Mormon understands spiritual history as being divided by the coming of the Atoning Messiah to the New World. While Christian practice divides our accounting of time into before and after the birth of Christ, Mormon divides the nature of faith into two periods, centered on the Savior’s visitation to the New World.
Before the Messiah appeared to the Nephites, prophets promised that he would come. During this period, Yahweh still blessed them with good things that came through the Atoning Messiah’s promise in “divers ways.” Even though there was no atonement and therefore humankind was technically fallen, nevertheless, the promise was sufficient to allow these good things. These prophets and all those who looked for the good things were exercising great faith in a promise, not a fact.