Answers

So it seems that "the days were prolonged" part was talking about how when Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, they did not die immediately. That God prolonged the days of men in order for the to reconcile themselves through repentance.

On According to the flesh, Elder Oaks wrote:

"Free . . . to act for themselves" and "free to choose" refer to free agency. "Free according to the flesh" refers to freedom, as I will illustrate later.
1.Lehi taught his son Jacob that "men are free [have freedom] according to the
flesh" (2 Nephi 2:27). For example, in the flesh we are subject to the physical law of gravity. If I should hang from the catwalk here in the Marriott Center and release my grip, I would not be free to will myself into a soft landing. And I cannot choose to run through a brick wall.
A loss of freedom reduces the extent to which we can act upon our choices, but it does not deprive us of our God-given free agency........
Seventh, we should be aware that some people are more susceptible to some addictions than other people. Perhaps such susceptibility is inborn, like the unnamed ailment the Apostle Paul called "a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure" (2 Corinthians 12:7). One person has a taste for nicotine and is easily addicted to smoking. Another person cannot take an occasional drink without being propelled into alcoholism. Another person samples gambling and becomes a compulsive gambler.
Perhaps these persons, as the saying goes, were "born that way." But what does this mean? Does it mean that persons with susceptibilities or strong tendencies have no choice, no free agency in these matters? Our doctrine teaches us otherwise. Regardless of a person's susceptibility or tendency, his will is unfettered. His free agency is unqualified. It is his freedom that is impaired. Other persons are more free; though they unwisely sample the temptations, they seem immune to the addiction. But regardless of the extent of our freedom, we are all responsible for the exercise of our free agency. As Lehi taught, in mortality we are only free "according to the flesh" (2 Nephi 2:27). Most of us are born with thorns in the flesh—some more visible, some more serious than others. We all seem to have susceptibilities to one disorder or another, but whatever our susceptibilities, we have the will and the power to control our thoughts and our actions. This must be so. God has said that he holds us accountable for what we do and what we think, so these must be controllable by our agency. Once we have reached the age or condition of accountability, "I was born that way" does not excuse actions or thoughts that fail to conform to the commandments of God. We need to learn how to live so that a weakness that is mortal will not prevent us from achieving the goal that is eternal.......
There is much we do not know about the extent of freedom we have in view of the various thorns in the flesh that afflict us in mortality. But this much we do know, we all have our free agency, and God holds us accountable for the way we use it in thought and deed. That is fundamental.

Liberty (2 Nephi chptr2 cont.)

Lehi teaches his sons about how there is an opposition to all things. Basically, opposition defines all things. Not only would be there no meaning to anything without opposition, there would be no free will, no action. Disobedience to the law brings misery. Obedience to the law brings blessings and happiness. Every law has these two sides, so without the law there would be no happiness or misery which means without one, the other wouldn't exist.Something about the phrase "And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life.." impresses me. We ARE free to choose. Nothing is pushing us one way or the other. Liberty and eternal life is there for us to take if we choose to. So is that what every choice in my day comes down to? Am I choosing liberty and eternal life, or captivity and misery?


2 things here I want to know more about the meaning of. Vrs 21, Lehi talks about how the days of men were prolonged in order for us to repent. Prolonged from what?Vrs 27, Free according to the flesh, what does that really mean?

Free Salvation (2 Nephi chptr 2)

Lehi speaks to Jacob and basically teaches him the plan of salvation and he does such a good job of it. "And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free." The grace of of Christ is so humbling. No matter what we do, we will never be able to pay or attain salvation by our own efforts. It is freely given to us after all we can do. If there was a set "price" on salvation, I don't think we even come close to it by doing all that we can do. I think that the grace of God fills a mighty gap in that process.

"When I fall, I shall arise" (chptr 2 cont)

So I've found that this phrase has been used quite a bit in the bible also. Usually a little bit different of phrasing but its is used enough to the point that there must be a great meaning to it, or at least a popular teaching saying. I found that a biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann showed that there is a connection between rising from the dust and enthronement. He says that to be taken from the dust means to rise from obscurity to royal office. Lehi seems to use this phrase in the same way as does King Benjamin later on. Aren't we all here to rise from obscurity, put on the armour of righteousness as Lehi says and live in such a way that we can continue to rise to royalty. To live once again with our father in heaven eternally with our families in hand is as royal as I can think. Rising from the dust, shaking off the chains with which we are bound, cleansing ourselves from sin. "Awake, and arise from the dust, O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments, O Daughter of Zion" (Moroni 10:31). I pray that I can be strong and live worthy to receive those awards that await me in heaven. I pray that I can be worthy of those garments and that they will always continue to be beautiful and pleasing unto the Lord.
"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me" (Micah 7:8).

Arise from the dust (2 Nephi Chptr1 pt2)

Lehi continues to speak about how the land is blessed for their sake and how if they are righteous, then the land will be theirs and will be kept from other nation, but if they are wicked they will be scattered and other nation will come and take the land from them. Lehi also talks to his sons as he prepares to die.  He pleads with them to be more righteous and obey the commandments of the Lord. In the space of 5 verses or so, Lehi uses the phrase, " arise from the dust". What significance does this have? To be researched for tomorrow for sure.

Land of Liberty. (2 Nephi Chptr 1)

Lehi talks to his sons about how blessed they are that they have been able to come to the promised land. The land has been consecrated to him and his seed and all those whom the Lord brings unto it. He also say that no one will come into this land unless the Lord brings them there and that the land shall be a land of liberty. Other than the obvious meaning of that phrase, I'm wondering if there is more to it than just being a "land of the free"....After some research on this, I can't think of and couldn't find any more meaning to this. I think that it has a lot of meaning though in its obvious context. By being a land of liberty, all those that dwell on it have free agency. We all have the freedom to choose. This is a huge part of the plan of salvation. Those that live under oppression aren't able to practice the plan or the reason for being alive on this earth to the point that we are. We are truly blessed to live in this land and to enjoy the Liberty that has been covenanted unto us by dwelling here.