Moses 4

BOOK OF MOSES

CHAPTER 4
(June—October 1830)

How Satan became the devil— [ So this chapter will tell us How Satan became the devil. Then it will talk about tempting Adam and Eve...after he had became the devil. ] —He tempts Eve—Adam and Eve fall and death enters the world.

1 AND I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, [ God is now going to give the back story - how it all happened to Moses. ] saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, [ “the only begotten,” which means the unique one. Note the story line here - That Satan; you know the one that you are already familiar with first hand from your encounter in Moses 1:12-22. You know the one that you could not get rid of until you invoked my name to save yourself. Well let's talk about how he got to where he is today. “Satan” is a word of Hebrew origin, meaning an accuser or adversary. These first 4 verses here in Moses do not exist as the starting point in Genesis. ] is the same which was from the beginning, [ I will teach you Moses somewhat of the pattern that Satan has used since the beginning. Look back in chapter 1. That beginning is talking about those spirits who were prepared to come to this earth. Every world has its own Council in Heaven. All have to be instructed in the laws that will govern that earth. We understood what those laws were and our relationship to that environment. Our understanding of these things is crucial as we learn to work out our own salvation. ] and he [ Satan. ] came before me, [ Came to our Heavenly Father, he is speaking directly to the Father. This is in different order from Abraham 3:24-27 because they are not the same event. The one in Abraham suggests that the Gods are discussing whom to send, Adam comes first and says send me, and then comes Satan here Moses is instructed that Satan comes to God with a plan. The order is reversed. Suggesting that they are not the same event. ] saying—Behold, here am I, [ Or look at me - I am great. This phrase is one which suggests that one is in a moral position in respect to God to do Gods bidding. That he is just waiting for the command. The fact that Satan’s intentions were already in direct opposition to God’s plan falsifies his claim of moral readiness, substantiating the scriptural assertion that the Devil is “a liar from the beginning.” Since Jesus Christ was already known by all to be God’s “Beloved and Chosen from the beginning” (v. 2), the fact that Satan sought to answer the call was in itself a direct challenge to the Father. See Abraham 3:27. Which was the question that God asked " Whom shall I send". ] send me, [ To do the work; to be the redeemer of mankind. Note how he begins; it tells you something of his make up it is all "I" me... ] I will be thy son, [ This in essence is suggesting that Satan wants to be the birthright son, the position of the firstborn. So in essence Satan is going to rebell and propose a new plan, one that will save everyone, it does happen to take away the agency of man - but in Satans eyes it saves everyone, it is a better plan, and because of this, because he is saying that his plan is better he should be the birthright son. Down on earth. Or I will be a replacement for Jesus Christ and his role on earth, you will not need him. Compare Moses 1:19 where Satan in a rage actually claimed the role he was here denied. ] and I will redeem [ Whatever Satan exactly meant by his proposal to become the “redeemer” of all mankind, it was doubtless very different from what the Savior offered. Elder Spencer J. Condie commented: “Because [the Devil’s] plan … required no Atonement for sin, … he could save his own satanic skin from any suffering.” Joseph Smith Taught: “The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he would save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him.” [History of the Church, 6:314; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith on Apr. 7, 1844, in Nauvoo, Illinois; reported by Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards, Thomas Bullock, and William Clayton.; TPJS, p 357, Recent Priesthood Manual, p 209). Therefore Stan's plan from the beginning is to replace the Savior, or the need for one. Also the exercise of our individual agency. God’s plan, the Plan of Salvation, makes sure all can sin if they want to. There cannot be righteousness unless one has the opportunity to choose wickedness. ] all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, [ It is important to try and visualize this to some degree. Here is God, and he has created a plan whereby his children can experience life, grow, and return to live with Him. However, the plan also involves risk. There is a chance that nobody would be able to return at all. A redeemer is needed to secure the safe return of God’s children. Now here comes Lucifer. Lucifer chooses to try and draw the attention of God Himself to what? To everything he stands to lose. In essence he says “Look here over your children. It would be so painful to lose any of them. My way, you will be certain to see them all again.” Isn’t that amazing? From the beginning, the adversary tried to use fear to get what he wanted – pointing out the chance of failure in order to receive the glory of being the redeemer. Joseph Smith summarized the situation: “The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the Devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the Devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him.” A retrospective summary of the same discourse clarifies that the only ones that Jesus said he could not save (in one of the three kingdoms of glory) were those who sinned against the Holy Ghost—in other words, the sons of perdition. Brigham Young affirmed: “None are condemned except those who have the privilege of receiving the words of eternal life and refuse to receive them.” “God will save all who are determined to be saved.” Ironically, Satan, the one who proposed a plan whereby no soul would be lost, became himself a soul who Jesus could not save. To him was given the name “perdition”—lost one. And how was he going to accomplish his plan? It wasn’t so much that Satan was going to force people to do good, it was that Satan was going to alter God’s standards so that God’s children would not have any accountability, which in effect is damnation. The Plan of Salvation is God’s plan, not Christ’s plan, and it requires all of us to have agency. Satan is seeking to take away that agency. On top of that, he also wants God’s honor, which would then also put Christ under Satan’s authority. Satan knows that he cannot take the place of Christ as the firstborn of God, so he wants to do away with the necessity of Christ. This is the same thing that he has continued to do in hie reign now on earth, and will continue the same until the end. ] and surely I will do it; [ So God has proposed the plan at this point; and along comes Satan who says "He is a better idea. Heavenly Father I know that you do not want to loose one person in mortality. Your plan will make it so that some will not return to you. So here is what I suggest that we do. You put me in charge - I will make sure that everyone comes back." Satan seems not merely to be claiming that he will surely redeem all mankind, but also that he alone can do it and—even more arrogantly—that he can do it alone. That his plan is better than Gods plan. Satan is cast out for rebellion, not for having a different plan. When all things are considered in a council, and the priesthood leader says, “This is what we’re going to do,” those who do not sustain their priesthood leader (THE FATHER) are cast out for rebellion. It was not wrong to have a different plan, but it was wrong to rebel and not sustain their leader or go along with what their leader has decreed. Rebellion is evil and unclean, and no unclean thing can remain in the presence of God. Lucifer rebelled against God and His son, and he was cast out. Again who is the emphasis on? Satan I will do it... So Satan's two primary goals are: Do away with the understanding of the true nature of God; and Two, do away with the necessity for an atonement. If you look at all the major Christian denominations, and examine their beliefs about the nature of God and the necessity of the atonement, it becomes evident that Satan has been successful in his plan. ] wherefore give me thine honor. [ Give me your respect, dignity, reverence, reputation, esteem, any specific virtue, privileges, To revere; to respect; to treat with deference and submission. What does this statement tell us about Satan? in other words Satan wanted to be the God to God. He wanted from God Reverence; veneration; and submission from God himself. Satan’s performance can be instructive. The moment you begin to develop your own self esteme there is followed by the temptation to put it forward, to put it first and at the center of things. And the higher our achievement —socially or intellectually or politically or economically—the greater the risk of increasing self-worship. Perhaps that is why when a newborn baby was brought before the venerable Robert E. Lee and the hopeful parents asked for this legendary man’s advice, saying, “What should we teach this child? How should he make his way in the world?” the wise old general said, “Teach him to deny himself. Teach him to say no.” So what he wanted in return was Gods honor and power see D&C 29:36 In essence Satan wanted to replace the Father. so what was wrong with Satans plan? 1 He wanted to replace God in essence, 2 he would destroy the agency of man verse 3. ]

2 But, behold, my Beloved son, [ Jesus Christ. The phrase “my Beloved” is repeated twice in the verse, emphasizing the deep and personal regard of the Father for His son. Contrast this with the distancing third-person reference that introduces the Adversary in verse 1: “That Satan.” ] which was my Beloved [ Greatly loved; dear to the heart. Why was the Savior beloved? I suppose because of his willingness to do exactly what the Father asked him, he was the closest to being like him. ] and Chosen [ We often overlook this little piece. The Savior was chosen by the Father himself, and was part of the plan that God set forth. The fact that Lucifer volunteers is just dialog. God had a plan, Lucifer tried to change it and in the end the Savior reaffirms his commitment to that plan when he says here am I send me. He is not volunteering per se, he was the plan - he only states his willingness to do what he has been asked to do. Why was Jesus the chosen one? He was I suppose chosen because he was the most likely to be able to fulfill the mission which the father had for him. From the very beginning of the plan’s institution, we each understood that we would have less ability than Jesus to keep the Father’s commandments. That is why we were taught that an important part of the plan was the Father’s intention to provide us a Savior. We trusted in that promise and certainly rejoiced at the announcement. Our inequality with Christ made this a necessary component of the Father’s plan.] from the beginning, said unto me— [ Christ is letting the Father know that He will do whatever He wants done, and that the glory will be the Father’s forever; whereas Satan wants all of the glory for doing it his way. ] Father, thy will be done , [ Note the difference between the two responses. The Savior uses a couple of words and says "Father thy will be done" verse Satan who goes off on a sales pitch, trying to convince God to send him. His pitch is all about himself and he goes on and on. Or I will go and do according to the plan that you proposed. No pride, no arrogance, nor any fear. Instead "I have faith in your plan Heavenly Father; I will do as you have asked". Abraham 3:27 makes it clear that it was actually Jesus Christ who was the first to answer the Father’s request. In stark contrast to Satan’s speech, the Savior never once mentions the words “I” or “me,” being wholly focused on the will and the glory of the Father. ] and the glory be thine forever. [ I will do it humbly as your son and you get and keep the glory and honor. The response of Jesus is contrasted with the position adopted by Satan: “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.” John 7:18. ]

