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The fall of Adam and Eve, no other biblical account has been debated more and understood less than that relating to Adam and Eve. Why is that so? One of the main reasons we believe is because of willful removal when the Bible itself was being translated by men that history tells us, were the leaders of "The Church" at that time. This surely affirms to us that Satan is hard at work leading the hearts of mean astray into apostasy and it is most imperative that we understand not only the history of Adam and Eve but also the doctrine behind their journey.
As Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are fortunate in that we have much of what has been removed and/or lost, found in the Pearl of Great Price books of Moses and Abraham. But the world has only the account of the fall found in Genesis in the Old Testament which treats the Fall as an event but does not discuss the doctrine. The reason for the Fall and how it serves mankind are not discussed. Thankfully, there is some light shed in the New Testament, but it is very limited. On the other hand, with the Book of Mormon, the doctrine of the fall is taught most clearly, so it is not surprising that the doctrine of the fall is misunderstood in the world for they do not have and sometimes do not want, latter-day scripture to help them. What then can we say, with our knowledge, is the purpose of the events discussed in Genesis 3–4? It is what we have been taught by Lehi in the Book of Mormon, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” But still, even with this new information, there is yet much more to understand.Some of the hardest parts about studying the scriptures lie in studying the Old Testament. It is rich in symbolism and wordy, and oft-times confusing. We can have many questions as we ponder and try to absorb and understand the stories and information presented. As we study Genesis 3–4 Moses 4–5 learning of the history and doctrine of the Fall of Adam and Eve, let's try to consider what the Lord is trying to teach us and remember that praying while we study and ponder can enrich our goal immensely and give us a better understanding.
History and Background
Genesis 3: This chapter tells of the temptation scene in the Garden of Eden which leads to the Fall of Adam and Eve. It tells of the tempting of Satan, partaking of the forbidden fruit, and expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Contrary to popular secular belief, that Fall was good. It was planned by the Lord as a major step in preparing us for our progression of being born on earth. With the Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price discussed in our last lesson, we learn that Satan though he thought so, did not know everything. He did not know that tempting Eve would carry out God's plan of salvation. This is clarified if Moses 4:6. Other points to ponder from this chapter are that Lucifer (Satan) is speaking to Eve, not a serpent. This is one of the first symbolisms of the Old Testament that has confused mankind for the ages. In the scriptures Satan has many names, serpent was one of them and used in this book, this is clarified in Revelation 12:9.Genesis 4: When reading Genesis 4 one gets the sense that there is much missing from this chapter. This is a true point clarified by Moses 4 and 5 in the Pearl of Great Price. The book of Moses provides 15 verses that preclude verse 1 of this chapter. What's in this book? Adam and Eve have children, the story of Cain and Able. One point to ponder about this chapter is that there is no mention of other children had by Adam and Eve. This one problem has left much criticism to the story of Adam and Eve. Thankfully we know through Moses 5:1-15 Adam and Eve had many children before having Cain and Abel, making the story a great deal more, understandable.
Moses 4: From the Pearl of Great Price we can read the book of Moses. In this chapter we learn how Lucifer becomes the devil and of the temptation in the Garden of Eden, followed by the consequences AND BLESSINGS of the Fall. Verses 1-4 give us insight into premortal life, unfortunately, these verses are not found in the Bible, aiding in the many misinterpretations.
Moses 5: This chapter is the equivalent to Chapter 4 of the book of Genesis in the Bible. Some of the topics that this chapter explains about Genisis 4 that have been left out are 1, Adam and Eve have children before Cain and Able, 2. Cain was aware of his choices and God was not unfair.
**Points to Ponder For Study of These Chapters
What Does the Account in the Book of Moses Restore to the Genesis Account? Between Genesis 3:24 and Genesis 4:1, fifteen additional verses are added which contain the following important points of information.
1. After they were driven from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve labored together to make a living for themselves and their children by tilling the soil and raising flocks (see Moses 5:1).
2. Adam and Eve began to have sons and daughters in fulfillment of the command to multiply and replenish the earth. Their children began to marry each other and start their own families (see Moses 5:2–3). This addition in Moses clears up a problem raised by the Genesis account. In Genesis 4:1–2, it appears that Cain and Abel are the first of Adam’s children, yet, a few verses later, Genesis 4:17 talks about Cain’s wife. The Moses account makes it clear that many children were born before Cain and, therefore, his finding himself a wife would not have been a problem.
