2 Nephi 9:6 - 9:10

2 Nephi 9:6 For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

Death was a integral part of the plan for our progression towards godhood. But since a body was required to be a God it was the calling of Jehovah to come and bring about the resurrection of the body so we would have one forever. However, because of the fall, we are cut off from the presence of God as well.

2 Nephi 9:7 Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

Since we are cut off from His presence, it was necessary for Jehovah to also perform the atonement. The atonement being that taking upon Him the sins of us all so we could overcome the spiritual separation. Otherwise after our birth, we would have no ability to overcome physical or spiritual death. We would have remained forever cut off. So after our death as mortals we would remain as spirits with no way to atone for our sins and no way to have our bodies back again. Our fate would have been of an endless duration.

2 Nephi 9:8 O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

But our Father in Heaven planned for all this. If He had not made provision for this fall, we would have found ourselves living with the devil and eventually become like him in attitude and disposition.

2 Nephi 9:9 And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

We would have become devils ourselves. We would be like that individual who talked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. Who also is continually getting man angry at each other to start wars or to be contentious with each other .

2 Nephi 9:10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.

Knowing all this, God has made allowances so that we can escape this awful fate. Jehovah volunteered to pay for our sins and be the first to be resurrect so we could return to God’s presence.