1 THUS the heaven and the earth were finished, [ That is the physical creation was completed Man: His Origins and Destiny pg 284. Another way of saying that everything was prepared so that man could be placed on it Answers to Gospel Questions Vol 5 pg 182] and all the host of them. ["Everything was in preparation to be placed on the earth in its due course when mankind should be placed upon it" Answers to Gospel Questions Vol 5:182 ]

2 And on the seventh day I, God, ended my work, and all things which I had made; and I rested on the seventh day from all my work, [ Is man on the earth yet? Has God created man but man is still in a realm (let's say the paradisical realm - because I do not know what to call it otherwise) where he is in Gods presence, the veil has not been placed on him, he has not had the spirit of life - or the spirit placed in him yet? Was Adam and Even placed in the garden after the sabbath day? Even though Adam and Eve had bodiescould they still be considered spiritual beings because of the spiritual standing in the presence of God?Could it be that God has rested from his labors - I suppose there may be a little observation for us here. God has taken the opportunity to enjoy the sabbath; to rest; to spend time with his family in a way before he places them here on earth. Interesting thought to consider when we consider the meaning of the sabbath. I can envision God working with the “noble and great ones” to create the earth in six days and then saying, “Ok that’s enough. We’ve finished the spiritual creation…but before we finish up with the temporal creation, and place Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, I want to ‘celebrate’ this work and get you prepared for the onslaught that is coming.”. We might also consider Heavenly Parents in the creation at this point. Jehovah understood how resurrected beings create spiritual offspring (and we know they can, First Presidency, June 30, 1916). He also understood how they created beings for a paradisiacal glory. Maybe the creation of man and woman at the end of the sixth period was the begetting (forming), through our Heavenly Parents. Greg, why would it be drastically different then it is now. God himself says, "Let us (us being his wife partner in my opinion) go down." What does the term "go down" mean? I think it means to a paradisiacal glory where they can create bodies that can can change into a fallen condition after transgression. "A sanctified, millennial world, or a glorified celestial world, or a pre-Fall paradisiacal world obviously functions under a different order of nature. Its order—perfectly “natural” to it—would seem “unnatural” to our mortal world" (F. Kent Nielsen). Julie carried Jason for "a term" which we know is typically 9 months for mortals. I don't understand the terms, but it could have well been the duration of the sixth period, maybe even during the seventh period (They were created in the sixth but brought forth during the seventh. Or, During the seventh period our Heavenly Parents could could have tutored and taught them. Just saying. Adam and Eve then were placed into the Garden of Eden after the Sabbath (A day, a period, a term of devotion, worship and being taught). Perhaps they progressed toward maturity, marriage, and point during the Sabbath or seventh period to experience and grow. But when was the veil introduced? The temple depicts when flesh came upon Adam and Eve (which is when he breathes into him the breath of life; Moses 3:7 and Abr 5:8). No other account gives any indication right? Maybe the veil was placed at the end of the Sabbath, after they had learned their first lessons (DC 138:56; from our Heavenly Parents personally). ] and all things which I had made were finished, and I, God, saw that they were good; [Past tense point of view. Abraham 5:2 see them in a future tense point on view. ]

3 And I, God, blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it I had rested from all my work which I, God, had created and made.

4 And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, [ Hebrew for generations is (towldah) meaning accounting or story. ] when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth, [ “But first, what is a day? It is a specified time period; it is an age, an eon, a division of eternity; it is the time between two identifiable events. And each day, of whatever length, has the duration needed for its purposes. One measuring rod is the time required for a celestial body to turn once on its axis. … “There is no revealed recitation specifying that each of the ‘six days’ involved in the Creation was of the same duration. … lds.org/manual/doctrines-of-the-gospel-student-manual/chapter-7-the-creation?lang=eng ]

5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, [ Man, animals, and plants were not created in spirit at the time of the creation but long before Doctrines of salvation 1:75-76. ] before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. [ In their physical form. ] For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; [ We were spirit children of our Heavenly Parents first, and there is a fixed number assigned to get bodies here on this earth Articles of Faith pg 175. We were created long before the earth because we know that the plan of salvation was presented to the spirits or intelligencesbefore the earth was created Abraham 3:22-28; Doctrines of Salvation Vol 1:75-76. ] and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; [ Is this saying that he created them in heaven both as spirits (which we do know) but he also created them physically in heaven? Or are we only talking spiritually right now? This seems to suggest that it appears to be both physically and spiritually we were created in heaven. Adam was created and held in some paradisical state until he was placed on the earth in the Garden. The earth was in the presence of God during the creation and was so until the fall. ] and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, [ It would appear somehow that man nor animal nor fish was on the earth itself, although they were created. so is the implication that they were indeed created at the end of the sixth day, but they were held someplace else until after the sabbath, and then placed on the earth? ] neither in the water, neither in the air;