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, [ It is not wrong to have a different opinion, what is wrong is that then your priesthood leader makes a decision and you openly rebell against it then you are wrong. Elder Neal A Maxwell said it this way " it is extremely important to get straight what happened in that premortal council. It was not an unstructured meeting, nor was it a discussion between plans, nor an idea producing session, as to how to formulate the plan for salvation and carry it out. Our Father's plan was known, and the actual question put was whom the Father should send to carry out the plan" Deposition of a Disciple 11 see also John 7:16-18. His rebellion was that he proposed a alternative to Heavenly Father plan in that he Satan would be the Savior; who would get the credit; and to accomplish that he would remove agency. There is a little symbolism here for each of us. Our father in Heaven has provided a prophet on earth for use to follow, some rules to live by. When we choose to set our own rules, to challenge the voice of the prophet, to go against the revealed word of God we begin to write our own coarse, we find ourselves in the same situtation that the devil did - we are in open rebellion to God. How simple is that! Satan was cast out for rebellion not for sin. He did not know how to sin at that point. The real story of why he was cast down will be found in Abr. 3:22. ] and sought to destroy the agency of man, [ If man were not permitted to have choice and consequence of that choice then he could not become as God is. We could not learn to become like God. Agency gives the power to act. Another misunderstanding about agency involving Satan’s so-called plan. Often we hear the idea that Satan planned to “force us to be righteous,” but this is not found anywhere in the scriptures. All we are told in the scriptures is that Satan claimed he could save or “redeem all mankind,” that what he proposed would “destroy the agency of man,” and that his proposal caused him to become the “father of all lies” (Moses 4:1,3,4). It is important to recognize that this indicates that whatever he was proposing, it was a lie. He was a con man, promising something that he could never deliver. We should not speak of Satan’s plan as an actual plan that would have worked as a viable alternative to God’s one true plan. Satan’s plan was a lie (see Mathews, Satan’s rebellion, March 2015 Ensign). The idea that Satan would destroy agency leads many people to assume he was somehow going to force us all to be righteous. Certainly, that would destroy agency by destroying one important element of it—the freedom to choose. However, there are other ways to destroy agency. For example, if laws and alternative consequences were eliminated, agency would cease to exist. It is possible that the way Satan would have destroyed agency was by promising us that we could do whatever we want and still be rewarded with salvation. This would negate the effect of our choices and render our agency useless. In what ways does Satan still seek to destroy our agency? Depression trying to get us discouraged that we cannot do this, that we are not good enough, he wants us to give up any hope, he try's to tell us we are in too deep there is no way out so why try to change, Sin, addiction. Doctrine and Covenants 29:36 underscores the irony of Satan’s efforts to destroy man’s agency by pointing out that it was “because of their agency” that many of the “hosts of heaven” were permitted to follow him in rebellion. ] which I, the Lord God, had given him, [ Why were we given agency? It is the only way that we can learn to be like him, to prove to ourselves that we can; to prove to ourselves what we are made of. To over come and should that we will be submissive to his will - that is how we gain his power. ] and also, [ And what else did he want? So in addition to taking away the agency of man he wanted even more. ] that I [ Who is the I here? It is Heavenly Father. ] should give unto him mine own power; [ And what else does Satan want? Well he wants all of the power that God has. He wants to be Heavenly Fathers equal. Can you imagine what life would be like; or heaven for that matter if there were two with equal power that did not see eye to eye; that were not working together? That is the definition of hell in my book. The rules would change to fit the day. Or whom Satan liked... There would in essence be no way to win or become perfected. Satan’s proposal was more than just self-centered and egotistical. In reality, his proposal constituted an outright rebellion against God and his kingdom. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that “in the pre-earthly council, Lucifer placed his proposal in competition with the Father’s plan as advocated by Jesus Christ. He wished to be honored above all others. In short, his prideful desire was to dethrone God.” Doctrine and Covenants 29:36 specifically equates the “power” mentioned here with the “honor” craved by Satan in Moses 4:1. ] by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down; [ Only Begotten means the unique one. It does not say that Christ is the one who cast Satan out, but it was through his power. The “power of the Only Begotten” is the power of being the Firstborn. His responsibility is to carry out the Father’s will. Neither Christ nor the Father have priesthood; they have power that is inherent within Themselves by virtue of their Godhood. In all ancient texts it is always Michael who casts Satan out. In our scriptures, the one who exercises any control over Satan, the one who binds Satan in the end times, the one who places the chain on Satan and places him in the pit, is Michael or Adam. The reason for that is that he is the first physical being, the first Grand Patriarch, and the first mortal man to hold the Priesthood. If we look at the idea that God did create Adam in Heaven and then kept him in heaven for 40 days while he was uneasy knowing what lay before Adam, if this were true then Adam has the authority to cast Lucifer out because he has a physical body and he holds the Priesthood. A spirit cannot hold the Priesthood. Only someone with a body can hold the Priesthood. So Adam, as Michael, with a physical body, can actually receive that Priesthood or authority to act in the name of God. Note who is used to cast Satan out He used the power of Christ to throw Satan out we will see this come into effect later on (power to crush his head) and took 1/3 of the hosts of heaven with him D&C 29:36. Proving to Satan that Christ had more power than Satan did. Now one other important and often overlooked piece here is that there was a judgement of sorts. God did not just say well ok Satan - go on your way. No he was cast out. "When there was rebellion in heaven, judgment was laid to the line and righteousness to the plummet, and the evil were cast out . Yet there was a portion of grace allotted to those rebellious characters. But they must go from heaven, they could not dwell there, they must be cast down to the earth to try the sons of men, and to perform their labor in producing an opposite in all things, that the inhabitants of the earth might have the privilege of improving upon the intelligence given to them, the opportunity for overcoming evil, and for learning the principles which govern eternity, that they may be exalted therein." Brigham Young. Moses had seen the power of the Only Begotten used in a similar way when, in His name, he commanded Satan to depart (Moses 1:21). ]

4 And he became [ Because he rebelled. Implying that he was changed in some way. Became = "To pass from one state to another; to enter into some state or condition, by a change from another state or condition, or by assuming or receiving new properties or qualities, additional matter, or a new character; as, a seed becomes a tree. The Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul." It was then his choice to become such. Satan became Satan or, more accurately, Lucifer became the Devil not simply because he advocated a wicked, deceitful proposal in the Council in Heaven, but more fundamentally because he refused to repent while he still had the agency to repent. ] Satan, [ Semitic for one lying in wait to deceive. ] yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, [ Or to get man to believe that we can progress, to become like God without the opportunity for agency. If we were forced to follow, blindly lead then we would never grow. If every soul was on the same path there would be no individual development. And while the idea that we would all return may be enticing, our return would be without any of the reward of life - a time to grow to become like God - hence blind to the purpose of this life, to learning anything in this life. How does satan blind men? Blind them to what? He gets them to not see God's entire picture for us. Then with one eye so to speak he shows them that they are ok that they do not need to repent God will love them any way that God will have mercy. Then with the other eye he will tell men that there is not way that they can ever make it back to God, they have created too great of a sin taking away their hope. He blinds them to bind them to his ways. To confine or restrain, as with a chain, Once Satan gets his hooks in he uses the principles that he wanted to use with all men, to bring them in, to control them, to bring them down and into his grasp - ie the chains of hell. He teaches them that there is not hope for them now, that they are doomed so why try. He teaches that there is no way to be forgiven... How does he deceive and blind men? In the pre-existence a great many of our brothers and sisters found they could not develop faith enough in that savior, Christ, and God's plan enough to give life on earth a chance. They gave into the fear that Satan preached, and were called the sons of perdition. This knowledge gives new meaning to the words of Paul, when he says: (Heb 10:39 ) “we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” ] and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice. [ Those who are disobedient to the voice of God, those who are no trying to mold their character to be like his. ]

