I suppose most women of faith have wondered about what really happened in the Garden of Eden. What were Eve’s thoughts when she reached for the forbidden fruit? Was there a better way to go forward with God’s plan than what happened there? Was the mother of all living really as foolish as the world portrays her, or was she just as valiant as any of the other heroes in scripture?
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints understand the Fall differently than other Christians. Instead of a tragic mistake, we believe the Fall was a necessary part of God’s plan for His children, because the purpose of the plan is to grow and no one does much of that in paradise. While in the garden, Adam and Eve were not yet mortal and were therefore unable to fulfill God’s commandment to “multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). As part of the Fall, changes occurred to their bodies that allowed them to have children and to experience trials that would help them grow (Russell M. Nelson, The Atonement, Oct 1996 General Conference).
God commanded Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil because “in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:17), but He gave man his agency to choose for himself. As long as Adam and Eve lingered in the garden, God’s plan for the growth of His children paused, and the rest of us watched and waited for them to step into mortality so we could have our chance to do so as well. When Eve received her “first lessons in the world of spirits” (D&C 138:56), she learned about God’s plan and was valiant enough to be chosen as the “mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). Though her memory of those experiences was veiled when she came to Eden, I wonder if she still felt a sense of some greater purpose for herself and Adam. As Eve wandered the garden and delighted in its beauties, did she yearn to do and be more than she was in that place and state?
Like faithful women today, Eve must have been blessed with extra sensitivity to the Holy Spirit who confirms truth, and she would have been prepared to make sacrifices in support of God’s plan. I find it difficult to believe that this chosen woman acted out of selfishness when she ate the forbidden fruit. Instead I believe her receptiveness to truth and willingness to sacrifice would have been the deciding factors in her confrontation with Satan, the serpent. He did what he so often does today and mixed truth (“your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” Genesis 3:5) with lie (“Ye shall not surely die” Genesis 3:4). Eve recognized the truth that she was meant to have her eyes opened and grow in wisdom, and was willing to act in faith to fulfill that purpose even if death was part of the deal. Satan’s attempt to thwart God’s plan backfired when Eve’s actions moved the plan forward instead. In this confrontation between “the father of all lies” (Moses 4:4) and the mother of all living, Satan came away looking foolish. Since that time he has worked to influence perception to make Eve seem the fool instead, and he has in large measure succeeded.
One problem with Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden was that she did not counsel with her husband and with God before taking action. My husband and I have learned that difficulties arise when we make big decisions without first counseling together and with the Lord. Perhaps Eve and Adam had already had that conversation many times and Adam was unwilling to move, even if it was a move forward. Still I wonder what would be different if the two of them had decided together to forge ahead – despite the certainty of death as part of the process – and had presented their plan to God before taking that step.
After the Fall, Adam was commanded to worship by sacrificing the firstlings of their flocks to the Lord (Moses 5:5). He later learned that these offerings were symbolic of the sacrifice that our Savior, the lamb of God, would make during the Atonement (Moses 5:6-7). Eve herself became a symbol of the Atonement, for she chose to suffer, bleed and eventually die in order to give life to others of God’s children. The physical pain of bearing children was not the only sorrow she experienced (Genesis 3:16). What did she feel when she learned that one of her beloved children had been murdered by another of her beloved children? Experiencing either situation – a murdered child or a child who murdered – would have been crushing, but experiencing both together must have been devastating to their mother. Truly her sorrows were multiplied, and yet Eve foreshadowed Jesus’ life here as well. She saw through the excruciating sorrow to the joy ahead and ran with patience the race that was set before her (Hebrews 12:1-2). When Adam prophesied “concerning all the families of the earth” (Moses 5:10), did he mention their many-great-granddaughter Mary greeting the risen Lord immediately after He had overcome all the effects of their Fall through the Atonement? Eve heard these prophesies concerning their children, their granddaughters and grandsons, and “was glad, saying: Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11).
When I consider the events of the Garden in light of the characteristics of faithful women – and surely the one chosen as mother of all living was especially faithful – I am able to see past the distortions of the father of all lies to recognize Eve’s magnificence. She was committed to God’s plan and was willing to accept the heavy costs to fulfill her part in it. Perhaps there was a better way to carry out the move toward mortality, but the fact that she had wisdom yet to gain is a testimony of the importance of God’s plan for His children. If we already knew and had already experienced everything we needed in order to be wise, mortality would not be necessary. But we do need this chance to grow, and Eve’s courage and sacrifice made it possible for us to have it. She was a ‘Get It Done Girl’, a true hero, and I want to be more like her. Thank heaven for this brave and generous mother to us all.
