Why does the Fall
matter?
I have noticed that many people find the story of Adam and
Eve, and their fall from the Garden of Eden, to be a puzzling chapter in the
story of our shared Judeo-Christian faith.
Many find it hard to account for because it doesn’t seem to fit with
modern notions of the origin of our species.
Others struggle with the difficulties that arise over what seem to be
difficult doctrinal issues surrounding the fall. I have even heard Mormons refer to certain
aspects of the fall of Adam and Eve as “deep doctrine” as if it is some
incomprehensible mystery which cannot fully be understood or explained. Even those who accept the importance of the
Fall of Adam and Eve sometimes struggle with the full significance and meaning
of the fall, because the fall is so complex in its ramifications, and the full
meaning of the events and symbols used in the accounts of the fall can be
confusing and may even be perceived as contradictory to our limited
understanding.
Due to these and other difficulties, some are tempted to dismiss
the fall as a mere fable, and one that is no longer relevant to us today. However, this could not be further from the
truth. As modern day prophets have
repeatedly pointed out, it is crucial that each of us gain a good understanding
of the events and significance of the fall of Adam and Eve, and to do so is
actually fundamental to fully celebrating one’s faith.
“Just as a man does not really desire food until he is
hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he
needs Christ.
No one adequately and properly knows why he needs Christ
until he understands and accepts the doctrine of the Fall and its effect upon
all mankind.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “The
Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants,” Ensign, May 1987, 85).
“The simple truth is that we cannot fully comprehend the
Atonement and Resurrection of Christ and we will not adequately appreciate the
unique purpose of His birth or His death—in other words, there is no way to
truly celebrate Christmas or Easter—without understanding that there was an
actual Adam and Eve who fell from an actual Eden, with all the consequences
that fall carried with it.” (Jeffrey R.
Holland, “Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Ensign, May 2015, lds.org).
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| In the interest of full disclosure, Adam and Eve should be naked in this picture. |
What was life like
in the Garden?
Life in the Garden of Eden was very different from life as
we know it here in the so-called fallen world.
One major difference is the fact that, as long as they remained in the
garden, Adam and Eve would live forever and never die. Another important
difference between Eden and our mortal existence was that Adam and Eve enjoyed
the direct presence of God. They spoke
with Him and walked with Him in the garden.
Another was that Adam and Eve
lived in a state of perpetual innocence, without knowledge (or experience) of
good and evil (or joy and misery) and the difference between the two. The prophet Lehi described some of the
conditions of the garden as he described the necessity of the Adam’s fall.
2 Nephi 2:22-23 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.
While we may view Eden to be synonymous with paradise, it is
likely that we would find such a paradise to be a restrictive one at best,
because in Eden (as Lehi pointed out) Adam and Eve could not have any children,
nor could they experience joy, because in Eden they could know no misery or
pain. A life without joy or family isn’t
really life at all.
“You might be inclined to think that a Garden of Eden life would be preferable to working at a job [or making mistakes, or getting sick, or growing old], but you’d be wrong. I’m convinced that Adam and Eve would have been bored to tears if they’d stayed in the garden: no kids, no challenges, no job. I think that Adam being made to grow food “by the sweat of his brow” was a blessing, not a curse.” (Romney, M. (May 18, 2015). Mitt Romney to Grads: America Needs You to Serve. Retrieved from http://time.com/3882769/mitt-romney-graduation-speech-saint-anselm-college/).
“You might be inclined to think that a Garden of Eden life would be preferable to working at a job [or making mistakes, or getting sick, or growing old], but you’d be wrong. I’m convinced that Adam and Eve would have been bored to tears if they’d stayed in the garden: no kids, no challenges, no job. I think that Adam being made to grow food “by the sweat of his brow” was a blessing, not a curse.” (Romney, M. (May 18, 2015). Mitt Romney to Grads: America Needs You to Serve. Retrieved from http://time.com/3882769/mitt-romney-graduation-speech-saint-anselm-college/).
“We find, then, Adam's status before the fall was:
1. He was not subject to death.
2. He was in the presence of God. He saw him just as you see
your fathers; was in his presence, and learned his language. Now if any of you
are professors from our schools of language, and have an idea that language
came as these theorists say, I am going to tell you that Adam had a perfect
language, for he was taught the language of God. That was the first language
upon this earth. So much for those theories.
3. He had no posterity.
4. He was without knowledge of good and evil. He had
knowledge, of course. He could speak. He could converse. There were many things
he could be taught and was taught; but under the conditions in which he was
living at that time it was impossible for him to visualize or understand the
power of good and evil. He did not know what pain was. He did not know what
sorrow was; and a thousand other things that have come to us in this life that
Adam did not know in the Garden of Eden and could not understand and would not
have known had he remained there. That was his status before the fall.” (Joseph
Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3
Vols. Ed. Bruce R. McConkie [1954-56], 1:107-108)
Why was the period
of innocence in Eden and the subsequent fall required? Why could Adam and Eve have not been born
already knowing good from evil?
The whole drama of the fall of man and of Adam and Eve being
cast out of the garden was not just some ancient passion play enacted for the
instruction of later generations. Nor
was it a puppet show enacted by some manipulative God on unwilling or ignorant
participants. Just as you and I must
each choose for ourselves to participate in the plan of salvation by coming to
Christ through faith, repentance, and covenant, even so Adam and Eve had to
choose for themselves to take part in God’s plan. God could (or would) not force Adam and Eve
to enter a world of suffering and hardship, in which they would be subject to
mortality and sin, against their will.
It had to be their choice. In
this way, the very fact that man was introduced into a state of innocence in
the garden, instead of directly into a fallen state in a fallen world, is an
expression of the tremendous importance which God places upon our individual
agency and our willing and active participation in the plan of happiness.
