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. 

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.

Jesus Christ, Our Savior

We lived in heaven before we came to earth. We lived there as spirits with our Heavenly Parents and with all our spirit brothers and sisters. We loved our parents and wanted to be like them. One day our Father called all of His children together and presented His plan for their happiness. All of us who came to earth thought it was a wonderful plan. We were there when "the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7). Father explained that we would need to leave our heavenly home and His presence for a time. He also explained that all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. He knew that we would need help to find our way back to Him. He knew and loved each one of us individually and wanted all of us to return to Him. He included in His plan of happiness a way that we could return. His plan provided for a Savior to help us. He asked, "Whom shall I send?" Jesus Christ, known in heaven as Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me" (Abraham 3:27; see also Moses 4:1-4). Jesus loved Father and us so much that He was willing to come to earth, to give His life for us, and to take our sins upon Himself. He knew that for Father's plan to work, we must be free to choose. He wanted us to have the opportunity to choose whether or not we would obey Heavenly Father's commandments. He said, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thing forever" (Moses 4:2). Satan, who was called Lucifer in heaven, said, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1). Under Satan's plan we would not be allowed to choose but would be forced to do his will. He would take away our God-given freedom of choice. He also wanted Father's glory. After hearing both sons speak, Heavenly Father said, "I will send the first (Abraham 3:27). Jesus was chosen and foreordained to be our Savior (see 1 Peter 1:19-20; Moses 4:1-2). Satan became angry because Heavenly Father chose Jesus to be the Savior, and he rebelled against God. Satan and those who followed him fought a war in heaven against Jesus and His followers. Revelation 12:11 tells us that the Savior's followers "overcame [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." Because of his rebellion, Satan and all the spirits who followed him were sent away from the presence of God and were cast down from heaven. One -third of all the spirits in heaven were punished for following Satan and were denied the privilege and right to receive mortal bodies. Because we are here on earth with physical bodies, we know that we chose to follow Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Satan and his followers are spirits roaming around on this earth. They know who we are and what we did in heaven. They work daily enticing us and tempting us to do wrong. We followed Jesus Christ and accepted God's plan in heaven. We must continue to follow Jesus here on earth. It is only by following Him that we can return to Heavenly Father and our heavenly home. The gospel of Jesus Christ tells us what we must do to return to be with God. Jesus came to earth, taught the plan of salvation and exaltation, and gave us a good example to follow. He atoned for our sins and made it possible for us to return to our heavenly home. Now it is up to us to exercise our freedom of choice and choose to follow Christ.