6 But I, the Lord God, spake, and there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

7 And I, the Lord God, formed man from the dust [ The natural elements that make up the earth. Since Adam was to be bound by the laws that were established in the creation for this earth it is only fitting that he be created from the elements of this earth to which the laws apply. It must be important to specify this "created from the dust" as it is found in all references to the creation of man. ] of the ground, [ The physical creation - the what man is made of.. God recounts how man was created - he is not saying that I just created him now - he did that earlier on at the end of the sixth period. We are if we follow Moses 3 in a chronological manner after the seventh day right now. After God has rested from his labors for a season. To support that we can read Joseph Smith Translation of Genesis 2: 15-17 "15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. [ Did the threat of death mean anything at the time to Adam? How would he have even comprehended what it was or meant? As he had certainly never seen anything die. Also this is kind of a mixed message as it does not say if you eat from it you will die, but rather it says in the day that you do eat from it(or when you do) you will die. God is all knowing. ] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; [ Man is now brought to life. "] and man became a living soul, [ See D&C 88:15 or a spirit in a physical body. President Spencer W. Kimball said: “Man became a living soul—mankind, male and female. The Creators breathed into their nostrils the breath of life and man and woman became living souls. We don’t know exactly how their coming into this world happened, and when we’re able to understand it the Lord will tell us” (“The Blessing and Responsibilities of Womanhood,” Ensign, Mar. 1976, 72). ] the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also; nevertheless, all things were before created; but spiritually were they created and made according to my word.

8 And I, the Lord God, [ Who is doing the planting here? God. So he is specific as to how things will be done in the Garden, his sanctuary(temple on earth). ] planted [ Hebrew word for plant is nata it is interesting that Moses uses this same Hebrew verb nata or “to plant” to refer to his holy sanctuary on Mount Sinai in (Exodus 15:17) where Moses clearly states that the Lord was the one who built his temple in the mountain so that the Lord would have a place to dwell on earth and that God’s people were to be planted in the temple, because it was their inheritance. ]a garden eastward in Eden, [ "Eastward in Eden = which means closest to God, land of bliss, happy land". Remember that Eden and the garden are not the same things. Eden is the name that’s given to a large area of land. And so according to the text, God planted a garden in the eastern section of this land, the land Eden. Thus, the garden was called the Garden OF Eden.In Hebrew it is translated as the “Garden of Delights.” There’s Eden the place, and then there is the Garden “eastward” in Eden. In every reference we have, it says that Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden. Independence, Jackson county Missouri Journal of Discourses 10:235. Ezekiel 28:13-14. ] and there [ In Gods garden, sanctuary or temple he placed Adam. God is again very specific as to where he places man first. ]I put [ God specifically placed man there in the holiest spot on earth, the place where God was. ] the man whom I had formed.