“If Adam and Eve had been created mortal, they would have
been denied one of the steps in the process that they were capable of
performing themselves. As we read in the
Book of Mormon, man “brought upon himself” his own fall (Alma 42:12). Since the Fall was a necessary part of the
plan of salvation, and since man was capable of bringing about the fallen
condition himself, he was required—or rather it was his privilege—to take the
necessary steps. (Robert J. Matthews, A Bible! A Bible! [Salt Lake City:
Bookcraft, 1990], 186, in Ed J. Pinegar & Richard Allen, Teachings and Commentary on the Old
Testament [American Fork: Covenant, 2005], 95).
2 Nephi 2:16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he
should act for himself. Wherefore, man
could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or
the other.
Conflicting
Commandments?
“Two of the commandments Adam and Eve were given in the
Garden of Eden were to (1) “be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth”
(Genesis 1:28) and (2) not to eat “of the tree of knowledge of good and evil”
(Genesis 2:17). It is not difficult to understand why many who accept the
account of Adam and Eve as recorded in the Bible as the word of God believe
Adam and Eve rebelled against God when they partook of the forbidden fruit. The
biblical account reads that Eve “did eat, and gave also unto her husband with
her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6)” (Daniel K Judd, “The Fortunate Fall of Adam
and Eve,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New
Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious
Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011),
297–328).
One of the principal difficulties which comes up every single
time the fall is discussed in detail stems from the notion that The Lord gave
Adam and Eve two conflicting commandments, which creates what appears to be an
irreconcilable paradox that interferes with our ability to truly grasp the
significance of the Fall. Did God create
sin? Did He Force Eve and Adam to choose
between two commandments in some sort of “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”
scenario?
“Latter-day Saint scripture and teachings, while they do not
provide all of the answers to the hows and whys of the story of Eden, do reveal
additional information lost from the biblical record. The prophet Lehi taught
that “if Adam and Eve had not transgressed, . . . . they would have had no
children” (2 Nephi 2:22–23). Lehi’s words reveal a paradox in Latter-day Saint
theology—Adam and Eve could not obey the Lord’s first command to multiply and
replenish the earth without transgressing the second, to not eat of the fruit
of the tree. President Joseph Fielding Smith explained, “Adam and Eve . . . did
the very thing that the Lord intended them to do. If we had the original
record, we would see the purpose of the fall clearly stated and its necessity
explained.” President Smith continued by quoting from the Book of Moses: “And
I, 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, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is
given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die” (Moses 3:16–17).
President Smith then explained, “It is that the Lord said to
Adam that if he wished to remain as he was in the garden, then he was not to
eat the fruit, but if he desired to eat it and partake of death he was at
liberty to do so. So really it was not in the true sense a transgression of a
divine commandment. Adam made the wise decision, in fact the only decision that
he could make” (Daniel K Judd, “The Fortunate Fall of Adam and Eve,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on
Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies
Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011),
297–328).
This statement changes the entire way that we view the
fall. The Lord did not set Adam and Eve
up to fail by trapping them with two conflicting commandments, rather, as
President Smith explained, The Lord offered Adam and Eve two opposite
alternatives. Continue in innocence in
the garden forever, or leave the garden and face death, but gain the ability to
fulfill the divine injunction to be fruitful and multiply.
I have spoken with individuals who still see this as some
kind of scam or trickery, because (in their view) Adam was essentially forced
to abandon paradise if he wanted to keep the Lord’s commandment and if he
wanted to experience joy and family.
However, it helps to consider that, as I said before, Eden might not
seem like so much of a paradise to someone who has tasted true joy and the love
of children. As I said before, a life
without joy or family isn’t really life at all.
Even knowing that bad might come with the good, I imagine that Adam and
Eve recognized that sacrificing eternity in Eden was worth the joy and
posterity they could realize if they chose mortal life.
Adam and Eve weren’t conned out of paradise. The Lord essentially presented them with a
choice, and they made the only choice that they could make if they wanted to
progress and experience life.
“While there are no official statements of Latter-day Saint
theology that explain all the reasons why God gave what appear to be
“conflicting commandments,” Elder McConkie taught:
Thus we see why the Lord gave two conflicting
commandments—one to become mortal and have children, the other to not eat of
the tree of knowledge of good and evil out of which mortality and children and
death would result. The issue is one of
choosing between opposites. Adam must choose to become mortal so he could
have children, on the one hand; on the other hand, he must choose to remain
forever in the garden in a state of innocence. He chose to partake of the
forbidden fruit so that the purposes of God might be accomplished by providing
a probationary estate for his spirit children. Adam must needs fall so that he
would know good from evil, virtue from vice, righteousness from wickedness. He
could not have done this without breaking a law and becoming subject to sin. He
chose the Lord’s way; there was no other way whereby salvation might come unto
the children of men.” (Daniel K Judd,
“The Fortunate Fall of Adam and Eve,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on
Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center,
Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011), 297–328).
“We find Adam in the Garden of Eden with the promise that he
can live there, he can stay there, he can enjoy himself as far as is possible
under the conditions, as long as he wants to, as long as he does not do
something he is told not to do, and that is to partake of the fruit of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. He was told that in the day that he should eat
of that fruit he should surely die.”
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3 Vols. Ed. Bruce R.
McConkie [1954-56], 1:107-108)
“Theologically we say, “God is not the author of sin.” Sin
is a choice made against God. If God gives people a choice, and they choose
against him, then they are in such a situation that they are going to be held
accountable. It’s not that God created sin. Rather, God created the possibility
that people could make a different choice than what he intended.” (John Walton in Kevin P. Emmert, “The Lost
World of Adam and Eve,” Christianity
Today, March 2015, Vol. 59, No. 2, Pg 42, Retrieved from
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/march/lost-world-of-adam-and-eve.html?start=5).
Adam and Eve
Understood the Necessity of the Fall
“Modern revelation shows that our first parents understood
the necessity of the Fall. Adam declared, “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” (Moses 5:10).
Note the different perspective and the special wisdom of
Eve, who focused on the purpose and effect of the great plan of happiness:
“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” (Moses 5:11). In his vision of the
redemption of the dead, President Joseph F. Smith saw “the great and mighty
ones” assembled to meet the Son of God, and among them was “our glorious Mother
Eve” (D&C 138:38–39).
