Chapter 6 The Fall Of Adam And Eve

[Wants2know]

So, in looking ahead I'm looking at the Gospel Principles chapter 6 and the Fall of Adam and Eve and looking for pointers on how to address this in this new calling of mine - … I'm sure the masses of intellect and realism will provide me with some insights I will not think of on my own…. so… any thoughts, specifice scriptures…. would be most welcome. Thank you so much!!! w2K

[CV75]

So, in looking ahead I'm looking at the Gospel Principles chapter 6 and the Fall of Adam and Eve and looking for pointers on how to address this in this new calling of mine - … I'm sure the masses of intellect and realism will provide me with some insights I will not think of on my own…. so… any thoughts, specifice scriptures…. would be most welcome. Thank you so much!!! w2K

Unless you have a specific question, I think the Lord put you in the calling to teach the material to the best of your ability, which means with His help and inspiration. Do all you can to keep the Holy Spirit with you as you learn, share, teach and serve.

[Nominee]

Read this.

[Calm]

Not saying you have to use this in class as it's not specifically related, but it's worthwhile for personal information on the overall event and its implications for us:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2010_The_Two_Trees.html

[cinepro]

So, in looking ahead I'm looking at the Gospel Principles chapter 6 and the Fall of Adam and Eve and looking for pointers on how to address this in this new calling of mine - … I'm sure the masses of intellect and realism will provide me with some insights I will not think of on my own…. so… any thoughts, specifice scriptures…. would be most welcome. Thank you so much!!! w2K

Are you teaching this in Gospel Essentials or something?

I taught this lesson in Elder's Quorum last year and things went great. I just stuck with the manual and official Church publications like the Ensign and conference talks, and everyone really seemed to enjoy the lesson. I didn't feel the need to go to outside sources, and the Church's instructions for teachers indicates they'd be happier if you didn't.

If it is Gospel Essentials, you should probably focus on the "essentials" of the lesson. In Elder's Quorum, I'll sometimes try to bring in some more interesting aspects of the doctrine as taught by prophets and published by the Church. For example, for this lesson I mentioned the teaching that the Earth was created near Kolob and "fell" to its current location after the fall, as taught in the scriptures and the Ensign. But I wouldn't do that for an "Essentials" class.

Edited January 9, 2012 by cinepro

[Calm]

This commentary might be helpful in establishing context of how one can think about the Fall. It deals with the changes between the old and the new version of the GP manual, hopefully that won't be too confusing:

http://feastuponthewordblog.org/2010/03/08/rsmp-lesson-6-the-fall-of-adam-and-eve-gospel-principles-manual-2/

Looks like he does other lessons as well.

[Calm]

Here's one from a more female POV: http://www.the-exponent.com/2010/03/10/relief-society-lesson-6-the-fall-of-adam-and-eve/

[orion88]

Not saying you have to use this in class as it's not specifically related, but it's worthwhile for personal information on the overall event and its implications for us:

http://www.fairlds.o..._Two_Trees.html

Does the author of this FAIRLDS article believe there were only 2 trees in the Garden

of Eden?

[altersteve]

Does the author of this FAIRLDS article believe there were only 2 trees in the Garden

of Eden?

Probably not, but you should ask her yourself

[orion88]

Is the Fall of Adam and Eve the only example where disobedience to God was a requirement

for them to progress? Are there any examples where God requires us to disobey him so that

we can progress?

[altersteve]

Is the Fall of Adam and Eve the only example where disobedience to God was a requirement

for them to progress? Are there any examples where God requires us to disobey him so that

we can progress?

The Fall is not an example where disobedience is a requirement for progression. The Church does not teach that disobedience is a requirement for anything. God simply knew Adam and Eve would disobey Him, so He planned for that to happen.

[orion88]

God simply knew Adam and Eve would disobey Him, so He planned for that to happen.

Gospel Principles, in chapter 6, has a heading entitled "Great Blessings Resulted from the

Transgression."

Is the Fall the only case where God blessed humans for disobeying him or are there other

examples?

Why did God want Adam and Eve to not eat from the forbidden tree and live?

[ERayR]

Does the author of this FAIRLDS article believe there were only 2 trees in the Garden

of Eden?

Nope but there were just two with eternal significance.

[Rob Osborn]

Gospel Principles, in chapter 6, has a heading entitled "Great Blessings Resulted from the

Transgression."

Is the Fall the only case where God blessed humans for disobeying him or are there other

examples?

Why did God want Adam and Eve to not eat from the forbidden tree and live?

God did not bless them for their disobedience. They disobeyed and were thus cast from His presence out into the lone and dreary world. Of corse God knew that they would fall just as any mother will know their baby will fall while learning to walk.

