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 The fall of Adam and Eve is
commonly referred to as the original sin in Catholic doctrine,
or simply “the fall” in much of Christianity. Universal
memories of the narrative describe Adam and Eve being tempted
by the devil to eat an apple they shouldn’t have, leading to
the destruction of the Garden of Eden. While some may consider
the fall as merely a story, all should come to realize that
the fall is a complex event of tremendous significance for all
mankind, reaching far beyond the concept of original sin.
Linkage to the Premortal Existence
The fall begins with the understanding that Adam and Eve were
valiant spirits in the premortal existence and given the
assignment to be the first man and woman to live on the earth.
It was their mission to bring mortality into the world
according to our Heavenly Father’s plan. When they assumed
their places in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had physical
bodies, but were not yet mortal and therefore unable to have
children and exempt from death. Because they were in the
presence of God, Adam and Eve had a spiritual life, but were
unable to understand the differences between good and evil.
Commandments, Sin, and Consequences
Adam and Even were given two key commandments by God: (1) to
“multiply and replenish the earth,” and (2) to not eat of the
tree of knowledge of good and evil. Just as he does today,
Satan entered the Garden of Eden with the intent of tempting
Adam and Eve to break the commandments of God, seeking to
destroy the plan of our Heavenly Father. When Eve, followed by
Adam, were persuaded by Satan to eat of the tree of knowledge
of good and evil, they fell into disobedience which led to
what we refer to as the fall. As a result of the fall, Adam
and Eve became subject to the consequences of their
disobedience: They were cast out of the Garden of Eden, became
mortal beings, and were consigned to live in a world much
different from the garden. In this world, Adam and Eve and all
their descendants would be subject to suffering and physical
death. The trial and training of mortality had begun.
Perhaps more importantly, the fall brought about a spiritual
death that created a separation from God. Adam and Eve and
their posterity lost the opportunity to have face-to-face
communication with God. That separation from God was further
aggravated by Satan’s introduction of evil into the world. The
fall brought about both physical and spiritual death that
would eventually be reconciled through the Atonement of Jesus
Christ.
Commencing the Plan of Salvation
Despite the introduction of physical and spiritual death and
its consequences, the fall is seen as the commencement of
Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation. This commencement is a
great blessing to all of mankind. This blessing includes the
obtaining of physical bodies of flesh and bone, the prospect
to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to take
full advantage of the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus
Christ. Considering the state of Adam and Eve before the fall
in the Garden of Eden, none of these blessings would have been
available without the fall.
Fallen State, not a Perpetual Sin
The sin of Adam and Eve belongs solely to Adam and Eve and is
not inherited by any of the descendants of Adam. The second
Article of Faith states: “We believe that men will be punished
for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (AOF
1:2). The fall of Adam brought forth mortality, but man does
not carry Adam’s sin.
The Larger Perspective of the Fall
As one ponders the doctrine of the fall there comes about a
realization that there is far more to the doctrine than sin
coming into the world as a result of Adam’s decision. There
are five key points of interest that every Christian must
consider:
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Adam and Eve before eating of
the tree of knowledge of good and evil were not even aware
that they were naked. Since they were told by God to “...be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth....”
(Genesis 1:28), one might wonder if the human race could
have ever been propagated had they not become aware that
they were naked and had the opportunity to procreate.
-
God wants each of his children
to know and understand the difference between good and evil.
That being the case, one must wonder why the tree that they
were commanded to not eat of was named the tree of knowledge
of good and evil as opposed to something less meaningful, or
at least less desirable.
-
One must question whether God
intended Adam and Eve to remain in a sinless state for all
eternity. If God intended this, why was Satan allowed in the
garden at all? Satan’s eternal objective is to have all of
God’s children break the commandments of the Lord and become
Satan’s subjects; therefore, God knew that Satan’s presence
would lead to sin. Through God’s omnipotent power in
creating the earth, he could have easily kept Satan from
entering the garden, thus reducing or even eliminating the
threat of sin to his beloved creations. When one truly
understands the plan of salvation as Christian doctrine,
they will come to realize that eliminating the influence of
Satan would have negated the plan of God.
-
Jesus Christ was the chosen
Savior before the foundation of the world (1 Pet: 1:20), and
therefore God knew that we would need a Savior before Adam
and Eve were ever sent into the garden.
-
God is a just God and would
never hold a person accountable for the sins of another
person. So how could it be possible that the sins of Adam
could be attached to his descendants?
When considering these five key
points, the doctrine of the fall has much greater spiritual
impact and application than the simplistic doctrine of
original sin or the mere story of Adam and Eve. Whereas many
view the fall as inherently simplistic and negative, the fall
must be seen in a much broader spiritual perspective. Although
the sin of Adam and Eve had dire consequences for all of
mankind physically and spiritually, the event had far greater
reach in launching the Lord’s plan of salvation for all
mankind.
God in his infinite wisdom set into motion a plan that would
establish the principle of moral agency (the freedom to
choose—sometimes referred to as free will); introduce the
struggle between good and evil as a proving ground for faith;
institute a state of mortality among humankind; and lay the
foundation for the Atonement and Resurrection of his son Jesus
Christ. This plan is in full operation today among the
children of God.
Satan Tricks, is Tricked, and is Punished
We know that the serpent told Eve that if she ate of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil that she would not die, but that
“God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes
shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good from
evil” (Genesis 3:5). Satan was actually correct (although
perhaps not truthful) in telling Eve that she would not die an
instant physical death, but that her eyes would be opened, and
that she would become like the gods. In Genesis 3:22, God
says: “…Behold the man is become as one of us, to know good
and evil…” Curiously, in tempting Eve as he did, Satan, the
great dissembler, was delivering a strong element of truth,
and in doing so Satan did exactly what God knew he would do
and helped launch the plan of salvation. Satan’s punishment
for doing so was to be cursed all the days of his life and be
conquered by Christ (Genesis 3:14-15).
Conclusion
Knowing these fantastic truths about the fall of Adam and Eve
we are able to understand a number of important Christian
gospel principles that have an impact on our own lives today.
The simplistic story of Adam and Eve that many grow up with is
actually a major spiritual milestone in which the plan of our
Heavenly Father for all humankind was kicked off and put into
play—the same plan that we are a part of today.
Doctrinal
Study: Creation
and the Fall: The Fall of Adam and Eve
Download the
Sword Series™ essay on the Fall of Adam and Eve |