When we understand the plan of salvation, we also understand
the purpose and effect of the commandments God has given his children. He
teaches us correct principles and invites us to govern ourselves. We do this by
the choices we make in mortality.” (Dallin
H. Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign,
Nov. 1993, 72-74, lds.org).
The Fall was
planned?
“To the first man and woman on earth, the Lord said, “Be
fruitful, and multiply” (Moses 2:28; see also Gen. 1:28; Abr. 4:28). This
commandment was first in sequence and first in importance. It was essential
that God’s spirit children have mortal birth and an opportunity to progress
toward eternal life. Consequently, all things related to procreation are prime
targets for the adversary’s efforts to thwart the plan of God.
When Adam and Eve received the first commandment, they were
in a transitional state, no longer in the spirit world but with physical bodies
not yet subject to death and not yet capable of procreation. They could not fulfill
the Father’s first commandment without transgressing the barrier between the
bliss of the Garden of Eden and the terrible trials and wonderful opportunities
of mortal life.
For reasons that have not been revealed, this transition, or
“fall,” could not happen without a transgression—an exercise of moral agency
amounting to a willful breaking of a law (see Moses 6:59). This would be a
planned offense, a formality to serve an eternal purpose. The Prophet Lehi
explained that “if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen” (2 Ne.
2:22), but would have remained in the same state in which he was 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” (2 Ne. 2:23).
But the Fall was planned, Lehi concludes, because “all
things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things” (2 Ne.
2:24).” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Great Plan
of Happiness,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 72-74, lds.org).
The fall was done
in compliance with (and not defiance of) law
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| ©Dan Piraro | Distributed by King Features |
“I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. One may say, "Well did they not break a commandment?" Yes. But let us examine the nature of that commandment and the results which came out of it.
In no other commandment the Lord ever gave to man, did he say: "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself."
It is true, the Lord warned Adam and Eve that to partake of the fruit they would transgress a law, and this happened. But it is not always a sin to transgress a law. I will try to illustrate this. The chemist in his laboratory takes different elements and combines them, and the result is that something very different results. He has changed the law. As an example in point: hydrogen, two parts, and oxygen, one part, passing through an electric spark will combine and form water. Hydrogen will burn, so will oxygen, but water will put out a fire. This may be subject to some disagreement by the critics who will say it is not transgressing a law. Well, Adam's transgression was of a similar nature, that is, his transgression was in accordance with law. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [1954], 1:114)
How much of the
account of the fall is merely figurative?
“How literally do we take the story of the Garden of Eden?
This we know: Adam was real. He was as real as Christ. For if Adam was not real
the Fall was not real; and if the Fall was not real the Atonement was not real;
and if the Atonement was not real Jesus the Christ is not and was not
necessary. Of some parts of the Eden story it matters little if we choose to
view them as figurative or literal, but of others it is not so. The testimony
of Christ, of necessity, embraces the testimony of Adam. Had there been no Eden
there could be no Gethsemane; had there been no Eve there could be no Mary; if
we have not inherited death from Adam, we have no claim on everlasting life
through Christ” (Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert Millet, Man Adam, p. 26-29).
While we know that Adam and Eve were real, and that the fall
itself was real, there are certainly symbolic or figurative elements in the
story of the fall which are not intended to be taken literally.
“President Spencer W.
Kimball taught that Eve was not literally created from Adam’s rib. He said:
“The story of the rib, of course, is figurative”” (“The Blessings and
Responsibilities of Womanhood,” Ensign, Mar. 1976, 71). (The Pearl of Great Price Student Manual, (2000), 3–27).
“Marriage is a partnership. Someone has observed that in the
Bible account of the creation woman was not formed from a part of man’s head,
suggesting that she might rule over him, nor from a part of a man’s foot that
she was to be trampled under his feet. Woman was taken from man’s side as
though to emphasize the fact that she was always to be by his side as a partner
and companion. At the marriage altar you are pledged to each other from that
day to pull the load together in double harness.” (Teachings of Presidents of
the Church: Harold B. Lee [2000], p. 109)
Bruce R. McConkie was of the opinion that the two trees
planted in the garden, namely the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the tree of life were figurative
representations of certain important principles pertaining to mortality and
eternal life respectively.
“As to the Fall itself we are told that the Lord planted
"the tree of knowledge of good and evil" in the midst of the garden.
(Moses 3:9.) To Adam and Eve the command came: "Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is
given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest
thereof thou shalt surely die." (Moses 3:16-17.) Again the account is
speaking figuratively. What is meant by partaking of the fruit of the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil is that our first parents complied with whatever
laws were involved so that their bodies would change from their state of
paradisiacal immortality to a state of natural mortality. (Bruce R. McConkie, "Christ
and the Creation," Ensign, June
1982, p. 15; emphasis added)
“As to the fall, the scriptures set forth that there were in
the Garden of Eden two trees. One was the tree of life, which figuratively
refers to eternal life; the other was the tree of knowledge of good and evil,
which figuratively refers to how and why and in what manner mortality and all
that appertains to it came into being. "Of every tree of the garden thou
mayest freely eat," the Lord told our first parents, "but of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou
mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I
forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."
(Moses 3:16-17.)” (Bruce R. McConkie, A
New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 85-86).
Just because certain aspects of the account of the fall are
likely figurative or symbolic does NOT mean that the fall did not happen, or
that the account of the fall is any less meaningful. Certainly, the effects of the fall are very
real, and they have a very concrete impact on each of us in our daily lives. We are subject to the very real threat of death and mortality. As mortal beings,
we are frail and flawed; we can get sick, or become bald, we can have bad
breath or crooked teeth. Similarly, our
frailties extend to our behavior. As
mortals we make mistakes, and we commit sins, but we are also able to know the
difference between right and wrong, truth and error. The symbols and figures used in teaching the
fall do not render the effects of the fall any less real, therefore it would
not do to discount the whole account of the fall as a fable just because the
story of Adam and Eve contains some symbolic elements. That would be like throwing the baby out with
the bathwater.
