Elder Bruce R. McConkie said that our salvation is made possible because of “three divine events—the three pillars of eternity” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith [1985], 81).
•Creation, the Fall, and the atonement
This lesson helps us understand how the Fall was a necessary part of Heavenly Father’s plan to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life (Moses 1:39).
THE FALL
I want to go a head and read the account of the fall piece by piece, pausing to talk about a few important truths.
Moses 2:28 And I, God, blessed them, and said unto them: Be afruitful, and bmultiply, 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.
Moses 3:17 But of the tree of the aknowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest bchoose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I cforbid it, for in the dday thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely edie.
So 2 contradicting commandments are established by God: multiply and replenish the earth, don't partake of the tree of knowledge. We will come back to that delihema in a moment. Let's go ahead a read about the fall:
Moses 4:6 And aSatan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away bmany after him,) and he sought also to cbeguile Eve, for he dknew not the emind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.
So here comes "know it all" Satan, thinking he's scheming up the greatest plan: to beguile Eve. But what does this verse reveal to us? God knew what was going to happen from beginning to end.
We can apply that to our lives--living reassured that God is all knowing, he is the one in control, not Satan, and he can lead and guide us to eternal life. As it clearly states in
D&C 3:1 The aworks, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be bfrustrated, neither can they come to naught.
2 For God doth not awalk in crooked paths, neither doth he bturn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his ccourse is one eternal round.
Moses 4:7 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.)
8 And the woman said unto the serpent: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden;
9 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.
10 And the serpent said unto the awoman: Ye shall not surely die;
11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your aeyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, bknowing good and evil.
Another applicable lesson: Satan's intention is to tell multiple truths to sneak in 1 lie.
12 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 adesired to make her wise, she took of the bfruit thereof, and did ceat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
Thus begat the fall. There are so many amazing lessons and revelations in these verses, even more so with the modern day revelation we've been given.
Let's talk about a few of these lessons:
1) referring back to those first two verses we read, Heavenly Father gave Adam and Eve agency to choose between two commands. So many people in the world speculate if they made the right choice?
Let's read if Adam & Eve felt it was the right choice:
Moses 5:
10 And in that day Adam blessed God and was afilled, and began to bprophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying: Blessed be the name of God, for because of my ctransgression my deyes are opened, and in this life I shall have ejoy, and again in the fflesh I shall see God.
11 And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had aseed, and never should have bknown good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.
Latter Day prophets support the testimonies of Adam and Eve:
HANDOUT 1: Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
“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. …
“… We celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall. … 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.’ …
So if this is a celebrated event, what blessings and hardships did we incur as a result of the fall?
a. Adam and Eve were able to have children, which allowed us to come to earth and receive mortal bodies (Moses 5:11; 6:48; 2 Nephi 2:23, 25).
b. We experience physical death, or separation of the physical body from the spirit (Moses 4:25; 6:48; 2 Nephi 9:6).
c. We experience spiritual death, or separation from God’s presence (Moses 4:29; 6:49; 2 Nephi 9:6).
d. We are partakers of misery and woe (Moses 6:48; Genesis 3:16–17).
e. We are capable of sinning (Moses 6:49, 55; 2 Nephi 2:22–23).
f. The ground is cursed, causing us to need to work (Moses 4:23–25; Genesis 3:17–19).
g. We can learn to recognize good and evil (Moses 4:28; 6:55–56; 2 Nephi 2:23; Genesis 3:22).
h. We can have joy in mortality (Moses 5:10; 2 Nephi 2:23, 25).
i. We can know the joy of our redemption (Moses 5:11).
j. We can obtain eternal life (Moses 5:11).
2Nephi 2:
22 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.
23 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.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
26 And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.
27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
I'd say going over this list that it was a pretty good choice and the deal was in our favor.
2. Let's talk about the 3rd pillar essential to eternal life: The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Alma 22:14
And since man had afallen he could not bmerit anything of himself; but the sufferings and cdeath of Christ datone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the egrave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory;
So the fall brought about our physical and spiritual death. Physical coming at the end of our lives when our body separates from our spirit . Spiritual death is our separation from God which occurred when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden.
We know that Heavenly Father knew this was going to happen so what was his plan to remedy this problem? We are incapable of redeeming ourselves so who had to redeem us? A Savior.
You'll often see in the scriptures that the Fall and The Atonement inseparably connected. Why do you think this is? Why is it so important to understand how they are related?
HANDOUT 2: President Ezra Taft Benson said: “The plan of redemption must start with the account of the fall of Adam. In the words of 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). 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” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1987, 106; or Ensign, May 1987, 85).
The perfect summary of President Kimballs testimony is found in
2Nephi 9:6-10. I want everyone to turn there; these are incredibly powerful/enlightening verses.
6 For as adeath hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful bplan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of cresurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the dfall; and the fall came by reason of etransgression; and because man became fallen they were fcut off from the gpresence of the Lord.
7 Wherefore, it must needs be an ainfinite batonement—save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the cfirst judgment which came upon man must needs have dremained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.
8 O the awisdom of God, his bmercy and cgrace! For behold, if the dflesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who efell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the fdevil, to rise no more.