9 And out of the ground [ So every tree here has a tie to mother earth. ] made I, the Lord God, to grow every tree, naturally, that is pleasant to the sight of man; and man could behold it. And it became also a living soul. For it was spiritual in the day that I created it; for it remaineth in the sphere in which I, God, created it, yea, even all things which I prepared for the use of man; and man saw that it was good for food. And I, the Lord God, planted the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, [ Note where the tree is planted. It is not planted on the edge of the garden, it is not hidden deep within the garden, but in the midst of the garden - suggesting in the middle, in plain sight. The Tree of Life was in the central most point of the garden that was within the land of Eden, symbolizing that God is the center of all things, or God dwells in the center of his earthly temple. The Hebrew word for “midst”, translated from the Hebrew "betok" is “The precise term for the living presence of God “in the midst” or betok of his people in the sanctuary, such that the Tabernacle of Moses, and the Temple of Solomon, the Ark was placed in the exact center on the Holy of Holies. Symbolizing that God is the center of all things. To recap we have Eden(the area), on the east side of Eden God placed the Garden, and in the center of the garden we have the Tree of Life. A series of concentric squares, each marking a lesser degree of holiness as they spread out farther and farther from the center(the tree of life).Just like the temple mount of Sinai Exodus 24:1-2,16. The Lord had his choice of where to place it certainly. So why place it there? I suppose there is a great deal we can learn about our experience here on earth from a review of it's placement. Lehi taught there there must needs be opposition in all things... 2 Ne. 2:11 So it is that agency, choice is fundamental in our ability to overcome to grow, to become like him. Note that The Tree of Life was planted in the earth, that the earth which when cursed might enjoy the blessing, and that the dead might be released. Jewish literature outside the Old Testament also contains tree of life references. The Books of Enoch, the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and 4 Ezra are the best-known of such books. When Enoch journeyed to the Seven Sacred Mountains, he saw a sacred tree similar to a date palm but more beautiful and grand than any he had ever beheld. (See 1 Enoch 29.) His guide on the visionary journey, Michael, told Enoch that the fruit of the tree could not be eaten by mortals until they were purified after the judgment and that they would have to enter the temple of God to partake of it. (See 1 Enoch 25.) In the Secrets of Enoch 9:1, the seer is shown the heavenly dwelling place of the righteous, where stands the tree of life. In the Testament of Levi 18:9–11, Enoch prophesies that in the last days the Lord “shall open the gates of paradise, and shall remove the threatening sword against Adam. And he shall give to the saints to eat from the tree of life, and the spirit of holiness shall be on them.” ] and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil. [ The tree that figuratively refers to how and why and in what manner mortality and all that appertains to it came into being - A New Witness for The Articles Of Faith pg 86 Bruce R. McConkie. ]

10 And I, the Lord God, caused a river to go out of Eden [ The water is running away from a part of Eden into the garden. Eden is the area and this suggests that there is a part of Eden that is higher than the Garden as we know that the water is running into the garden(as a farm boy I know that water always runs downhill). ] to water the garden; [ So the water goes directly into the garden. ] and from thence [ Once the water is inside of the garden. ] it was parted, [ It went different directions. ] and became into four heads. [ Note the garden is the source for all four rivers. Assuming that the natural laws of gravitation were in effect during this primordial era, the rivers of Eden would have flowed downward, suggesting that Eden was located at an elevation higher (i.e., a mountain) than surrounding territories. Placing assumptions aside, however, biblical evidence delineates a mountain in Eden. In Ezekiel 28:11-16 the king of Tyre is metaphorically compared to Adam. The king is told: "Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God .... Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God .... Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee .... Thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God" (vv. 13-16). In the ancient Near East symbolism, the number four also represented geographic totality. Or the fact that entire earth was flooded by the influence of these four rivers - every direction possible(completeness). ]

11 And I, the Lord God, called the name of the first< [ The first river. ] Pison , [ Which denotes a multitude. ] and it compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where I, the Lord God, created much gold;

12 And the gold of that land was good, and there was bdellium and the onyx stone.

13 And the name of the second river was called Gihon; [ Means what arises from the east, which the Greeks call Nile. ] the same that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

14 And the name of the third river was Hiddekel; that which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river was the Euphrates. [ Means either a dispersion, or a flower. ]