For more on the role and symbolism of the tree of life in the garden of Eden, click HERE.
For more on the role and symbolism of the tree of life in the garden of Eden, click HERE.
The Fall of Adam
not sexual in nature
It has been taught by some, and I have even heard it spoken
in the back of Sunday School, or among young Aaronic priesthood holders in
private speculation on so-called “deep-doctrine,” that there was some aspect of
sexual transgression involved in the Fall of Adam and Eve, or that the Tree of
the knowledge of good and evil somehow represented the loss of innocence
attached to sexual transgression, which is why Adam and Eve were able to have
children after they were cast out of the garden. Here I must take the opportunity to denounce
this concept as a pernicious false doctrine with no basis in scripture or
revealed teachings whatsoever. In fact,
such teaching directly contradicts the teachings of the church and the doctrine
contained in the scriptures, as evidenced by the testimony of such leaders as
James E. Talmage and Joseph Fielding Smith, and echoed by the great Christian
writer and thinker C.S. Lewis.
“The transgression of Adam did not involve sex sin as some
falsely believe and teach. Adam and Eve were married by the Lord while they
were yet immortal beings in the Garden of Eden and before death entered the
world.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines
of Salvation 3 Vols. Ed. Bruce R. McConkie [1954-56], 1:114–15).
“Some people think the fall of man had something to do with
sex, but that is a mistake...what Satan put into the heads of our remote
ancestors was the idea that they 'could be like Gods' - could set up on their
own as if they had created themselves - be their own masters - invent some sort
of happiness for themselves outside God, apart from God. And out of that
hopeless attempt has come...the long terrible story of man trying to find
something other than God which will make him happy.” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 49).
“I take this occasion to raise my voice against the false
interpretation of scripture, which has been adopted by certain people, and is
current in their minds, and is referred to in a hushed and half-secret way,
that the fall of man consisted in some offense against the laws of chastity and
virtue. Such a doctrine is an abomination. What right have we to turn the
scriptures from their proper sense and meaning? What right have we to declare
that God meant not what He said? The fall was a natural process, resulting
through the incorporation into the bodies of our first parents of the things
that came from food unfit, through the violation of the command of God
regarding what they should eat. Don’t go around whispering that the fall
consisted in the mother of the race losing her chastity and her virtue. It is
not true; the human race is not born of fornication. These bodies that are
given unto us are given in the way that God has provided. Let it not be said
that the patriarch of the race, who stood with the gods before he came here
upon the earth, and his equally royal consort, were guilty of any such foul
offense. The adoption of that belief has led many to excuse departures from the
path of chastity and the path of virtue, by saying that it is the sin of the
race, that it is as old as Adam. It was not introduced by Adam. It was not
committed by Eve. It was the introduction of the devil and came in order that
he might sow the seeds of early death in the bodies of men and women, that the
race should degenerate as it has degenerated whenever the laws of virtue and of
chastity have been transgressed.
“Our first parents were pure and noble, and when we pass
behind the veil we shall perhaps learn something of their high estate, more
than we know now. But be it known that they were pure; they were noble. It is
true that they disobeyed the law of God, in eating things they were told not to
eat; but who amongst you can rise up and condemn?” (James E. Talmage, Jesus The Christ, 30-31).
Transgression or Sin?
In involved discussions about the fall from a Latter-day
Saint perspective, the distinction often arises between a sin and a
transgression. However what is the
difference between the two, and why would such a difference even matter?
“It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in
order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature,
was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the
doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus
Eve and “Adam fell that men might be” (2 Ne. 2:25).
Some Christians condemn Eve for her act, concluding that she
and her daughters are somehow flawed by it. Not the Latter-day Saints! Informed
by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the
great episode called the Fall (see Bruce R. McConkie, “Eve and the Fall,”
Woman, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, pp. 67–68). Joseph Smith taught
that it was not a “sin,” because God had decreed it (see The Words of Joseph
Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, Provo, Utah: Religious Studies
Center, Brigham Young University, 1980, p. 63). Brigham Young declared, “We
should never blame Mother Eve, not the least” (in Journal of Discourses,
13:145). Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: “I never speak of the part Eve took
in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a
transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and
Eve had to do!” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R.
McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:114–15).” (Dallin H.
Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign,
Nov. 1993, 72-74, lds.org).
“The Fall came by transgression of a law, but there was no
sin connected with it. There is a difference between transgression and sin.
Both always bring consequences. While it may not be a sin to step off a roof,
in doing so one becomes subject to the law of gravity, and consequences will
follow.” (Boyd K. Packer, "The Great Plan of Happiness and Personal
Revelation," Things of the Soul [1996], pp. 45-60)
“The transgression of that law, contrary to the view of
many, was not a sin. It was not a sin any more than the transgression in the
laboratory by a chemist in combining two substances and creating another
entirely different from the first. It was not a sin to bring to pass mortality,
a condition which was essential to the eternal welfare of man. The Fall changed
the nature of Adam and Eve to fit them for the condition in which we now are.
After the coming of an angel with the plan of salvation informing Adam and Eve
of the redemption which was to be made by Jesus Christ, Eve rejoiced and
said: " . . . 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." (Moses 5:11.)” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 5
vols.[1976], 2:214-215)
The difference between a transgression and a sin as it
applies to the fall may be akin to that between the concepts of Malum in se and Malum prohibitum, which is capably explained and applied to the
fall by Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
“This suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression
reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: “We believe
that men will be punished for their own sins,
and not for Adam’s transgression”
(emphasis added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts,
like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like
operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally
prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a
sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally
prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but
this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall.” (Dallin H.
Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign,
Nov. 1993, 72-74, lds.org).