9 And our spirits must have become alike unto him, and we become devils, bangels to a cdevil, to be dshut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of elies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who fbeguiled our first parents, who gtransformeth himself nigh unto an hangel of light, and istirreth up the children of men unto jsecret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.
10 O how great the agoodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our bescape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, cdeath and dhell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.
Because of Christ we will not only be saved from a physical death, through his resurrection, but we will also be saved from a spiritual death through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and obeying the commandments.
3. The lesson also covers what Adam and Eve did after they were cast out of the garden: providing a pattern for our own life.
Draw cycle on board:
Moses 5:1 And it came to pass that after I, the Lord God, had driven them out, that Adam began to till the earth, and to have adominion over all the beasts of the field, and to eat his bread by the sweat of his bbrow, as I the Lord had commanded him. And Eve, also, his wife, did clabor with him.
1) labor for their food aka establish a job
Moses 4:22 Unto the woman, I, the Lord God, said: I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In asorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy bhusband, and he shall rule over thee.
2) rule? No as the proclamation to the family states, a husband is to fulfill the 3 "Ps": preside, provide, and protect. He does not rule, they are an equal partnership.
HANDOUT 3: President Spencer W. Kimball said: “I have a question about the word rule. It gives the wrong impression. I would prefer to use the word preside because that’s what he does. A righteous husband presides over his wife and family” (“The Blessings and Responsibilities of Womanhood,” Ensign, Mar. 1976, 72).
Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “God has revealed through his prophets that men are to receive the priesthood, become fathers, and with gentleness and pure, unfeigned love they are to lead and nurture their families in righteousness as the Savior leads the Church (see Ephesians 5:23)” (“Equality through Diversity,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 90).
2 And aAdam knew his wife, and she bare unto him bsons and cdaughters, and they began to dmultiply and to replenish the earth.
3 And from that time forth, the sons and adaughters of Adam began to divide two and two in the land, and to till the land, and to tend flocks, and they also begat sons and daughters.
3) be married, have children (keep that posterity going)
4: Adam and Eve called upon God in prayer
5 And he gave unto them commandments, that they should aworship the Lord their God, and should offer the bfirstlings of their cflocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was dobedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
6 And after many days an aangel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer bsacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me.
4) learn from God (go to church, listen to our leaders), obey the commandments (read our scriptures)
5) made sacrifices (make and keep covenants with The Lord)
8 Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the aname of the Son, and thou shalt brepent and ccall upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
6) repented x infinity= endured to the end
12 And Adam and aEve blessed the name of God, and they made all things bknown unto their sons and their daughters.
7) taught the gospel to their family
Some times we don't understand this pattern or cycle of life we are asked to live just as we read that Adam didn't understand why he was commanded to make sacrifices.
The Prophet Joseph Smith said, “Whatever God requires is right, … although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 256).
I want to pause here and talk about this subject for a moment. I know it's a sensitive subject. I will admit that I'm guilty of it and I think I'm safe to guess that 90% of you have struggled with this or are struggling it currently.
We weigh commandments differently according to what we feel is best and what fits with our thinking or our way of life. Maybe even according to the philosophy's of society or proven science. We do this because our minds are so finite; we are incapable of seeing the beginning and the end.
Some examples:
"Science has proven that a glass of wine a day is good for the heart."
So some think the word of wisdom is at their discretion--more of a guideline than a commandment.
I know my brother used to feel that he was closer to God in nature than at church.
I know I struggled with supporting certain religious or political stances the church has made.
But I love what P. Joseph Smith said about us not understanding a commandment until long after the event transpires.
I love that we have the opportunity of looking back at history and seeing the consequence of a choice or the reason behind a law that's often unforeseen in the present.
Moses 5:9 tells us why Adam was to make sacrifices.
And in that day the aHoly Ghost fell upon Adam, which beareth record of the Father and the Son, saying: I am the bOnly Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast cfallen thou mayest be dredeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.
The Savior wasn't to come and atone for the sins of mankind till long after Adams transgression. Adam, as we all do, needed a constant reminder that even though the fall was in affect, the Savior would redeem mankind.
Testimony:
For those of you who have been been to the temple since they redid the video, you will know what I'm talking about when I say how proud I am of Eve having vision and the gumption to make a difficult choice, but the right choice. The video relays beautifully the anguish she momentarily experienced in having to choose between two commandments.
This life is hard but I know it was a necessary insert in the continuum of our life. I am grateful to be alive and to have the chance to know the good and the evil and be a free agent unto myself
And I'm grateful that we had this pattern mapped out long ago, by our first parents, in how we should live our lives. It makes figuring out how to live this life a lot easier.
It's not always easy to obey Gods commandments; I'm not even going to stand up here and profess that I do now in fullness or out of complete faith and obedience like Adam. But I want to make a commitment to do better and align my will with Gods knowledge and his commands.
Because Heavenly Father is an all knowing God who has a plan that will never fail no matter how much Satan tries to thwart that plan, and how much society tries to shout at us, prove to us with "science", that how we are living is absurd.
Gods only intention is for us to feel loved, to experience joy. He's not going to give us laws or commands that tie us to misery. He's giving us commands that tie us to our pre-existent state, that will ultimately give us eternal joy.
**"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” (italics 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” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1993, 98; or Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73).
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