EchoTango the situations you illustrate involve unbalanced forces around the aircraft (if the other forces don't change), and will result in acceleration - a change in speed or direction (i.e. transitioning to the climb or decent) so they don't address a steady climb or decent.
humpty - spot on with the climb, and a good explaination, but a bit of an error with the decent.
The Lift is that part of the force exerted by the wings perpendicular to the flight path.
The load factor in straight and level flight is equal to one, as the Lift must oppose the Weight. Any aircraft in a steady climb or decent requires less lift than the straight and level case. (Sounds strange, I know.)
Consider this: as you sit in your chair at your computer, you are experiencing "1 g", all of which is through your seat on the chair. If you now tilt your chair back onto its rear legs, then you are still experiencing "1 g", however, the force is now shared by the seat of the chair, and the back.
It's the same with aircraft, tilt the aircraft back (in a steady climb) and the force is now shared between the thrust and the Lift. Tilt it forward (in a steady descent) and the force is shared by the Lift and the Drag. In either of these cases Lift required is reduced.
Same applies in a descending turn or climb.
As an aside, your stall speed is reduced in a climb or descent for the same reason, as the stal speed is dependant on the lift required from the wings - less lift = less stall speed. The stall speed in a verticle climb (no lift required) is zero - something all aerobatic pilots (performing "Stall Turns" or "Hammerheads") know.