Results of the Fall
When Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden as a result of
their transgression, they were banished from the presence of God, and so they
became subject to spiritual death (being separated from God) through sin. Adam and Eve retained their agency, and now
they had gained the ability to discern between right and wrong, which meant
that they had the ability to sin, and their mortal weakness made them prone to
moral weakness, which meant that they would make mistakes and commit sins like any
other person that has ever lived. As God
had promised, they also became mortal, which meant that their physical bodies
became subject to physical death (or the separation of our spirit from our
body). Under these conditions, Adam and
Eve could not hope to return to God’s presence on their own and unaided. In addition to the condition of imminent death
that accompanies mortality, Adam and Eve also became subject to mortal
frailties, such as sickness, hunger, fatigue, baldness, bad teeth, and so
forth. All in all, it sounds as if Adam
and Eve got a pretty raw deal.
“The fall…brought death, with all its sad concomitants. Not
such a death as the righteous now contemplate, and such as both righteous and
unrighteous must undergo, as a change preparatory to resurrection; but eternal
death--death of the spirit as well as the body. There was no resurrection when
Adam fell--not upon this planet.” (Orson F. Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts
[1923], p.93)
“By one man came death--the death of the body. What becomes
of the spirit when the body dies? Will it be perfectly happy? Would old father
Adam's spirit have gone back into the presence of God, and dwelt there
eternally, enjoying all the felicities and glories of heaven, after his body
had died? No; for the penalty of that transgression was not limited to the body
alone. When he sinned, it was with both the body and the spirit that he sinned:
it was not only the body that eat of the fruit, but the spirit gave the will to
eat; the spirit sinned therefore as well as the body; they were agreed in partaking
of that fruit. Was not the spirit to suffer then as well as the body? Yes. How
long? To all ages of eternity, without any end; while the body was to return
back to its mother earth, and there slumber to all eternity. That was the
effect of the fall, leaving out the plan of redemption; so that, if there had
been no plan of redemption prepared from before the foundation of the world,
man would have been subjected to an eternal dissolution of the body and
spirit--the one to lie mingling with its mother earth, to all ages of eternity,
and the other to be subject, throughout all future duration, to the power that
deceived him, and led them astray; to be completely miserable, or, as the Book
of Mormon says, "dead as to things pertaining to righteousness;" and I
defy any such beings to have any happiness when they are dead as to things
pertaining to righteousness. To them, happiness is out of the question; they
are completely and eternally miserable, and there is no help for them, laying
aside the atonement. That was the penalty pronounced upon father Adam, and upon
all the creation of which he was made lord and governor. This is what is termed
original sin, and the effect of it.”
(Orson Pratt, Journal of
Discourses 26 Vols. [1855-86], 1:284)
“What a plight! The entire human race in free fall—every
man, woman, and child in it physically tumbling toward permanent death,
spiritually plunging toward eternal anguish. Is that what life was meant to be?
Is this the grand finale of the human experience? Are we all just hanging in a
cold canyon somewhere in an indifferent universe, each of us searching for a
toehold, each of us seeking for something to grip—with nothing but the feeling
of sand sliding under our fingers, nothing to save us, nothing to hold on to,
much less anything to hold on to us? Is our only purpose in life an empty
existential exercise—simply to leap as high as we can, hang on for our
prescribed three score years and ten, then fail and fall, and keep falling
forever? (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Where
Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Ensign, May 2015, lds.org).
However, the scriptures record that soon after the fall “Adam
and Eve blessed the name of God” (Moses 5:12) and that Eve “was glad” (Moses
5:11). Why would Adam and Eve rejoice over what has traditionally been viewed
as the first great tragedy of the human story?
“Because of Adam's transgression, a spiritual
death--banishment from the presence of the Lord--as well as the temporal death,
were pronounced upon him. The spiritual death came at the time of the fall and
banishment; and the seeds of the temporal death were also sown at that same
time; that is, a physical change came over Adam and Eve, who became mortal, and
were thus subject to the ills of the flesh which resulted in their gradual
decline to old age and finally the separation of the spirit from the body.
Before this temporal death took place the Lord, by his own
voice and the visitation and ministration of angels, taught Adam the principles
of the gospel and administered unto him the saving ordinances, through which he
was again restored to the favor of the Lord and to his presence. Also, through
the atonement, not only Adam, but all his posterity were redeemed from the
temporal effects of the fall, and shall come forth in the resurrection to
receive immortality. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3 Vols. Ed. Bruce R. McConkie [1954-56],
1:111-112)
Adam and Eve could rejoice because they understood the whole
point and purpose of the fall. When Adam
and Eve were first cast out, Adam built an altar and offered a prayer to
God. Shortly, an angel appeared and
taught Adam and Eve that they would not be left alone to fend for themselves
with no hope of ever returning to live with God again. Further, he taught them that the sacrifices
which Adam made on that altar were intended to be made in similitude of the great
and last sacrifice which would be made by the Son of God. The angel taught Adam and Eve about the atonement
of Jesus Christ, through which Adam and Eve and all of their children might be
redeemed, and reclaimed from the effects of the fall. The Savior would overcome physical death for
all men, and He would sacrifice himself in order to bring all men back into the
presence of God (to be judged). The angel then invited them to repent of their sins and to follow God once
more. Upon hearing this, it was only
natural that Adam and Eve would rejoice with all of their hearts!
Moses 5: 6-12 And after many days an angel of the Lord
appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the
Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude
of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and
truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and
thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. And in
that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and
the Son, saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning,
henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and
all mankind, even as many as will. And in that day Adam blessed God and was
filled, and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying:
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. And
Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: 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. And Adam and Eve
blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and
their daughters.
I should emphasize that not all of the effects of the fall
were bad ones, however. To review, Adam
and Eve were subject to the following conditions as a result of the fall:
“Adam's status after the fall was:
1. He was banished from the presence of God and
partook of the spiritual death. Now that was a terrible calamity. At least,
as we read in the 9th chapter of 2nd Nephi, it would have been a most terrible
thing, that banishment from the presence of God, if there had been no remedy.
2. He also partook of the temporal or physical
death, and that would have been also a terrible calamity if there had been
no remedy for it.
