Articles of Faith Series: The Second Articleby Tristi Pinkston | More from this Blogger 04 Jul 2008 04:00 PM The Second Article of Faith states: "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." Some religions believe that because of the fall of Adam, we are all condemned. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes a different view. We, in fact, are grateful to Adam for what he did. If he and Eve had remained in the Garden of Eden, we as a human race would not have existed. It was only when Adam and Eve left the Garden that they became able to have children. It's true that in the Garden they had everything they needed and leaving was a big sacrifice. But had they not made that sacrifice, the plan of the Almighty would not have come to pass. He gave us repentance, and He illustrated that principle beautifully with Adam and Eve. Today, we are not still trying to live down Adam's mistakes. He sought after his own repentance and made peace with God, and his mistake was applied to the blood of the Atonement. We, in turn, have the opportunity to make our own mistakes, and to choose whether or not we will repent. Just as my children won't have to bear the burden of guilt for my mistakes, so are we not accountable for the things Adam did. Of course, we are influenced by the mistakes of others, but we are not accountable for them. I'm grateful for free agency, for the power to choose my own way. I'm also grateful for the Atonement, which allows me to recognize my mistakes, make up for them the best I can, and then steps in to fill in the gaps when my own feeble efforts fall short, as they always will. Mercy is foremost on the list of qualities possessed by our Heavenly Father, and He will see to it that all judgments are just in the last days. Related Blogs: What's Up with Large Families? Learn more about Tristi Pinkston  I've been a blogger for Families.com since August of 2006. Relevantlds tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags Articles of Faith, Adam and Eve, lds Discuss this article
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