From the beginning of time . . . no, not Adam and Eve, from the beginning of where we became spirit children of our Heavenly Father we were free to act accordingly to the dictates of our desires. Some desired to become like our heavenly parents, and some did not. Some were better and quicker at it than others, like Jesus Christ, others were not. But we know this because of modern revelation:
“The spirits of men were not equal. They may have had an equal start, and we know they were all innocent in the beginning; but the right of free agency which was given to them enabled some to outstrip others, and thus, through the eons of immortal existence, to become more intelligent, more faithful, for they were free to act for themselves, to think for themselves, to receive the truth or rebel against it.” President Joseph Fielding Smith
This alone should give one pause. We all know the kind of person who constantly states, “I’ve never been given a fair shake.” Well, if you consider that we didn’t start with mortal infancy, then that is not true.
Regardless of how hard we worked in premortality, we all worked hard enough to gain our second estate. There is nothing stopping us from working toward eternal glory. There is only one thing, despite Satan and life circumstances, that stands between us and eternal glory—that’s us. Just as all that stood between the children of Israel and reaching the promised land was their obedience to laws, precepts, principles and practices laid forth by the Lord through Moses—all that stands between us, the Father and the Son—is obedience. Just as Moses was a light unto the people, so too for us the gospel stands as a beacon to the world. As the children of Israel were freed from bondage by Moses, under the direction of the Lord, Jesus Christ freed us from the bondage of sin and death through the Atonement and Resurrection. We have hope, such a bright and perfect hope.
My brothers and sisters across the world, I urge you to look to the heavens for the answers you seek. Scour the words of prophets and apostles in both ancient and modern scripture. Heed the words of the servants of God and strive with all that is in you to be worthy of the sacred chance given you as a son or daughter of God. For within the pages of scripture, through true communication with the Father, and within the honest and sincere heart, there is every possibility that we will triumph over our second estate as well.