3. He gained knowledge and
experience--knowledge of good and evil.
4. He obtained the great gift of posterity.”
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines
of Salvation 3 Vols. Ed. Bruce R. McConkie [1954-56], 1:111-112)
Yes, Adam and Eve suffered the apparent setback of mortal
frailty and moral weakness (peccability), but they also gained the incredible
gifts of knowledge and experience and, most significantly (to them and to us),
they gained the ability to have children.
No wonder they rejoiced! The fall
gave Adam and Eve everything they needed to progress and to have joy!
2 Nephi 2:24-25 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.
“The fall had a two-fold direction — downward, yet
forward. It brought man into the world
and set his feet upon progression's highway.” (Orson F. Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts [1923], p.93)
“Adam's fall was a step downward, but it was also a step
forward--a step in the eternal march of human progress; and it is by means of
this everlasting Gospel, and our own individual efforts in making use of the
powers that God has given us, that we lay hold upon eternal life, and go on to
perfection. (Orson F. Whitney, Conference
Report, April 1908, p.90)
“To bring the plan of happiness to fruition, 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.
While I do not fully understand all the biochemistry
involved, I do know that their physical bodies did change; blood began to
circulate in their bodies. Adam and Eve thereby became mortal. Happily for us,
they could also beget children and fulfill the purposes for which the world was
created. Happily for them, "the Lord said unto Adam [and Eve26]: Behold I
have forgiven thee thy transgression in the Garden of Eden" (Moses 6:53).
We and all mankind are forever blessed because of Eve's great courage and
wisdom. By partaking of the fruit first, she did what needed to be done. Adam
was wise enough to do likewise. Accordingly, we could speak of the fall of Adam
in terms of a mortal creation, because "Adam fell that men might be"
(2 Nephi 2:25).27
Other blessings came to us through the Fall. It activated
two closely coupled additional gifts from God, nearly as precious as life
itself--agency and accountability. We became "free to choose liberty and
eternal life . . . or to choose captivity and death" (2 Nephi 2:27).
Freedom of choice cannot be exercised without accountability for choices made.
(Russell M. Nelson, “Constancy amid Change,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, p. 34).
Original Sin and
the depravity of man
The doctrine of original sin has been a hallmark of
Christian thought since fairly early in Christian history.
“St. Augustine (AD 354–430), the bishop of Hippo, added the
idea of “original sin” (originale peccatum) to the doctrine of the Fall as
taught in Genesis and by the early Christian Fathers.[25] Augustine’s doctrine
of “original sin” does not simply refer to Adam and Eve eating from “the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:17), but also suggests that the
consequences of their sin, guilt, and depravity were imputed to their
posterity. John MacArthur, president of the Master’s College (formerly Los
Angeles Baptist College) and pastor, explains,
Adam passed to all
his descendants the inherent sinful nature he possessed because of his first
disobedience. That nature is present from the moment of conception (Ps 51:5),
making it impossible for man to live in a way that pleases God. Satan, the
father of sin (1 John 3:8), first brought temptation to Adam and Eve (Genesis
3:1–7) through one man. When Adam sinned, all mankind sinned in his loins (v.
18; cf. Heb 7:7–10). Since his sin transformed his inner nature and brought
spiritual death and depravity, that sinful nature would be passed on seminally
to his posterity as well (Psalm 51:5).” (Daniel K Judd, “The Fortunate Fall of
Adam and Eve,” in No Weapon Shall
Prosper: New Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT:
Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret
Book, 2011), 297–328).
Because of this, Christians have been taught for centuries
that man is naturally depraved, and that each of us sinned vicariously through
Adam, and that as a consequence mankind inherits the blame and accountability
for Adam’s transgression. Much of the
suffering inherent to our fallen state is therefore attributed to divine
punishment exacted on all mankind for Adam’s sin and our inherited depravity. However, through the light of the restored
Gospel, we have learned that mankind is not inherently depraved, and that we
are not accountable for the sins of Adam and Eve. In this light, we reject the doctrine of
original sin, and we hold that men are not inherently depraved.
Articles of Faith 1:2 We believe that men will be punished for
their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.
“Latter-day Saint doctrine includes the teaching that the
Fall of Adam and Eve brought spiritual and physical death to mankind but
excludes the Augustinian doctrines of “original sin” and “the depravity of
man.” Elder M. Russell Ballard explained: ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints discounts the notion of Original Sin and its ascribed
negative impact on humanity. Indeed, we honor and respect Adam and Eve for
their wisdom and foresight. Their lives in the Garden of Eden were blissful and
pleasant; choosing to leave that behind so they and the entire human family
could experience both the triumphs and travails of mortality must not have been
easy. But we believe that they did choose mortality, and in so doing made it
possible for all of us to participate in Heavenly Father’s great, eternal plan.’
While it does not accept the doctrine of original sin,
Latter-day Saint theology does accept that the Fall brought significant
consequences to Adam and Eve and to their posterity. In the Pearl of Great
Price we read the words of the ancient prophet Enoch: “Because that Adam fell,
we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and
woe” (Moses 6:48). Because of their transgression, Adam and Eve were “cut off
from the presence of the Lord” (Helaman 14:16), both physically and spiritually
(see also Alma 42:9). Not only did Adam and Eve experience these consequences
personally, but their actions brought about consequences for their posterity
and the very earth upon which they dwelt. President Joseph Fielding Smith
taught: “When Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit they brought
mortality not only upon themselves, but upon the whole earth and every living
thing upon it, in the air, the waters, or on the face of the land. Even the
earth itself partook of the seeds of death. Since that day all living things,
including the earth itself, have partaken of mortal existence.”[37] In addition
to bringing physical and spiritual death to all mankind, the Fall also brought
the inevitability and reality of sin to the accountable posterity of Adam and
Eve (see Moses 6:55).” (Daniel K Judd,
“The Fortunate Fall of Adam and Eve,” in No
Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet
(Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City:
Deseret Book, 2011), 297–328).