5 And now the serpent [ Not Satan - snake is symbolic of the subtle, sly and cunning and craftiness of men. In the Ancient Near East a serpent is a figure of great power. In Mesoamerica as well, the idea of a quetzalcoatl this sort of flying serpent. And then you get it in Moses, he's lifting the Serpent. So the serpent has parity of death but then the Serpent's venom also acts as an antidote for death and gives life. And so almost a god-like power that the Serpent has. It's intriguing that in 2nd Nephi 9:9 it says, "Satan beguiled our first parents who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light." So that may imply that Satan is showing up in a way that it looks like he can be trusted. So the Serpent is tricky. (Gen 3:1 for additional details on snakes). ] was more subtle [ Sly in design; artful; cunning; insinuating; ] than any beast of the field which I, the Lord God, had made. [ Remember that Adam had named all of the animals and beasts of the field, and it says the “the serpent” (not Satan) was “more subtle than any beast of the field.” So Satan is using the things that God has made to try to deceive man. The implication is that Satan was not something that God had made. ]

6 And Satan put it [ So Satan cannot enter into the Garden of Eden as that us where God's presence is, and no unclean thing can enter into God's presence. So we must the assume that Satan sit on the edges of the garden and that is where he lured animals or in this case a snake to come out of the garden and talk to him.What is the "it" that he put into the heart of the serpent? Remember what Satan wanted to do in the pre-earth life. He wanted to take agency away in that it did not matter what choice you made - there were no consequences. He is doing the same thing still. The notion that you can have something without work, the idea that you can gain additional power over others...the same ideas that he put into Cain. The same things he put into Corianton's head that he could sin and God who is a loving God would not destroy his own but would just show mercy. Alma 42. ] into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) [ "he" is Satan. A reference to that third of the hosts of heaven who had followed him D&C 29:36 Those who choose something for no work in essence. so what does that say about us that are here? We choose to work, we choose to come to this earth and learn to be obedient while we were not in his presence. ] and he sought also to beguile Eve, [ Charm or enchant in a deceptive way. This imply's that she was not completely deceived, but enticed. Satan was kicked out of God’s presence for rebellion, which made him unclean; and no unclean thing can remain in the presence of God, so Satan would not have been able to be in the Garden where Adam & Eve lived in the presence of God. We have come to think (for good reason) that Satan is there in the Garden of Eden, but the scriptures say otherwise. ] for he [ Satan. ] knew not the mind of God, [ Satan di not understand that God allowed part A to happen (Adam and Eve partaking of the fruit before it was time, and if they did he would provide a Savior). God's plan also included that he would not allow Adam and or Eve to partake of the tree of life after he had taken of the fruit of knowledge of Good and Evil. So he placed Cherubim there to keep that from happening. Satan's plan counted on being able to accomplish both of those things Part A and Part B Moses 4:6 "He sought to destroy the world" by (Adam and or Eve to partaking of the tree of life). At least at this point in time. See more on this is Alma 12:21 Remember that the presentation is present tense. That God's plan really included agency, choice of good and bad - but we could not grow to be like him without choice. Is he dumb? Does he not get how this is supposed to work? It would seem like Satan would've known more. So another way to read, "He knew not the mind of God," is he doesn't understand the concepts of redemption, of love, of sacrifice. Satan knew not the soul of God, what it means to love, what it means to be willing to give oneself up for another. It's not that he intellectually doesn't get it, but he thinks he can break this apart by inserting himself. In a way it is the same thing he has been doing since he very first came on the scene. He wants to provide short cuts, no accountability for actions. He just does not get the idea of agency, it's purpose, he is all about himself and that is it so he does not see outside of his realm. ] wherefore he sought to destroy the world. [ Satan knew that his only hope was to get Adam and Eve thrown out of the garden of eden. While they were in the presence of God they were being taught by God; they were in his presence and there was no way he could ever destroy them. In addition; there was no way they were going to have posterity and So Satan had nothing to work with - no future bodies to possess. No hope the only thing he could see was his power and his glory which could only come from Adam and Even being thrown from the garden. We saw how he thinks in verse 1 -me me me. ]

7 And he [ The Serpent, as Satan could not go into the Garden, he was kicked out of God's presence. See verse 6. ] said unto the woman: [ The animals could speak in the garden. Note in the Moses account that Satan does not even bother to approach Adam, he starts right off with Eve. So why would that (Adam being tempted) be left out of this account? Well one possibility is that what we are talking about here, or what is the message that is trying to be delivered here: "How did evil come into the world?" and Adam rejected the attempts on him partaking of the fruit so it was not introduced through him or his actions, Eve on the other hand did not reject the temptation to eat of the fruit which demonstrates how evil came forth. Satan came to Adam and tried to get him to partake of the fruit and Adam said empathetically no I will not do it, Satan says we shall see. If we go back to Paul he said point blank "that it was not the man who was deceived but the woman". So when Adam partook of the fruit he was not deceived but took it to be with Eve(based on eternal marriage - they were already sealed by God previously). ] Yea, hath God said—Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? [ So the first temptation is to try to get Eve in this case to not believe the word of God. Is Satan really asking Eve did God tell YOU that YOU could not eat of the tree of Life or just Adam and then Adam told you? And Did God not give you your agency here? Did God not say you COULD eat of every tree of the garden? What exactly did he say? Answer is in Moses 3:16-17 The premise of this question and Satan’s motivation in asking it of Eve is to undermine her assurance that God or Adam has her best interests at heart when God puts a limit on what she can and cannot have. See also Moses 3:18 for definitions on the trees and there purposes. Satan beguiled Eve into eating the fruit, yes? Yes, he did. But think about it for a moment. If Adam & Eve had no knowledge of Good and Evil, was it considered evil at that time? No. In scripture, we do not see Satan coming to Adam until after three generations of Adam’s posterity are born. [The Temple (abridged version) depicts the character Lucifer in the Garden, but in scripture it is a serpent. ] (And he spake by the mouth of the serpent.) [ What do we know about snakes? The serpent is deprived of its arms and legs symbolizing that it will never be able to rise in full power and might again and its vulnerable head is made easy prey for the foot of man. The serpent is low to the ground and strikes at his prey from a position of hiding, when the prey is not expecting it. ]

8 And the woman said unto the serpent: We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; [ Eve responds clearly and to the point the truth they have their agency to eat from any tree. His first course of action is to get the woman to engage in a dialogue with him about the fruit. Then, through the mouth of the serpent, Satan attempts to get the woman to begin thinking differently. To be clear, Eve is carrying on a dialogue with the serpent, not Satan himself. In all of our standard works, the one who is speaking to the woman in the garden is the serpent, whom Satan has drawn away after him. There is nothing in our scriptures that imply that Satan is there, only that he has “put it into the heart of the serpent.” Obviously, when the endowment was being set up, they could not get an actual serpent in there to play the part in the drama, which has created the impression that Satan was there in person. But he could not be in the Garden of Eden where God walks in the “cool of the day” because “no unclean thing can be in the presence of God.” This is why the scriptures are our standard. ]

9 But of the fruit of the tree which thou beholdest in the midst of the garden, [ Now where did God place the Tree Of Life? Moses 3:9 Right in the middle of the garden - not hidden. This is Adam telling Eve what he was commanded by God. ] God hath said—Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. [ The "Neither shall ye touch it" was added by Adam as it is not found in what God said to Adam in Moses 3:17; Gen. This is the way she has been thinking up to this point. “God said not to touch it, so I won’t!” The serpent then begins to chip away at God’s warnings about what will happen if she eats the fruit. What do both trees have in common? They were both planted in the garden by God. Both have there roots in the soil of this earth. Both trees had properties that would change the chemical makeup of the bodies of Adam and Eve. 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 for the condition that their bodies were in while in the garden. Eating or even touching the fruit would by design change the nature of their bodies. so in essence we can say that the fruit if partaken of it will change the composition or makeup of your body. “Not subject to death when he [Adam] was placed upon the earth, there had to come a change in his body through the partaking of this element—whatever you want to call it, fruit—that brought blood into his body; and blood became the life of the body instead of spirit. And blood has in it the seeds of death, some mortal element. Mortality was created through the eating of the forbidden fruit” (Smith, “Fall—Atonement—Resurrection—Sacrament,” 125). Adam added the not even touch it - the original command from God was to not eat of it. Adam strengthens the commandment by suggesting that they do not even touch it, do not walk up to the line stay a safe distance - if they do not touch then they will for sure not eat of it. Apparently, he was trying to put a fence around the law, thinking that if she did not touch the tree, she would not eat the fruit. Adam must have assumed that if the fruit would be deadly to him, it would have the same effect upon Eve. It must have seemed logical to him to warn her of its danger. Here, biblical scholar Shira Halevi alleges that Adam made two mistakes. First, he had no business adding to what God had told him, and second, he had no business passing this commandment on to Eve. It wasn’t meant for her. She asserts, “It was no sin for her [Eve] to take this fruit for God did not command her not to eat it.” I would argue that it was no sin for either one to partake of the fruit of the tree. 1) they where under no law to be obedient; 2) The Father himself will say "if they yield to temptation we will provide a Savior for them" - not sin but temptation." ]

