Doctrinal Mastery: 2 Nephi 2:25

“Adam Fell That Men Might Be; and Men Are, That They Might Have Joy”

In the lesson “2 Nephi 2:17–26,” you learned about the Fall of Adam and Eve. Knowing about the Fall can help you rely on the Savior as you face the challenges of mortality. This lesson can help you memorize the doctrinal mastery passage and key scripture phrase for 2 Nephi 2:25, explain the doctrine, and practice applying the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge to realistic scenarios.

Helping learners know their contributions are valued. It often takes courage for students to share their thoughts or concerns in class. Thanking students for their contributions will show them that you appreciate their willingness to share their insights, questions, and testimonies. This will also encourage them to share in the future.

Student preparation: Invite students to come to class prepared to recite 2 Nephi 2:25 from memory and to share one way they experience joy because of the Fall of Adam and Eve.

Possible Learning Activities

This doctrinal mastery passage lesson is designed to be taught after the lesson “2 Nephi 2:17–26,” which is the contextual lesson for the doctrinal mastery passage 2 Nephi 2:25. If this doctrinal mastery passage lesson needs to be moved to a different week, be sure to teach the corresponding contextual lesson during that week as well.

Explain and memorize

Invite most of the class to close their eyes and a couple of students to keep their eyes open. Hold up an object, and invite the students with their eyes open to describe it without using the name of the object. See if they can help the rest of the class guess what it is. This activity can help students practice explaining concepts to others in simple ways.

Some parts of Heavenly Father’s plan can be difficult to explain, including the Fall of Adam and Eve. In a previous lesson, you studied about the Fall. Read 2 Nephi 2:25, thinking about what you learned. Recall that the Fall was an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness.

Write down how you would explain the Fall of Adam and Eve to an eight-year-old and why the Fall is important to understand.

To help students review this doctrine, it may be helpful to invite them to share in small groups what they wrote. Walk around the room, listening to their explanations. If necessary, review material from the previous lesson to help students understand the Fall and the truth stated above.

Practice memorizing the doctrinal mastery passage. One way to practice memorizing it is to divide the scripture reference and key scripture phrase into the following five segments:

• 2 Nephi 2:25

• “Adam fell

• that men might be;

• and men are,

• that they might have joy.”

If possible, consider creating five groups and assigning one of the segments to each group. When you point to a group, they can say their assigned part. Then switch which part the groups are assigned, and repeat.

Write these segments on a piece of paper, and repeat each segment as you point to it. Then erase or cover words or phrases while repeating the scripture. Continue until everything has been erased and you can repeat the scripture reference and key scripture phrase from memory.

Practice application

Help students review the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge. One way to do this is to have students try writing all three principles from memory.

If you need help remembering these principles, refer to the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document (2023).

Use these principles in the following scenario:

While learning about the Fall of Adam and Eve in his Sunday School class, Gideon is surprised to hear his teacher say that the Fall is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation. He begins thinking of all the negative things that can happen because of the Fall—sin, death, sickness, disability, mental illness, trials, and many more. He realizes that the things he complains about the most are often consequences of the Fall. He wonders how the Fall could possibly be something that Heavenly Father would have wanted to happen.

• How would you use the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrine of the Fall to help address Gideon’s concern?

As students respond, you could help them create a plan for addressing this concern. You might ask questions like the following: What would you do first? What kinds of notes would you record in your study journal? What other questions might you want to seek answers to?

Take time in your lesson preparation to consider other ways to help students practice using the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrine of the Fall.

You could also discuss some or all of the following questions with students.

Seek further understanding through divinely appointed sources

Review paragraphs 11–12 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

• How might you use this principle to address Gideon’s concern?

Other ways to use this principle

• What divinely appointed sources would you recommend Gideon look to for additional help?

If students have a difficult time identifying sources, you might remind them of 2 Nephi 2:24–26 or Moses 5:9–10. You could also point them to “Fall of Adam and Eve” in the Bible Dictionary.

• Why would you recommend those sources?

Examine concepts and questions with an eternal perspective

Review paragraphs 8–10 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

• How might you use this principle to address Gideon’s concern?

Other ways to use this principle

• How could your understanding of the Fall and its place in the plan of salvation help in this situation?

• What do you know about the Savior and His Atonement that may help?

• How else could we view this situation with an eternal perspective?

Act in faith

Review paragraphs 5–7 in the “Acquiring Spiritual Knowledge” section of the Doctrinal Mastery Core Document.

• How might you use this principle to address Gideon’s concern?

Other ways to use this principle

Think about your own experiences facing challenges associated with the Fall. Ponder what you have done to act in faith and rely on the Savior when facing challenges associated with mortality.

• How might your experiences help in Gideon’s situation?

• How else could Gideon show faith in Jesus Christ?

Doctrinal mastery review

In a future lesson, consider writing the scripture reference and key scripture phrase in a scrambled order on the board. (You could use the segments that are in the memorization activity in this lesson.) Invite each student to try to write them in the correct order.

If available, you could write the reference and parts of the phrases on separate papers so they can be displayed for the class. A student could come up and, with the class’s help, put the phrases in the correct order.

Supplemental Learning Activity

Alternative scenario

Another way you could approach the scenario is to have students identify a challenge they might face in the future that is a direct result of the Fall of Adam and Eve. This could include death, illness, mental struggles, unfairness, or physical limitations. Students could practice using the principles of acquiring spiritual knowledge and the doctrine of the Fall to find peace, comfort, and joy.