There is some speculation why God didn't want them to eat of the tree of good and evil. Perhaps God knew that Satan would come tempting them and it was really about God commanding Adam and Eve not to obey Satan. It also could be that Adam and Eve weren't ready to partake of the tree at that point in time and thus the commandment. There is even some speculation that the tree of life represents Christ and the tree of good and evil represents Satan and it was about who they were listening to (the fruits being a metaphor for the works of either righteousness or evil). Lot's of speculation but all we can know is that Adam and Eve broke a commandment and thus became fallen man.

Edited January 18, 2012 by Rob Osborn

[LeSellers]

God did not bless them for their disobedience. They disobeyed and were thus cast from His presence out into the lone and dreary world.

Yes, He did punish them, and He did so to the exact extent that He told them He would: "In the day [they did eat] of it," they did "surely die".

But He also blessed them because they obeyed another commandment (which seems to get extremely short shrift among many who label themselves "Christians"): they did "multiply and replenish the earth." And for that they got all the blessings (most unnamed in scripture) that come with it.

Lot's [sic] of speculation but all we can know is that Adam and Eve broke a commandment and thus became fallen man.

And thus they did also become man, for without that "disobedience", they could not have followed the other (and first [and greater]) commandment. Father Lehi says so explicitly, but, in addition, if we read Genesis chapters three and four, we note that it was only after their expulsion from the Garden that "Adam knew his wife" and that they began to fill the earth, as commanded.

Lehi

Edited January 18, 2012 by LeSellers

[Rob Osborn]

Yes, He did punish them, and He did so to the exact extent that He told them He would: "In the day [they did eat] of it," they did "surely die".

But He also blessed them because they obeyed another commandment (which seems to get extremely short shrift among many who label themselves "Christians": they did "multiply and replenish the earth." And for that they got all the blessings (most unnamed in scripture) that come with it.

And thus they did also become man, for without that "disobedience", they could not have followed the other (and first [and greater]) commandment. Father Lehi says so explicitly, but, in addition, if we read Genesis chapters three and four, we note that it was only after their expulsion from the Garden that "Adam knew his wife" and that they began to fill the earth, as commanded.

Lehi

Assured speculation. What we cannot be sure of is in what manners Adam and Eve could have got to the point of them being able to bear children. I don't really believe that Satan "had" to be there for that to happen. God doesn't give conflicting commandments in the which disobedience of the one leads into obedience of the other. There is obviously more to the story of which we do not have an account of.

[orion88]

God did not bless them for their disobedience.

From what I have seen in LDS literature, the things which resulted from the Fall are

either referred to as blessings from God, punishment, or curses. The "Religion 327 -

Pearl of Great Price Student Manual" refers to them as "consequences of the Fall"

(page 13).

In the 1997 version of Gospel Principles, these things happened when Adam

and Eve they disobeyed God:

- Adam and Eve became mortal. Their posterity were born in mortal bodies.

- Adam and Eve, etc were able to have children.

- Adam and Eve, etc would experience sickness and pain.

- Adam and Eve's posterity obtained physical bodies, the right to choose between good

and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life.

- Adam and Eve, etc and their posterity suffered a spiritual death.

- Adam and Eve were sent into a world where the women would have sorrow multiplied in

childbirth and men would work hard for their food (paraphrase) (Genesis 3:16-19).

Preach My Gospel says in chapter 2, "Life on earth is an opportunity and a blessing." Also,

"Latter-day revelation makes clear that the Fall is a blessing and that Adam and Eve should

be honored as the first parents of all mankind." The training guide gives no honor to Satan

however.

Religion 430-431 - Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual says, "When Adam was driven

out of the Garden of Eden, the Lord passed a sentence upon him. Some people have looked

upon that sentence as being a dreadful thing. It was not; it was a blessing" (chapter 8,

page 21). The Book of Mormon calls it a punishment of the sinner however, not a

blessing (Alma chapter 42).

Also, "The fall of man came as a blessing in disguise, and was the means of furthering

the purposes of the Lord in the progress of man, rather than a means of hindering them"

(Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:113–14)." (chapter 8, page 21).

According to the Pearl of Great Price, it says, "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 ejoy, and again in the flesh I shall see God."

Adam blessed God for he realized that he was blessed by God for his disobedience.

Eve, after hearing what Adam said, also said herself, "Were it not for our transgression

we never should have had seed [children], 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 5:11).

She also was thankful to God for being blessed with the ability to have children. This

blessing would not come about without their disobedience.

In verse 12, they both bless God:

"And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons

and their daughters."

They blessed God for the blessings they received due to their disobedience.

The LDS Church would not use the term "blessings" if they wanted to convey something that

God did not "bless" them with. Unless its a doctrinal error.

Thoughts?

[Wants2know]

Not saying you have to use this in class as it's not specifically related, but it's worthwhile for personal information on the overall event and its implications for us:

http://www.fairlds.o..._Two_Trees.html

Love it. Thanks!