10 And the serpent said unto the woman: Ye shall not surely die; [ So the first thing that Satan does with Eve is to get her to doubt the words of God, to distrust God, in that if she partakes of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that she will die. Or watch me, woman...I am not dead...I am touching the tree. Satan's only lie; as they were told in Moses 3:17 "in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" The Armenian Apocrypha adds an interesting element to this verse. Verse 4 reads, “The serpent spoke with Eve: ‘(That is) not so! God was a man like you. When he ate of the fruit of his tree he became God of all. Because of that God said to you not to eat, lest you become an equal God.’ She died spiritually almost immediately, and about 935 years later she died physically. ]

11 For < [ The serpent says. ] God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, [ This is true. The serpent insinuates that God is keeping something good from Eve because he does not want to share his glory as a God. Eve certainly has a lot to think about. She has trusted God implicitly, but this new information causes her to ponder on the tree and its merits. You will not die, he claims, your eyes will just be opened, like the gods. The Serpent (Satan) is trying to subtly persuade her that this is really what she wants to do by downplaying the seriousness of the consequences. As a result, she begins to change her way of thinking, as we see below in v 12. The phrase, “when the woman saw,” is the turning point. Her thinking has changed from not even touching the tree, to considering its value for food and more. Does Satan ever try to get us to second guess God's intentions? ] and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. [ Another truth. The serpent has been speaking to Eve, but he uses plural pronouns in addressing her about being “as gods.” In an English translation, this is not apparent. He says “Ye (plural, man and woman) shall be as gods.” Or she as the scriptures say - deceived? Let the scriptures speak for themselves. ]

12 And when the woman saw [ Preterit tense of see (To observe; to note or notice; to know;). Recognized that she really did have a choice. There were options and each had consequences - so she had to choose what she wanted most. ] that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, [ The woman has changed her way of thinking because of the serpent. She went from not even considering touching the tree to seeing the possibility of the fruit being good for food, being pleasant to the eyes and being able to make her wise. Her whole philosophy of thinking has changed. Satan reasons with Eve in such a way as to alter her way of thinking. Before, she would not even go near the tree. Now she sees the possibility of having a new and different experience with the fruit of the tree. This is what Satan got Eve to do—to look at things differently. “You don't have to worry about what God said. This is good stuff.” Eve looked through a different lens. She listened to the serpent and left God's philosophy behind. She knew what the fruit was, she knew what the restrictions were; when she began to look at it differently, her philosophy began to change. If you think about it the scriptures are there as a lens for us to look through to discover the philosophy of God, not the world. Use the scriptures for good not the philosophy pf the world(satan). The decision appeared to be better than the alternative. Eve saw that it was good—even before she ate the fruit and her eyes were opened! —is a remarkable echo of what God himself had repeatedly done during creation when he surveyed his work and ‘saw that it was good.’ In Eve’s ‘seeing,’ her godlike capacity was already being manifest.” “This fruit looks really nice. It will make a great center piece on the table. What do we learn about Satan here? Satan has the ability to twist things around so that what is a command from God does not really seem like itr, or it does not seem fair, or there is another way. This is just how he works, and he is pretty consistant about his approach. ] and a tree to be desired to make [ "a tree to be desired" she saw something in the tree that enticed her, something that she wanted. She did not really know what it was other than it had caught her eye. And most men know that when something catches your wife's eye - well you know the story. Satan has now taken something that she was not to consider eating and made it appear desirable, and desirable enough that she eats of the fruit. ] her wise, [ Wisdom only comes with the ability to make choices and learn from making good ones and making bad one's Eve's desire was to become like God; she wanted wisdom the knowledge that God has and made a choice to do so. ] she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, [ She made that choice. Kind of like life - women really make all of the choices in life they just let us men think that we are making them...Think about it... Why was the serpent successful with Eve instead of Adam? ]and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat. [ Adam is now faced with the knowledge that Eve is to be cast out. And instead of forsaking her, chooses death and suffering to save and protect her. He, like Christ, decides that loyalty to the one he’s covenanted to is worth more than eternal comfort. He decides to suffer as a mortal man and experience death instead of abandoning the one he promised to protect. Adam’s choice is exactly the same choice that Christ made. They both chose to leave the presence of God and suffer death and pain for their covenant spouse. ]

13 And the eyes of them both were opened, [ As opposed to being closed or un-seeing. So they were now able to see what they could not see before. Is what they did a transgression or a sin? It was a transgression. Knowledge of Good and Evil is necessary for sin to be committed. If Adam & Eve had had a knowledge of the Gospel in the Garden, their actions with the fruit would have been a sin, not a transgression. All scripture defines their act as a transgression(temptation) and not a sin. This is why God would say "if they yield to temptation we will provide a Savior for them". While we are talking about it, go to 2 Ne 2. From v 19-30, it is discussing the Plan of Salvation and not Adam as an individual. Look at 2 Ne 2:22-23: What if the transgression was actually choosing to leave the presence of God? What if it is the presence of God that makes them immortal? Look at this closely: What if the transgression is the choice Adam makes to leave the presence of God? Yes, the fruit has a part in all of this, but what if it is Adam’s actual choice (his intention all along, his ultimate motive) that initiates the Plan? ] and they knew [ They realized it for the first time. And how did they even know that well it was Satan that told them that they were naked, further showing the state of innocence that they were in. ] that they had been naked. [ Vulnerable, without knowledge. "Nakedness" as used figuratively here appears to indicate a fallen, sinful,or guilt-ridden state away from the presence of God. (see also Mormon 9:5) Naked is symbolic for what? suggests that they dwelt in a state of perfect righteousness as well as lacking knowledge of good and evil. They had no cause for shame because they were pure and innocent of any sin. The effect of the Fall was not simply that the man and woman come to know they were "naked" in the physical sense. The effect is rather that they come to know that they were "naked" in the sense of being "under God's judgement," as in Deuteronomy 28:48: Because they had transgressed, they had forfeited God's Spirit—which would leave them naked or void of that important gift. The Hebrew word for Atonement (from which we draw our English word) means literally "to cover." Christ's sacrificial atonement covers our sins, our guilt, our nakedness. Or their own unworthiness. ] And they sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves aprons. [ Satan try's to convince Adam that as long as he ACTS right, he IS right. But as we know that acting does not either make it right and just like the leaves of the apron they are only temporary. Elder James E. Talmage associated figs with the covenant people. Thus, when Adam and Eve chose to be obedient to the will of the Father by provoking the Fall, they became the first of His covenant people. Hence their donning of fig leaves became a symbol of the covenant. The fig leave apron, which they made themselves and probably inadequate, and only temporary - might also represent the weakness of man's knowledge as compared to the coat of skins later made for them by God representing knowledge coming from God, and they are much longer lasting and provide greater protection. ]

14 And they heard the voice of the Lord God, [ Heavenly Father. ] as they were walking in the garden, in the cool of the day; [ At the time of the evening breeze Gen 3 footnote 3b. The story of the Garden of Eden is epitomized in the layout of the Temple of solomon, there the Holy of Holies is the place where God would walk “in the cool of the day”. This reinforces the notion that this was indeed the place where God dwelt on earth, where he roamed or walked, where his presence was revealed. We need to remember that The Lord's House is no different today. ] and Adam and his wife went to hide themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. [ They realize that the fig leaves are not enough so they find something bigger - the trees and they hade behind them. When we are hiding something - what do we usually know about that action itself? That we are doing something wrong. They knew they had done something wrong - so they tried to get lost in the garden so that they could not be found. The first game of hide and seek? This is a very human response, and we all can relate to it. When you or I exercise our agency and partake of forbidden fruit, or as the Lord taught it, we “taste the bitter, that [we] may know to prize the good,” we too feel ashamed and wish to hide or cover up our actions. Examples of this are too numerous to name. We, like Adam and Eve, hear the voice of the Lord God calling to us, and He has many voices to invite us out of our coverts. How do we try to hide from God? Notice how Satan stands up after he has gotten us to fail, his only suggestion is a futile attempt to cover our nakedness, he is not there to fight the battle any further for us - NOPE he says hide, take cover up what you know you have done - because that is exactly what he is doing. Hiding is a form or remorse, maybe not totally for what they have done but certainly that they have been caught. We perceive our nakedness, sew our fig-leaf aprons, and disappear “amongst the trees of the garden” (Moses 4:14), because often we are not ready for the face-to-face encounter with God and our own actions. There are many types of fig-leaf aprons, and I suppose we are fairly acquainted with them all. We certainly all sew them. some ways they are most frequently sewn are through telling lies, making excuses, rationalizing, blaming others, hiding in the shadows of self-comforting doubt or intellectual posturing, trying to change the moral landscape to make forbidden things acceptable, etc. There may be as many fig-leaf aprons as there are people to sew them, but God has a better way, as He always does. We will all be called out from the garden to meet with God at some point. We will stand naked before him, there will be no place to hide, just as there really was not place for Adam to hide either. What things can we use to cover ourselves? Time, if enough time passes it will be hidden or less important or people will forget what I have done, darkness if it is dark not one will see, lies I can try to hide what I did with a lie, closed doors, and even rationalization to cover our sins. Fig Leaves are symbolism of everything that you do in your life to hide your transgressions. ]