“I do not know the details of what happened on this planet
before [Eden and the Fall], but I do know these [Adam and Eve] were created
under the divine hand of God, that for a time they lived alone in a
paradisiacal setting where there was neither human death nor future family, and
that through a sequence of choices they transgressed a commandment of God which
required that they leave their garden setting but which allowed them to have
children before facing physical death. To add further sorrow and complexity to
their circumstance, their transgression had spiritual consequences as well,
cutting them off from the presence of God forever. Because we were then born
into that fallen world and because we too would transgress the laws of God, we
also were sentenced to the same penalties that Adam and Eve faced.” (Jeffrey R. Holland, “Where Justice, Love,
and Mercy Meet,” Ensign, May 2015, lds.org).
Are Men Inherently
Good or Inherently Evil?
"When our spirits took possession of these tabernacles,
they were as pure as the angels of God, wherefore total depravity cannot be a
true doctrine" (Brigham Young, Journal
of Discourses, 10:192).
Because we believe that men are not inherently depraved from birth, does that mean that Latter-day Saints believe that men are automatically born good? It is perhaps more complicated than that. We believe that men are born innocent, rather than good. While that distinction may seem purely academic, it is a crucial one, for the following reasons. To put it succinctly: we are born innocent rather than good because the absence of sin (original or otherwise) is not the same as/does not equal the presence of righteousness. We are not automatically born good just because we are not born evil. Righteousness requires an active choice, which we have not yet had the chance to make at birth. Because our innocence is lost as soon as we are old enough to be accountable for our own mistakes, we must first seek to be justified by Christ's righteousness so we can begin the process of conversion and sanctification (through Christ's grace) whereby we may be enabled to grow and to develop the beginnings of our own righteousness as we are perfected by Him.
While some might assume that being born innocent means that we
start life as a blank slate, this is not actually accurate either. It helps to remember that when it comes to describing
God’s judgment of the righteousness of an individual at any point in our lives,
the language of (criminal) law is often employed in scripture. The idea that we are born innocent differs
from the idea that we start out as blank slates because there is no blank slate
in the eyes of the law. One is either
guilty or innocent, and anything else has no meaning according to justice.
D&C 93:38 Every spirit of man was innocent in the
beginning; and God having redeemed man from the fall, men became again, in
their infant state, innocent before God.
The Fall of Adam
and the Atonement of Jesus Christ
“The Latter-day Saint doctrine of the Fall is vitally
connected with the doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Like most
Christians, Latter-day Saints accept the words of the Apostle Paul: “For as in
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22).
Paul’s teachings are similar to those of the Book of Mormon prophet Moroni: “By
Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ. .
. . And because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man” (Mormon 9:12). Adam
and Eve’s partaking of the fruit and their subsequent fall did much more than,
in the words of Pelagius and his followers, “set a bad example” for their
posterity. President Ezra Taft Benson explained the importance of understanding
the consequences of the Fall of Adam and Eve in connection with the need for
the Atonement of Jesus Christ when he stated, “Just as a man does not really
desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until
he knows why he needs Christ. No one adequately and properly knows why he needs
Christ until he understands and accepts the doctrine of the Fall and its effect
upon all mankind.”
Latter-day Saints believe that the consequences of the Fall
of Adam and Eve affect all mankind, all living things, and even the very earth
on which we dwell. Such consequences can be fully addressed only through the
infinite Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Daniel K Judd, “The Fortunate Fall of Adam and Eve,” in No Weapon Shall Prosper: New Light on
Sensitive Issues, ed. Robert L. Millet (Provo, UT: Religious Studies
Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2011),
297–328).
Christ the Last
Adam
The Apostle Paul understood the relationship between the
fall and the atonement of Jesus Christ, and he contrasted Adam and his role in
the plan of salvation with that of Christ in order to help the Saints to better
understand their own role in the plan of salvation.
1 Corinthians
15:21-22 For since by man came
death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians
15:45-49 And so it is written, The
first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is
spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is
spiritual. The first man is of the
earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such
are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that
are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear
the image of the heavenly.
Just as Adam is our physical father, and the one who begat
us into a world in which we would be subject to the conditions of sin and
mortality (which he also brought about), even so in Christ we are born again
spiritually, and redeemed from the effects of sin and death. Christ then becomes our spiritual progenitor. Adam, our first father, was of the earth, and
earthy; that is, as a natural man, he was subject to mortal weaknesses and
frailties, including death. The second
Adam, Christ “the Lord from heaven” is heavenly, and possesses that spiritual
life which can only come from heaven, and which He offers to all who will
follow him, as a “quickening [or lifegiving]
spirit.”
As Paul explained to the Romans, Adam was a “figure of him
that was to come” (Romans 5:14).
“Like Christ himself, the first Adam had been both an
individual man and the representative of the whole human race. He too bore the whole race in himself. In him the human race fell, in Adam (which
means “man” in Hebrew) man fell (Romans 5:19).
Christ is the second man (1 Cor. 15:47) in whom the new humanity is
created. He is the “New Man.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship, 238).
Father Adam was the first Adam, from whom come all people,
and Christ is the last Adam, to whom all people must come if they desire
redemption. When we exercise faith and
come to Christ with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to enter into a
covenant of redemption and rebirth with him, He becomes our spiritual father,
as we seek to be made like him, both spiritually and physically. We were born in Adam’s likeness and image,
but if we wish to be redeemed of Christ we must be born again in the heavenly
likeness and image of Jesus Christ.
“Consequently the incarnate Son of God existed so to speak
in two capacities—in his own person, and as the representative of the new
humanity. Every act he wrought was
performed on behalf of the new humanity which he bore in his body. That is why he is called the Second Adam or
the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45).” (Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship,
238).
Whereas before we were just people (as the collective
descendants of Adam), now we are particularly “a people,” and more significantly, we are
Christ’s people, and the sons of God.
