Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 6?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

This essay is the sixth and final one teaching about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first thesis discussed moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. The second treatise discussed sin and punishment for sin. The third essay discussed Satan. The fourth paper discussed the creation of Adam and Eve and Satan’s great temptation. The fifth essay discussed the tree of life and the immediate result of the Fall. This thesis will discuss how the Atonement was provided for because the Fall did not come by chance, using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 66-68).

Atonement Provided for – God did not leave His now mortal children without hope. He gave other commandments to Adam, requiring him to offer sacrifices in the name of the Only Begotten Son, and promising redemption unto him and all his descendants who would comply with the conditions prescribed. The opportunity of winning the victor’s reward by overcoming evil was explained to our parents, and they rejoiced. Adam said: “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” Eve was glad and declared: “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.”

The Fall came not by chance – It would be unreasonable to suppose that the transgression of Eve and Adam came as a surprise to the Creator. By His infinite fore-knowledge, God knew what would be the result of Satan’s temptation to Eve, and what Adam would do under the resulting conditions. Further, it is evident that the fall was foreseen to be a means whereby man could be brought into direct experience with both good and evil, so that of his own agency he might elect the one or the other, and thus be prepared by the experiences of a mortal probation for the exaltation provided in the beneficent plan of his creation [emphasis added]: “For behold, this is my work and my glory – to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 1:39) spoke the Lord unto Moses. It was the purpose of God to place within the reach of the spirits begotten by Him in the heavens the means of individual effort, and the opportunity of winning not merely redemption from death but also salvation and even exaltation, with the powers of eternal progression and increase. Hence it was necessary that the spiritual offspring of God should leave the scenes of their primeval childhood and enter the school of mortal experience, meeting, contending with, and overcoming evil, according to their several degrees of faith and strength. Adam and Eve could never have been the parents of a mortal posterity had they not themselves become mortal; mortality was an essential element in the divine plan respecting the earth and its appointed inhabitants; and, as a means of introducing mortality, the Lord placed before the progenitors of the race a law, knowing what would follow.

Eve was fulfilling the foreseen purposes of God by the part she took in the great drama of the fall; yet she did not partake of the forbidden fruit with that object in view, but with intent to act contrary to the divine command, being deceived by the sophistries of Satan, who also, for that matter, furthered the purposes of the Creator by tempting Eve; yet his design was to thwart the Lord’s plan. We are definitely told that “he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world” (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:6) [Emphasis added]. Yet his diabolical effort, far from being the initiatory step toward destruction, contributed to the plan of man’s eternal progression. Adam’s part in the great event was essentially different from that of his wife; he was not deceived; on the contrary he deliberately decided to do as Eve desired, that he might carry out the purposes of his Maker with respect to the race of men, whose first patriarch he was ordained to be.

Even the transgressions of men may be turned to the accomplishment of high purposes. The sacrificial death of Christ was ordained from before the foundation of the world, yet Judas who betrayed, and the Jews who brought about the crucifixion of the Son of God, are nonetheless guilty of the awful crime.

It has become a common practice with mankind to heap reproaches upon the progenitors of the family, and to picture the supposedly blessed state in which we would be living but for the fall; whereas our first parents are entitled to our deepest gratitude for their legacy to posterity – the means of winning title to glory, exaltation, and eternal lives. But for the opportunity thus given, the spirits of God’s offspring would have remained forever in a state of innocent childhood, sinless through no effort of their own; negatively saved, not form sin, but from the opportunity of meeting sin; incapable of winning the honors of victory because prevented from taking part in the conflict. As it is, they are heirs to the birthright of Adam’s descendants – mortality, with its immeasurable possibilities and its God-given freedom of action. From Father Adam we have inherited all the ills to which flesh is heir; but such are necessarily incident to a knowledge of good and evil, by the proper use of which knowledge man may become even as the Gods.

 

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 5?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

 This essay is the fourth in teaching about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first thesis discussed moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. The second treatise discussed sin and punishment for sin. The third essay discussed Satan. The fourth paper discussed the creation of Adam and Eve and Satan’s great temptation. This essay will discuss the tree of life and the immediate result of the Fall, using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 66-68).

