Category: The Fall

God’s Agency is Different Than Ours

Ours is Second Class

Some say that God can do anything. That is actually not a true fact. God, in fact, cannot sin. He is past that stage of progression.

The true definition of agency is, the ability to choose good over evil, or simply, the power to do good. We cannot do good, but by virtue of the endlessly powerful act of our Savior’s atoning sacrifice experience. He is the One who makes agency possible, especially in this fallen world of sin, in which we now live.

Satan, in fact, could not start his plans of action, until time was brought into place, wherein he could then begin to manipulate the elements, and also, ultimately the children of God, according to his deceitful designs. This is why the fall was necessary for him to begin his stratagem.

Satan had explored extensively in heaven, before he was kicked out, ways to influence as a power, way beyond what it is intended to be. This “power,” influence, is actually what he uses, and what he calls his priesthoods.

With time now in action, and every entity, including people, becoming measurably defined by numbers and values, Satan now uses his influence, and knowledge gained of these values and numbers, and the properties and weaknesses associated with these entities and people, to influence and manipulate them to do wrong. However, these can still choose the right way, by utilizing agency, but it becomes more difficult, by means of Lucifer’s calculated, or combinational attacks.

This is why agency is so vital. We need the power of Christ, given to not only sustain us alive, but also to give us an alternative to sin. Satan has lost his own agency, wherein he cannot, nor would he, even if he could choose good, would not. He’s that far gone in this stage of the game.

Shane

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The Creation, Creatures, Forbidden Fruit, and Fall

Whose Seed Should Be In Itself

On Eden, our Mother Earth, God created a paradise garden. He created vegetation, creatures, and one son and one daughter. The son He called Adam, and the daughter He called Eve. Eve’s name was significant, because she was created on earth, at the evening, or at the end of an old life, where we had previously lived with our Heavenly Parents.

Once on the earth, God and Jesus Christ, commanded the creatures to be fruitful and multiply, separately, and at a different time, than Adam and Eve’s commandment to be fruitful and multiply [and replenish the earth]. See Moses 2:22

If not so, the commandment given to the creatures, would have been void unto them, if it were to be contingent upon Adam and Eve’s decision to partake of the forbidden fruit, which did make their bodies capable of having seed (children).

The creatures also, were created whole and innocent, without the ability to have seed (offspring), like Adam and Eve, but they were made to eat the grass, herbs, and other forms of vegetation and plant life. They did not eat any other creatures, on the earth, in the seas, or in the sky.

The plant life, herbs, and vegetation, were created already with seeds in themselves, to reproduce after their own kind, but again, the creatures and mankind were not created thus.

The creatures were commanded to eat of the plants, herbs, and vegetation, and to multiply and replenish the earth, which they could do, having to eat the vegetation, already created with seed in itself, for in eating the seeded plant life, their bodies were then made able to have seed, or offspring.

Adam and Eve were instructed to eat of every fruit from every fruit tree in the garden, except for that of the forbidden fruit, which they were commanded not to eat from, as it was from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This fruit tree was the only fruit tree with seed in itself already, and was none other than a fig tree in the midst. This tree, with seed to reproduce itself, did change the bodies of Adam and Eve also, in a way that they too could reproduce, but in order to have seed (children), they both needed to partake.

This being the case, all of the other fruit trees in the garden were not originally created with seeds in them, but were spontaneously created by God. See Moses 2:11 and 29 where it reads, as regarding the fruit trees of the garden, “…whose seed “should be,” and also, “shall be” in itself, meaning that the seeds were not in them yet, but would be, after Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, and caused the earth to change too. Thus this did also take place during the fall season of the earth, and was fitly named.

Upon Adam and Eve’s partaking of the only fruit tree in the garden which did have seed in itself (the forbidden tree’s fruit), their bodies were changed, in a manner in which their bodies could then begin to have seed and reproduce.

Because of their inherent knowledge as children of God, and knowing they should not partake of this fruit, as was commanded by God, and having partaken of this fruit, with the genetics of it passing into their bodies, the ability to have seed became a reality. Their bodies then became mortal, which introduced sin and death into the human cycle of life on earth.

The animals and creatures bodies were created from this same earth, but were without the same knowledge as given to mankind, and were to eat freely of the plants, herbs, and vegetation, which did already have seed in itself, and did cause the animals and creatures to have the ability to have offspring, without the same repercussions as Adam and Eve.

In other words, only Adam and Eve could have caused the fall, because of their being the divine seed of our divine Father and Mother in Heaven. With their inherent knowledge endowed, which came from their being the direct offspring of God, and so they were commanded not to partake.

