Adam, recognized as the first man created by God and the father of the human race, features prominently within the narrative of the Book of Mormon. Within its pages, Adam’s role is emphasized as an integral figure in the plan of salvation, his actions and their consequences profoundly influencing the doctrines of the Fall and Atonement.
Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden, often referred to as the Fall, is depicted as a necessary step in the progression of mankind. Lehi, a prophet in the Book of Mormon, expounded on this concept, teaching that “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25). This act is portrayed not as a sin, but as a deliberate part of God’s grand design, enabling mankind to experience mortality, to know joy, and to have the ability to choose between good and evil. Consequently, it sets the stage for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, giving purpose to life and the promise of redemption.
The narratives in the Book of Mormon refer to Adam as the seminal patriarch from whom all human beings descend (1 Nephi 5:11), and his decision to partake of the forbidden fruit as the means by which the earth was populated. It puts forth that had Adam not transgressed, he would have remained in a state of innocence, unable to procreate or die, thus frustrating the plan of happiness (2 Nephi 2:22-25). Furthermore, Adam’s choice is referenced as a pivotal event that allowed Jesus Christ to execute the redemptive sacrifice necessary to save all humanity (Mosiah 3:11; Alma 12:22-23; Mormon 9:12).
In sum, Adam’s role as articulated in the Book of Mormon is of a foreordained leader, a brave preexistent warrior against darkness, and a mortal patriarch who made joy, mortality, and eternal life possible for his posterity. He represents the beginning of the human story, the originator of man’s mortal journey, and an anchor point for the doctrines of the Fall and Atonement that are central to the teachings of the Book of Mormon.