Adam fell that man might be.
22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
23 And they would have had no achildren; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no bjoy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no csin.
24 But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who aknoweth all things.
2.8. In the Garden of Eden, God joined Adam and Eve in marriage. While Adam and Eve were in the garden, they were still in God’s presence and could have lived forever. They lived in innocence, and God provided for their needs.
2.9. God gave Adam and Eve their agency while they were in the Garden of Eden. He commanded them not to eat the forbidden fruit—the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Obeying this commandment meant that they could remain in the garden. However, Adam and Eve did not yet understand that if they remained in the garden they could not progress by experiencing opposition in mortality. They could not know joy because they could not experience sorrow and pain. Furthermore, they could not have children.
2.10. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and they chose to do so. Because of this choice, they were cast out from God’s presence and became fallen and mortal. Adam and Eve’s transgression and the changes they experienced as a result, including spiritual and physical death, are called the Fall. Spiritual death is separation from God. Physical death is the separation of the spirit from the mortal body.
2.11. The Fall is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation. As a result of the Fall, Adam and Eve could have children. They and their posterity could experience joy and sorrow, know good from evil, and progress (see 2 Nephi 2:22–25).
2.12. As descendants of Adam and Eve, we inherit a fallen condition during mortality. We are separated from God’s presence and are subject to physical death. We are also tested by the difficulties of mortal life and the temptations of the adversary. While we are not accountable for Adam and Eve’s transgression, we are responsible for our own sins. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can overcome the negative effects of the Fall, receive forgiveness for our sins, and eventually experience a fulness of joy.
Related topic: The Atonement of Jesus Christ
Some people believe that the Fall of Adam and Eve was a terrible mistake. Read the following statement by Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and look for how Elder Oaks described Adam and Eve’s decision to partake of the forbidden fruit.
“It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus Eve and ‘Adam fell that men might be’ [2 Nephi 2:25].“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. … Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: ‘I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin … for it was something that Adam and Eve had to do!’ (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56, 1:114–15)” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Great Plan of Happiness,” Ensign, Nov. 1993, 73).
- How did Elder Oaks describe Adam and Eve’s decision to partake of the forbidden fruit?
- How would you explain in your own words why the Fall of Adam and Eve is an essential part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation?
Search 2 Nephi 2:19–25, and identify what the consequences would have been if Adam and Eve had not eaten the forbidden fruit and fallen, as well as the consequences that occurred because of the Fall.
If Adam and Eve had not fallen (2 Nephi 2:22–23)
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Because Adam and Eve fell (2 Nephi 2:19–20, 25)
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While Lehi was teaching Jacob about the Fall of Adam and the opposition that we experience in mortality, he emphasized the positive outcomes of the Fall for all mankind.
From what you have learned about the Fall, how does it bring joy to mankind?
When have you experienced joy because of the positive consequences of the Fall?
When have you experienced joy because of the positive consequences of the Fall?
Book of Mormon Central
General Conference
Turn to the Lord, Elder Hallstrom of the Presidency of the Seventy
Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?, Elder Uchtdorf
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