15 And I, the Lord God, called unto Adam, and said unto him: Where goest thou? [ Adam where are you? God knows exactly where Adam is; but he starts the teaching process but making sure that Adam knows that he is and will be held accountable. ]

16 And he said: I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, [ Of what? Judgement, he knew that he had done wrong and he feared being held accountable. This idea of shame and fear have been introduced into Adam's life, in the garden there was no such thing, and the Lord is saying, "There's no need to hide from me. You don't need to be ashamed of yourself." So I like that idea of the Lord's like, "Don't hide from me. It's okay. Who told you that you should be ashamed. Who told you that you should hide from me?" ] because I beheld that I was naked, and I hid myself. [ He “shrunk” from the Lord's presence. We see throughout the Book of Mormon, that when men don't repent, they “shrink” from the presence of God. See 2 Ne. 9:46: Mosiah 2:38; Mosiah 3:25. Why does satan try to get them to hide? 1) to teach them that they can do what they want in secret - the problem is that it still is not secret to the Lord but it does get them to practice the art of deceit. 2) I suppose that the biggest reason in my opinion is that in doing so he try's to teach man that he is farther away from God than he really is. Satan tries to create distance between us and God. If he can get you to believe that you have one to far that there is no hope in repentance then you will not try anymore. Hiding is symbolic of staying away from someone. This has some great connection with the Atonement. Satan would teach that you have made a mistake keep that to yourself, hide it. The Atonement on the other hand would suggest as God does here, don't listen to that voice that says hide, No come to me, repent, move forward. Elder Spencer W. Kimball taught in his book, Miracle of Forgiveness, that the 5 steps to repentance are: Recognition [Adam knows he's naked] Remorse [Adam hides, showing guilt] Confession [Who told thee thou wast naked?] Restitution [He cannot restore his cleanliness without a Savior being provided. If he partakes then a Savior will be provided] Forsake [“Adam was obedient to the commandments,” does not sin again].]

[ Rule number one if we are hiding then we most likely are doing something wrong, something that would be embarrassing if others knew what we were doing ... ]

17 And I, the Lord God, said unto Adam: Who told thee thou wast naked? [ The serpent would have been quick to help them understand that. The use of the word "told" to me suggests that just taking of the fruit was not enough to know that he was naked but that after he took of the fruit he listened to Satan, who said look you are naked, now you better hide. Meaning = Not covered; bare; having no clothes on; Unarmed; defenseless; open; exposed; having no means of defense or protection against an enemy's attack, or against other injury. Exposed to shame and disgrace. Guilty and exposed to divine wrath. They came to an understanding of their sexuality and their nakedness, and they were told to try and cover their nakedness by sewing fig leaves together. Nakedness can be real and it can be a symbol too. It is obvious from both the Book of Mormon and from the Pearl of Great Price that there was no understanding of their sexuality before the fall. 2 Ne 2:22-23 says that if Adam & Eve had not transgressed, they would have remained forever in the Garden; they would have had no children, and they would have remained in a state of innocence. At the end of chapter 3 we see that they are both naked and are not ashamed, but in Ch 4, we see that they are naked and they are ashamed—now they realize the distinction. Sexuality is an acquired knowledge, whether we want to admit that or not. Don't you think that the Lord already nude what he had done (no pun intended). So why would the Lord bother to ask Adam who told him that he was naked? What is the principle that is being taught? We have to acknowledge that God knows the answer already; so he is trying to make us understand that we need to take ownership; we have responsibility for our own decisions - we are accountable for what we do. Father knew the answer to the question. It was for Adam's sake. The meaning behind the question was this: Where did you get your information? Was it from me? Was it from one of my authorized representatives? Or was it from another source? This is another teaching moment for the Father to Adam. One that suggests that he needs to commune with Heavenly Father, even or especially when he sins. Repent, ask for forgivness. If he chooses another path after sin he might find himself on the wrong road. ] Hast thou eaten of the tree [ God "knoweth all things" So he knows the answer but is teaching Adam again "personal accountability" - this accountability comes as a product for the law of agency which was given for man. This is a new thing for Adam; the consequences of his agency. ] whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat, if so thou shouldst surely die? So why did Adam choose to partake of the fruit? In his own words. Let the scriptures speak for themselves, Adam will give us the answer in the next verse. But for now the confession continues.

18 And the man said: The woman thou gavest me, [ Adam gives his answer as to why he partook of the fruit. He first casts some of the blame back at God- saying the woman you gave me, and commanded that I stay with her, well she ate and I had no other choice if I was to stay with her, so I ate. He knew that she would be cast out. He ate of the fruit in order to be obedient to God’s command to remain with Eve. In other words, he was committed to remaining married. The Fall of Adam was really about eternal marriage. Given as his "help meet" which means equal, as 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" Moses 3:18. Adam and Eve had to have a choice even if there might have been another way to get the plan rolling. Their choice to die had to be based on their own agency. Adam chose to die. Satan knew mortality had to be introduced on other worlds, but he was not the cause of it. He belongs to this earth. Adam and Eve might have chosen another way. Either way Adam had to die. ] and commandest that she should remain with me, [ We get the answer right here, this is what Adam says is his reason for partaking of the fruit. Because he was commanded to remain with the woman. So Adam first puts the blame on God - "the woman that you gave me" then he puts the blame on Eve - "well she partook of the fruit" and You commanded that she was to remain with me, so I was really left with no choice, I was just doing what I was told to do. It might appear as if he is passing the buck, but we have to remember he is innocent, he does not know the difference between good and evil he is just trying to do what he is told to do. In both cases, in Eve's partaking of the fruit and Adam's partaking of the fruit, posterity is not mentioned at all. This is what the scriptures say in spite of our traditions. If we let Eve speak for herself rather than putting words in her mind and mouth, she says plainly: “The serpent beguiled me and I did eat.” Why were they commanded to stay together? Because that is the only way that they could complete the first command to multiple and replenish the earth. ] she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat. [ He confesses and takes responsibility for his own action. That's why there are these steps to repentance. God knew what had happened. He could have—Poof!—left Adam and Eve in the lone and dreary world without any clothes on! But He did not do it that way. He was leading Adam in his own discovery of guilt, remorse, and confession. He was leading Adam through the process of repentance and change. It is the same for us as well. Because Eve had eaten of the fruit and by doing so was going to be cast out. Adam had already said no, but when Eve partook things changed - for him it was an issue of eternal marriage, it was not an issue of posterity. Eternal marriage is required for exaltation, not children. Could it have been different? Maybe after being in the Garden of Eden for 500 years, they got a little bored, and wanted something else to do. If Eve was on her way out of the Garden, Adam reasoned he had been commanded to remain with Eve, and also knowing that she would die, he chose to join her. It became a matter of eternal marriage; otherwise he would be left a lone man in the lone and dreary world. ]

19 And I, the Lord God, said unto the woman: What is this thing which thou hast done? And the woman said: The serpent [ In a way Eve is passing the blame to the serpent, it was his fault, Just as Adam says well the woman YOU GAVE ME AND COMMANDED THAT WE SHOULD STAY TOGETHER - well she ate so I had no choice. The serpent is deprived of its arms and legs symbolizing that it will never be able to rise in full power and might again and its vulnerable head is made easy prey for the foot of man. ] beguiled [ Misled by craft. ] me, and I did eat. [ She does take responsibility and repents. Notice what she does not say - There are those who suggest that Eve knew exactly what she was doing and she wanted children, and so she took of the fruit to get the ball rolling. But THAT IS NOT WHAT SHE SAYS - she says she was beguiled, misled into partaking of the fruit. ]

20 And I, the Lord God, [ The Father. ] said unto the serpent: Because thou hast done this thou shalt be cursed above [ Execrated; afflicted; vexed; tormented; given limits beyond ] all cattle, and above every beast of the field; [ They will each receive a body - satan will not. ] upon thy belly [ Lowest that there is and no way to rise above that - helpless to do so. ] shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life; [ The one who eats the most dust is the last one in the line, the one who is following everyone else. Also he is so low to the ground that he can only get a small glimpse of those made from the dust of the earth those who have be given physical bodies. ]

