Notes & Quotes From Lesson 4
Moses 4; 5:1-15; 6:48-62

Introductory Comments

Lesson Highlights:

• The fall of Adam and Eve and its effects.
• The Atonement of Jesus Christ saves us from physical and spiritual death.
• Adam and Eve begin life as mortals.

The fall was a necessary part of Heavenly Father's plan to bring to pass our immortality and eternal life (Moses 1:39).

The Fall Of Adam & Eve and Its Effects On Them and Us

After being placed in the garden, Adam and Eve were given two important commandments:

1. "And I, God, blessed them, and said unto them: Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it" (Moses 2:28).
2. "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Moses 3:17)

As long as Adam and Eve did not partake of the forbidden fruit, they would remain in the garden. But they were left with a dilemma. They could not fulfill the commandment to "multiply and replenish the earth" without breaking the commandment not to partake of the forbidden fruit.

The Account of the Fall:

• READ MOSES 4:6-12. Adam and Eve partake of the forbidden fruit.
1. One would think that Satan would not be assisting the Father in the accomplishment of his eternal purposes.
• Joseph Fielding Smith: "Lucifer did not know all the purposes of the Father as we learn from the Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:6. Therefore the Lord used Satan's evil acts to accomplish his own purposes." (Doctrines of Salvation 2:225)
2. In v9 Eve told Satan that if they were to partake of the fruit, they should die. In v10 "the serpent said unto the woman: Ye shall not surely die." In a sense, Satan was correct.
• John A. Widtsoe: "One thing must be kept in mind: The fall was not a sin in the usually accepted sense of that word. It was a necessary act in a series of acts by which ultimately all men will win an eternal possession of their earth-bodies. In the gospel sense, the fall of Adam brought life, not death, into man's eternal existence." (Evidences & Reconciliations, pp73-74)
• Moses 4:13-31: Consequences of the fall.
1. V13: After partaking of the fruit, Adam and Eve discovered that they were naked. With that discovery, they made "aprons" of fig leaves.
2. V14: While walking in the garden, they heard the voice of God and hid themselves in the trees.
3. V15-18: The Lord calls to Adam. Adam said that he had partaken of the fruit of the tree that had been given to him by Eve.
4. V19: Eve confesses to have partaken of the fruit after having been tempted by the serpent.
5. V20-25: The Lord tells the serpent, Eve, and Adam the consequences of their transgression.
6. READ MOSES 4:28-31: Adam and Eve to be sent out of the garden.

The Effects of the Fall

As we discuss the effects of the fall upon the human family it is significant to note that, unlike traditional Christian teachings, these results are positive. It is all part of the eternal plan to help us achieve our ultimate destiny.

WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE FALL FOR ADAM AND EVE AND FOR US?

