life. By receiving and growing the seed (God’s Word) to maturity within himself or herself by faith and diligence, each person may partake of God’s love now and on into eternity.[62]

I John 1:1-4 – Brethren, this is the testimony which we give of that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

I Timothy 3:16 – The pillar and ground of the truth is, (and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness,) God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Remember, then, how Jesus is the Word—the same Word by which we live and move and have our being and which we must therefore hide in our hearts.[63] For He is able, as the engrafted word, to save to the uttermost everyone who comes to the Father by Him.[64] This is my prayer, then, that everyone will receive and mature the Word of life in themselves and thereby have the right to partake of the tree of life in the kingdom of God.[65]

Other vital principles of agency are given in scripture. For instance, those who trust in the arm of flesh are cursed,[66] whereas those who work out their own salvation with fear and trembling before God, having a broken and contrite heart, are blessed by faith in Jesus Christ.[67] Another principle is that all who are carnally minded have enmity toward God and thus cannot to be reconciled to His will.[68] Each of us must therefore believe in God and have faith in His words to please Him.[69]

These and other agency principles point us directly to Jesus Christ, who came into the world in the fullness of time[70] to atone for our sins and give us our agency in eternity through the power of His atonement and the power of His resurrection.

Moroni 7:46-48 – … And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold, I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of His resurrection to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in Him according to the promise; Wherefore, if a man have faith, he must needs have hope; For without faith, there cannot be any hope.

II Nephi 7:43 – Wherefore, may God raise you from death by the power of the resurrection, and also from everlasting death by the power of the atonement,

Jesus Christ’s gift of this saving power is the core principle of our eternal agency—that of giving us power to act as God’s children[71] in the just and honorable manner He intended.[72] Jesus is able to give this same power to all who willingly receive Him as God’s Word.[73] And He capably gives this power to each and every member of His body (His church) by giving them gifts with power to edify (build up) the whole body of the church in truth and love.[74]

In effect, then, Jesus is our agency in the kingdom of God. He is our life because He is the law that is to be written into our hearts and minds according to the new covenant so He may preserve us in eternity.[75]

III Nephi 7:10 – Behold, I Am the law and the light; Look unto Me and endure to the end and ye shall live, for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.

Hebrews 8:10-12 (Jeremiah 31:33,34) – For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people; And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

D&C 85:8a0b – And again, verily I say unto you, that which is governed by law, is also preserved by law, and perfected and sanctified by the same. That which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself, and willeth to abide in sin, and altogether abideth in sin, can not be sanctified by law, neither by mercy, justice, or judgment; therefore, they must remain filthy still. All kingdoms have a law given: and there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space, either a greater or lesser kingdom. And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also, and conditions.

Simply comprehended, then, God is sovereign and infinitely capable of giving us agency by which He can hold us accountable for our decisions and actions based on the laws He establishes and the commandments He has given to us. His capability in this regard stems directly from His pure and perfect love.

II Nephi 1:116-118 – And the Messiah cometh in the fullness of time, that He might 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 Lord at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.

I John 4:16-21 – And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Moroni 7:52,53 – Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail; But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; And whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with them. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, That ye may be filled with this love which He hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of His Son Jesus Christ, that ye may become the sons of God, that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him—for we shall see Him as He is—that we may have this hope, that we may be purified even as He is pure. Amen.

As love, God does not exert full control over every aspect of our lives. Rather, He commits to our care rich treasures of His creation based on the two great commandments—that of loving Him with our whole beings and loving each other as ourselves (as members of one body, the church).[76] Upon so engaging us in love, God then holds us accountable for our response to His love’s appeal.[77] How we respond to God’s love then determines our eternal relationship with Him and each other.

God’s interaction with Adam in the garden and in this probationary state called Today teach us that agency comes with stewardship responsibilities based on the commands and provisions of God.[78] Therefore, definitions of agency and stewardship are discussed in the next chapter in a scriptural context. How different individuals fulfilled their agency or had it curtailed or even lost due to transgression are given to illustrate the operation of these related but unique responsibilities.

[17] cf. Acts 17:26 with Genesis 2:10,18

[18] e.g. Matthew 7:32-35 & III Nephi 5:40-43 with Matthew 28:17-19, Mark 16:14-21 & Luke 24:24-48; cf. Revelation 22:11-14 with Mormon 4:71-74; cf. III Nephi 7:27-45 & Ether 1:30-35 with III Nephi 9:46-106 & III Nephi 10:1-29; cf. I Nephi 7:1-70, III Nephi 4:55-59 & III Nephi 13:15-62 with Mosiah 3:6-11, Mosiah 9:39-42, & Alma 5:26-28

[19] Revelation 22:11-14 & Mormon 4:72-74 with Obadiah 1:15, Zephaniah 2:3 & Alma 9:22-32

[20] Genesis 1:27-29 with Genesis 2:19-22; see also Alma 19:82-111 with II Nephi 1:101-110, Alma 9:38-41, Mosiah 1:124-129 & D&C 28:9a-14b

[21] cf. Genesis 2:19-22 with Alma 19:88-91; see also II Nephi 6:10-93 with Helaman 4:52-73

[22] cf. I John 1:1-10 & I John 2:1-5 with II Nephi 1:116-125 & II Nephi 7:40-44; cf. Genesis 7:54 with Revelation 13:8

[23] Alma 9:28-32 & Alma 15:55 with Romans 8:5-17 & II Nephi 6:74

[24] D&C 28:11a with Alma 19:88, Romans 5:14 & II Nephi 7:40-44

[25] I Nephi 3:27-36 with II Nephi 7:40-44

[26] Genesis 2:18 with Genesis 4:1 & Genesis 3:23-25

[27] Genesis 6:53-65, John 1:11-18 & Luke 4:1-4 with Romans 5:1-11, II Nephi 14:4-6, Alma 16:151-173 & Helaman 5:85,86

[28] https://hisworkmanship.net/why-three-glories-part-1/ & https://hisworkmanship.net/why-we-live-in-an-open-enrollment/

[29] Genesis 6:67-71 with Genesis 5:45

[30] I Corinthians 15:21-45 with Romans 5:10-21 & Revelation 5:10; cf. Revelation 22:11-14 with Mormon 4:71-74

[31] Romans 1:16,17 & D&C 98:9b with D&C 76:7i & D&C 85:2a; cf. D&C 76:5a-r with D&C 85:6d

[32] cf. Romans 8:1-4, Romans 13:8-10 & James 1:25-27 with D&C 85:5a-9b & D&C 102:2a-d

[33] D&C 85:5a-12f with I Corinthians 15:21-45 & D&C 76:5a-7w

[34] As an example, the earth and the fullness thereof are the Lord’s, and they abide the purpose of their creation, which is to abide the glory of the Lord through His presence (e.g. D&C 85:4a-d). To so abide, the earth must abide in its appointed space and motion relative to the sun and other planets as designated by God. In the end, the earth will be cleansed by fire so the meek and poor in spirit may inhabit it; cf. Psalms 24:1, Psalms 89:11 & Hebrews 6:7,8 with Job 26:7, Job 38:12-14, Helaman 4:62 & D&C 85:11a-12a; cf. Matthew 5:5-11, Matthew 6:9-11 & Matthew 11:29,30 with D&C 85:4a-d