15 And I, the Lord God, took the man, [ Or Adam; who was also known as Michael BD:Adam. Is this taking of man done after he was created? So man was created at the end of the sixth day, and not placed into the garden until after the seventh day - the day of rest? According to the various records, the body of Adam is fashioned out of the elements of the earth and left in the Council for 40 days and 40 nights. Elder Nelson quoted from one of these texts in the April 2000 General Conference. “He took the clay from the hand of the angel, and made Adam according to Our image and likeness, and He left him lying for forty days and forty nights without putting breath into him. In Hebrew numerology means “the amount of time needed to accomplish what needs to be accomplished.” It may be an actual forty days and forty nights, but it is not meant to be taken literally. Examples: It rains for forty days and forty nights; Moses is upon the Mount for forty days and forty nights; Jesus is in the wilderness communing with God for forty days and forty nights; Jonah has to teach the people of Nineveh for forty days and forty nights—each signifying the length of time needed to accomplish what needed to be accomplished.And He heaved sighs over him daily, saying, ‘If I put breath into this [man], he must suffer many pains.’ And I said unto My Father, ‘Put breath into him; I will be an advocate for him.’ And My Father said unto Me, ‘If I put breath into him, My beloved son, Thou wilt be obliged to go down into the world, and to suffer many pains for him before Thou shalt have redeemed him, and made him to come back to his primal state.’ And I said unto My Father, ‘Put breath into him; I will be his advocate, and I will go down into the world, and will fulfil Thy command.’” (“Discourse on Abbatôn by Timothy, Archbishop of Alexandria,” in Coptic Martyrdoms etc. in the Dialect of Upper Egypt, ed. and trans. E. A. Wallis Budge (1914), 482. Timothy, archbishop of Alexandria, died in A.D., 385. Brackets are included in Budge’s English translation.) God said that He “heaved sighs over him daily.” The reason that he heaved sighs over him daily was because He knew how rotten this life was going to be. How sickness, disease, and decay was going to be present. He explained to everyone there how things would be so that we could understand perfectly, without any misconception, how good and bad things could be on earth, including how it would feel to suffer through diseases and physical infirmities, and the emotional pain of losing a loved one. We had to understand perfectly how bad it could be so that we could make the choice to come here. Otherwise our agency would have been compromised and God would not be a just God. ] and put him into the Garden of Eden, to dress it, and to keep it. [ According to this verse, the first couple were put in the garden to “tend/dress it” (avad) and to “keep” (shamar) it. These Hebrew terms literally mean to “serve” and “guard” respectively, here God gives Adam and Eve responsibility to partner with him in serving and protecting his garden sanctuary(temple). ]

16 And I, the Lord God, commanded the man, [ Singular masculine - Adam alone, as Eve does not exist yet. So if the command was for both why would God have not waited until after Eve was created to give the commandment? Eve does not show up for 2 more verses. See also JSTranslation Gen 2: 16-17 "16 And the Lord God commanded the man["the man" not just man which would be both. ], saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:for in the day (Remember that a day to God is 1,000 of our years. Adam lived to be 935 years old so he did indeed die in the day within the definition of the Lords' time, or the “day” that the Lord told him he would die. ) that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." ] saying: [ Now watch here how the Lord teaches the principles of obedience using the agency he has given man. ]Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, [ God established freedom for Adam to choose, it is up to him, it is your choice, you can eat from anything in the garden. President Joseph Fielding Smith said: “Now this is the way I interpret [Moses 3:16–17]: The Lord said to Adam, here is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you want to stay here, then you cannot eat of that fruit. If you want to stay here, then I forbid you to eat it. But you may act for yourself, and you may eat of it if you want to. And if you eat it, you will die. “I see a great difference between transgressing the law and committing a sin” (Joseph Fielding Smith, “Fall—Atonement—Resurrection—Sacrament,” in Charge to Religious Educators, 124). ]

