Alma discussed Adam and Eve:
“Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good…” (Alma 12:31, emphasis mine).
What are these “first commandments?”
1. Beget children.
2. Don’t die physically (separation of body from spirit).
3. Don’t die spiritually (separation from God).
(A fourth is to care for living things.)
“So God created man in his own image…male and female…
“…and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth…” (Gen. 1:27-28).
“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). Partaking of this fruit led to physical AND spiritual death for Adam and Eve.
These are the “first commandments.”
Why would God give His children the opportunity to sin and destroy themselves? Why put the forbidden fruit in the garden at all?
Lehi Explains
There are few commentaries on Adam and Eve that can rival Lehi’s masterful end-of-life sermon to his son, Jacob. He explains the WHY behind the events.
“…if Adam had not transgressed (eaten the forbidden fruit) he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden…
“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” (2Ne. 2:22-23). Knowledge of good and evil was one property the fruit bequeathed; the other was death.
In order to keep the first commandment (become parents), they had to break the second and third rules, to die physically and spiritually.
“And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law (don’t die physically) they (Adam and Eve) were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law (don’t die spiritually) they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever” (2Ne. 2:5).
Fortunately, our first parents’ deficiencies at obedience (as well as our own) were anticipated and provided for by our heavenly Parents. It was never expected that we would be flawless in our obedience (though we are expected to try to our utmost). Salvation would have to include a way to save sinners.
“Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.
“Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.
“Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah…” (2Ne. 2:6-8).
Adam and Eve kept the rule to beget offspring; how do they (and we) overcome physical and spiritual death?
“…through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down His life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise…
“…inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men…
“…because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God…” (2Ne. 8-10).
We are able to keep the rule to beget children, and be saved from physical and spiritual death by Jesus Christ.
Why not start off as immortal parents? Because we are now proving whether we can be trusted with that power permanently; it is temporarily on loan now. Immortal parents having immortal children; they should be perfect first, lest their children inherit their sinful state forever.
Any family or marriage not founded on goodness and obedience to God will be dissolved before the resurrection. Death ends anything that should not last; the resurrection restores anything that worthy of permanence.
Opposition on the Menu
Why couldn’t we take this test in a more heavenly, death-and-sin-free environment, like the Garden of Eden? Lehi explains the role of evil and good in the plan of salvation.
“For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad…”
“…And to bring about his eternal purposes…it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.
“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” (2Ne. 2:11, 15-16)
God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil into the garden, as well as the tree of life (along with allowing Satan to enter), because without the opportunity to choose between them, Adam and Eve would not have really had options, so no free will. Exposure to both good and evil, and a knowledge of the consequences of each, are prerequisites for moral agency to exist in fullness.
We fall, come down here to this beautiful yet morally corrupt place, to be tested, precisely because both good and evil are available here. The opportunity to choose sin validates our choice to do good instead. If there were only good choices available, what could our choices show about us? If there are no forks in our path, are we really navigating?
Agency requires knowledge of our options and their consequences, and power to do according to our own wills. It also requires opportunities to choose. Unless good and evil are presented at the same time, choosing the good will not show anything about us; the test of life would be invalidated. Further, we would not learn anything by experiencing the consequences of our wrong choices. We taste the bitter and learn to prize the sweet.
Joy and the Messiah
Fortunately for us, we live well beyond our procreative prime.
“And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments of which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents” (2Ne. 2:21).
Yes, we rightly mourn about the wickedness and consequent misery of this world, but it is part of our test.
“But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things” (2Ne. 2:24). It can be difficult at times, but all this misery and confusion is planned against by God. Lehi asks us to trust Him.
Is joy available here as well?
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2Ne. 2:25).
“Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it…” (Joseph Smith, Letter to Nancy Rigdon, quoted in The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, compiled by Dean C. Jesse, p. 507).
How can we derive joy from anything in this fallen world?
“And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men form the fall…” (2Ne. 2:26).
Jesus Christ has not just secured happiness for us after death, but in this life, if we will learn and follow His rules.
“…And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves…
“Wherefore, men are free…to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men…” (2Ne. 2:26-27). Jesus Christ provides increased opportunities for joy in this life when we keep the commandments (or because of keeping the commandments).
Returning Home; Regaining Lost Joy
Adam and Eve left the presence of God, and then died physically. Their predicament is ours, and the solution to these problems is the same for us as well.
Do we have to wait until the resurrection and permanent reunion with God to find any joy?
“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” (Moses 5:7-12).
We can get a foretaste of eternal life here and now.
We receive a portion of the Holy Spirit; that portion can increase; the greater the portion, the greater the joy. Eve says it comes to “all the obedient.”
What rules can we obey to receive a greater portion of His Spirit?
“…whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost…” (3Ne. 9:20).
As Lehi told us, Jesus “answer[s] the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2Ne. 2:7).
The Holy Ghost fills us with joy; it also leads us back to God—one choice at a time; one day at a time. Continuous repentance includes following those promptings.
Opposites
When we say “opposition,” we usually mean the obstacles separating us from happiness, or what we want. Lehi’s definition seems to be more expansive. He implies that the physical world would end without opposition.
He juxtaposes opposites: punishment and misery; righteousness and wickedness; holiness and misery; good and bad; life and death; corruption and incorruption; happiness and misery; sense and insensibility; things to act, and things to be acted upon; sweet and bitter.
Without these contrasts and foils, he says that “all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead…” (2Ne. 2:11). Instead of a glob of insensate goo, the earth is alive and vibrant.
We are here to have a robust mortal experience, and this massive dose of opposites, administered in daily succession, delivers it to us.
When we are brought before God to be judged, what will we be judged on?
Actions, yes, but most of our actions will have been erased by entropy and resurrection by that point. The content of our hearts, who we are and what we really desire, will determine the final outcome.
If we are not careful, our hearts can fill up with the enticements of this world to the point that eternal things are crowded out.
“Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world…they do not learn…” (D&C 121:35). Fixation on temporal things can rob us of eternal things available in this life. We do not need to wait for heaven to find the things of eternity. We only need the ability to discern them, and let go of lesser things that keep us from getting them.
The Lord tells Emma Smith, “And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better” (D&C 25:10). That implies that they are available, like Easter eggs, hidden in plain sight, if only we will search for them.
Eternal marriage and families, priesthood power and blessings and covenants, improved character, loving relationships, knowledge and wisdom; these are all things that death cannot rob us of. They will all be valuable in this life and beyond it.
When Martha was scrambling to fix dinner, she told Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help. Jesus responded,
“Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
“But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).
Sometimes dirty dishes can languish in favor of pursuing of God.