21 And I [ God - Heavenly Father. ] will put [ Create a gulf between with mutual hatred. This one verse sets the stage for everything that takes place upon the earth from the fall to the end of the earth. Everything that happens, all of world history, all current events, every political situtation, all of the wars and perplexities of nations, everything is nothing more than the details of the battle that rages between the establishment of zion (Gods kingdom on earth), and the establishment of Babylon. Everything, everything, everything is nothing more than the details of this great battle going on. The Lord speaks first to: the man Adam → then to the Woman → then to the serpent. The consequences of the transgression are first placed on: the serpent → then to the Woman → and then to the man, Adam. ] enmity [ The opposite of friendship; ill will; hatred; unfriendly dispositions; malevolence. It expresses more than aversion and less than malice, and differs from displeasure in denoting a fixed or rooted hatred, whereas displeasure is more transient. the attitude or feelings toward an enemy, hostility - or deep seated dis-like. ] between thee [ Satan and those that follow him. ] and the woman, [ Christ - The Church - Why Female tense? "the woman" because Christ is the head of the church and he is masculine tense, because he (Jesus Christ) is our defender, our provider, and our protector. ] between thy seed [ Satan's disciples - those that uphold him and sustain Satan, his principles and fulfill his wishes. Or everything that happens will be a result of the enmity. This defines how the world will play out from that time forward, all of history, every thing that happens, all of world history, all curent events, all political situations, all the wars and perplexities of war, all civilizations, is nothing more than the details of the battle between God(the establishment of Zion) and Satan(the establishment of Babylon). The Gospel of Jesus Christ is brought forward and the burden of the fall is placed on mankind. ] and her seed; [ Her is a pronoun - there has only ever been one woman who has walked the earth that has ever had a child without the help of a mortal man, that woman is Mary and her seed alludes to Christ. So this is a prophecy of Jesus Christ which is taught to Adam, the first mention of Christ as they are teaching the gospel to Adam. ] and he [ The child of that specific woman to whom he is referring - Mary the mother of Jesus. ] shall bruise thy head, [ What is the part of serpent that can do the most damage to man? The head - that is where he bites and injects the poison from. Christ was given the power to bruise the head of Satan. If you were given a choice to bruise the head or bruise the heal which would you suppose would be the most lethal? The head is the most important part of the body, if you destroy the head you destroy the body. Christ has won - atonement is in place and Satan has lost. Christ shall crush the head of the serpent (Satan and his kingdom) with the very heel that was bruised in his atoning sacrifice. ] and thou shalt bruise his heel. [ Satan bruised Christ's heel by getting people to kill Him on the cross. It hurts if you have even been kicked in the shin, or bruised your heel. A bruse to the heel can take a long time to heal. The atonement was a difficult process. There was great pain involved, mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. He suffered pain beyond anything that we can comprehend as mortals. While it might cause terrible pain it is not lethal. And in the process of working out the atonement Christ will gain the power to crush the head of the serpent or Satan and his kingdom. This statement by God to the serpent is fulfilled in multiple ways. We get to choose by our agency whom we will follow. We are on equal ground. Opposition here is equal, and we get to break the tie, so to speak, in choosing which direction we will follow. It’s the doctrine of the Two Ways: there is good and evil. We can't know good without evil. If the devil makes us do it, then we cannot be condemned for it. And if God makes us do it, then we cannot be blessed for it. The Spirit can either direct us or we can be directed by wickedness. It comes down to our own choice. Hugh Nibley said: If every choice I make expresses a preference, if the world I build up is the world I really love and want, then with every choice I am judging myself, proclaiming all the day long to God, angels, and my fellowmen where my real values lie, where my treasure is, the things to which I give supreme importance. Hence, in this life every moment provides a perfect and foolproof test of your real character, making this life a time of testing and probation. (Hugh Nibley: “Zeal Without Knowledge,” Approaching Zion, p 66) ]

22 Unto the woman, I, the Lord God, said: I will greatly multiply [ Hebrew (rabah) - to repeat over and over. When God tells Eve that he will “multiply” her labor when bearing a child, he does not mean he will increase her pain, but that she will bear multiple children. Likewise, Eve will have to labor to bring forth children, that is a given. Who ever brought forth a child without going through labor? (Excepting the emergency Caesarean section, of course.) Labor is work. It doesn’t make you “sorrow”-ful, but you do have to work. That’s what God is saying. Earth life takes work. But it will be good for your character. When God tells Eve that he will “multiply” her labor when bearing a child, he does not mean he will increase her pain, but that she will bear multiple children. She will conceive and labor over and over in bringing forth the children of the earth. This is a good thing. She wants to be the mother of all living. Both Adam and Eve will bring forth life with sweat and tears. ] thy sorrow [ The uneasiness or pain of mind which is produced by the loss of any good. the trails and tribulations of mortality see Moses 5:11 Hebrew (atsab) - means labor or pain. In other words mothering of children would involve inconvenience, suffering, sorrow,and travails over and over as each child goes thru life - they are the natural consequences and not as a curse. Sorrow is the same word that is used for Adam when he will "earn his bread by sorrow". So in essence we have the Abrahamic covenant (Adam is to subdue the earth(priesthood responsibility) in sorrow(through hard work)), Eve is to bring forth posterity in sorrow(through hard labor). Putting things back to the way that they were before the fall itself Priesthood, posterity and eternal inheritance. ] and thy conception . [ The process of becoming pregnant, why because she knows that as she becomes pregnant that 1) the process will involve 9 months of carrying the baby in her womb 2) The time after the baby is born requires so much - as there is little or no sleep - the stress of childbirth. All of this goes into account as a woman decided it is time to conceive. ] In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, [ Sorrow because she will bear the pain and suffering of childbirth; but also sorrow for the mistakes that each child will make as they learn and grow and exercise their own agency; and some partake of the ills that satan places before them. The exact same word, sorrow, is used with both Adam and Eve. This is God’s judgment. sorrow, in Hebrew (itzɘ-bowen), means to work, toil, and labor in pain. The suffering will be no worse for Eve that it is for Adam. See verse ] and thy desire shall be to thy husband, [ Hebrew word for “desire” = support or sustain. Highest loyalty Moses 3:24; D&C 42:22 In English this comes across as the description of a master and his slave. She will have to fulfill her lord and master’s every desire, and he will rule over her with an iron fist. But the Hebrew does not say this. The word translated as “desire” is from the Hebrew word teshuqah, which has the sense of “stretching out after,” or “a longing.” This is how a woman feels about a man who treats her like a queen. Her heart “longs” for him, and she “stretches out after” trying to please. It does not sound like a woman who is treated as chattel by her husband. God is telling Eve that if she is one with her husband, then he will treat her like royalty. ] and he shall rule [ The Hebrew word for “desire” means “thigh, shank, or leg,” or in our terms, she is to hold up, support, or sustain him, and he will preside in the home. What the Lord is telling her is that now that she is out in the lone and dreary world, where she will have to work out her own salvation, their previously shared responsibilities will be divided. They could not say, “The devil made me do it,” nor could he say, “My wife made me do it.” We cannot and should not allow anyone to stop our eternal progression. Our own agency holds us accountable for our own progression. Her priesthood responsibility is to sustain her husband, and he is to administer and preside, each now having divided duties that were once shared in the Garden. The Priesthood that is functioning in this environment is the Patriarchal Priesthood. Two people hold the Patriarchal Priesthood together; there is no patriarch without a matriarch. "Preside and serve as the Savior does" - President Kimball Ensign pg 72 March 1976 the Hebrew conveys a very different meaning. It says “he shall rule bak,” which is the preposition b– attached to the feminine pronoun for “you.” In Hebrew, you are taught that there is a scarcity of prepositions in the Hebrew language. L– attached to the beginning of a word meant “to” or “for,” c– meant “like” or “as,” and b– meant “in,” “with,” or “by.” There is another preposition—al—that stands by itself and means a lot of things, but mostly “upon” or “over.” The preposition b– in this phrase should read, “and he shall rule with you.” Other places in the Bible translate b– before rule as “rule over,” but it is clearly talking about a king and his subjects, or one people ruling over another. Eve will rule over this newly-created world with her husband. God has gone out of his way in this chapter and the ones before it to emphasize how the woman is to be an “equal” to the man—a “power” exactly corresponding to him. Together they are to have “dominion” over the earth and populate it. Eve will rule over this newly-created world with her husband. She will be his ezer—his rescuer, his deliverer, his strength. Elder Bruce Hafen of the Seventy concurs with this interpretation, teaching that the King James translation of Genesis 3:16 (“and he shall rule over thee”) is a mistranslation. In Hafen’s words, “over in ‘rule over’ uses the Hebrew bet, which means ruling with, not ruling over.” Elder L. Tom Perry puts the icing on the cake when he tells us, “there is not a president and a vice president in a family. We have co-presidents working together eternally for the good of their family. … They are on equal footing. They plan and organize the affairs of the family jointly and unanimously as they move forward.” ] over thee.