17  But of [ This is The Law given to Adam, it is the opposition. As God opens the new earth he begins by extending agency through choice. Choice comes from opposition. ]the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, [ To enter into mortality with a mortal body, to enter into full agency, and to have awakened in us the light of Christ.] thou shalt not eat of it, [ So we might start right here. Is this a commandment or a for-warning? If Adam does not know the difference between good and evil at this point can he sin? At least if you want to stay in my presence, in the garden of Eden. Now we need to remember that God understands the ETERNAL LAW to which he is also bound, and that is that NO unclean things can dwell in the presence of God. God is present here in the garden he is often seen walking in the cool of the day here. It is like saying to your child if you don’t eat all the food on your plate you don’t get desert. “He [Adam] had knowledge, of course. He could speak. He could converse. There were many things he could be taught and was taught; but under the conditions in which he was living at that time it was impossible for him to visualize or understand the power of good and evil. He did not know what pain was. He did not know what sorrow was; and a thousand other things that have come to us in this life that Adam did not know in the Garden of Eden and could not understand and would not have known had he remained there” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:107–8). ] nevertheless, [ The word nevertheless is important in understanding Moses 3:16–17 as nevertheless is often used in scripture as a “word bridge connecting two ideas, the first of which has no power . . . to lessen that greater truth of the second” (Rutland, ix; cf. Luke 22:42; 2 Ne. 2:1–2). Adam and Eve’s choice to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil brought the greater truth that brought about the greater good. ] thou mayest choose [ Man is given the gift of agency, he has his freedom to choose, it is up to you want choice you make, the only creature that God has created with agency. Without the divine power to choose, humanity cannot progress to be like him. Conference Report Oct 1963:5 In essense this was not a transgression of a commandment Answers to Gospel Questions Vol 4 pg 81. ] for thyself, for it is given unto thee; [ Adam is given his agency. God is trying to teach Adam the law of obedience, but he has not put him under the law of obedience at this point. God has told them what the restrictions are and that depending on his choice there will be consequences, either way. Is this more of a warning or explaination than a command? Remember that God says "If they yield to temptation we will provide a Savior for them". Or if they choose to go a different direction than what I have recommended. ]but, remember that I forbid[ Forewarn you - that if you do then there will be consequences, and they are clearly spelled out. Adam is given the ability to freely choose for himself. God is not going to interfere! Adam is told that there would be a consequence to eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Physical death accompanies a spiritual death, so being removed from the Presence of God means his body would also die! Adam’s physical death occurs nearly 935 years later, but his spiritual death occurs almost immediately. ]it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. [ God affixed a consequence for Adam if he was to eat of the fruit. "Day" if we look at Abraham 5:13 we get a little more detail here. At this point Adam exists in an a-temporal environment, or without time. The dimension of time is required for death to exist. Again this consequence is based on the ETERNAL LAW that God knows, Adam does not, but God is trying to teach Adam that there is an ETERNAL LAW that states that no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God. He walks in the garden, so Adam will not be able to remain in His presence when he becomes unclean(the result of partaking of the fruit). (D&C 93:29-31) In addition this shows us the way that obedience is taught in the scriptures. There is a pattern to learning obedience. You first need to be mature(old) enough to be able to use your agency, to be able to comprehend what the choices are, and you need to be able to comprehend what the consequences are at the same time. If there is no consequence there is no sin, and if there is no sin there is no remorse then there is no law which is what Alma was trying to teach Corianton in Alma 42. So certain things need to be in place we need to be old enough to understand what the law is, free enough to make the choice and be able to comprehend what the consequence or punishment will be. This is how God teaches obedience in the scriptures. Did God wait for Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit to tell them about the rules? (NO!). Do you think they understood what death was? If they did not, then using death as a punishment would be unjust and their agency would have been compromised. This is a key element to understand: if you do not comprehend or understand the consequence, then your agency is compromised, and God won't do that. That's what God tells Adam after he has been kicked out: Adam, as bad is this life is going to be for you— and it's going to be hell for you—don’t worry about it, you get to die! It's not going to last forever, for “dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return.” He told them what the rules were [but remember that I forbid it], and he told them what the consequence would be [for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die] before the transgression takes place; otherwise agency would be compromised. If he had not, as already discussed, Adam and Eve could not have chosen for themselves--could not have exercised agency--to eat it. Note that the consequence happened--Adam did die spiritually very soon after eating the fruit (was thrust out of the presence of the Lord but could still repent) and physically in the same day (of the Lord's time). had much more to do with a Word of Wisdom--note D&C 89:19. Also recommend reading Jesus the Christ, p. 30. ]