1. Adam and Eve were able to have children, thus opening the door for us to come to the earth and receive mortal bodies.
• "Because that Adam fell, we are" (Moses 6:48).
• "And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed" (Moses 5:11).
• "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Ne. 2:25).
• Bruce R. McConkie: "Except for the fall, the earth would not be peopled; we would still be in the pre-existence living as spirits, and that agency and those trials we now possess would not be. There would be no redemption from death, no immortality, no eternal life, no salvation of any sort. The purposes of God would thus be frustrated and come to naught." (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p85)
2. We experience physical death, or separation of the physical body from the spirit.
• "Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death" (Moses 6:48).
• James E. Talmage: "Here let me say that therein consisted the fall -- the eating of things unfit, the taking into the body of the things that made of that body a thing of earth: and I take this occasion to raise my voice against the false interpretation of scripture, which has been adopted by certain people, and is current in their minds, and is referred to in a hushed and half-secret way, that the fall of man consisted in some offense against the laws of chastity and virtue. Such a doctrine is an abomination. What right have we to turn the scriptures from their proper sense and meaning? What right have we to declare that God meant not what He said? The fall was a natural process, resulting through the incorporation into the bodies of our first parents of the things that came from food unfit, through the violation of the command of God regarding what they should eat." (Jesus The Christ, p30)
3. We experience spiritual death, or separation from God's presence.
• "...because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord" (2 Ne. 9:6).
• WHY WAS THIS NECESSARY?
• "And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents...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." (2 Ne. 2:15-16)
• Harold B. Lee: "Next to life itself, free agency is God's greatest gift to mankind, providing thereby the greatest opportunity for the children of God to advance in this second estate of mortality. A prophet-leader on this continent explained this to his son as recorded in an ancient scripture: that to bring about these, the Lord's eternal purposes, there must be opposites, an enticement by the good on the one hand and by the evil on the other." (Stand Ye In Holy Places, p235)
4. We are partakers of misery and woe.
• "Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe" (Moses 6:48).
• "Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;" (Genesis 3:16-17).
• HOW CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE A GOOD THING? HOW MANY ENJOY BEING PARTAKERS OF MISERY AND WOE?
• "...they taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good" (Moses 6:55)
• George Q. Morris: "There is the key to the question of evil. If we cannot be good, except as we resist and overcome evil, then evil must be present to be resisted. So this earth life is set up according to true principles, and these conditions that followed the transgression were not, in the usual sense, penalties that were inflicted upon us. All these that I have named to you that seem to be sad inflictions of punishment, sorrow, and trouble are in the end not that. They are blessings. We have attained a knowledge of good and evil, the power to prize the sweet, to become agents unto ourselves, the power to obtain redemption and eternal life. These things had their origin in this transgression. The Lord has set the earth up so we have to labor if we are going to live, which preserves us from the curse of idleness and indolence; and though the Lord condemns us to death -- mortal death -- it is one of the greatest blessings that comes to us here because it is the doorway to immortality, and we can never attain immortality without dying." (CR, Apr. 1958)
5. We are capable of sinning.
• "Behold Satan hath come among the children of men, and tempteth them to worship him; and men have become carnal, sensual, and devilish, and are shut out from the presence of God" (Moses 6:49).
• This is one of the most frustrating things about mortality, especially as one begins to learn the commandments and strive for perfection. If it isn't one thing, it is another. We all, in one way or another, sin on a daily basis.
• We lose patience with a child.
• We waste time.
• We don't care for our physical body as we should.
• We don't complete a chore to the best of our ability.
• We neglect to read the Book of Mormon as a prophet as commanded.
• We exceed the speed limit.
• None of these are major transgressions, but they are sins and keep us from progressing. I get frustrated with myself when I give into temptation. And yet, though sin itself is negative, to be tempted, tested, and tried is necessary and positive in the eternal scheme of things.
• I am reminded of when I first trained to run a marathon (26.2 miles) in the spring of 1985. I trained throughout the fall, winter, and spring of 1984-85. Physically, it was the most demanding time of my life.
• To be physically prepared to run the distance there were certain things I needed to do on a regular basis. Most importantly, I needed to run regularly. As time progressed, I ran further and more frequently. I also needed to get sufficient sleep and rest, eat a reasonable diet, and keep a positive attitude. I also read running magazines to improve my attitude and find out what it would take to complete the distance.
• During those months of training I often was "tempted" to not run and sometimes didn't: I was tired, it was too cold, it was raining (a frequent temptation here in the Northwest), dinner smelled good, etc. Sometimes I didn't get enough rest or eat properly. I "sinned" against the rules for achieving the goal. At times I became so frustrated with my weaknesses, I felt like quitting.
• How was it that these temptations were positive? I learned from the experience. If I didn't run for a few days, I found that returning to running was difficult. I discovered the price I would pay if I didn't get sufficient sleep. Over time, I became more and more physically and mentally disciplined. I became a better person by learning to stand up to the challenges I faced.
• I struggled through that first marathon, but the growth I received through facing the challenges and adversity led me to become a become a better runner and a better person. The next time I ran a marathon, my training period was more efficient and I did better. By the time I did my fifth marathon, I had my training down to a science. I learned by dealing with the challenges and mistakes.
• If we are to achieve our greatest destiny, we must be faced with adversity and the chance to sin. By dealing with temptation and sin, we become stronger and better prepared to stand in our eternal place. Completing a marathon does not just happen. And becoming like our Heavenly Father doesn't just happen.
6. The ground is cursed, causing us to work.
• "...cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:17-19).
• IS THIS POSITIVE? WHY?
• Recently the Washington state lottery had a prize of about $12,000,000. Paid out over 20 years, after taxes, the annual payout would range between $300,000 to $400,000. In discussing it at work, one of my fellow workers said he would not be in the following day if he won. When asked what he would do with his time, he responded that he would fiddle with his computer and play video games. I have heard many stories of people who have won huge lottery jackpots only to have their lives ruined.
• There is something of value in hard work. It makes us better people. I think we are more honest with ourselves and those around us. As we serve through our labor we bless the lives of others.
• I have read of islands in the Pacific where fruit grows abundantly and fish are plentiful. Little effort was necessary to obtain the necessities of life. Those societies stagnated for hundreds, even thousands of years. America, the greatest nation in the history of the world, was built by men and women who worked hard. A civilization was carved out of raw wilderness. Their efforts have built for us the finest standard of living, the greatest scientific, technological, and engineering advances known to man. If we were still in the garden, we would probably be like those islanders.
7. We learn to recognize good and evil.
• "And it is given unto them to know good from evil" (Moses 6:56).
• WHY IS THIS NECESSARY?
• "Behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and evil" (Moses 4:28)
• "...wherefore they are agents unto themselves" (Moses 6:56)
8. We can have joy in mortality.
• "Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy" (Moses 5:10).
• "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....  Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy" (2 Ne. 2:23, 25).
• We have discussed some of the challenges of life: a mortal body subject to pain, illness, and death; spiritual death or separation from God; partakers of misery and woe; sin; working to provide for ourselves and our family. Lehi tells us that we are, that we "might have joy". The Prophet Joseph Smith said that "Happiness is the object and design of our existence".
• HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE JOY AND HAPPINESS AS WE FACE THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE? WHAT BRINGS US JOY?
9. We can know the joy of our redemption and obtain eternal life.
• "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 5:11).
• The fall made redemption necessary, but it also made eternal life possible. This is our greatest hope and comfort.

