Their world was a paradise – the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve lived in a world where there was no evil, no crime, no corruption, no death, nor anything to mar their peace and contentment, not even a – not even a climate disaster. It was a world that could have gone on forever. They lived in the presence of God, walking and talking with Him. Adam and Eve at that time were as little children – innocent; not understanding good and evil. They could do no good for they could do no evil. And even though they were husband and wife, they could have no children. (*1)

God came to them and gave them, in effect in the Garden of Eden, a choice. (*2) He had created a paradise for them where all things for their needs were provided, and if they chose they could remain there, but there was another option besides this peaceful paradise. It was represented by a tree placed in the midst of the Garden – the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. If Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of this tree, their paradisiacal world would end, and all manner of pain, affliction, and even death would come upon them. It would become what we know today as this mortal world. Now of course, they did not fully comprehend the choice that was before them, (*3) but none-the-less, they had a choice.

Then Satan came among them. He persuaded Eve to transgress the law, and she in turn persuaded Adam. No sooner had they partaken of that fruit than the consequences began. Knowing that they had disobeyed God, they experienced guilt for the first time. And as we all do when we know we are unworthy of Him, they hid from Him when He entered the Garden. (*4)

Well, you know what happened. For their transgression of the law, they brought curses upon themselves. Eve was cursed. “…I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;” the Lord said, “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. (*5) Or in other words, Eve was cursed with pain and sorrow, and discomfort in the bearing of children. Moreover, she was [quote] “cursed” to have to look to her husband for her support. (*6)

Now similarly, Adam was “cursed” for listening to his wife. “Cursed,” the Lord said, “shall be [is] the ground” – listen to this – “for thy sake…” – a curse for his sake? “…in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life….In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground.; for out of it thou wast [wast thou] taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (*7) Adam was cursed with hard work and eventual death.

These curses, if curses you want to call them, were effective immediately. Adam and Eve were thrust out from the presence of God. (*8) And immediately, they began to have children, and together they tilled the land. (*9) Now sometime after that, the plan of Salvation was revealed, particularly the mission of the Savior, and the Holy Ghost came upon them and as that happened, they rejoiced together. (*10) Now think of what the root word of “rejoiced” is.

Now, let me pose the question: Was the Fall of Adam and Eve a good thing or a bad thing? Were the consequences that followed the fall curses or blessings? Well, you can debate that, and I’ve heard it debated enough, but I think we should ask Mother Eve. This is what she said: “…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.” (*11) [end of quote]

Now, I wonder if ever there was given a more complete and insightful declaration to the purpose of the fall and the plan of Salvation. I ask you, what is joy worth? Well, according to Mother Eve, it’s worth a great deal of pain, sorrow, suffering, grief, sin and – yes – even death. With what they received, would Adam and Eve from an eternal sense have done any differently? No!

Men are that they might have joy, and it’s only through misery and battling opposition that they can know it. (*12) Now does that in these troubled times not tell us something?