18 And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten, that it was not good that the man should be alone; [ Eve is nowhere present at this time.]wherefore, I will make [ In Abraham 5:14 we see a subtle but significant word change: “Let us make an help meet for the man, for [because] it is not good that the man should be alone, therefore we will form an help meet for him.”]an help meet [ In Hebrew there are two words that "help meet" are derived from: the word “ezer” and the word “k’enegdo.” Ezer means to help, and k’enegdo means “like unto him.” Or in other words, “a helper like unto him,” a helper equal to him. She is equal to and in every manner a mate to Adam; and one that corresponds to him, for a rib to be taken from his side means “corresponding to.” Means equal - So a companion with full rights in partnership. This is not "helpmeet" which means "helper or servant or assistant"; but what it does mean is "Help that is vital for him" "that which is necessary, vital or required" see D&C 58:26; Abr 5:14 Was Eve created second in order to demonstrate Adam’s helplessness before the first tree. We might ask, “Could it be—two people, two trees—that Eve was foreordained to partake first of the First Tree?” Dr Hudson proposes that partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil means “to enter into mortality with a mortal body, to enter into full agency, and to have awakened in us the light of Christ.” She attributes the purposes of the two trees in the Garden of Eden to the different stewardships of men and women. “It is through women that souls journey to mortality and gain their agency, and in general it is through the nurturing of women … that the light of Christ is awakened within each soul.” Every soul born into mortality comes through a woman. Dr. Hudson goes on: “The fruit of the First Tree symbolizes the gift that women give to every soul that chooses the plan of Christ. It symbolizes the role and power of women in the Great Plan of Happiness. It was not, in this view, right or proper for Adam to partake first from the fruit of the First Tree. It was not his role to give the gift of the fruit of the First Tree to others. It is interesting to think that even Adam, who was created before Eve, entered into full mortality and full agency by accepting the gift of the First Tree from the hand of a woman. In a sense, Adam himself was born of Eve.” Where does this leave Adam and his stewardship? Dr. Hudson asserts that Adam and the sons of Adam are given stewardship over the Second Tree, the Tree of Life. They are to administer all the ordinances and covenants that are necessary for the children of God to return home to their heavenly parents. She states, “Just as the veil into this life is guarded by the women, the daughters of God, so the veil that brings us home, is administered and guarded by the sons of God.” There are also two “hearkenings.” “Just as Adam hearkened to Eve in partaking of the fruit of the First Tree, so Eve hearkened to Adam in accepting the fruit of the Second Tree.”(Valerie M. Hudson, transcript of address given at FAIR Conference 2010, accessed at http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conference/2010_The_To_Trees.html January 7, 2012.) ] for him. [ God joined Adam and Eve together in marriage before the Fall. President Joseph Fielding Smith taught: “Marriage as established in the beginning was an eternal covenant. The first man and the first woman were not married until death should part them, for at that time death had not come into the world. The ceremony on that occasion was performed by the Eternal Father himself whose work endures forever. It is the will of the Lord that all marriages should be of like character, and in becoming ‘one flesh’ the man and the woman are to continue in the married status, according to the Lord’s plan, throughout all eternity as well as in this mortal life” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:71). ]

19 And out of the ground [ Denoting the physical creation. ] I, the Lord God, formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and commanded that they should come unto Adam, [ All creatures obeyed the command of God, so if all of the element obey the commands of God and all of the creatures do as they are commanded. well what does that say about us? ] to see what he [ Adam. ] would call them; [ So as part of the creation committee Adam was given the responsibility to name the animals. It is important to note that in the Egyptian mind nothing existed until it was given a name, which was it's identity so the names where chosen with intent. Here again we can note that the final name given is to Eve as she is not around when Adam names the rest of the animals. ] and they were also living souls; [ See Mos 3:7; D&C 88:15 or a spirit in a physical body. ] for I, God, breathed into them the breath of life, [ “Breath” in both Hebrew and Greek means spirit. ]and commanded that whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that should be the name thereof.

20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, [ He begins to exercise his righteous dominion. Note that Adam is alone for this task - he has to do it all by himself. Is this to give him some perspective for the decision that he will later have to make - to follow Eves example of partaking of the fruit and getting cast from the garden; which is better than being alone. Does he now begin to understand why he could use some help. JOKINGLY: Or does God not want this process to take another thousand years because they cannot agree on all the names; just let Adam do it - Eve can change them later. Is there any significance to Adam being charged with naming all of the animals before he could get an help meet? We learn in the temple that Adam is included in the creation presidency. He is on the Committee of Inspection. He goes down to see if things are going according to plan. His last act as a member of that creation presidency is the naming all of the animals. Technically speaking, nothing exists until it has been given a name because giving it a name is what brings it into existence. Thus names become very important. That is why Adam had to name all the animals. ] and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; [ Adam at this point has named everything. He notices that there are counter parts for every species but himself. The process or concept of giving a name to living beings or giving names to animals is what brings these things into existence. Every new environment/existence requires a new name, and accompanying that new name are new responsibilities. In the pre- earth life, the man Adam was known as Michael. When he was placed in the Garden he was called Adam. When he fell, he was the first mortal Adam. When we are born into this world, we are given a new name, no matter what our other name was in the pre-earth life. A naming ceremony used by many Christian traditions is the Christening. The word “Christen” means to “give a name to.” We have the father give the new child a name and a blessing. This named child now exists on the records of the Church. When we are eight years old and accept the Gospel by being baptized, we take on the name of Christ, which includes new commitments and responsibilities. When we are married, we take upon ourselves the names of our spouse and become Mr. & Mrs. The female spouse usually takes her husband's last name, which denotes a new existence and a new responsibility. When we enter into the Temple, we receive a new name, which indicates that we are entering into a new environment with even greater responsibilities and obligations. When we are finally exalted, we will receive a white stone, “and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it” (Rev 2:17, D&C 130:11). Exaltation will be a new existence with new responsibilities. The giving and the receiving of names becomes extremely important. When Abram receives his new covenant, his name is changed to Abraham. When Jacob receives his covenant, his name is changed to Israel. Joseph who was sold into Egypt receives a new name while in Egypt. Daniel and his three cohorts (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) receive their new names while in captivity (Dan 1:7). ]but as for Adam, there was not found an help meet for him. [ All the animals exist in male and female - Adam or man does not have a female partner yet. Adam was a lone man in the dreary world. Meet means that which is necessary see vs 18. ]