The Tree of Life – There was another tree of special virtues in Eden; its fruit assured life to those who ate of it. While Adam and Eve lived in innocence, immune to death, this tree had not been forbidden them. Now that they had transgressed, however, now that the divine decree had issued fixing death as their lot, it was necessary that the fruit of the tree of life be no longer within their reach. They were, therefore, expelled from the garden, and cherubim with a flaming sword guarded the way, that man might not return in an unregenerate state. By transgression our first parents acquired a knowledge, which in their condition of pristine innocence they had not possessed – the experimental knowledge of good and evil. The result of their fall could have been of none but ill effect had they been immediately brought to a condition of immortality, without repentance, without atonement. In the despair following their realization of the great change that had come upon them, and in the light of the knowledge that had gained at such cost as to the virtues of the tree of life, it would have been natural for them to seek the seeming advantage of an immediate escape by partaking of the immortalizing food. In mercy they were prevented from so doing.

The words of the Creator are unmistakable as to the necessity of banishing Adam and Eve from Eden: “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Gen. 3:22-24).

Alma, the Nephite prophet, comprehended the result that would have followed had Adam and his wife eaten of the tree of life; he thus explained the matter: “Now, we see that the man had become as God, knowing good and evil; and lest he should put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, the Lord God placed cherubim and the flaming sword, that he should not partake of the fruit – And thus we see, that there was a time granted unto man to repent, yea, a probationary time, a time to repent and serve God. For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God, having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated” (Alma 42:3-5).

The Immediate Result of the Fall was the substitution of mortality, with all its attendant frailties, for the vigor of the primeval deathless state. Adam felt directly the effects of transgression in finding a barren and dreary earth, with a relatively sterile soil, instead of the beauty and fruitfulness of Eden. In place of pleasing and useful plants, thorns and thistles sprang up; and the man had to labor arduously, under the conditions of physical fatigue and suffering, to cultivate the soil that he might obtain necessary food. Upon Eve fell the penalty of bodily infirmity; pains and sorrows, which since have been regarded as the natural lot of womankind, came upon her, and she was made subject to her husband’s authority. Having lost their sense of former innocence they became ashamed of their nakedness, and the Lord made for them garments of skins. Upon both the man and the woman was visited the penalty of spiritual death; for in that very day they were banished from Eden and cast out from the presence of the Lord. The serpent, having served the purposes of Satan, was made a subject of divine displeasure, being doomed to crawl forever in the dust, and to suffer form the enmity which it was decreed should be placed in the hearts of Eve’s children.

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 3?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

This essay is the third in teaching about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first essay discussed moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. The second essay discussed sin and punishment for sin. This essay will discuss Satan using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 62-63).

Satan – We have had occasion to refer frequently to the author of evil among men. This is Satan, the adversary or opponent of the Lord, the chief of evil spirits, called also the Devil, Beelzebub, or the Prince of Devils, Perdition, and Belial. The figurative appellations dragon and serpent are applied to Satan when reference is made to his fall. We learn from the revealed word that Satan was once an angel of light, then known as Lucifer, a Son of the Morning; but his selfish ambition led him to aspire to the glory and power of the Father, to secure which he made the pernicious proposition to redeem the human family by compulsion; and, failing in this purpose, he headed an open rebellion against the Father and the Son, drawing a third of the hosts of heaven into his impious league. These rebellious spirits were expelled from heaven, and have since followed the impulses of their wicked natures by seeking to lead human souls into their own condition of darkness. They are the devil and his angels. The right of free agency, maintained and vindicated by the war in heaven, prevents the possibility of compulsion being employed in this fiendish work of degradation; but the powers of these malignant spirits to tempt and persuade are used to the utmost. [Emphasis added.] Satan tempted Eve to transgress the law of God; it was he who imparted the secret of murder for gain to the fratricide, Cain.

Satan exerts a mastery over the spirits that have been corrupted by his practices; he is the foremost of the angels who were thrust down, and the instigator of the ruin of those who fall in this life; he seeks to molest and hinder mankind in good efforts, by tempting to sin; or it may be by imposing sickness, or possibly death. Yet in all these malignant doings, he can go no farther than the transgressions of the victim may enable him, or the wisdom of God may permit; and at any time he may be checked by the superior power. [Emphasis added.] Indeed, even the operations of his utmost malice may be turned to the accomplishment of divine purposes. The scriptures prove to us that the days of Satan’s power are numbered; his doom has been pronounced, and in the Lord’s own time he will be completely overcome. He is to be bound during the millennial reign, and after that thousand years of peace he will be loosed for a little season; then his defeat will be complete, and his power over the children of God will be destroyed.