Adam and Eve were only given to eat fruit, and not the herbs nor grain, until after the fall. They also had no knowledge to kill beasts before the fall, and with no need to harvest, nor eat by the sweat of their brow, they ate only fruit, because it was in abundance, and all that their bodies needed.

Since they originally were innocent, but had an awareness of the commands given to them by God, they were held accountable for their transgression, and once they had eaten from the fig tree, which had seed in itself, and their bodies changed, when their bowels released to the earth, its deposit of sin (or unhealthiness), they also now having a knowledge, the earth too was changed, and became fallen, wherein they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth, eat by the sweat of their brow, and shepherd flocks and herds to eat.

From that time on, they had to prepare the ground, be the stewards with the seeds which God’s good hand did provide them, and produce the fruit trees, and other food giving plants and herbs they now needed, to sustain their fallen bodies. Adam and Eve planted their fruit trees, instead of God continuing to create them spontaneously for them. Now, outside of the garden, they had to prepare the earth’s ground for planting, and also adjust to their fallen bodies, and new diet of animals, grains, herbs and vegetables.

Because God was not to bring death or sin into the world, as a righteous God, and by the standards of heaven, God had commanded Adam and Eve to not eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil, but even so they did, in which the plan of salvation and happiness could be brought about. In other words, by having become aware of evil, along with the good, by disobeying a heavenly law, they now could have the opportunity to learn, learn through having children, and have the opportunities and the tests of life needed, to prepare them and us, to become more like our Father and Mother in Heaven. For by Adam and Eve came the fall, even so by the fall, came we into the world.

Shane

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The Beguiling Serpent

And he and all they that followed him were cast out

So, when Lucifer was cast down with all his devils, where did the others go, when he came and tempted Adam and Eve? Consider this verse from Moses 4:6. For clarification, the brackets denote my input, and the parentheses are an actual part of the scripture verse therein.

6 And Satan put it [his evil spirits] into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.

Remember, if Satan can take over the heart, and the serpent was already the best candidate for this. See Moses 4:5 below, than he can control the whole creature.

5 And now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which I, the Lord God, had made.

So, with the evil spirits dwelling in the heart of the serpent, Satan could then command it, as he does his followers, and with them, he spoke to Eve, through the body of the serpent.

Shane

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The Atonement and Fall: Part Two

Providing Agency For Man

For a message about the atonement and the fall, the atonement is the rectification of the breaking of a universal law, in which the outcome is known in general terms as, “the fall.” This atonement is also the blessing of the entire human family throughout all the eternities. So much of how we allow the atonement’s reach to be for us in the eternities, depends on our faithfulness according to the light and knowledge we have and receive here. In other words, we are to do the very best we can, with what we have and are given.

This fall, which started in the garden of Eden, made possible the birth of sin into this world through disobedience, and introduced an unhealthy substance to the bodies of Adam and Eve, namely, the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

This unhealthy fruit, coupled with their disobedience of the given commandment, introduced them to a body no longer spiritually Intune to their spirits with purity, and caused them to have a fallen body, and a separated spiritual affect as well. Because of sin however, in this state, Adam and Eve could now understand the difference between good and evil, and could be fully accountable. Christ’s atonement would no longer be automatically applied to them because they ‘knew’ no sin, in their previous pure and innocent state. They would now have to actively supplicate and seek out the Lord and His forgiveness. 

Having deliberately disobeyed the Father, and partaking of this unhealthy food, their bodies were then subject to death, and because they were fallen, they became able to have seed, or children. For even as every seed must die before it can bring forth life, so too their bodies needed to die to produce seed. It is because of the atonement that their lives were prolonged, in the which space they were granted a time to repent and learn from their mistakes. This change allowed them to fully and actively exercise the gift of agency, which is the ability to do good in this fallen world, choosing the right.

Before the fall, Jesus’ forthcoming atonement covered them in any wrong choices they may have made unknowingly, because they were innocent, not comprehending the difference between right and wrong. Their choice to partake of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a transgression, because they had been specifically told by God not to do it, even though they didn’t fully understand why. Therefore, partaking is called a transgression, rather than a sin, because they didn’t understand the difference between good and evil.

Such was their predicament in being innocent, without wisdom or knowledge. Therefore, Eve needed to partake of the fruit, and Adam also, to learn for themselves, and progress from grace to grace, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. It was once they understood the opposites of right and wrong, that they could then learn from their mistakes, and repent of them.