HOW CAN A CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THE FALL HELP US DURING MORTALITY?

• In preparing this lesson and reviewing the results of the fall, I have been impressed at how it was all part of the eternal plan, designed by a loving Father, to assist us in returning to his presence and becoming like him.
• As we face the hills and valleys of life, this knowledge can motivate us to stay on the correct path, to "run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).

Satan attempted to frustrate Heavenly Father's plan by getting Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit. It is important for us to remember that Satan cannot have power over us, as long as we seek to do the will of the Father.

"THE works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught." (D&C 3:1)

The Atonement Of Jesus Christ Saves Us From Physical & Spiritual Death

The prophets often teach about the Atonement of Jesus Christ when they teach about the fall. They are inseparably linked in the eternal plan.

• READ MOSES 6:51-54: Salvation to come through Jesus Christ.
• READ MOSES 6:57-62: We must repent to be saved.

As it says in v54, "Son of God hath atoned for original guilt, wherein the sins of the parents cannot be answered upon the heads of the children". WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?

1. We do not have to pay the price for the sin of Adam and Eve.
2. Yes, by them, we will suffer physical death, but Christ will make us whole in the flesh. We will be resurrected as perfect physical beings because of his death and resurrection.
3. We do not have to pay the price. Christ did that. We qualified for the resurrection when we accepted the plan of Heavenly Father during the Council in Heaven.

V59 tells us that the fall came by "reason of transgression". It is the fall which brings death. This death refers not only to physical death, but also to spiritual death. HOW IS SPIRITUAL DEATH OVERCOME?

1. Turn to the Lord, hearken to his voice, and believe (v52).
2. Repent of your transgressions (v52,57).
3. Born into the kingdom by water - baptism (v52,59).
4. Born into the kingdom by the Spirit - receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (v52,59).
5. Be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. As Nephi said, "we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Ne. 25:23).

Ezra Taft Benson: "As further noted in this scripture, the fundamental doctrines consist of the doctrine of the Fall, the mission of Christ and His atonement, and the first principles and ordinances of the gospel, which include faith in Christ, repentance, baptism for a remission of sins, and the gift of the Holy Ghost as the means to a sanctified life. (Moses 6:57-59)." (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p297)

Ezra Taft Benson: "... the plan of redemption must start with the account of the fall of Adam. In the words of Moroni, 'By Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ . . . and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.' (Mormon 9:12.) Just as a man does not really desire food until he is hungry, so he does not desire the salvation of Christ until he knows why he needs Christ. No one adequately and properly knows why he needs Christ until he understands and accepts the doctrine of the Fall and its effect upon all mankind." (Teachings ETB, p28)

WHAT ARE YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT THE FALL AND THE ATONEMENT?

The other day, my wife and I were discussing mistakes we have made thus far during this mortal probation. Sterling W. Sill, in a General Conference many years ago, called them "damn fool things". These mistakes can weigh us down. It is part of our mortal existence and becomes frustrating. My wife and I talked about the great hope we feel because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. We wondered how those without a knowledge of this great and wonderful sacrifice could continue through life. It is our great hope. As that wonderful hymn states: "I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine; That he should extend his great love unto such as I, Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify."

Next Week

Lesson #5.

• Study: Moses 5-7.
• Additional reading: 2 Nephi 2:25-27, Genesis 4:1-16.