The above information is depressing to me, so I want to end this essay on a positive note. We do not need to wait until the Millennium to bind Satan. Satan can be bound by righteousness, according to 1 Nephi 22:26 (Book of Mormon – Another Testament of Jesus Christ): “And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth.”

This verse of scripture is, of course, describing the Millennium, but the principle is the same. We can “bind Satan” in this life by living righteously. When our hearts are set on righteousness, we will keep God’s commandments and refuse to commit evil. According to Latter-day Saint belief, Satan’s binding is a spiritual restraint rather than a physical one. Righteous living removes Satan’s power to influence our hearts. Obedience to God weakens Satan’s power to influence us. 

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam 2?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

 This essay will continue a discussion started last week about the Fall of Adam and Eve as stated in the second Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I laid a foundation for discussing this Article of Faith by discussing moral agency, or the freedom to choose good or evil. This essay will discuss sin and punishment for sin using the words of Elder James E. Talmage (The Articles of Faith [1890], 57-61).

Sin – What is the nature of sin? To this question the Apostle John replies: “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4) …. As God is the embodiment of perfection, such opposition is rebellion against the principles of advancement and adherence to the practices that lead to degradation. Sin is any condition, whether omission of things required or in commission of acts forbidden, that tends to prevent or hinder the development of the human soul. [Emphasis added.] As a righteous course leads to eternal life, so sin tends toward the darkness of the second death. Sin was introduced to the world by Satan; yet it is by divine permission that mankind are brought in contact with sin, the contrast between evil and good thus being learned by experience.

According to the technical definition of sin it consists in the violation of law, and in this strict sense sin may be committed inadvertently or in ignorance. It is plain, however, from the scriptural doctrine of human responsibility and the unerring justice of God, that in his transgressions as in his righteous deeds man will be judged according to his ability to comprehend and obey law. To him who has never been made acquainted with a higher law the requirements of that law do not apply in their fulness. For sins committed without knowledge – that is, for laws violated in ignorance – a propitiation has been provided in the atonement wrought through the sacrifice of the Savior; and sinners of this class do not stand condemned, but shall be given opportunity yet to learn and to accept or reject the principles of the Gospel….

Punishment for Sin – As rewards for righteous deeds are proportionate to deserving acts, so the punishment prescribed for sin is made adequate to the offense. But, be it remembered, both rewards and punishments are natural consequences. Punishment is inflicted upon the sinner for disciplinary and reformatory purposes and in accordance with justice. There is nothing of vindictiveness or of desire to cause suffering manifest in the divine nature; on the contrary, our Father is cognizant of every pang, and permits such to afflict for beneficent purposes only. God’s mercy is declared in the retributive pains that He allows, as in the blessings of peace that issue from Him…. Comparison with physical pain, such as the tortures of fire in a sulphurous lake, serve to show that the human mind is incapable of comprehending the extent of these penalties. The sufferings entailed by the fate of condemnation are more to be feared than are any possible inflictions of physical torture; the mind, the spirit, the whole soul is doomed to suffer, and the torment is known by none in the flesh.

Consider the word of the Lord regarding those whose sin is the unpardonable one, whose transgression has carried them beyond the present horizon of possible redemption; those who have sunk so low in their wickedness as to have lost the power and even the desire to attempt reformation. Sons of Perdition they are called. These are they who, having learned the power of God afterward renounce it; those who sin wilfully in the light of knowledge; those who open their hearts to the Holy Spirit and then put the Lord to a mockery and a shame by denying it; and those who commit murder wherein they shed innocent blood; these are they of whom the Savior has declared that it would be better for them had they never been born. These are to share the punishment of the devil and his angels – punishment so terrible that the knowledge is withheld from all except those who are consigned to this doom (emphasis added), though a temporary view of the picture is permitted to some. These sinners are the only ones over whom the second death hath power….

The Duration of Punishment – As to the duration of punishment, we may take assurance that it will be graded according to the sin; and that the conception of every sentence for misdeeds being interminable is false. Great as is the effect of this life upon the hereafter, and certain as is the responsibility of opportunities lost for repentance, God holds the power to pardon beyond the grave. Yet the scriptures speak of eternal and endless punishment. Any punishment ordained of God is eternal, for He is eternal. His is a system of endless punishment, for it will always exist as a place or condition prepared for disobedient spirits; yet the infliction of the penalty will have an end in every case of acceptable repentance and reparation. And repentance is not impossible in the spirit world (emphasis added). However, as seen, there are some sins so great that their consequent punishments are not made known to man; these extreme penalties are reserved for the sons of Perdition.

