Thought: Three years
before Adam’s death, his righteous posterity gathered at Adam-ondi-Ahman to
receive his blessing. “And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and
blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the prince, the archangel” (D&C 107:54). It is no
wonder, then, that we seek to understand Adam’s role in the Fall and the nature
of the consequences that came from eating the forbidden fruit. If we correctly
understand the role of Adam and Eve, we will realize that those who have
labeled them sinners responsible for the universal depravity of the human family
are misguided. The truth is that Adam and Eve opened the door for us to come
into mortality, a step essential to our eternal progress. (Doctrines
of the Gospel Student Manual, (2000), 19–21)
Adam is identified as the
premortal archangel Michael (D&C 107:41-56; 78:15-16) He was the leader of
the forces of the Lord against the forces of Satan in the war in heaven (Rev.
12:7-12) He is and ever shall be our patriarch and leader, even in the final
battle against the forces of evil at the end of the Millennium (D&C 29:26:
78:15-16; 88:111-14; Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1. Joseph Smith said that he is the
father of the human family, and presided over the spirits of all men. President
Joseph Fielding Smith said Adam was not a cave man but perhaps the most nearly
prefect man in form and feature to our Father and Creator. (Ogden p. 35)
Book of the Week: "The Old
Testament Made Easier-Part 1-Moses -Abraham-Genesis" David J. Ridges.
Genesis 2
Vs. 1-
Chapter break- a recent editorial break-sometimes breaks flow
Vs. 5 - We
were created Spiritually before this earth was peopled. (Moses 3:5)
Vs. 7- Breath of Life=Spirit "What is meant by
"first flesh"? Adam was the first of all creatures to fall and become
flesh, and flesh in this sense means mortality, & all through our
scriptures the Lord speaks of this life as flesh, while we are here in the
flesh, so Adam became the first flesh. There was no other mortal creature
before him and there was no mortal death until he brought it, and the
scriptures tell you that." (OTSM I:33)
Vs. 8- Where
was the Garden of Eden?- Jackson County Mo. (D&C 116:1 &HCK, BY, WW)
Vs. 10- The
number 4 symbolizes "Geographic completeness"
Vs. 17- See
Moses 3:17
Vs. 18- "The
distinction between "help meet" and 'helpmeet or helpmate' is crucial
to proper understanding of the roles of husband and wife. 'Helpmeet' means
'helper or 'assistant' and is often interpolated to mean 'of lesser status.'
'Help meet' means 'help that is vital to him.' 'Meet' means 'necessary,' 'vital,' 'required' -see D&C 58:26."
(Ridges p. 177) See Proclamation to the World on the Family.
Is this preeminent woman the same spoken of in Genesis as a
"help meet" for him? Society would have us believe that a help meet
is a person of lesser stature—a subject, a subordinate. An examination of the
word itself yields an altogether different meaning. The Oxford English
Dictionary lists its meaning as "even with or equal to." The original
Hebrew text is even more enlightening. The word that has been translated as
"help meet" is a combination of two root words: ezer and k'enegdo.
The word ezer also combines two roots: the first meaning "to
rescue" or "to save" or "as a savior," sometimes
coupled with the concept of majesty, and the other meaning "strength"
or "to be strong." The second Hebrew word, k'enegdo, is
identified as meaning "equal." "Mother
Eve-Mentor for Today's Woman: A Heritage of Honor"-Beverly Campbell Shall rule with thee (Ogden p. 51)
Vs.
19 - WORK - D&C75:29- The idler shall have no place in his Church, except
he repent and mend his ways.
*The
modern Hebrew word for bachelor is rayak, from the adj. reyk,
meaning empty, incomplete. (Ogden p. 38)
Vs.
20 - Eve in its Hebrew form is an ancient common noun for "life"
(Ogden p. 52)
Vs. 21-22-
"symbolic" (SWK-Ensign, March 1976, p. 71) Vs. 23-bone of my bone=we
are family-Mawige
Eve -
D&C 138:38-39- "Women and the Priesthood" D. Kelly Ogden-Meridian
Magazine 12/31/13
"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." (DHOaks,
"The Great Plan of Happiness," Ensign,
Nov. 1993)
Genesis 3(24
verses-32 in Moses 4)
Vs. 1 - See
Moses 4:6-7- Satan spoke through a serpent. Note what Satan did not know. Satan
seeketh that all might be miserable like unto himself. (2 Nephi 2:18, 27)
Misery loves company. Serpent=Savior- See John 3:14-15- Satan came in his role
as the "King of the Counterfeit"
Vs. 5 - We
were created Spiritually before this earth was peopled. (Moses 3:5)The doctrine
of Pre-mortality is an important and unique LDS teaching.
Vs. 24- See
Alma 12:27; 42:2-12
The Fall (See OTSM p. 39)
A.
Conditions in the Garden of Eden were different from those of mortality.
1. Before the Fall the earth &
all things upon it existed in a spiritual state (2 Nephi 2:22; Moses 3:5–7). “… When
Adam was in the Garden, he was not subject to death. There was no blood in his
body & he could have remained there forever. This is true of all the other
creations” (JFS, DS, 1:76–77).
4.
In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence, not
understanding good & evil &having neither joy nor misery (2 Nephi 2:23; Moses 5:11). Under the
conditions in which he was living at that time it was impossible for him to
visualize or understand the power of good & evil. He did not know what
pain, sorrow or a thousand other things were” (JFS, DS, 1:107–8).
B.
Adam & Eve brought about the Fall by their own choice.
1. Adam & Eve were commanded
not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good & evil (Gen. 2:15–17; Moses 3:15–17; Abr. 5:11–13). “Now this is
the way I interpret that: The Lord said to Adam, here is the tree of the
knowledge of good & evil. If you want to stay here, then you cannot eat of
that fruit. If you want to stay here, then I forbid you to eat it. But you may
act for yourself, & you may eat of it if you want to. If you eat it, you
will die. “I see a great difference between transgressing the law & committing
a sin” (JFS, “Fall-Atonement-Resurrection-Sacrament,”
Charge to Religious Educators, 124). There were 3 types of trees in the
Garden: 1)Those suitable for food. 2) Tree of Life=the love of God and 3)Tree
of knowledge of good and evil.
2. Eve was beguiled by Satan &
partook of the fruit (Gen. 3:1–6; Moses 4:5–12; 1 Tim. 2:14). “The devil
told Eve a truth when he said that when she should eat of the tree of knowledge
of good & evil they should become as Gods, but he accompanied it with a lie.
He never tells the complete truth. He said that they should not die. The Father
said they should die. The devil had to tell a lie in order to accomplish his
purposes; but there was some truth in his statement. Their eyes were opened. They
had a knowledge of good & evil just as the Gods have” (G. Q. Cannon, Gospel
Truth, 1:16).
3. Eve gave the fruit to Adam, and
he partook (Gen. 3:6; Moses 4:12). “The
adversary, Lucifer, through the serpent, beguiled Eve and deceived her and
induced her to eat of the forbidden fruit. It was not so with Adam. … He knew
that unless he partook there would be an eternal separation between him &
the partner God had give him, so he transgressed the law. … Because had he not
partaken of the fruit, they would have been eternally separated” (Cannon, Gospel
Truth, 1:24).
4. After Adam and Eve partook of
the fruit, the Lord told them the conditions of mortality that would confront
them (Gen. 3:16–19; Moses 4:22–25).
C.
The Fall brought about significant changes for Adam & Eve’s posterity. "Because
Adam transgressed the law, the Lord changed the earth to suit the mortal
condition and all things on the face of the earth became subject to mortality,
as did the earth also." (JFS, Man, His Origin and Destiny. p. 50-51)
1.The Lord placed cherubim and a
flaming sword to guard the tree of life and to prevent Adam and Eve from
partaking of it (Gen. 3:24; Moses 4:31; Alma 12:21–23; 42:2–4).
5. Adam & his family were shut
out of God’s presence, thereby suffering a spiritual death (Alma 42:6–7, 9; D&C 29:40–41; Moses 5:4; 6:49).
7. Pain and sorrow were introduced
as part of mortality (Gen. 3:16; Moses 6:48). distress
instead of sorrow and preside rather than rule (SWK, Ensign, 1976 p. 72)
10. The garden prepared them for
mortality 1)Horticulture (Gen. 2:15; 2)They were familiar with the animal
kingdom (v. 19) 3)They knew some astronomy (Gen. 1:14)=They were civilized.
11. “This being ‘conceived in sin’
[Moses 6:55], is only that
they are in the midst of sin. They come into the world where sin is prevalent,
& it will enter into their hearts, but it will lead them ‘to taste the
bitter, that they may know to prize the good.’ (George Q. Morris, CR Apr.
1958, 38).
12. Two kinds of death...
D.
The Fall was a purposeful step in God’s plan of salvation.
2. Adam’s fall gave him & his
posterity the opportunity to obtain the joy that comes from choosing good over
evil (2 Nephi 2:25–27; Moses 5:10–11).
3. If Adam & Eve had not
transgressed, they would have lived forever in innocence, without children,
thereby frustrating God’s plan of salvation (2 Nephi 2:22–24; Moses 5:10–11).
4. Death is a necessary part of
God’s plan (2 Nephi 9:6; Alma 42:6–8). “We came into
this world to die. That was understood before we came here. It is part of the
plan. When Adam was sent into this world, it was with the understanding that he
would transgress a law, in order to bring to pass this mortal condition which
we find ourselves in today” (JFS, DS, 1:66).
E.
In this life we are subject to enticements of the flesh & the Spirit.
1. The flesh subjects us to
enticements toward physical gratification (Rom. 8:5–8; 2 Nephi 2:29). “Man is a
spiritual being, a soul, & at some period of his life everyone is possessed
with an irresistible desire to know his relationship to the infinite. There is
something within him which urges him to rise above himself, to control his
environment, to master the body & all things physical & live in a
higher & more beautiful world” (David O. McKay, CR, Oct.
1928, 37).
2. Only by yielding to the Spirit
can we overcome the inclinations of the flesh (Mosiah 3:19). “Man has a
dual nature; one, related to the earthly or animal life; the other, akin to the
divine. Whether a man remains satisfied within what we designate the animal
world, satisfied with what the animal world will give him, or whether, through
self-mastery, he rises toward intellectual, moral, and spiritual enjoyments
depends upon the kind of choice he makes every day, nay, every hour of his
life” (David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals, 347–48).
Partaking
of the fruit was a transgression. It broke the law of staying in the garden and
opened the door to begin the human race.
Humpty
Dumpty
Genesis 4 (See Moses 5:1-15) Adam and Eve Raised a little Cain
as soon as they were Abel.
Vs. 4-8-
Cain's offering was not acceptable to the Lord.
Vs. 13 - See
alternate translation in foot note. Also D&C 42:18; Mosiah 16:5
Cain was
jealous of his brother. He tried to hide what he had done. He then withdrew
from is family.
Seth-
son of Adam & Eve, a high
priest, a patriarch, and one chosen to fill the birthright promise of the
covenant seed. While the Bible devotes only seven verses to Seth (Gen. 4:25-26;5:3-4, 6-8), Latter-day scripture adds
substantial detail, underscoring his importance in a manner reminiscent of
other ancient texts. According to LDS sources, Seth was born after numerous
other children (Moses 5:2-3), was ordained at age sixty-nine by
Adam, and became patriarchal leader after the death of his father (D&C 107:41-42).Following the murder of Abel, Seth
inherited the birthright of the patriarchal order of the high priesthood
because of his righteousness (D&C 107:40-43), taking Abel's place (Gen. 4:25; Moses 6:2). "The order of this priesthood
was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the
literal descendants of [Seth's] chosen seed, to whom the promises were made…in
the days of Adam, and came down by lineage…from Adam to Seth, who…received the
promise of God by his father, that his posterity should be the chosen of the
Lord, and that they should be preserved unto the end of the earth" (D&C 107:40-42). At Adam-ondi-Ahman, before his
death, Adam bestowed a "blessing upon seven of his [descendants]-Seth,
Enos, Jared, Canaan, Mahalaleel, Enoch, and Methuselah" (Durham, p.
64).Seth was obedient and righteous under the tutelage of Adam so that "he
seemed…like unto his father in all things," and was called "a perfect
man" (D&C 107:43), as were Noah and others (Gen. 6:9; Job 1:1). He "offered an acceptable sacrifice,
like unto his brother Abel," with the result that "God revealed
himself unto Seth" (Moses 6:3). Apocryphal texts, seeking patterns
for the ministry of the expected messiah, focus on notions of Seth's leadership
in the premortal life, his complete obedience, and his role as father and
patriarch of the covenant race (Encyclopedia
of Mormonism 3:1299)
Genesis 5 -
Vs.
3 -Seth was in Adam's image just as man was in God's.
Moses
6:5 - A book of remembrance was kept!
Gen.
5:21-24 and Moses 6:11-8:4 (4 verses vs. 116); Heb. 11:5; Enoch holds a
prominent place in Latter-day Saint scripture &tradition. He & his city
of Zion are symbols, affirming that supreme righteousness can be attained on
earth as it is in heaven. Enoch was 7th in a chain of Patriarchs extending back
to Adam. When Enoch was "but a lad" possibly over 65-Moses 6:25, 31),
he was called to preach repentance to the wicked: Enoch felt inadequate to the
task: "All the people hate me; for I am slow of speech" (6:31-34; cf.
1:25-26; Ex. 4:10-12;
Jer. 1:4-10;
Isa. 6:1-10).
The Lord instructed Enoch to anoint his eyes with clay and wash them, whereupon
he saw a vision of "the spirits that God had created; and…things which
were not visible to the natural eye" (Moses 6:35-36).
Enoch then went forth preaching, but the people took offense and considered him
"a wild man" (6:37-38). He saw the Lord face to face. Enoch brought a
large body of converts to the gospel of Jesus Christ, but his success came with
fierce opposition (7:12-13). By Enoch's words, "the earth trembled, and
the mountains fled,…and rivers of water were turned out of their course"
(7:13). Stricken by fear, Enoch's enemies and the giants of the land stood far
off, and "the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in
righteousness" (7:17). The faithful achieved an extraordinary unity of
heart and mind, state of economic equality was realized, and "there was no
poor among them" (7:18). This community
matured over a period of 365 years, after which it was received up into heaven.
Fulfilling his covenant to preserve the lineage of Enoch upon the earth, the Lord
left behind Enoch's son, Methuselah, and grandson, Lamech (Moses 8:2, 5).
Lamech's son Noah was born four years after the city of Enoch was taken into
heaven. In a third vision, Enoch beheld "all the inhabitants of the
earth" (7:21). In this panoramic revelation, he witnessed the wickedness
and violence in the days of Noah; he saw Satan laughing, with a great chain in
his hand, and the Lord weeping over his creations, for mankind had rejected God
and had become "without affection" (7:33). Enoch saw the atoning
sacrifice of Jesus Christ (7:47-48) and received a promise that "a remnant
of his seed should always be found among all nations" (7:52). Finally, he
saw the joyous reunion of his city with a latter-day Zion built in anticipation
of Jesus' second coming (7:63-67). According to the biblical account, Enoch
lived 365 years (Gen. 5:23);
according to the Book of Moses, 430 years. (D&C 84:15-19;
107:48-49, 56). Enoch's Zion
represents every spiritual ideal for which Latter-day Saints strive. Called to
build a modern Zion, the prophet and seer Joseph Smith used the name Enoch as
one of the code names for himself in early editions of the Doctrine and
Covenants. An economic system designed to promote material and spiritual
equality within the Church, the Order of Enoch has been implemented at various
times in Church history. Church members look toward the day when the righteous
will build the counterpart of Enoch's City of Holiness, the New Jerusalem, in
Jackson County, Missouri. (Encyclopedia of Mormonism-Enoch)
Moses
5:10-11
Genesis 6
Vs.
1-2- See Moses 8:13-16
Vs.
3 - See Moses 8:17- The Lord had granted unto mankind an extended probationary
period of 120 years to be taught a better way and to repent in the days of
Noah, before the flood.
Vs.
6-7- It repented Noah that God made man (TPJS p. 327) also Moses 8:25
Noah is Gabriel and stands
next to Adam in priesthood authority (Tchings p. 157)
He was the angel who
appeared to Mary and Joseph
Noah was also the
Elias who appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, April 3, 1836 in the
Kirtland Temple and restored the keys of Abraham's dispensation - see D&C
110:12 and 128:20-21. see answers to Gospel Questions 3:138-41 also student
manual p. 54
Moses 8:15 says
"The daughters of thy sons have sold themselves; for behold mine anger is
kindled against the sons of men, for they will not hearken to my voice"
"Because the daughters of
Noah married the sons of men contrary to the teachings of the Lord, his anger
was kindled, and this offense was one that brought to pass the universal
flood.... The daughters who had been born, evidently under the covenant, and
were the daughters of the sons of God, that is to say of those who held the
priesthood, were transgressing the commandment of the Lord and were marrying
out of the Church. Thus they were cutting themselves off from the blessings of
the priesthood contrary to the teachings of Noah and the will of God. (Answers
to Gospel Questions, 1:136-37)
There were no
righteous people destroyed in the flood. (see Moses 7:27)
"thus justice
was satisfied, the law vindicated, the wicked punished, the unborn and pure
protected and provided for, and finally, the imprisoned released from their
bondage and salvation extended to the prisoners. Was there anything wrong in
that. 'Yes,' says the ignoramus who does not know anything about it, 'It was
very cruel.' Well, the greatest cruelty there is about such men is that they
are cruelly ignorant and do not know what they are talking about." (John
Taylor JD 21:18)
The Joseph Smith Translation adds
a new dimension and teaches that the rainbow was the token of a covenant-made
originally with Enoch and later reconfirmed with Noah-that Enoch's city would
return, when people on earth would be worthy to receive it.
