In a meeting of the lyceum, most likely held on 9 February 1841, JS discussed the fall of Adam and the redemption of humankind. As early as 1829, JS began to teach an understanding of the Fall that sharply contrasted with Calvinist and other traditional, contemporary Christian viewpoints. For example, in contrast to John Calvin’s insistence that “Adam’s sin . . . kindled the dreadful flame of divine wrath against the whole human race,” the Book of Mormon, which JS translated in 1829, averred that God’s purposes were fulfilled rather than thwarted by the Fall. In it, the prophet Lehi declared, “Adam fell, that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” In 1830, when JS began his revision of the Bible, his revelatory expansion of the account of the Creation and the Fall in the book of Genesis portrayed Adam as rejoicing over the results of the Fall: “Blessed be the name of God for my transgression for in this life I shall have joy & again in my flesh I shall see God.” Eve was similarly pleased: “Were it not for our transgression we should never had seed & should never had known good & evil & the joy of our redemption & the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obediant.” JS’s teachings during this lyceum meeting expanded upon this understanding that the fall of Adam was part of the plan of God.

wrote an account of this JS discourse in his personal notebook. It is the only known source recording JS’s teaching that day. Although McIntire did not provide a date for the meeting, lyceum meetings appear to have been held every Tuesday, and because the text of this discourse is found in the sixth entry of McIntire’s notebook, JS most likely delivered it at the lyceum meeting of 9 February, the sixth Tuesday of 1841.