The fall of Adam brought about mortality. Had this not happened, Adam and Eve would still be alive today (although we would never have been born).
And he said unto them: Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakes or misery and woe.
Moses 6:48
Now Alma said unto him: This is the thing which I was about to explain. Now we see that Adam did fall by the partaking of the forbidden fruit, according to the word of God; and thus we see, that by his fall, all mankind became a lost and fallen people. And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, ther would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die. And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God; a time to prepare for that endless state which has been spoken of by us, which is after the resurrection of the dead.
Alma 12:22-24
And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never shoul have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
Moses 5:11
In addition to the "temporal" death, Adam and Eve were also subject to a spiritual death. They were cast out of the presence of God, which is spiritual death. It was necessary for us to leave the presence of God so that we could be tested.
But behold, it was appointed unto man to die--therefore, as they were cut off from the tree of life they should be cut off from the face of the earth--and man became lost forever, yea, they became fallen man. And now, ye see by this that our first parents were cut off both temporally and spiritually from the presence of the Lord; and thus we see they became subjects to follow after their own will. . . . Therefore, as the soul could never die, and the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal, that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord, it was expedient that mankind should be reclaimed from this spiritual death.Part of the fall was that man became subject to misery and unhapiness. This was an essential part of the plan, so that we could also learn to be happy at the same time. Part of this is that we are subject to sin. The fallen man becomes more and more devilish the more he lets the "natural man" dictate his actions rather than the teachings of God.
Alma 42:6-7,9
And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves; for if they never should have bitter they could not know the sweet--Wherefore, it came to pass that the devil tempted Adam, and he partook of the forbidden fruit and transgressed the commandment, whereinhe became subject to the will of the devil, because he yielded unto temptation. Wherefore, I the Lord God, caused that he should be cast out from the Garden of Eden, from my presence, because of his transgression, wherein he became spiritually dead, which is the first death, even that same death which is the last death, which is spiritual, which shall be pronounced upon the wiched when I shall say: Depart, ye cursed. But, behold, I say unto you that I, the Lord God, gave unto Adam and unto his seed, that they should not die as to the temporal death until I, the Lord God, should send forth angels to declare unto them repentnce and recemption, through faith on the name of mine Only Begotten Son. And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation--that he might be raised in immoratlity unto eternal life, even as man as would believe.
D&C 29:39-43
When Adam, our first parent, partook of the forbidden fruit, transgressed the law of God, and became subject unto Satan, he was banished from the presence of God, and was thrust out into outer spiritual darkness. This was the first death. Yet living, he was dead-dead to God, dead to light and truth, dead spiritually; cast out from the presence of God; communication between the Father and the Son was cut off. He was absolutely thrust out from the presence of God as was Satan and the hosts that followed him. That was spiritual death. But the Lord said that he would not suffer Adam nor his posterity to come to the temporal death until they shoudl have the means by which they might be redeemed form th ffirst death, which is spiritual.
Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 432
For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not, so, my first=born in the wilderness, righteouness could not be brough to pass, neither wickedness, neither hoiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having to life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibiltiy.
2 Nephi 2:11
And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.
Alma 41:11
The "natural man" is the "earthy man" who has allowed rude animal passions to overshadow his spiritual inclinations.
Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, Nov. 1974, 112
This being "conceived in sin" [Moses 6:55] as I understand it, is only that they are in the midst of sin. They come into the world where sin is prevalent, and it will enter into their hearts, but it will lead them "to taste the bigger that they they may know to prize the good."
George Q. Morris, in Conference Report, April 1958, 38
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