23 And unto Adam, [ Notice he is talking to Adam now. ] I, the Lord God, said: Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, [ Because you choose to follow her over me. 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 Ne. 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! ( Elder Dallin H. Oaks Nov. 1993 “The Great Plan of Happiness”) Informed by revelation, we celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall (see Bruce R. McConkie, “Eve and the Fall,” Woman, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1979, pp. 67–68). Joseph Smith taught that it was not a “sin,” because God had decreed it (see The Words of Joseph Smith, ed. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook, Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 1980, p. 63). Brigham Young declared, “We should never blame Mother Eve, not the least” (in Journal of Discourses, 13:145). 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). ] and hast eaten of the fruit of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying—Thou shalt not eat of it, [ I Commanded "thee, saying—Thou shalt not eat of it" THEE not them. Unless you want to become mortal and get kicked out of the garden of eden. ] cursed shall be the ground for thy sake; [ Notice that the curse was placed on the ground not on Adam, this was not as curse for Adam but a blessing for him. (President Marion G Romney 1976 Oct Conference) The Lord curses the ground so that Adam will have to work; that the journey will not be easy; hence he will have trails; learn and grow. If it was all easy Adam would by default become complacent and lazy; never grow and therefore not be able to become like God. ] in sorrow [ The exact same word, sorrow, is used with both Adam and Eve. This is God’s judgment. sorrow, in Hebrew (itzɘ-bowen), means to work, toil, and labor in pain. The suffering will be no worse for Eve that it is for Adam. The trails and tribulations of mortality see Moses 5:11. “When Adam, our first parent, partook of the forbidden fruit, transgressed the law of God, and became subject unto Satan, he was banished from the presence of God, and was thrust out into outer spiritual darkness. This was the first death. Yet living, he was dead—dead to God, dead to light and truth, dead spiritually; cast out from the presence of God; communication between the Father and the son was cut off. He was as absolutely thrust out from the presence of God as was Satan and the hosts that followed him. That was spiritual death. But the Lord said that he would not suffer Adam nor his posterity to come to the temporal death until they should have the means by which they might be redeemed from the first death, which is spiritual” (Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 432). ] shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. [ So Eve has to labor to bring forth children, while her life is to be preserved...on the other hand Adam's labor to quicken the earth so that it will bring forth fruit to eat may not be as severe but it is certainly more protracted...it lasts ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE. ]

24 Thorns also, and thistles shall it [ The earth. To this point he has lived within the climate controlled, weed controlled environment of the Garden-Temple of Eden. However now he is going to take his journey outside of the protection of the temple. ] bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb [ Old Hebrew word for Vegetables. ] of the field.

25 By the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou shalt return unto the ground—for thou shalt surely die [ See vs 10; Moses 3:17 This is the lie that Satan told - he said they would not die. What God is telling Adam here in 23, 24, and 25 is that life on earth is going to be hell! In sorrow you will bring forth children; in sorrow you will have to work to feed them and your wife. You will sweat all the days of your life; the ground will bring forth thorns and thistles. You will have to work hard just to eat. But then the Lord says in this verse: Don't worry! There is light at the end of this tunnel—you get to die!! There is hope because you get to die! ] —for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou wast, and unto dust shalt thou return. [ Life is going to be bad; life is going to be rotten—until thou shalt return to the ground. And then it won’t be so bad, because death is an event we live through, and there will be no more troubles, cares, or sorrows (Alma 40:12). ]

26 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, [ At this point Adam names Eve, up to now she has been called woman Moses 3:23. He now understands procreation and names her the mother of all living. Now that the Fall has taken place, Her new name signifies her entering into a new environment with new responsibilities. She becomes Eve (The Hebrew word for Eve is Cha'vah, which means “the giver of life.”), the “mother of all living.” As a mortal, she is now in a position to have posterity, and thus she becomes the “mother of all living.” It was not possible to be the “mother of all living” until after the Fall took place. And notice: she gets a name change because she is now entering into a new environment with new responsibilities. A name change always accompanies a move from one environment to a new environment. ] because she was the mother of all living; [ Remember that one of Adams first responsibilities was to name all of the animals; (Moses 3:20) here is the reason why he called her Eve. ] for thus have I, the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many. [ Which is the same as to say there will be a first man and a first woman for every world. Or Adams, there are many, and Eves, there are many, because every world has to have a first man and a first woman. See also Moses 1:34 - or because there are worlds without number. ]

27 Unto Adam, and also unto his wife, did I, the Lord God, [ Note who made them; God did. While they are still the Garden God made a coat of skins for and clothed each of them personally. He did not clothe Adam and then tell him to go clothe Eve. God ministered to both equally. Christ is instructed to make them a garment to cover their nakedness. The garment is made of skins, which means a blood sacrifice was made to prepare those skins. in order for Christ to make these skins, an animal had to die. This was the first sacrifice. Most likely it was a lamb that was slain because that becomes the best leather once it is prepared. Thus the very first sacrifice was performed in the Garden of Eden by Christ. The very first Pascal (passover) lamb was sacrificed in order to prepare the skins for Adam and Eve. As Mediator, Christ is assigned the duty of preparing the skins that will be used to cover up their nakedness. Keep in mind that in the preparation of these skins, the animals used become the first sacrifice or the first instance of the shedding of blood (Atonement) by the Savior to cover their nakedness. If the Plan is functioning properly, then a Savior is provided. Until the fruit is eaten, there is no need for a Savior. Jesus is not a “new Savior” for this and all other worlds. He is the Savior whose atonement is infinite and eternal. He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. All other worlds have to go through the same thing: mortality and death has to be introduced. If they partake of the fruit, then a Savior will be provided. The Plan of Salvation requires Adam to die, and as Joseph said, “It was not given for Adam to partake of the fruit, but it was given unto Adam to die.” While they were still in the Garden, they were in God's presence, thus there was no need for a Savior, and no need for the Gospel Plan of Salvation, nor any need for a mediator. Why did God not just tell them to go get some leaves on their own or to go and get some skins on their own and make a coat for themselves? Because he wanted to give them to them as a symbol of his love for them - as a protection for them. That he did not want there to be a distance from him now that they were naked. The Egyptian book titled “The Life of Adam and Eve” has this to say regarding Adam and Eve's first clothing. Adam tells his wife: “This is the skin of beasts with which we shall be covered, but when we put it on, behold, we shall be wearing a token of death on our bodies. Just as the owners of these skins have died and have wasted away, so also shall we die and pass away." (Life 52:2) ] make coats of skins, [ Could be rendered "garments" or "tunics" Genesis 3:21. The Hebrew word that is translated as Atonement is kaffar and it has connections of covering. It's both the kind of covering that happens when you smear blood, like atoning sacrifice kind of covering, but also potentially the covering that happens when we're naked, we're vulnerable, and then God puts a clothing that covers our nakedness, covers our flaws, covers us and gives us authority to stand in his presence again. so Adam and Eve do this interesting thing where they go... It's almost like they're dressing up like the Tree of Life. And I like it. They put the leaves on, they get these fig leaves. And that works okay. Fig leaves aren't terribly successful, they eventually dry out and fall off. I mean, the fig leaves are okay, but they're not very permanent. They're not maybe perfectly effective as a covering, but they do add some color to the story. Our efforts, when honestly done, are important. They matter. It adds some variety. It adds some color to the storyline. But what we really want is God's covering. We need to ask ourselves what did Adam and Eve have to do to receive coats of skin? They needed to remove the coverings that they had made - the fig leaves the temporary one and replace them with Gods covering. To do that they had to come to him, they had to repent and change, and take on what he had to offer them. And God is going to truly cover them in ways that will protect them, as they're now going out into a challenging world. And what you get here is most likely it would appear to be the first death that Adam and Eve have ever encountered, as these are coats of skins, these are animal skins (symbolically a Lamb, and used that skin form the lamb to protect them) that cover them. ] and clothed them. [ Clothed means = Covered with garments; dressed; invested; Why did the Lord do this? I assume the Lord’s calling to His two beloved children was with a voice of tenderness. He certainly knew where they were hiding and why they had sewn the aprons. In the ensuing conversation they came out of hiding, acknowledged their actions, and waited for the Lord’s response. Repentance, in a symbolic, visual sense, is removing the aprons, coming out of hiding, and talking openly, trustingly, and honestly with God—and ourselves, we might add. There are consequences of labor for both the man and the woman, but the main thing to understand is the replacement of the fig-leaf aprons for the coats of skins. The Lord made the coats of skin for Adam and Eve Why?. On the figurative level the coats of skins represent the Lord’s way of covering nakedness(sin offerring - sacrifice), His answer to those moments when we are ashamed because we are tasting the bitter and are learning that there are consequences for our actions. What is His way? Is it not through sending His son to the earth to “be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities. . . . That he might blot out their transgressions (with a covering so to speak) according to the power of his deliverance” (Alma 7:12–13)? If we were to finish the symbolic power and beauty of the coats of skins and what they teach, we might ask, “What animal would be the most appropriate to use to make the coats?” We would answer, “A lamb would be most appropriate, for Jesus is the lamb of God.” “And; How would one obtain these skins?” Through a sacrifice. “The lamb’s sacrifice would enable the covering protection to be obtained.” “You don’t need to hide from me,” the Father assures us all. “There is no reason to sew aprons. I know your nakedness already and have provided my own covering for you. It is the covering of forgiveness made possible through my love and through the love of my son’s sacrifice.” We need never hide from the Lord. We need never justify, blame, rationalize, lie, or pretend that eternal law is not eternal law. God does not wish us to evade Him, fear Him, or fail to trust Him. As did Adam and Eve, we simply respond to our Heavenly Father’s voice calling to us, get out of the covering of the trees, remove our aprons, and allow Him to clothe us in His forgiveness—in His son’s atoning sacrifice. What can we learn from the two different types of coverings? The fig leaves would be temporary at best. Fragile and not really very good. Nor would they provide much warmth or protection. On the other hand: The skins would provide warmth; they would offer protection from the elements and the thorns and thistles of life. They would have a lasting quality to them, symbolic of permanence. Every time that Adam and Eve put on those coats of skins they would act as a reminder that they were covered by the forgiving foresight and eternal design of the Father. They were covered by the son’s life and ever-inviting atoning love and mercy. So it was with our first parents, and so it is with us. From time to time I hear the Lord ask me, “What are you sewing, Greg? Why do you need the fig leaves? "It is always asked with concern, and I hear in His voice the moving toward forgiveness already. I drop my needle, we talk, and I feel again the warmth of that skin covering. We are daily clothed in forgiveness, for we will need it daily, as we are so beautifully shown in the Lord’s own house. This we must never forget about ourselves and about all other selves. It was one of the first truths our Father in Heaven wished us to know! Humanity’s experience on this planet begins with a choice and the subsequent forgiveness. OF further note is the idea that in ancient Israel the priestly garments where originally made of skins, so we have a connection to the idea that God’s clothing of Adam and Eve with the skins of sacrificial animals is as an inauguration as priests in the post-fall world. These skins of the sacrificial animals (the later priests wore fine linen), also suggest the connection of Adam and Eve being identified as priests, because the skin of the sacrificial animals belonged exclusively to the priests in the Mosaic order. So by bestowing on Adam and Eve the skin of the sin offering, a gift strictly reserved to priests, the Genesis story implicitly recognizes Eve as a priest alongside Adam.” And here, God clothes Adam and Eve in priestly coats before he casts them out of the garden. These garments of skin were made to last, which suggests that God intended on Adam and Eve continue their priestly duties after the fall and that that priesthood organization God had institutionalized in his garden sanctuary was to be perpetuated after the fall. Which will bring us in a minute to Adam continuing to offer sacrifice, and teaching his children to do the same even if they did not fully understand why? (Moses 5:4) ]