21 And I, the Lord God, caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam; [ After this Eve will be on the scene. What is the implication of deep sleep? Deep sleep, when used elsewhere in the Bible, does not mean the person is sleeping as we view sleep. In the case of Abraham (see Genesis 15:12) and Daniel (see Daniel 8:18 or 10:9), for example, the person is in a revelatory state, receiving visions and truths in a celestial environment. Each is fully alert. Of the termination of the First Vision, Joseph Smith wrote, “When I came to myself” (JS—H 1:20), and Paul spoke of a vision he had when he was caught up to the third heaven: “Whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell” (2 Corinthians 12:2). In a manner of speaking, they were both in a state of deep sleep at the time of these revelations. This reading of the description of deep sleep highly elevates the moment in the Garden of Eden when Eve, or woman, is introduced onto the stage of creation. ] and he slept, and I took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof; [ "the story of the rib, of course, is figurative" not literal but rather symbolic - to drive home the point that they are bone or my bones, flesh of my flesh, a team working together. Spencer W Kimball Ensign Mar 1976 pg 71. ]

22 And the rib [ Hebrew:side. ]which I, the Lord God, had taken from man, [ "The story of the rib, of course, is figurative" not literal but rather symbolic - to drive home the point that they are bone or my bones, flesh of my flesh, a team working together. Spencer W Kimball Ensign Mar 1976 pg 71. President Kimball talked about the rib. That Eve is created out of a rib. I often ask my students, "Do men have one less rib than women?" And I'll get a third of them to be like, "Yeah, they do." However; On average, women have the same number of ribs as men, which is 24, or 12 pairs. Both have the same number of ribs and that's a figurative story. And we'll talk about that in just a moment but what is figurative and what's literal. Then you say, "Tell me, which is which?" And I don't know. What's important is Adam and Eve were real and there is a Fall. ] made I a woman, and brought her [ Eve is now created but at this point is not named she will be named in the next verse. So Eve is the last one to be given a name as to this point Adam as part of his responsibility has named all of the animals. It is important to note that in the Egyptian mind nothing existed until it was given a name, which was it's identity so the names where chosen with intent. Here again we can note that the final name given is to Eve as she is not around when Adam names the rest of the animals. Verses 19-20. ] unto the man. [ Adam. Notice the tenderness in this act as they(God) brought her to him they personally introduced them to each other; the Gods were involved in the details, the emotions of the joining of the two of them. ]

23  And Adam said:[ Note - this is Adam speaking here until verse 24 then it will be the Lord. ]This I know now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; [ Near Eastern phrase for "family or belonging to each other". The word for Man in Hebrew is “ish.” The word for Woman is “isha.” Isha is the feminine of man. So what Adam is saying is that Woman is a feminine “man.” The word “rib” in Hebrew means “side”; the female half of Adam is what it signifies. Woman is the last name given by Adam as part of his scriptural responsibility. He has now fulfilled his responsibility to name all the creations the Gods have formed. ] she shall be called Woman, [ Here she is called "WOMAN". She is not given the name Eve until after the fall, because she could not be “the Mother of all living” until after the fall. See Moses 4:26. ]because she was taken out of man. [ Some symbolism there as well not only was Eve taken from Adam figuratively, so is a women taken from man (her family to become part of Adams (or her husbands family). A little humor but true as well. Before Eve Adam was perfect in every way, he never did anything wrong, he could eat what he wanted. That is why it is not good that man should be alone, because now with Eve she could quickly bring to his attention what it was that he was doing wrong doing wrong, someone needed to tell him. ]