May 4, 2014
April 15, 2014
Where Are Women in Scripture?
At times I have wondered if women’s roles and responsibilities – and women themselves – are less important to God since they are mentioned relatively infrequently in scripture. But I know that can’t be true because I feel the Lord’s love and esteem for me and for all His daughters. Still I wonder if the gospel could not be taught just as well through the perspectives and experiences of women along with those of men. When I pray and ask Father in Heaven to help me understand why the scriptures are the way they are, He first reminds me that He is perfectly just. There is no injustice in Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, so when something in God’s plan seems unfair to me it is because of my limited perspective. Then the Lord reminds me that He does not rate importance the same way the world does. He tells us, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). The world equates worldly prominence and recognition with importance, but that is not the Lord’s way. Every knee did not bow to the Son of God during His mortal life – that comes later (Isaiah 45:23). So women who follow His way should not be surprised if we do not receive full recognition for our work here in mortality, important though it may be.
Another lesson comes from remembering the purpose of scripture: “But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31, 1 Nephi 19:18, preface to Book of Mormon). The Lord makes it very clear that all people are invited to receive this gift of life through Christ: “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Though many righteous people and their significant responsibilities are recorded in scripture, the ultimate purpose of scripture is not to honor them over those who are not mentioned; it is to persuade us all to believe in and be saved through Christ. Our ultimate goal is not to have a place in scripture; it is to receive eternal life, which is the greatest of God’s gifts (D&C 66:12, Romans 6:23), the ultimate happiness (Moses 5:11) and the goal of the plan of salvation (Moses 1:39). The Spirit confirms that the relatively few references to women in scripture do not mean that women are less righteous or less important than men in accomplishing God’s work.
The Lord also reminds me that He has given women the gift of being especially sensitive to nuance and to the Spirit. As mothers learn to keep one part of their mind listening for the waking cry of a sleeping baby, they also cultivate their ability to always have one part of their mind listening for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. As mothers develop their capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of their children – even when those needs are not expressed verbally – they also nurture their gift of being sensitive and responsive to the promptings of the Spirit – even when that inspiration is not expressed in words. These gifts help us understand truths even when they are not spelled out plainly or repeatedly, and they more than compensate for the extra work we have to do to apply male perspectives and experiences in scripture to our own lives.
As I study the scriptures for subtle confirmations of God’s appreciation and honor for women and their responsibilities, I find plenty of evidence. The Lord established the importance of righteous wives and mothers in the life of the prophet Abraham, who sent a trusted servant far away to find a faithful woman to be the wife of the chosen son, Isaac. When this servant prayed for a sign to identify the right woman, the Lord acknowledged the importance of his task by guiding Rebekah to fulfill the sign (Genesis 24). Through Isaac and Rebekah the covenant promises of the Lord to Abraham were and continue to be fulfilled. It feels very significant to me that Jesus’ mother was given a place in Nephi’s vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11). She stood as a first witness of God’s love, just as mothers have throughout history and continue to do today. Though we do not find much information about their mothers, we see that the miracles that blessed the 2,000 stripling warriors occurred because of the foundation of faith and obedience laid by these faithful women (Alma 56:47-48, Alma 57:21).
Many confirmations of God’s respect for womanhood and much guidance on how to fulfill our roles come from the example of Jesus during His mortal ministry. The book of John has been described as God’s love letter to His children, and I feel this especially applies to His daughters. John records that the “beginning of miracles” occurred in response to a request from Jesus’ mother, Mary. It is helpful to note the clarification from Joseph Smith about Jesus’ response to her request, “Woman, what wilt thou have me do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4, Joseph Smith Translation). Surely the One who gave the commandment to honor both father and mother (Exodus 20:12) would speak to His own mother with great respect. Can you imagine how noble and revered the word ‘woman’ must sound when He speaks it? Mary Magdalene was honored to stand as the first mortal witness of Christ's resurrection at the completion of the Atonement, the most significant event to occur in all of history (John 20:11-18). John’s teachings on the importance of charity, or Godly love, gain greater meaning for women when we remember that the prophet Mormon used a female pronoun to describe charity (Moroni 7:45), and the motto of the church’s organization for women is ‘Charity Never Faileth.’ When we enlist the guidance of the Holy Ghost and search the scriptures for the Lord’s perspective on women, He will guide us to truths we have not noticed before. While the scriptural references to women may seem small and simple (Alma 37:6), the Lord through His Spirit is prepared to make up for the lack of detail and truly bring about great things in the hearts and lives of His beloved daughters.