After all, Christ died that he might purify unto himself a people who are
special, and set apart from the rest (the earthy, and the natural man) to an
inheritance of spiritual life:
Titus 2:13-14 Looking for that blessed hope, and the
glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave
himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto
himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
1 Peter 2: 3-5 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but
chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Peter2: 9-11 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had
not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Dearly beloved, I beseech you
as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the
soul;
Adam and his descendents received “earthy” mortal bodies,
but those who become the spiritual children of Christ are promised an
inheritance of eternal life, which includes a promise that they will be
resurrected to the same heavenly (or “celestial,” in Paul’s words) glory to
which Christ himself has been resurrected.
Philippians 3:10-11,
20-21 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any
means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. For our conversation is
in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself.
Why must there be
opposition in all things? (Good
and evil, light and dark, pleasure and pain, bitter and sweet, etc.)
“If the Scriptures are true, it proves that sin is in the
world, and the question arises, Is it necessary that sin should be here? What
will the Latter-day Saints say? Is it necessary that we should know good from
evil? I can answer this to suit myself by saying it is absolutely necessary,
for the simple reason that if we had never realized darkness we never could
have comprehended the light; if we never tasted anything bitter, but were to
eat sweets, the honey and the honeycomb, from the time we come into this world
until the time we go out of it, what knowledge could we have of the bitter?
This leads me to the decision that every fact that exists in this world is
demonstrated by its opposite. If this is the fact--and all true philosophy
proves it--it leads me to the conclusion that the transgression of our first
parents was absolutely necessary, that we might be brought in contact with sin
and have the opportunity of knowing good and evil. It may be deemed strange and
singular by the Christian world that we should believe such a thing; but the
Scriptures inform us, in Genesis iii., 22, that the Lord God said,
"Behold, the man has become as one of us, to know good and evil."”
(Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses
26 Vols. [1855-86] 14:70-71)
This tree, of which they both ate, was called the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. Why was it thus termed? I will explain a mystery to
you, brethren, why this was called so. Adam and Eve, while in the garden of
Eden, had not the knowledge you and I have; it is true, they had a degree of
intelligence, but they had not the experience, they had not the knowledge by
experience, which you and I have: all they knew was barely what they knew when
they came there; they knew a commandment had been given to them, and they had
sufficient knowledge to name the beasts of the field as they came up before
them; but as for the knowledge of good, they had not got it, because they never
had anything contrary to good placed before them.
We will bring up an example. For instance, suppose you had
never tasted anything that was sweet--never had the sensation of
sweetness--could you have any correct idea of the term sweetness? No. On the
other hand, how could you understand bitter if you never had tasted bitterness?
Could you define the term to them who had experienced this sensation, or knew
it? No. I will bring another example. Take a man who had been perfectly blind
from his infancy, and never saw the least gleam of light--could you describe
colors to him? No. Would he know anything about red, blue, violet, or yellow?
No; you could not describe it to him by any way you might undertake. But by
some process let his eyes be opened, and let him gaze upon the sun beams that
reflect upon a watery cloud, producing the rainbow, where he would see a
variety of colors, he could then appreciate them for himself; but tell him
about colors when he is blind, he would not know them from a piece of
earthenware. So with Adam previous to partaking of this fruit; good could not
be described to him, because he never had experienced the opposite. As to
undertaking to explain to him what evil was, you might as well have undertaken
to explain, to a being that never had, for one moment, had his eyes closed to
the light, what darkness is. The tree of knowledge of good and evil was placed
there that man might gain certain information he never could have gained
otherwise; by partaking of the forbidden fruit he experienced misery, then he
knew that he was once happy, previously he could not comprehend what happiness
meant, what good was; but now he knows it by contrast, now he is filled with
sorrow and wretchedness, now he sees the difference between his former and
present condition, and if by any means he could be restored to his first
position, he would be prepared to realize it, like the man that never had seen
the light. Let the man to whom all the beauties of light have been displayed,
and who has never been in darkness, be in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,
deprived of his natural sight; what a change this would be to him; he never
knew anything about darkness before, he never understood the principle at all;
it never entered the catalogue of his ideas, until darkness came upon him, and
his eye-sight was destroyed: now he can comprehend that the medium he once
existed in was light. Now, says he, if I could only regain my sight, I could
appreciate it, for I understand the contrast; restore me back again to my
sight, and let me enjoy the light I once had; let me gaze upon the works of
creation, let me look on the beauties thereof again, and I will be satisfied,
and my joy will be full. It was so with Adam; let the way be prepared for his
redemption, and the redemption of his posterity, and all creation that groans
in pain to be delivered--let them be restored back again to what they lost
through the fall, and they will be prepared to appreciate it.” (Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses 26 Vols.
[1855-86], 1:285)
“No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is
wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as
patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we
endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters,
purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable,
more worthy to be called the children of God . . . and it is through sorrow and
suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here
to acquire and which will make us more like our Father...in heaven. . . .”
(Orson F. Whitney, as cited in Kimball, Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 98.)
The fall was not just high theatre, acted out as a fable to instruct
primitive followers of God. It is a
living, breathing, real event from the history of God’s dealings with man. Through the fall, Adam and Eve became subject
to the misery and grief that accompanies the spiritual and physical death that
form twin obstacles to our progress toward returning to live with God again
someday. However, they also gained the blessings of eternal progression and joy (and
posterity), and the ability to overcome the obstacles of sin and death, through
the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.
The fall opened the way for each of us to experience mortal life in this
world, with all of its joy and pleasure, but also with all of its misery and
heartache. We need to experience all of
these aspects of mortality if we are going to learn and grow and progress into
something greater than we are today.
The Fall of Adam and Eve is not an incomprehensible
mystery. With study and pondering, each
of us can gain a greater understanding of the opening chapter of
mortality. In turn, this will grant us a
greater understanding of (and appreciation for) our need for, and the power of, the
atonement made by Jesus Christ to redeem each of us from the effects of the fall
and of our own mortal frailties and moral failings. Armed with this understanding we can gain a
greater appreciation of our purpose in life, and increased resolve to face
those trials and temptations which each of us must face in mortality.
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