25 Now, if it had not been for the plan of redemption, which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no resurrection of the dead; but there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.
26 And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.
27 But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end.
Alma 12:25-27 (Emphasis mine)
Alma(2) sums up the plan of redemption: no plan of redemption, no resurrection and the temporal death would be the end.
Had Adam and Eve eaten of the tree of life, they would have lived forever. There would have been no probationary state to prepare to meet God. The plan of redemption would not have come about, and the Word of God would have been invalid.
“It was not so.” Alma(2) told them that after death would come the judgement, which is the end.
1 IS there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
Job 7:1 (Emphasis mine)
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
Hebrews 9:27-28 (Emphasis mine)
Let’s turn again to Hugh Nibley.
“[This verse] goes right back to the preexistence. The plan was set for redemption and for resurrection. It was already arranged before the foundation of the world that we should come back again, that we should be redeemed and raised up again. Resurrection means raised up again. ‘But there was a plan of redemption laid, which shall bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, of which has been spoken.’ See, that whole thing was planned ahead of time. This is the picture. He says this whole life is nothing but a preparation for the next stage—for the long haul ahead. “ [1] (Emphasis mine)
28 And after God had appointed that these things should come unto man, behold, then he saw that it was expedient that man should know concerning the things whereof he had appointed unto them;
29 Therefore he sent angels to converse with them, who caused men to behold of his glory.
30 And they began from that time forth to call on his name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world; and this he made known unto them according to their faith and repentance and their holy works.
Alma 12:28-30 (Emphasis mine)
Once there was a plan of redemption, it was necessary that man should know about it. The Lord sent angels to converse and teach man the plan of redemption.
Once the plan was known, man began to call on God’s name. What was made known to man was based on faith, repentance, and their holy works.
John Welch made this observation explaining how we gain knowledge from God:
“Alma gives the most information of any text, including the JST, about how such knowledge is acquired from God (Alma 12:29): through the mysteries (Alma 12:9-10), calling upon God's name (Alma 12:30), obedience (Alma 12:32), and after exercising mighty faith, humility, charity, and repentance (Alma 13:14-15, 18).” [2] (Emphasis mine)
Hugh Nibley adds:
“According to the Book of Mormon the knowledge possessed by the righteous prophets down through the ages has not been shared by the rest of the world. From time to time God has ‘sent angels, . . . conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan . . . prepared from the foundation of the world’ (Alma 12:29—30; Moroni 7:22). Those who have believed in the plan have been few, and God has always hidden them away from the wicked.” [3] (Emphasis mine)
[1] Lecture 48: Alma 10-12, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 29, 2011.
[2] The Melchizedek Material in Alma 13:13-19, John W. Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 29, 2011.
[3] The Apocrypha and the Book of Mormon, Hugh W. Nibley, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed October 29, 2011.
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