28 And I, the Lord God, said unto mine Only Begotten [ Procreated. ] : Behold, the man is become as one of us to know good and evil; [ The power of knowing good from evil provided the ability to choose. Remember if there is no opposition there is no agency, if we do not recognize there is a difference between good and evil then there is no agency to choose. (2 Ne. 2:5) Adam was not made immediately aware of all knowledge of good and evil when he ate of the fruit, he had to learn over time. I suppose that it may have taken some 935 years to become as aware as he was going to be. something to think about, if the Tree is the knowledge of good and evil then, what is the definition of Good? Is it not whatever leads us to Christ? Moroni 7:5-17. So getting back to Adam’s choice: The knowledge of Good is the knowledge of the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation. That which leads us to Christ is Good. Anything that does not lead us to Christ falls into the realm of “not good” or evil. So the tree that has the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil is referencing a knowledge that leads us to Christ and helps us to conform our character to His. So getting back to Adam’s choice: The knowledge of Good is the knowledge of the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation. That which leads us to Christ is Good. Anything that does not lead us to Christ falls into the realm of “not good” or evil. So the tree that has the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil is referencing a knowledge that leads us to Christ and helps us to conform our character to His. Let’s talk about evil for a minute. When did Adam recognize good and evil? Our traditional way of looking at this story is that Adam had knowledge of all good and evil right after partaking of the fruit of that tree. But let’s think this through. What needed to happen for him to know and understand evil? He needed to first understand good. And when did that happen? It was after he was cast out of the Garden of Eden and the angel came to teach him the Gospel. So ... when did Evil come into the world? After the posterity of Adam heard the Gospel and rejected it, from that time forth men began to be carnal, sensual and devilish. (Moses 5:12-13) When did man’s physical death come into the world? It could only be after the Gospel was taught by Adam to his posterity, which was three generations after he was cast out of the garden. Evil only enters when Gospel law is introduced and understood. (D&C 29: 41-43). There was no understanding of good or evil until they could know and understand the Gospel. Before the Fall, evil could not be comprehended with an immortal body. We cannot comprehend evil unless we are in a temporal existence. With an immortal body we would not have an understanding of the desires, appetites, and passions of this physical body. Once we became mortal, we could then begin to understand pride, jealousy, competition, and all the evils associated with having a mortal body. The whole key to understanding temporal opposition is survival. Immortality poses none of these temporal concerns. Once we have the tools to distinguish good from evil, we then have the choice to no longer sin. We have to have that distinction! How has man become like God? He now knows the difference between good and evil. He is on a path of becoming like Heavenly Father; he can exercise his agency; allowing him to learn and grow. The core truth of godhood or divinity is the ability to distinguish between all good and all evil choices, with the additional understanding that a god will always choose the good. Godhood is the ultimate and final fruit of the tree, or a perfect knowledge of the fruits of good and evil coupled with perfect choice. This is what we are down here to learn. Once we learn this we can partake of the tree of life and live forever, but in a state of exaltation. Jesus learned it better than any other human being, for His perception was always correct and He consistently chose the fruits of goodness. We, however, are going to make many mistakes as we taste the fruits of this tree that we savor every hour of our lives. Forgiveness will be a constant aspect of life. We will see our nakedness and be ashamed. How we deal with that sense of shame will make all the difference in our mortal progression. ] and now lest he put forth his hand and partake [ To have something of the property, nature, claim or right. ] also of the tree of life, and eat and live forever, [ See Alma 42:2-5 Just a thought. When this life is over and the judgement is done will we be permitted to partake of the Tree of life and live forever? ]

29 Therefore I, the Lord God, will send him forth from the Garden of Eden, [ Kicked him out. He will experience that spiritual death (separation from God) in a very short time, but his physical death will occur much later. Thus, Creation is father to the Fall; and by the Fall came mortality and death; and by Christ came immortality and eternal life. If there had been no Fall of Adam, by which cometh death, there would have been no need for the Atonement of Christ, by which cometh life. What are some of the reasons why the Lord sends Adam out of the Garden? One to teach him that decisions have consequences. 2) Because the nature of Adam has changed. Adam can no longer stand in the presence of God because he cannot learn to make good choices while he is still in Gods presence. He has to learn to live by faith, trust, and learn to make decisions on his own. ] to till the ground from whence he was taken;

30 For as I, the Lord God, liveth, even so my words cannot return void, [ I have to do what I said I would do. It is not that God is mad at them, but he did tell Adam that in the day he partook of the fruit he would be changed. He is just being a good parent, I told you want would happen if you did, you went ahead and did it, so now I will do as I suggested. ] for as they go forth out of my mouth they must be fulfilled. [ God has to stay the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. ]

31 so I drove out the man, [ God did not say to Adam, after he had partaken of that fruit, “Ok, Adam, the next time you partake of that fruit, you're outta here!” No, He told Adam what would happen beforehand, and therefore God “drove” him out of the garden. In effect, the consequences are chosen by the individual because they knew and understood the rules beforehand. Adam and Eve’s punishment was a known consequence to their choice. See Alma 42:2-10 for further explaination. ] and I placed at the east of the Garden of Eden, [ Or at the more righteous part. Something to understand about the 4 cardinal directions in prophetic language. Like numbers, it represents quality, not direction. Facing East is always the "correct" way to face. It is covenant-keeping. Example: the Garden was placed Eastward in Eden. Christ will come from the East when He comes again. The sun/son rises in the East. Because you face East, that is what is in your future. Thus, what is in the West is in your past. It is your history, your anchor. It is the words and the prophets. When you face East, the North is on your left hand. This is not a good place to be from. This is covenant-breaking. Israel was taken captive into the North countries, or the covenant-breaking countries of the world. And it is out of them that Israel must return. North is also the only direction in which, if you face it, you will never see the sun/son. The south shares the same word in Hebrew as "parched", probably because the world's largest desert lay to the south of Israel. Though it is sparsely populated, the peoples are cared for by the Lord. It is a land of "milk and honey". It is Egypt, a place of refuge. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, even the Child Jesus sought refuge in the south in Egypt. But they did not stay there. It is the only direction which, if you face it, you will always see the sun/son, and view its highest point in the sky. This celestial blockade suggests that there existed an entrance to the garden established at the east end of the garden. If no such entrance existed, then why would a blockade be necessary? Or, if other entrances were found to the garden, then why did God not establish cherubim and swords at other locations around the garden? Once more the eastward orientation of the Garden of Eden parallels the eastward orientation of the Mosaic tabernacle and Jerusalem temples, having entrances at the east. ] cherubim and a flaming sword, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life. [ Or to stop them from returning right back down the path toward the tree of life. Don't let them eat of the tree of life and live forever until their time has come. He does not say forever, but he does say not now. ]

32 (And these are the words which I spake unto my servant Moses, and they are true even as I will; and I have spoken them unto you. See thou show them unto no man, until I command you, except to them that believe. [ Here the Lord tells Joseph Smith that the contents of the Book of Moses are only for believers. This is in part of what God wanted Moses to show/teach to the children of Israel on the mountain(in Gods temple if they would return). ] Amen.)