The false doctrine that the punishment to be visited upon erring souls is endless, that every sentence for sin is of interminable duration, must be regarded as one of the most pernicious results of misapprehension of scripture. It is but a dogma of unauthorized and erring sectaries, at once unscriptural, unreasonable, and revolting to one who loves mercy and honors justice. True, the scriptures speak of everlasting burnings, eternal damnation, and the vengeance of eternal fire, as characteristics of the judgment provided for the wicked; yet in no instance is there justification for the inference that the individual sinner will have to suffer the wrath of offended justice forever and ever. The punishment in any case is sufficiently severe without the added and supreme horror of unending continuation. Justice must have her due; but when “the uttermost farthing” is paid, the prison doors shall open and the captive be free. But the prison remains, and the law prescribing punishment for offenses is not to be repealed….

 

 

 

Articles of Faith: What Do Latter-day Saints Believe About the Fall of Adam?

Article of Faith 2

   We believe that men will be punished for their own sins,

                    and not for Adam’s transgression.

 This essay will begin a discussion about the Fall of Adam and Eve and the second article in my series on the Articles of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, before discussing the Fall, we should lay a proper foundation for the conditions under which Adam made his decision.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches as doctrine that Heavenly Father bestowed upon His spirit children certain inalienable rights while in the spirit world. Moral agency, or freedom to choose, is one of those rights. Elder James E. Talmage explained this doctrine as follows (Articles of Faith [1890], 52-55).

The Church teaches as a strictly scriptural doctrine, that man has inherited among the inalienable rights conferred upon him by his divine Father, freedom to choose the good or the evil in life, to obey or disobey the Lord’s commands, as he may elect. This right cannot be guarded with more jealous care than is bestowed upon it by God Himself; for in all His dealings with man He has left the mortal creature free to choose and to act, without compulsion or restraint beyond the influences of paternal counsel and direction. True, He has given commandments and has established statutes, with promises of blessings for compliance and penalties for infraction; but in the choice of these, men are untrammeled. In this respect, man is no less free than are the angels except as he fettered himself with the bonds of sin and forfeited his power of will and force of soul. The individual has as full a measure of capability to violate the laws of health, the requirements of nature, and the commandments of God in matters both temporal and spiritual, as he has to obey all such; in the one case he brings upon himself the penalties that belong to the broken law; as in the other he inherits the specific blessings and the added freedom that attend a law-abiding life. Obedience to law is the habit of the free man; the transgressor fears the law, for he brings upon himself deprivation and restraint, not because of the law, which would have protected him in his freedom, but because of his antagonism to law. [Emphasis added.]

The predominant attribute of justice, recognized as part of the divine nature, forbids the thought that man should receive promises of reward for righteousness, and threats of punishment for evil deeds, if he possessed no power of independent action. It is no more a part of God’s plan to compel men to work righteousness than it is His purpose to permit evil powers to force His childr4en into sin…. [Emphasis added.]

A knowledge of good and evil is essential to the advancement that God has made possible for His children to achieve; and this knowledge can be best gained by actual experience, with the contrasts of good and its opposite plainly discernible. Therefore has man been placed upon earth subject to the influence of good and wicked powers, with a knowledge of the conditions surrounding him, and the heaven-born right to choose for himself….

Samuel, a converted Lamanite [taught:] “for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free. He hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death” (Helaman 14:30).

When the plans for creating and peopling the earth were under discussion in heaven, Lucifer [Satan; the devil] sought to destroy the free [moral] agency of man by obtaining power to force the human family to do his will, promising the Father that by such means he would redeem all mankind so that no one of them should be lost. This proposition was rejected, while the original purpose of the Father – to use persuasive influence of wholesome precept and sacrificing example with the inhabitants of the earth, then to leave them free to choose for themselves – was agreed upon; and the one to be known as the Only Begotten Son was chosen as the chief instrument in carrying that purpose into effect.

Heavenly Father gave each son and daughter an important and power gift when He bestowed moral agency upon everyone. However, the gift came with responsibility. Elder Talmage explained as follows (Articles of Faith [1890], 55-57.