3. Adam and Eve called upon the name of the Lord, and though they no longer saw Him as they did in the Garden, He spoke with them and gave them commandments (see Moses 5:4–5).
4. Adam and Eve were obedient to those commandments, which involved sacrificing the firstlings of the flocks as an offering to the Lord (see Moses 5:5).
5. After “many days” of such obedience, an angel appeared and asked Adam why he offered sacrifice (Moses 5:6). When Adam responded that he did not know but was being obedient anyway (a great insight into the faith of Adam), the angel then taught him that these sacrifices were in similitude of the future atoning sacrifice of the Savior and that they were to repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore (see Moses 5:6–8).
7. Adam and Eve taught these things to their children, but Satan also began to influence their children and sought to persuade them to reject the gospel. From that time forth, the gospel was preached, and those who accepted it were saved whereas those who did not were damned (see Moses 5:12–15).
Part I Moses 4:1–13; 5:1–12 We need agency and opposition in order to grow.
Because agency—the God-given right to make choices—is such a fundamental part of mortal life, we sometimes take it for granted. It is important for each of us to deepen our appreciation for this gift.1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—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.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
5 And now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which I, the Lord God, had made.
6 And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.
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 woman: Ye shall not surely die;
11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
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 desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
13 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they had been naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
5 And now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which I, the Lord God, had made.
6 And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.
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 woman: Ye shall not surely die;
11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
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 desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
13 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they had been naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.
President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) taught: “In the former [premortal] life we were spirits. In order that we should advance and eventually gain the goal of perfection, it was made known that we would receive tabernacles of flesh and bones and have to pass through mortality where we would be tried and proved to see if we, by trial, would prepare ourselves for exaltation.” He further stated that when our Heavenly Father presented His plan to His children in a council in heaven, “the thought of passing through mortality and partaking of all the vicissitudes [hardships] of earth life in which they would gain experiences through suffering, pain, sorrow, temptation, and affliction, as well as the pleasures of life in this mundane existence, and then, if faithful, passing on through the resurrection to eternal life in the kingdom of God, to be like him, filled them with the spirit of rejoicing, and they ‘shouted for joy’ [Job 38:1–7]” (Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie [1954], 1:57–58).
Moses 4:1–2. The Plan of Our Father in Heaven
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that it is “extremely important to get straight what happened in that premortal council. It was not an unstructured meeting, nor was it a discussion between plans, nor an idea-producing session, as to how to formulate the plan for salvation and carry it out. Our Father’s plan was known, and the actual question put was whom the Father should send to carry out the plan” (Deposition of a Disciple [1976], 11; see also John 7:16–18).
Elder Neal A. Maxwell (1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that it is “extremely important to get straight what happened in that premortal council. It was not an unstructured meeting, nor was it a discussion between plans, nor an idea-producing session, as to how to formulate the plan for salvation and carry it out. Our Father’s plan was known, and the actual question put was whom the Father should send to carry out the plan” (Deposition of a Disciple [1976], 11; see also John 7:16–18).
Moses 4:1–4. Satan and His Opposition to Heavenly Father’s Plan
In the premortal existence, Satan was called “Lucifer,” which means “the Shining One” or “Lightbringer.” He was a “son of the morning” (see Isaiah 14:12; D&C 76:25–27) and had potential to do much good. But Lucifer sought to obtain the throne, honor, power, and glory of Heavenly Father (see D&C 29:36; 76:28; Moses 4:1). To do so, he proposed to “redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost” (Moses 4:1). However, his proposal was based on compulsion and would therefore eliminate the agency of Heavenly Father’s children and the need for a Savior to suffer and redeem them.
Moses 4:3. The Agency of Man
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Satan’s method of assuring ‘that one soul shall not be lost’ (Moses 4:1) would be to ‘destroy the agency of man’ (Moses 4:3). Under his plan, Satan would have been our master, and he would have ‘[led us] captive at his will’ (Moses 4:4). Without the power of choice, we would have been mere robots or puppets in his hands” (“Free Agency and Freedom,” in Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr., eds., The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure [1989], 4).
