Editing Book of Mormon (section)

==== Plan of salvation ====
{{See also|Plan of salvation in Mormonism|Universalism and the Latter Day Saint movement#Universalism and the Book of Mormon}}
The Christian concept of God's [[plan of salvation]] for humanity is a frequently recurring theme of the Book of Mormon.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ridenhour|first=Lynn|url=http://www.centerplace.org/library/bofm/baptistversionofbofm.htm|title=The Baptist Version of the Book of Mormon|publisher=WinePress Publishing|via=CenterPlace}}</ref> While the Bible does not directly outline a plan of salvation, the Book of Mormon explicitly refers to the concept thirty times, using a variety of terms such as ''plan of salvation'', ''plan of happiness'', and ''plan of redemption''. The Book of Mormon's plan of salvation doctrine describes life as a probationary time for people to learn the gospel of Christ through revelation given to prophets and have the opportunity to choose whether or not to obey God. Jesus' atonement then makes repentance possible, enabling the righteous to enter a [[heaven]]ly state after a [[Last Judgment|final judgment]].<ref name="Reynolds-2020">{{Cite journal |last=Reynolds |first=Noel B. |date=2020 |title=The Plan of Salvation and the Book of Mormon |url=https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-21-no-1-2020/plan-salvation-book-mormon#_edn4 |url-status=live |journal=[[Religious Educator]] |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=30–53 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210601072717/https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-21-no-1-2020/plan-salvation-book-mormon |archive-date=June 1, 2021}}</ref>

Although most of Christianity traditionally considers the fall of man a negative development for humanity,{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=597|ps=. "[A]ll human life has been radically altered for the worse, so that its actual state is very different from that purposed for it by the Creator."}} the Book of Mormon instead portrays the fall as a foreordained step in God's plan of salvation, necessary to securing human agency, eventual righteousness,<ref name="Reynolds-2020" /> and bodily joy through physical experience.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Coviello|2019|p=8}} summarizes, "bodies are not the seats of wickedness or Pauline corruption but something else entirely: the vehicles for exaltation... As the Book of Mormon observed, 'men are, that they might have joy.'"

The Book of Mormon reference is to {{Mormonverse|2 Nephi|2:22–25}}: "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden... And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin... all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."</ref> This positive interpretation of the Adam and Eve story contributes to the Book of Mormon's emphasis "on the importance of human freedom and responsibility" to choose salvation.<ref name="Reynolds-2020" />