Man’s Accountability for his individual acts is as complete as is his agency to elect for himself. The ultimate result of good deeds is happiness, the consequence of evil is misery; these follow in every man’s life by inviolable laws. There is a plan of judgment divinely foreordained, by which every man will be called to answer for his deeds; and not for deeds alone but for his words also and even for the thoughts of his heart…. John the Revelator was permitted to learn in vision something of the scenes connected with the last judgment; he wrote: “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works….”

The execution of judgment is not always made to follow the acts of men immediately; good deeds may not be at once rewarded, nor evil be peremptorily punished; and this is according to divine wisdom, for were it otherwise the test of individual character and the trial of human faith, for which purposes this mortal probation was primarily ordained, would be greatly lessened: as the certainty of immediate pleasure or pain would largely determine human acts to secure the one and avoid the other. Judgment, therefore, is postponed, that every one may prove himself, the good man increasing in righteousness, and the evil-doer having opportunity for repentance and reparation….

It is the prerogative of Jesus Christ to judge mankind, and He will do it as His own purposes, which are the purposes of His Father, may be best served….

All the above information can be summarized as follows: Heavenly Father desires all His children to return to His presence to live with Him for eternity. However, He will not force any of His children to do so. In other words, He desires us to want to be with Him because we love Him –not out of duty or out of fear, but out of love. Wanting to be with Him is different than simple obedience to His commandments. If we genuinely love Him with all our heart, mind, might, and strength, we will live our lives in such a way that we will be worthy of returning to His presence. The choice is ours, but He stands ready to help us in repenting of our sins and overcoming our weaknesses.

 

  

The Fall of Adam and Eve

                     Imagine that you were given the opportunity to live in a world where there was no sickness, sorrow, sin, pain or death.  Would you like to live in such a world?  Adam and Eve lived in just such a world when they were first placed on the earth.  There was no sickness, sorrow, pain or death in the Garden of Eden.  Many people wonder why Adam and Eve would choose to leave such a wonderful place.  This article will explain why Adam and Eve made their decision and how their choice has affected all of us.

                    In our pre-earth life, our Heavenly Father called all of His spirit children together in a big conference so that He could explain His plan for the eternal happiness of His children.  He explained that an earth would be created and a way would be prepared for all of His spirit children to gain mortal bodies, to gain knowledge and experience, and to return to His presence to live with Him forever.  Not all of His spirit children were thrilled with the Father's plan; in fact, one-third of the hosts of heaven rebelled against God and was cast out of heaven.  Satan - known as Lucifer in heaven - led the rebellious spirits. 

Adam - known as Michael in heaven - was one of the leaders of the righteous spirits who fought against Lucifer.  Under the direction of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ - known as Jehovah in heaven - created this earth, and He was assisted by Adam.  Adam and Eve were among the most righteous of our Father's spirit children, and they were chosen to be the first man and woman on the new earth. 

                    After Adam and Eve entered the Garden of Eden, God gave them two commandments.  The first commandment ever given to mankind on this earth can be found in Genesis 1:28 and also in Moses 2:28:  "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it:  and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

                    The second commandment given to Adam and Eve can be found in Genesis 2:16-17 and also in Moses 3:16-17:  "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

                    "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:  for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

                    Adam and Eve could not keep both of these commandments because they contradicted each other.  If they chose to eat the fruit, they would be cast out of the Garden of Eden.  But if they did not eat the fruit and remained in the garden, they would not be able to have children or to "multiply and replenish the earth."  Because the Garden of Eden was a place of innocence while Adam and Eve lived there, they could not change or progress in any way, including having children.  By giving Adam and Eve two contradicting commandments, God put them in a position where they had to use their agency - their power to choose.

                    An ancient American prophet named Lehi taught his children:  "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden.  And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.

                    "And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

                    "But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

                    "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."  (See Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ, 2 Nephi 2:22-23.)

                      Elder Russell M. Nelson, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, taught:  "To bring the plan of happiness to fruition (fulfillment), God issued to Adam and Eve the first commandment ever given to mankind.  It was a commandment to beget children.  A law was explained to them.   Should they eat from `the tree of the knowledge of good and evil' (Genesis 2:17), their bodies would change; mortality and eventual death would come upon them.  But partaking of that fruit was prerequisite to their parenthood" (Ensign, Nov. 1993, 34).