24  Therefore [ As a result of, so when a man gets married he should and now the Lord speaks to Adam and tell him what should happen at that time. So the Lord now says: ]shall a man leave his father and his mother, [ Notice who is given pre-eminent role - the woman, she occupies the first place in the heart of a man above his parents, and likewise their children. He is the one that leaves his parents. Where are they right now? In the garden in the presence of Heavenly Father and Mother, they will need to leave at some point and do this on their own, out of Heavenly Father and Mother's presence. something to think about - Who is the father and mother of Adam? Something that Adam did when they partook of the fruit was to leave the presence of God, just a thought. ] and shall cleave [ To be closely united, to “seal”. This is a really interesting phrase here. It sets up the rest of the story. They are supposed to stay together, to make decisions together, to cleave to each other and yet what happens. They are separated and when they are separated is when satan attacks. So we have the sealing ceremony of Adam and Eve in the Garden. Now I would ask what was the state of Adam and Eve whne they were married by God in the garden, where they eternal beings or mortal beings? They were eternal - so from the very first marriage we see the intent of God. God could have waited until they were out of the garden to marry them, but he didn't. No he married them in the garden as a sign of the eternal nature of marriage. Henry B Eyring said "The first marriage was performed by God in the garden when Adam and Eve were immortal." That We May Be One by Elder Henry B. Eyring April Conference 1998 ] unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh. [ One mentally, socially, sexually, and spiritually. To which they could not fully comply in the garden. If they are to be one then that does not imply any room for the parents to be in the middle of the two of them. ]

25 And they were both naked, [ Have exposed the things that they would like to keep private. There is a lot of possibilities here for what naked really means, but we can at least start with the idea that they were uncovered, unprotected and where God knew that they where going next they would need additional protection. (Gen 1:7) ] , the man and his wife, [ If she is called his wife then we know what? That they were married. ]and were not ashamed. [ Because they knew of no other way, they were innocent. They have the potential for posterity, but they did not have the quality or state of being sexual, like little children who have the physicality to procreate but lack the knowledge that it is even possible . Sexuality is a mindset and is something that is understood. They did not have that mindset before the fall. They had the ability by the fact that they were created to be so. As Abraham said Abr 4:28 "He blessed them and caused them...that they could multiply...and caused them that they could have dominion over every living thing...". So they are not ashamed because they do not yet have the sexuality. This is an argument that suggests that they did not partake of the fruit to have children. See also 2 Ne 2:22-23 "they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence" Why does the Lord make sure that we understand that 1) they are both naked, and 2) that they were not ashamed? Because both of these elements will come into play in the next chapter. This shows that they were in a state of innocence. ( nakedness suggests that they where without any knowledge, they had no understanding. ) - they did not know any better until after the fall. the first wonderful teaching given in earth’s history of forgiveness, for forgiveness is a dominant theme in this story and it is relevant to us all. We are all Adam. We are all Eve. We are told both Adam and Eve were “naked . . . and were not ashamed” . This could certainly be literal, although we might also say that modesty is an eternal principle. Nonetheless, the beauty and power is in the figurative. In their innocence, Adam and Eve had nothing to hide from each other or God. They had nothing to cover up. They were “not ashamed” because of this, for there was no action that could generate shame. They were innocent and determined to obey all of the Father’s commandments. At the point when Lucifer got each of themto take of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we read, “The eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they had been naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons” (Moses 4:13). For the fullest insight into this verse we might add as clarification, “They knew that they had been naked—and had not been ashamed.” Now they wished to hide, to cover up. Q: What does that tell you about their sexuality? They were naked and ashamed? A: There is no sexuality. They were created. They had the body and the parts, they have the potential(God said that "he caused them to be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth" Abr. 4:28 The same way he caused them to subdue the earth, and the same way that God caused them to have dominion over the earth), just like a child, but they had no passions; they were unaware and not ashamed. They were not tempted in any way by each other, they were as little children innocent. Q: After the Fall, who tells Adam & Eve that they are naked? A: Lucifer Q: Then what do they do? A: They run and hide. Now they are ashamed. They become aware of their sexuality. The blessings given during the creation—to have posterity, to subdue the earth, to have dominion—are not realized until after the fall. They are aware that something is different now—they see the differences in their being their bodies. ]