Moses 4:4. Satan’s Desires
President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) taught: “Let it not be forgotten that the evil one has great power in the earth, and that by every possible means he seeks to darken the minds of men and then offers them falsehood and deception in the guise of truth. Satan is a skillful imitator, and as genuine gospel truth is given the world in ever-increasing abundance, so he spreads the counterfeit coin of false doctrine. Beware of his spurious currency, it will purchase for you nothing but disappointment, misery and spiritual death” (“Witchcraft,” Juvenile Instructor, Sept. 15, 1902, 562).
Why would God’s plan be destroyed if we did not have agency?
In the premortal existence, Satan was called “Lucifer,” which means “the Shining One” or “Lightbringer.” He was a “son of the morning” (see Isaiah 14:12; D&C 76:25–27) and had potential to do much good. But Lucifer sought to obtain the throne, honor, power, and glory of Heavenly Father (see D&C 29:36; 76:28; Moses 4:1). To do so, he proposed to “redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost” (Moses 4:1). However, his proposal was based on compulsion and would therefore eliminate the agency of Heavenly Father’s children and the need for a Savior to suffer and redeem them.
Moses 4:3. The Agency of Man
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “Satan’s method of assuring ‘that one soul shall not be lost’ (Moses 4:1) would be to ‘destroy the agency of man’ (Moses 4:3). Under his plan, Satan would have been our master, and he would have ‘[led us] captive at his will’ (Moses 4:4). Without the power of choice, we would have been mere robots or puppets in his hands” (“Free Agency and Freedom,” in Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate Jr., eds., The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure [1989], 4).
Moses 4:4. Satan’s Desires
President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) taught: “Let it not be forgotten that the evil one has great power in the earth, and that by every possible means he seeks to darken the minds of men and then offers them falsehood and deception in the guise of truth. Satan is a skillful imitator, and as genuine gospel truth is given the world in ever-increasing abundance, so he spreads the counterfeit coin of false doctrine. Beware of his spurious currency, it will purchase for you nothing but disappointment, misery and spiritual death” (“Witchcraft,” Juvenile Instructor, Sept. 15, 1902, 562).
“Our Heavenly Father’s goal in parenting is not to have His children do what is right; it is to have His children choose to do what is right and ultimately become like Him. If He simply wanted us to be obedient, He would use immediate rewards and punishments to influence our behaviors.
“But God is not interested in His children just becoming trained and obedient ‘pets’ who will not chew on His slippers in the celestial living room. No, God wants His children to grow up spiritually and join Him in the family business” (“Choose You This Day,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 104).
Part II Moses 4:4–12; 5:13–33 Satan seeks “to deceive and to blind” us.
Moses 4:4–12; 5:13–33 can help us identify some ways in which Satan tempts us to do evil.4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
5 And now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which I, the Lord God, had made.
6 And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.
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 woman: Ye shall not surely die;
11 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
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 desired to make her wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat.
13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish.
14 And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;
15 And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved; and as many as believed not and repented not, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be fulfilled.
16 And Adam and Eve, his wife, ceased not to call upon God. And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare Cain, and said: I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words. But behold, Cain hearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should know him?
17 And she again conceived and bare his brother Abel. And Abel hearkened unto the voice of the Lord. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
18 And Cain loved Satan more than God. And Satan commanded him, saying: Make an offering unto the Lord.
19 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
20 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering;
21 But unto Cain, and to his offering, he had not respect. Now Satan knew this, and it pleased him. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
22 And the Lord said unto Cain: Why art thou wroth? Why is thy countenance fallen?
23 If thou doest well, thou shalt be accepted. And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door, and Satan desireth to have thee; and except thou shalt hearken unto my commandments, I will deliver thee up, and it shall be unto thee according to his desire. And thou shalt rule over him;
24 For from this time forth thou shalt be the father of his lies; thou shalt be called Perdition; for thou wast also before the world.
25 And it shall be said in time to come—That these abominations were had from Cain; for he rejected the greater counsel which was had from God; and this is a cursing which I will put upon thee, except thou repent.
26 And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel, his brother, who walked in holiness before the Lord.
27 And Adam and his wife mourned before the Lord, because of Cain and his brethren.
28 And it came to pass that Cain took one of his brothers’ daughters to wife, and they loved Satan more than God.
29 And Satan said unto Cain: Swear unto me by thy throat, and if thou tell it thou shalt die; and swear thy brethren by their heads, and by the living God, that they tell it not; for if they tell it, they shall surely die; and this that thy father may not know it; and this day I will deliver thy brother Abel into thine hands.