                    The decision of Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit was not a sin, as it is sometimes considered.  According to Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, it was a transgression - an act that was formally prohibited but not inherently wrong.  (See Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73.)  The Fall was necessary for us to progress toward exaltation.  We have to experience mortality to become like our Father in Heaven, and Adam and Eve fulfilled their mission to make this possible.  The Fall of Adam and Eve enabled each of us to come to earth, receive a body, and gain experience in choosing between good and evil.  Instead of thinking of the Fall of Adam and Eve as a fall backward, we should consider it as a step forward.

So what actually happened to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden?  The scriptures tell us that "Satan put it into the heart of the serpent … and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.

"And he said unto the woman:  Yea, hath God said - Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  (And he spake by the mouth of the serpent.)

"And the woman said unto the serpent:  We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;

"But of the fruit of the tree which thou beholdest in the midst of the garden, God hath said - Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

"And the serpent said unto the woman:  Ye shall not surely die;

                    "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

                    "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat."  (See Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:6-12, italics added.)

                    Satan told Eve a lie and then followed the lie with a truth.  He told her "Ye shall not surely die," which is a lie.  By partaking of the fruit, Adam and Eve brought death into the world.  Satan also told Eve, "… your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil," which is a truth.

                    Satan tempted Eve to eat the fruit because he thought that he could destroy God's plan for the happiness of His children.  He had no idea that partaking of the fruit was a necessary part of God's plan for Adam and Eve.

                    Eve and then Adam ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil because they acted with understanding and used their agency to choose.  They realized that if they did not eat the fruit, they would not be able to have children and they would not be able to learn to make righteous decisions.  They wisely chose to eat the fruit.  

         

                    The Fall of Adam and Eve had great effects on them as well as their descendants, including you and I.  Before the Fall, they could not have physical bodies or the mortal experience with testing and probation.  They had limited choices and no joy or pain.  There was no work, sin or opposition in the garden and no opportunity for exaltation.   By partaking of the fruit, the bodies of Adam and Eve changed in order for them to have the mortal experiences - testing, probation, children, unlimited choices, work, judgment, sin, opposition, repentance, joy, and pain.  They also prepared the way for Jesus Christ, our Savior, His Atonement, and eventual exaltation.  

              

                    "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).  The Fall of Adam and Eve was essential to the eternal joy of all their posterity.  Through the Fall we are able to be born on earth, where we can learn and progress toward exaltation and eternal joy.

                    In our pre-mortal life, we were among the righteous spirits with Adam.  We are like Adam ad Eve.  They were spirit children of God, and so are we.  They were given agency to choose between good and evil, and so were we.  They used their agency wisely and followed God; we too are given that opportunity.  They had a special mission to be the first man and woman on earth.  We too have a special mission because we were held back until the latter days.

                    Elder Ezra Taft Benson (then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and later President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) stated:  "For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second Coming of the Lord….  God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the Kingdom triumphantly.  And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God" ("In His Steps," in BYU Speeches of the Year, 1979, 59-60).

                    Adam and Eve made a deliberate choice to partake of the forbidden fruit.  Their choice did not come from a desire to disobey the Lord, but from a desire to gain wisdom.  Because of this choice, we have the opportunity to come to earth and learn, as did Adam and Eve, how to choose good over evil.  I am very grateful for Adam and Eve and the choice they made.  I encourage you to continue to be like Adam and Eve and follow their righteous examples in choosing good over evil. 

Fall of Adam and Eve

God created or organized this earth as a home for His sons and daughters. He selected Adam and Eve to be the first people on the earth and placed them in the Garden of Eden (see Moses 1:34; 4:26). Their part of God's plan for His children was to bring mortality into the world. They were given the job to be the first parents on earth, and they were foreordained to this responsibility.

Adam and Eve were among the most noble of our Father's children. Adam was known as Michael the archangel in the spirit world (Jude 1:9), and Heavenly Father selected Adam to lead the righteous forces in the battle against Satan (see Revelation 12:7-9). God brought Adam and Eve together in marriage because “it was not good that the man should be alone” (Moses 3:18; see also 1 Corinthians 11:11). Eve was "the mother of all living" (Moses 4:26) and shared Adam's responsibilities, accomplishments, and blessings.

When Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden, they were not yet mortal. They could not have children or die. They did not know good from evil. God commanded them to have children and said, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over … every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Moses 2:28). God told them to take care of the Garden of Eden and to eat of every tree in the garden except the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He told them that they would die if they partook of the fruit of that tree (Moses 3:17).

Satan did not know what was in God's mind; his only desire was to destroy God's plan for His children. He tempted Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He told her a half truth when he said that she and Adam would not die but would "be as the gods, knowing good and evil" (Moses 4:11). Eve listened to Satan and ate the fruit. When Adam understood what she had done, he chose to eat of the fruit also in order that they could remain together. Because they ate of the fruit, change came upon their bodies. This change is known as the Fall.

Adam and Eve were changed both physically and spiritually. Because they ate of the fruit, God sent them out of the Garden of Eden into the world where they would need to work to provide for their own needs. Their bodies changed and became mortal. They could have children. They and their children would experience sickness and pain and would eventually die just as God had promised. Because Adam and Eve disobeyed and transgressed Heavenly Father's law, they suffered spiritual death. This meant that they could no longer walk and talk with God face to face. They and their posterity were separated from God both physically and spiritually.

Many people believe that Adam and Eve committed a serious sin when they ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I believe that they took a noble and necessary step in God's plan. I believe that their Fall was a great blessing to themselves and to their posterity. I believe that the Fall was a step forward and upward. Because of the Fall, we have many blessings, opportunities and privileges that we would not have received if Adam and Eve had remained in the Garden of Eden. We are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life.

After the Fall, Eve realized the importance of the step taken. She said, "Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed [children], 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" (Moses 5:11).

A prophet named Lehi saw the "big picture" and explained it to his children. He said, "And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen [been cut off from God's presence], but he would have remained in the Garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created…. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:22-25).

I believe that it is very important for us to know about the Fall and to understand how it influences us. It is good for us to know of the greatness and nobility of our first parents. It is important that we understand why Adam and Eve needed to become mortal and then honor them for their courage and willingness to do so. We must always remember that Adam and Eve were among the most noble of Heavenly Father's children and that He chose them to perform a very important part of His plan for His children. They helped to prepare the way for the rest of us. I look forward to the day when I can meet them and thank them personally for their courage and commitment.