As is stated in LDS doctrine, partaking of the fruit gave their bodies the ability to have children, through the effect the fall had on them. God, who is without sin, and who cannot create anything in sin, had to create them in this state of innocence, to then try them with the commandments to not partake of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, which would bring about sin, and a knowledge of sin for Adam and Eve, but also the ability to multiply and replenish the earth.

Even as the atonement was already part of God’s plan before sending us to this earth, so too was the fall. God knew they had to have children, and so He commanded them to do so, but He could not create Adam and Eve into a fallen state, with the opportunity to have children, so it was up to their choice to transgress, to be able to have children, and to then carry out His purposes for His children, which purpose is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Truly this fall, which not only changed Adam and Eve by introducing death to their bodies, and the ability to have seed, or children, it also changed the earth into a corruptible state, bringing about entropy and decay.

Christ is the rectification of this fall, using it to further the growth and potential of mankind, through turning something hard and sorrowful, into something good and meaningful, even glorious, by learning from our mistakes and repenting. So is this life.

Indeed, the Tree of Life planted in the garden of Eden was God’s pinnacle creation in the garden, in terms of plant life, and man, the pinnacle of his creation, even after the image and likeness of Himself and His Son Jesus Christ. The tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was originally planted there by God as a fig tree, but through the evil influence of Satan and his devils, who were purposely cast down to earth, they wrought upon it, and it became unclean, thus unfit for Adam and Eve’s bodies to partake of.

There is always a little bit of bad to everything good, and a little bit of good to everything bad, so we know in the Garden of Eden, this had to be, for there is always opposition in all things. With a bit of bad to a greatness of good, or a lot of bad to a little of good, we know that all things must be a compound in one, for if not, it must needs be as dead or as naught. Our task is to choose the better part, or good.

Satan and his followers were cast down to earth by God, with the tree there, and helped start the process of earth life for God’s children, that they could suffer, have joy, learn, grow, have children, progress and die, all toward the purpose of becoming more like Him.

The Atonement takes something which would by itself be the destruction of mankind (the fall), and raises mankind’s course upward into the celestial realms, where attainment to godhood is made possible. For as a child can become like their parents, so too can we, as literal children of our Father in Heaven, become like Him.

As was God’s plan in the beginning, He wanted us to be like Him, and to do this, we had to pass through mortality as He once had, walk in the path wrought out by our Savior through His holy atonement, and come unto Him, repent and keep His commandments.

With such a glorious gift as this, is it any wonder that those who understand this atonement and live by it, truly rejoice in their love and relationship with our Savior? Our Savior lives! He is the course of true joy and happiness! He understands all of us and our needs and concerns, and cares perfectly. How? Through the atonement. Because He experienced it. He also carries us, and lessens the burdens we carry, only to the degree we can bear, that we too can experience growth from trial. This is essential. We need to go to Him, and not try doing things by ourselves, for this truly is, the great plan of happiness!

Shane

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The Atonement and Fall: Part One

The Ultimate Prodigal

Adam and Eve were innocent before the Fall, in which they did not have a full understanding of agency. Agency is the ability to do good, with a full understanding of right and wrong. They had choice, but not yet a full agency, until they could fully discern between right and wrong. After the fall, they were given a special gift for themselves, and all their posterity. This gift is called the Light of Christ. In the scriptures, it is described as God giving enmity to Eve and Adam, and their seed (offspring). Enmity is a hatred toward or for something. As God gives only gifts of righteousness, the gift of enmity given by Him, is a gift of a righteous hatred, for that which is evil. For agency, is the ability to choose good, under the full knowledge of good and evil.

They used their partial agency, to choose to be given full agency, by succumbing to the Fall. There also had to be an opposition to the Fall, for mankind to be given the opportunity to be reconciled with the Father. Only Jesus could do this. He is the perpetuation of the plan of God for man. It was God’s holy will to offer up His Son, to swallow up all sin via the bitter cup (literally). But he shrank not, and drank the utter dregs, finishing His preparations for mankind, as was His father’s will and design.

Before the Fall, in Adam and Eve’s innocents, they could do no good, for they knew no evil. They had limited agency, but no knowledge of consequences, because they had no sin, nor law given, but only two commandments. To not partake of the fruit, and to be fruitful, multiply and replenish the earth – to have children.

God’s plan for the fall to take place, was one in which the atonement was also already in place. It worked in an eternal sense, in that it would cover all of mankind, both before and beyond the time it actually took place. God could not create Adam and Eve in a fallen state, because He cannot by nature, do anything evil. Adam and Eve had to be given life, and then only two commandments given, to then choose for themselves the partaking of The Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This way, God could place them in a new world, without causing or creating sin, for God is not able to sin, as is Satan not capable of doing good. For there must needs be an opposition in all things, thus the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the opposition for mankind, and Satan to God.
See 2 Nephi 2:11 below.