30 And Satan sware unto Cain that he would do according to his commands. And all these things were done in secret.
31 And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was called Master Mahan, and he gloried in his wickedness.
32 And Cain went into the field, and Cain talked with Abel, his brother. And it came to pass that while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and slew him.
33 And Cain gloried in that which he had done, saying: I am free; surely the flocks of my brother falleth into my hands.
In what ways did Satan try to tempt Adam and Eve and their children.
What is the difference between being deceived and being blinded?
Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said that the “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” (“The Great Plan,” 73).
Another meaning of the word transgress is “to go beyond established limits or conditions.” Adam and Eve went beyond the limits that would have kept them in the Garden of Eden forever, and in so doing helped provide the opportunity of mortality for all of us.
Part III Genesis 3:1–7; Moses 4:22–31; 5:4–15 Jesus Christ’s Atonement offers hope and redemption from the Fall.
The more we understand the effects of the Fall, the more we appreciate the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What are the effects of the Fall?God cursed Satan Moses 4:20–21
The Fall of Adam and Eve brought many consequences, including mortality, work, and the opportunity to have and raise children (Moses 4:22–26, 29; see also John 16:21; Ephesians 5:22–24; see also 1 Timothy 2:14–15; D&C 75:28; 83:2).
After the Fall, God made coats of animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve’s nakedness. He also sent angels and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (see Moses 4:27, 31), thus preventing Adam and Eve from partaking of the fruit of the tree and living forever in their sins (Alma 12:21–26; 42:2–4).
The Fall of Adam and Eve brought many consequences, including mortality, work, and the opportunity to have and raise children (Moses 4:22–26, 29; see also John 16:21; Ephesians 5:22–24; see also 1 Timothy 2:14–15; D&C 75:28; 83:2).
After the Fall, God made coats of animal skins to clothe Adam and Eve’s nakedness. He also sent angels and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life (see Moses 4:27, 31), thus preventing Adam and Eve from partaking of the fruit of the tree and living forever in their sins (Alma 12:21–26; 42:2–4).
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
What is God’s plan to redeem us from the effects of the Fall? Moses 5:4–12, 14–15
4 And Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them, and they saw him not; for they were shut out from his presence.
5 And he gave unto them commandments, that they should worship the Lord their God, and should offer the firstlings of their flocks, for an offering unto the Lord. And Adam was obedient unto the commandments of the Lord.
6 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.
7 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.
8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 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.
12 And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.
13 And Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish.
14 And the Lord God called upon men by the Holy Ghost everywhere and commanded them that they should repent;
15 And as many as believed in the Son, and repented of their sins, should be saved; and as many as believed not and repented not, should be damned; and the words went forth out of the mouth of God in a firm decree; wherefore they must be fulfilled.
When have we felt hope similar to what Adam and Eve felt?
Conclusion
Adam and Eve were the first Christians. Most people think Christianity did not exist until Jesus Christ lived on the earth however animal sacrifice in Old Testament times and the sacrament in our day all point to Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve knew Jesus Christ, they were taught the plan of salvation and knew that their transgression was meant for a divine purpose. Adam and Eve knew they could be saved and this gave them hope, the same hope each of us can have.“There is the key to the question of evil. If we cannot be good, except as we resist and overcome evil, then evil must be present to be resisted. So this earth life is set up according to true principles, and these conditions that followed the transgression were not, in the usual sense, penalties that were inflicted upon us. All these that I have named to you that seem to be sad inflictions of punishment, sorrow, and trouble are in the end not that. They are blessings. We have attained a knowledge of good and evil, the power to prize the sweet, to become agents unto ourselves, the power to obtain redemption and eternal life. These things had their origin in this transgression. The Lord has set the earth up so we have to labor if we are going to live, which preserves us from the curse of idleness and indolence; and though the Lord condemns us to death—mortal death—it is one of the greatest blessings that comes to us here because it is the doorway to immortality, and we can never attain immortality without dying.” (George Q. Morris, in Conference Report, Apr. 1958, p. 39.)
Resources
Bible
Doctrine and Covenants
Pearl of Great Price
Pearl of Great Price Made Easier David Ridges
Old Testament Made Easier David Ridges
Old Testament Student Manual
Pearl of Great Price Student Manual
Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual
BYU Religious Studies
Pearl of Great Price Teacher Manual
Conference Reports
Ensign
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