Atonement of Jesus Christ

Happy Easter to all of you! The Easter season is the most sacred part of the year for Christians because it commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are all part of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is the most important event that has ever occurred in all the history of mankind. It has been said that no one really understands their need for the Atonement of Jesus Christ until they understand the Fall of Adam and its effect on all mankind. As part of Heavenly Father's plan of salvation for His children, the Atonement of Jesus Christ was necessary to counteract the effects of the Fall of Adam. The Fall of Adam brought two kinds of death into the world: physical death and spiritual death. Physical death is the separation of the body and the spirit. Spiritual death is separation from God. The Atonement of Jesus Christ overcame both kinds of death. Without the Atonement, our bodies and spirits would separate at death and never be reunited. Without the Atonement, we would never live with Heavenly Father again. As a visual for the Fall of Adam, imagine a man falling into a very deep pit. The man tried to climb up the very steep side of the pit but kept slipping back to the bottom. He searched around in the pit and discovered some sticks and poles. He took the scarce materials and made the longest ladder possible with what he had available. He stood the ladder on end and leaned it against the side of the pit. With great excitement, he climbed the ladder to the very top - only to discover that he was still far below the rim of the pit. He knew that he had done all that he could do, and now he understood that he could not save himself. He became very discouraged and resigned himself to being in the pit for the rest of his life. This man represents all mankind after the Fall of Adam. The man stayed in the pit for a long time. Then one day another man came along the same path and saw the huge pit. He carefully crept to the edge of the pit and looked down into the pit. There he saw the first man sitting in the bottom of the pit. He also saw the ladder leaning against the side of the pit. He recognized that he could save the man by using the rope that he carried and the ladder that the other man had built. He called down to the man and explained his plan. He secured one end of the rope and then threw the other end down to the man. The man in the pit climbed to the top of his ladder and then grabbed the rope. Working together, the man in the pit was able to climb out of the pit. He was very grateful for the man who saved him and remembered him for the rest of his life. This second man represents our Savior and his rope represents the grace of God. As I mentioned earlier, no man, woman or child realizes his or her need for the Savior until he or she recognizes that the Fall of Adam plunged all of us into a very deep pit! Our loving and wise Heavenly Father prepared a wonderful plan to save us from the effects of the Fall of Adam, which are physical and spiritual death. He planned for a Savior to come to earth to pull mankind out of the "pit" of mortality. This Savior came to redeem us from our sins and from death. We could not redeem ourselves because of our sins and the weaknesses of our mortal bodies. (See Alma 34:10-12.) Jesus Christ was sinless, and He had power over death because He is the Son of God. He is the only one who did not fall into the "pit." Jesus Christ was the only person who could be our Savior for numerous reasons. The first reason is that Heavenly Father chose Jesus to be the Savior. A second reason is that Jesus was the Only Begotten Son of God; therefore, He was the only one who had power over death. No one could take His life from Him unless He allowed it. A third reason is that He is the only person to live on earth who did not commit any sin. He alone was worthy to make a sacrifice to pay for the sins of others. I personally do not fully understand how Jesus Christ suffered for all our sins, but I know that He did. I know that He atoned for my sins and for your sins as He suffered in Gethsemane and gave His life on the cross. The weight of our sins caused Him to feel such pain in Gethsemane that He bled from every pore. He suffered through painful death on the cross and died from one of the cruelest methods of death that are known to man. The suffering of Christ through both physical and spiritual agony shows the great love that both Heavenly Father and Christ have for all mankind. John 3:16 tells us, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Heavenly Father sent His Beloved Son to earth to suffer and then stood back and let His Son suffer. As a parent, having some experience with watching my children suffer great pain, I have some understanding of the great sacrifice Heavenly Father made as He allowed Jesus Christ to atone for the sins of mankind. I believe that it is essential that we understand this truth as well as the fact of Christ's suffering for us. None of us have a right to complain about the suffering we have to endure. Jesus Christ became the first person to be resurrected when He took up His body again on that third day after His crucifixion. The wonderful news was proclaimed by an angel to Christ's friends, "He is not here: for he is risen, as he said" (Matthew 28:6). His spirit re-entered His body and would never separated from it again. By His resurrection, Christ overcame death and made it possible for all mankind to be resurrected also. (See 1 Corinthians 15:21-22.) Just as Jesus was resurrected, our spirits will be reunited with our bodies and will never experience death again. (See Alma 11:45.) All people who have ever lived on earth will be resurrected. (See Alma 11:44.) This condition is called immortality and is a free gift to all mankind from Jesus Christ. Just as the resurrection of Christ made it possible for all mankind to overcome physical death, the Atonement of Christ made it possible for us to overcome spiritual death. This gift is conditional on our acceptance of Christ's Atonement on our behalf. We accept Christ's Atonement when we put our faith in Him. We show our faith in Him when we repent of our sins, are baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and obey His commandments. When we do those things, we become His disciples, and we receive forgiveness and cleansing from sin in preparation to return to Heavenly Father's presence to live forever. President Boyd K. Packer of the Council of the Twelve Apostles told a story - a parable - that illustrates how Christ's Atonement made it possible to be saved from sin IF we do all we can do. The parable can be found in Ensign, May 1977, 54-55, but a summary of the parable follows. There was a man who wanted something, badly enough to go into debt for it. He always knew that he had the debt, but he didn't get around to paying it. Then the bill came due, and the man had nothing to pay it. There was a discussion about justice and mercy. The creditor could not extend mercy to the man and still receive justice. The man was headed to prison for not being able to pay his debt until his friend came to help. The friend paid the creditor and gave him justice. The friend then extended mercy to the debtor. He set the terms for repayment of the debt, terms that were possible but not easy. Justice had been satisfied, and mercy was extended. When we sin, we go into spiritual debt. Jesus Christ is our Friend who paid our debts and offered us possible terms for repayment. He is our Savior and our Mediator. His terms are repentance and obedience to the commandments. If we keep His terms, we will qualify to return to live with our Heavenly Father again. Jesus Christ gave mankind two gifts. The first gift is that we will be resurrected and become immortal. It is given freely to all mankind. The second gift is the Atonement. It gives us eternal life IF we accept the terms offered by Jesus Christ: Faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion, receive the Holy Ghost, and keep the commandments for the rest of our lives. "Behold, I have come unto the world … to save the world from sin. "Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved" (3 Nephi 9:21-22). Jesus Christ lives! [www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ddXNF29goo]