11 It must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. (2 Nephi 2:11)

After Eve chose to trust in her feelings, and believe that they needed to fully understand the difference between good and evil, and Adam also, understanding the Father, without fully understanding the import of their decision’s outcome, partook.

God knew that they would eventually come to the point where they would realize they needed something more to help them grow, in which they would choose to partake, and need the Lord’s saving atonement, for we do not just repent to become like Jesus, but it is in the actual repentance process itself, that we become like Him. This is one reason we needed earth life and the fall in the first place, and why a redeemer was chosen and prepared from before the foundations of the earth.

The Fall, or Adam’s transgression, is a spiritual death, because Adam and Eve were separated from the presence of God and given agency to act for themselves and not to be acted upon. See 2 Nephi 2:26

They were also given the great power of procreation, so that they could keep the commandment to multiply, and replenish the earth and have joy in their posterity. See Genesis 1:28

In this new and fallen state, they experienced a bodily change as well, in which they were made able to have children. This is necessary, because God gave them the commandment to multiply, and He always provides a way to obey Him.

We need to be tried, reproved and repent, in order to grow up to become like Him, even as a child can grow up to be like their parents. God had to create Adam and Eve in innocence, and give them the commandments He did, for God is a God of righteousness, and cannot create a state of sin or Fall.

It is an eternal principle that to everything good, there is a little bad, and to everything bad, there is a little good, circumstantially speaking. This is known as, there is an opposition in all things. This is why out of all the trees in the garden of Eden (Eden being our Earth’s mortal name), there was only one tree which had seeds, which was a fig tree in the midst, a tree originally created by Christ Jesus, but later wrought upon by the evil influences of Lucifer and his devils, to become an unhealthy, seed bearing fruit for mankind. Thus, the Father commanded them not to partake of it, even knowing that they would.

• The principle of perfection

Because it is not within Heavenly Father’s nature to do or introduce error, He had to say to them, do not eat, or you shall surely die, all of which is true. Yet, He also wanted us to have children and become like Him. For in so doing, Adam and Eve would have to make their own choice to partake. In this we would have to walk where God has walked, do as He has done before, and follow the course He has followed. For as man is, God once was, and as God is, man may become. Therefore, we needed the fall, the light of Christ, and a redeemer. Praise be to Adam and Eve for taking the courageous leap of faith and trust, to make the choice to partake.

See Teachings of the Presidents of the Church- Joseph Smith, pg. 41 below.

God Himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by His power, was to make Himself visible, —I say, if you were to see Him today, you would see Him like a man in form—like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man. (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church – Joseph Smith, pg. 41)

Everything has purpose and meaning, and God is over all His children. Now, speaking of God’s plan, the adversary is very much a part of it. We need opposition to permit, or rather give us permission to learn and grow. This need is stated in the earlier mentioned scripture in 2 Nephi 2:11, that there must be an opposition in all things.

Because the Lord took on all sins, and the source from which they spring, He also takes the ones from which they spring. Yes, somewhere, sometime, in the great eons of the eternal lives and onward, the ultimate prodigal son, will, having been burned and purged clean in the lake of fire and brimstone in outer darkness, finally come to himself, and begin his long arduous trek home. For God is a perfect God, with perfect love, and a perfect plan, and He will not lose any of His children.

So, is there hope for the rest of us? Definitely!

Shane

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Adam, Eve and Us: Part Two

A Look Into The Grand Plan

Note: A lesson as is geared towards younger children.

Adam & Eve are our first parents. They were created by God in a state similar to how children like you are, except that they looked like grown up adults.

They lived in a beautiful garden called after the name of our mother earth: Eden.

They were very pure, and also very smart like adults can be, but they didn’t understand that there was such a thing as bad. They were innocent.

God told them about a tree called The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and told them that they shall not eat of it, and that in the day they do, they shalt surely die. God had created this perfect garden, with opposition, but being a Godly being, He could not allow Adam and Eve to partake of it, without punishment.

God wanted to introduce them to a way in which they could learn and become like Him. This could only happen if they were to know what bad was, and experience it as an opposite to good.

Eve thought and thought, and was even tempted by an unwise evil spirit, Satan, and his followers, who had fallen out of the presence of Heavenly Father, for rebelling against Him. They were sent to earth to tempt mankind to do wrong, but Adam and Eve could do no wrong, until it was introduced to them, in the form of knowledge, and disobedience to a godly commandment.

