Blaine: Kevin is telling
us a scanty version of Mormon doctrine. Hopefully I can fill in the
gaps, giving you a more complete understanding.
As I understand it, the doctrine of the LDS
Church is, basically, that the earth and all therein was first created
spiritually. This means that all things living and not, have a spirit
counterpart. (see Genesis 2: 4-6) It also means there are many
spirits yet unborn, and many that will never be born due to premortal
wickedness--these latter spirits chose to be followers of Lucifer, the
once-enlightened archangel who stood in the presence of God in the courts
on high, and was our spirit brother. Due to envy and deceit, he was renamed
Satan ( "the slanderer"), and he along with 1/3 of the hosts of heaven who
followed him were cast down, to be our opposition on earth as we take upon
ourselves mortal bodies, and live our lives out in a probationary state, wherein
we are tested to see if we will live according to God, or according to the power
of the opposition.
Later, the earth was created physically,
and as part of this physical creation, Adam was created from the dust
--elements--of the earth. Eve was then created from Adam's own
flesh--his rib. They had the memory of their previous existence as
spirits taken from them. God planted a garden for them
to live in, in the midst of which were two trees--the tree of life, and the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. They could eat of any of the fruit,
including the fruit of the tree of life, but they were commanded not to eat of
the fruit of the other tree. This commandment was given for their
own good, with the understanding if they broke it, there would be a
consequence--they would surely die. On the other hand,
they were also given a commandment to "multiply, and replenish the
earth." (Genesis 1:28). Since they were in a state of
innocence, being spiritual in their nature, they apparently did not understand
at that time how this second commandment was to be kept, so they continued
eating the fruit of the tree of life, which in turn continued to give them
a spiritual, as opposed to a carnal, nature. (It should be clearly
understood however, that their bodies were tangible--e.g., they were not
spirits.)
At this point, enter Satan, the deceiver.
(:>) He tries to get Eve to partake of the fruit of the tree of
knowledge of good and evil, because he knows if she does so, her body, which is
now endowed with pristine innocence, will become carnal, devilish, and MORTAL,
subject to his temptations!!! He has already proven himself to be
hooked on a power trip, so, he tells her a lie--that if she eats of the
forbidden fruit, SHE WILL NOT SURELY DIE!!! Since Satan is the master of
deceit that he is, he pairs this untruth with a truth, that if she does eat
this fruit, her eyes will be opened, and she will be like the Gods (God
the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ), knowing the difference between good and
evil. (Satan does this since he knows that pairing the truth with a
lie gives the lie credibility.) So, Eve, focusing on the truth, ignoring
the lie, believes him, and succombs to the temptation to eat of the forbidden
fruit. Her eyes are then opened, so to speak, and she realizes she has
been duped, and that she will eventually die. But she likes the fruit,
takes it to Adam, who at first refuses to eat it. She tells him it is
desirable and sweet, and together they reason
that if he does not eat it, Eve will die and Adam will be a lone man in his
pristine innocence in the Garden, and they will not be able to keep the greater
commandment to multiply, and replenish the earth. So Adam
reluctantly--knowingly-- partakes of it. (What else
could he do?)
Afterwards, they both realize, among other things,
that they are naked, so they make aprons to cover their nakedness, and when
God appears to them as he has done in the past, they feel shame and hide
themselves. God curses Satan, tells him his newly gained power will
eventually be overruled by a descendant of Adam and Eve (Jesus, the
Messiah), tells Eve she is to be subject to Adam, and will bring forth her
children in pain. So, Adam and
Eve resign themselves to their fate, but in order to prevent them from
continuing to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, they are expelled from the
Garden, with an angel placed at its entrance to insure they do not return,
partake of the tree of life, and live forever in
their lost and carnal state and the sinfulness that this state will
surely bring upon them.
Since by one man, Adam, mankind
fell from a spiritual condition to a carnal one, even so by one man, Jesus
Christ, may all be eventually redeemed from dying, and may regain the
spiritual condition for their physical bodies which was lost in the Garden of
Eden. But man must repent of his sins, and
learn to keep the commandments of God in order to accomplish this. In
doing so, he will gain through experience the knowledge of good and evil he was
promised. Therefore, the first principle of the gospel is faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ, and the second, repentance.
DaveH, look this
over, and tell me if this is all true--I may have gotten carried away and taken
some liberties in interpreting Mormon doctrine--probably caused by my imperfect
nature endowed to me by the Fall of Adam.
(:>)
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 1:50 PM
Subject: RE: [TruthTalk] Adams FALL
UPWARD
> > ... according to the LDS Apostles the FALL of Adam
> > was actually obedience & was not a sin
>
> Blaine and DaveH,
>
> Does Kevin have this right? Do you Mormons believe that Adam and Eve
> walked in obedience, and that their eating of the fruit of the tree was
> not a sin?
>
> Peace be with you.
> David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida.
>
> ----------
> "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
>
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