For the purpose of perfecting the plan, a council of the Gods, or perfected intelligences was called. It was decided to organize an earth from available materials, and place the spirits on it, clothed with bodies of the grosser elements. An essential function of intelligence is free agency; and that the spirits might have the fullest opportunity to exercise this agency in their earthly career, they were made to forget the events of their spiritual existence. To learn directly the nature of grossest matter, the earth bodies of necessity were made subject to the process of the disintegration called death.
To make possible the subjection of eternal, spiritual organized intelligences to perishable, material structures, certain natural laws would naturally be brought into operation. From the point of view of the eternal spirit, it might mean the breaking of a law directed towards eternal life; yet to secure the desired contact with matter, the spirit was compelled to violate the law. Thus, in this earth life, a man who desires to acquire a first hand acquaintance with magnetism and electricity, may subject himself to all kinds of electric shocks, that, perhaps, will affect his body injuriously; yet, for the sake of securing the experience, he may be willing to do it. Adam, the first man, so used natural laws that his eternal, spiritual body became clothed upon with an earthly body, subject to death. Then in begetting children, he was able to produce earthly bodies for the waiting spirits.
According to this doctrine, the socalled Fall of Adam was indispensable to the evolving of organized intelligences that should have a complete acquaintance with all nature, and a full control over their free agencies. If laws were broken, it was done because of the heroism of the first parents, and not because of their sinfulness.
Mormon theology does not pretend to say in what precise manner Adam was able to secure his corruptible body; neither is science able to answer all the "whys" suggested by recorded experiences. The doctrines of Joseph Smith maintain, however, that the events connected with the introduction of organized intelligences on this earth, were in full accord with the simple laws governing the universe. That the Mormon view of this matter, so fundamental in every system of theology, is rational, can not be denied.
[Sidenote: The atonement was in harmony with natural law.]
However, the bodies given to the spirits continued for only a few years; then they were disorganized in death. Adam's work had been done well. After the death of the mortal body, the spirit was still without a permanent body of matter, that would complete his contact with the elements of the universe. Therefore, it was necessary to bring other laws into operation, that would reorganize these dead material bodies in such a way that they would no longer be subject to the forces of disorganization, death and decay. The eternal spiritual body, united with this eternal material body, then constituted a suitable home for eternal intelligence, whereby it might be able, under the law of evolution to attain the greatest conceivable knowledge and power.
The personage who directed the laws that cancelled the necessary work of Adam, and made the corruptible body incorruptible was the Savior, Jesus Christ. As Adam, by his personal work, made the earth career possible for all who succeeded him; so Jesus, by His personal work, made it possible for the spirits to possess immortal material bodies.
Conditions that may be likened to the atonement are found in science. Suppose an electrical current, supplying a whole city with power and light, is passing through a wire. If for any reason the wire is cut the city becomes dark and all machines driven by the current cease their motion. To restore the current, the ends of the broken wire must be reunited. If a person, in his anxiety to restore the city to its normal conditions, seizes the ends of the wire with his bare hands, and unites them, he probably will receive the full charge of the current in his body. Yet, as a result, the light and power will return to the city; and one man by his action, has succeeded in doing the work for many.
The actual method by which Jesus was enabled to make mortal bodies immortal, is not known to us. Neither can we understand just why the shedding of the Savior's blood was necessary for the accomplishment of this purpose. Like the work of Adam, the exact nature of the atonement is unknown. Still, throughout this plan of Salvation, every incident and accomplished fact are strictly rational. There is no talk of a God, who because of his own will, and in opposition to natural laws, placed man on earth.
[Sidenote: Earth life is a link in man's evolution.]