Adam never would have eaten the fruit, which fruit was called a fig, out of obedience, except that God had also commanded Adam and Eve to stay together. For God had told them, that they would be cast out of the garden, if they were to eat of the fruit. Eve was very thoughtful, and realized that they would need something to change for them, if they were to become more like their Heavenly Father. So one day, she did partake of the fruit, and then Adam then partook also, so that he could stay with His wife Eve, as Heavenly Father had commanded them to do.

Their bodies soon changed after they partook of the fruit, which was not good for them, and they began to die. However, because they didn’t fully understand their actions, it was called a transgression, rather than a sin, and this is why they were allowed a probationary state, and not instant spiritual and physical death, because of the promised atonement.

With this change, also came time. An extension of life, in which each entity, element, and intelligence, would exist, and then hand pass off it’s life’s existence into the next one. Think of it as a second, living, and then passing on it’s life’s existence to the next second of time, with a handshake. We are living within these moments, because of the willingness of our Father’s creations, to do and obey Him and His Son in this way.

Once Adam and Eve were knowingly introduced to this plan of Happiness, in which they would understand from their experiences the difference between good and bad, they then had to work their best, to always do what is good, for this is what will help us all to be happy. In this way, they could appreciate good, and understand it better.

Let’s consider a song that will help us understand that we are here from God, to also learn from our experiences, as Adam and Eve did.

I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home,
With parents kind and dear.

[Chorus]
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do,
To live with him someday.

I Am a Child of God (Page 301, LDS Hymnal)

Adam and Eve were introduced to the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, by a bad spirit whose name is Lucifer, who sought to destroy mankind through sin.

Soon after Eve and Adam partook of the fruit, their bodies started to fall unto death through this unhealthy fruit, and their spirits also, for disobeying their Heavenly Father, whom they knew and loved. The atonement literally is what kept them, and us, alive, both spiritually and physically.

With this change, their spirits now had to fight to do good things, for their bodies now wanted and craved things that were not right or healthy.

This dying of their bodies, and disobeying of our Father, is what is called The Fall, which happened during the earth’s Fall season of existence, and caused Adam and Eve to no longer have their spirits and bodies in harmony. Meaning, that before the fall, what their spirits perceived and thought, is what their bodies also experienced.

From that time forth, their bodies would want to do bad. Adam and Eve would also naturally see and comprehend things through their body’s natural senses, thoughts and feelings, and would now have to fight for their spirits to be the ones in control.

This condition is what is known as having a veil placed over our spirits, so that we don’t remember our pre-earth life with God, His presence, or what His love feels like. Our bodies have become our veil.

As children, we can have a better understanding and love for God, but as we grow older, we need to rekindle that love and affection from and for God, by learning of His great love for us, merciful plan to live with Him again, and return to having our spiritual hearts and minds as our understandings in life, similar to as Adam and Eve did before their bodies fell, except that we now have the opportunity to understand opposition, just as Adam and Eve did, once they had partaken of the fruit.

We can choose to become better and better like God every day, like Adam and Eve did, and understand that good is the opposite of bad, and we can choose the good because we love God and happiness. It is because of the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, that we can do this good. This is what is called agency, or, the ability to do good, even when we are fallen.

The light of Christ, which is also a fruit of the atonement, is a gift, and is what helps us to naturally hate evil. Or, in other words, have a natural righteous enmity (or hatred) toward evil. This, so that we can naturally learn to repent through our mistakes, and do good.

We are out of the presence of God, and will all die physically, just as was said by Heavenly Father, but Jesus Christ, will make us all alive again, through His own resurrection. Because of the atonement and resurrection, we can all be made whole spiritually and physically, this time having the ability to eternally progress like unto our Father in Heaven, because of our earthly experiences.

As we always repent, and follow our Savior Jesus Christ, by keeping His commandments, we can be happy, and have joy, and ultimately become like our Savior, and Father in Heaven, who is our true spiritual Father. This will happen long after we have been resurrected, and living with Them, for they will personally teach us to know, and be like Them.

Jesus is the Christ. He is the Great Mediator and Head of The Plan of Salvation for the children of our beloved Father in Heaven. They cherish us. We are here because of Them. We will return, because of Christ. We will one day be like Him, because of Him. What blessings our redeemer is to us all. May we honor Him, and love Him, by always remembering Him, and keeping His commandments. I know we can all do this, and I bare my testimony that we will all do this, and return in glory, to be an eternal family with our Father in Heaven, forever. Truly Jesus Christ is not some backup plan, He is the plan, as in, He is the Great I AM. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Shane

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