Another lesson comes from remembering the purpose of scripture: “But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31, 1 Nephi 19:18, preface to Book of Mormon). The Lord makes it very clear that all people are invited to receive this gift of life through Christ: “He inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Though many righteous people and their significant responsibilities are recorded in scripture, the ultimate purpose of scripture is not to honor them over those who are not mentioned; it is to persuade us all to believe in and be saved through Christ. Our ultimate goal is not to have a place in scripture; it is to receive eternal life, which is the greatest of God’s gifts (D&C 66:12, Romans 6:23), the ultimate happiness (Moses 5:11) and the goal of the plan of salvation (Moses 1:39). The Spirit confirms that the relatively few references to women in scripture do not mean that women are less righteous or less important than men in accomplishing God’s work.
The Lord also reminds me that He has given women the gift of being especially sensitive to nuance and to the Spirit. As mothers learn to keep one part of their mind listening for the waking cry of a sleeping baby, they also cultivate their ability to always have one part of their mind listening for the guidance of the Holy Ghost. As mothers develop their capacity to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of their children – even when those needs are not expressed verbally – they also nurture their gift of being sensitive and responsive to the promptings of the Spirit – even when that inspiration is not expressed in words. These gifts help us understand truths even when they are not spelled out plainly or repeatedly, and they more than compensate for the extra work we have to do to apply male perspectives and experiences in scripture to our own lives.
As I study the scriptures for subtle confirmations of God’s appreciation and honor for women and their responsibilities, I find plenty of evidence. The Lord established the importance of righteous wives and mothers in the life of the prophet Abraham, who sent a trusted servant far away to find a faithful woman to be the wife of the chosen son, Isaac. When this servant prayed for a sign to identify the right woman, the Lord acknowledged the importance of his task by guiding Rebekah to fulfill the sign (Genesis 24). Through Isaac and Rebekah the covenant promises of the Lord to Abraham were and continue to be fulfilled. It feels very significant to me that Jesus’ mother was given a place in Nephi’s vision about the love of God (1 Nephi 11). She stood as a first witness of God’s love, just as mothers have throughout history and continue to do today. Though we do not find much information about their mothers, we see that the miracles that blessed the 2,000 stripling warriors occurred because of the foundation of faith and obedience laid by these faithful women (Alma 56:47-48, Alma 57:21).
Many confirmations of God’s respect for womanhood and much guidance on how to fulfill our roles come from the example of Jesus during His mortal ministry. The book of John has been described as God’s love letter to His children, and I feel this especially applies to His daughters. John records that the “beginning of miracles” occurred in response to a request from Jesus’ mother, Mary. It is helpful to note the clarification from Joseph Smith about Jesus’ response to her request, “Woman, what wilt thou have me do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4, Joseph Smith Translation). Surely the One who gave the commandment to honor both father and mother (Exodus 20:12) would speak to His own mother with great respect. Can you imagine how noble and revered the word ‘woman’ must sound when He speaks it? Mary Magdalene was honored to stand as the first mortal witness of Christ's resurrection at the completion of the Atonement, the most significant event to occur in all of history (John 20:11-18). John’s teachings on the importance of charity, or Godly love, gain greater meaning for women when we remember that the prophet Mormon used a female pronoun to describe charity (Moroni 7:45), and the motto of the church’s organization for women is ‘Charity Never Faileth.’ When we enlist the guidance of the Holy Ghost and search the scriptures for the Lord’s perspective on women, He will guide us to truths we have not noticed before. While the scriptural references to women may seem small and simple (Alma 37:6), the Lord through His Spirit is prepared to make up for the lack of detail and truly bring about great things in the hearts and lives of His beloved daughters.
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