The statement previously quoted, "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all," could only be in reference to the transgression of our first parent, who, acting as the progenitor and head of the human family, assumed a responsibility not only for himself, but for all of his seed; for the whole of the human family not having then been born, could not be responsible, personally, for acts that transpired before they had an existence on the earth. But as children inherit blessings from their fathers, so it would also seem that they must inherit curses, or share in their calamities. The Lord, in speaking to the children of Israel, said He would visit "the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate" him; and furthermore "a bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord, even to his tenth generation." This ostracism or punishment could be for no personal act of their own, for they had no part in the sin of their parents; any more than Adam's progeny had in the original sin or transgression. But it seems to be a principle admitted, that if they share the blessings accruing to their father for righteous acts, they must also share the condemnation for acts that are unrighteous. Hence comes in the atonement of the Messiah, which amply covers all of these acts, and more than that, for as Paul says: "But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, winch is by one man, Jesus Christ; hath abounded unto many." Hence we say, as above, the atonement covered more, apparently, than the transgression; for Adam, without the transgression, would have had no increase. That transgression opened the way for the increase, as stated by Eve, "Were it not for our transgression, we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient." That being the case, all children born among any people, not having arrived at the years of accountability, are saved through the atonement of Jesus Christ, as stated by Moroni: