2. Proclamation to the world on the Family
3. 5:5–6.
“I like the beautiful lesson taught and
the impressive example set by our first parent, Father Adam. To Adam it was not
a matter of blind obedience, but rather it displayed his complete and
unwavering confidence and faith in the word and instruction from the Lord”
(HDTaylor, IE, Dec. 1970).
4. 5:7–11. Adam and Eve were the first Christians . “Some say the kingdom of God was not set up on
the earth until the day of Pentecost, and that John the Baptist did not preach
the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. But I say, that the kingdom of
God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time, whenever
there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed His word and
gave power and authority to administer in His name” (TPJS, 271).
(2 Nephi 25:26;Alma 46:13–15; D&C 138:12–16, 38–46).
5. 5:10–12. Adam and Eve
Knew They Could Be Saved
6. Moses 5:13-
Mosiah 2:36-37' 16:3-5; 3:19, 25-26. A
friend or an enemy to God? John 15:12-17.
8. 5:18-21-Cain made an offering to God
only after Satan commanded him. His offering was not what God had commanded (Moses 5:5)
and God did not accept it (Hebrews 11:4; D&C 124:75).
9. God warns sinners, giving them many
opportunities to repent (Moses 5:22–25, 34–35; Mosiah 26:30;
D&C 138:30–35).
11. 5:26–54; 7:22; Alma 3:19; 32:19;D&C 82:3). Moses 5:16–17. “Cain
had the great honor of being Adam’s son, and he, too, was privileged with the
same blessings as his father. What a mighty man he could have been! How his
name might have stood out with excellent luster as that of one of the valiant
sons of God! How he might have been honored to the latest generation! But he
would have none of it! “Cain’s
great sin was not committed in ignorance. We have every reason to believe that
he had the privilege of standing in the presence of messengers from heaven. In
fact the scriptures infer that he was blessed by communication with the Father
and was instructed by messengers from his presence. No doubt he held the
Priesthood; otherwise his sin could not make of him Perdition. He sinned
against the light. And this he did, so we are told, because he loved Satan more
than he loved God. “From the
Bible one might infer that Cain was the first born child of Adam, but the Bible
gives only a meager history. In the Book of Moses we obtain a more extended
view and a better insight into conditions in that early day. Adam and Eve were
the parents of numerous children, sons and daughters, even before Cain and Abel
were born, as we gain the information from that story” (JFSmith, The Way
to Perfection, 97–98).
12. Abel
“magnified the Priesthood which was conferred upon him, and died a righteous
man, and therefore has become an angel of God by receiving his body from the
dead, holding still the keys of his dispensation” (TJPS, 169).
13. 5:16–28. “By faith in this atonement or plan of redemption,
Abel offered to God a sacrifice that was accepted, which was the firstlings of
the flock. Cain offered of the fruit of the ground, and was not accepted,
because he could not do it in faith, he could have no faith, or could not
exercise faith contrary to the plan of heaven. It must be shedding the blood of
the Only Begotten to atone for man; for this was the plan of redemption; and
without the shedding of blood was no remission; and as the sacrifice was
instituted for a type, by which man was to discern the great Sacrifice which
God had prepared; to offer a sacrifice contrary to that, no faith could be
exercised, because redemption was not purchased in that way, nor the power of
atonement instituted after that order; consequently Cain could have no faith;
and whatsoever is not of faith, is sin” (TPJS, 58).
14. Cain was the first man on earth to
enter into a covenant with Satan and to use covenants to prevent others from
disclosing sinful acts. However, he was not the last. In the scriptures this
kind of covenant relationship is called a secret combination. Helaman 6:21–30; Ether 8:13–25.
15. 5:33- Cain’s rejoicing is both ironic
and tragic, manifesting how complete his rebellion against God had become. Did
he think he was free from future work? (Moses 4:23–31). Did
he consider himself free from the righteous example of Abel? (1 John
3:12). Or did he feel he was free because he was rich? The
scriptures make it clear that instead of true freedom, Cain was in total
bondage and damnation. (2 Nephi
2:27).
16. 5:34–35 -Why
we cannot hide our sins from the Lord (Proverbs 15:3; 2 Nephi 9:20; 27:27;Alma 39:8; D&C
1:3).
17. 5:36-37,
41- Compare Cain’s response to the responses of Adam and Eve after they partook
of the fruit (Moses
4:18–29; 5:10–11). Why do
the wicked and the righteous respond differently when confronted with their own
sins? (1 Nephi
16:1–3).
18. "All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not” (TPJS, p. 181). “As Adam represented the Lord on
earth, so Cain acted for and on behalf
of Lucifer. Indeed, this first murderer of all murderers is himself
Perdition—he was so designated in preexistence—and he will rule over Satan
himself when the devil and his angels are cast out everlastingly” (A New Witness For the Articles of Faith, 658). Perdition means
“a perishing destruction” or “lost.” “Two persons, Cain and Satan, have received the awesome name-title Perdition. The name
signifies that they have no hope whatever of any degree of salvation, that they
have wholly given themselves up to iniquity, and that any feeling of
righteousness whatever has been destroyed in their breasts” (Mormon Doctrine, 566;
D&C 76:30–38, 43–49).
19. 5:39-40- It must be noted that the mark that
was set upon Cain was not the same thing as the curse that
he received. The mark was to distinguish him as the one who had been cursed by
the Lord. It was placed upon Cain so that no one finding him would kill him. A
parallel that illustrates the difference between a mark and a curse might be
the account of the Lord placing a mark and a curse upon the Lamanites and their
posterity (2 Nephi 5:20–24; Alma 23:16–18). It should be noted that the curse was based
on individual disobedience and that by obedience to God the curse was removed,
although the mark may not have been removed immediately. Eventually, however,
the mark was also removed from some (3 Nephi 2:12–16).
20. 5:42–54- Cain’s descendants. Wicked parents share the
responsibility for the sins of their children (Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Nephi
4:3–7; D&C 68:25; 1 Nephi 17:33–41)
23. Gospel ordinances began on earth with Adam & Eve. These
ordinances are holy & designed to confirm mankind’s covenant relationship with God (Mosiah 13:30;Alma 13:16; D&C 84:19–21;124:39–40).
24. “Good conduct without the
ordinances of the gospel will neither redeem nor exalt mankind; covenants and
the ordinances are essential” (BKPacker, Ensign, Nov. 1985, 82).
