Now That's Dedication.

This last week, we were asked to submit two inspired questions regarding the required reading in my “Teachings of the Book of Mormon” course.  One of the questions I turned in has been on my mind since I submitted it on Wednesday.

Is "the fall of Adam" a deceptive description for what took place after Adam ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?  If you could rename this event per your understanding of God's plan, what would you call it to help others really see its significance and worth?

First off, we need to talk about God’s plan.  Previous to eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were innocent, pure, had ongoing communications with God, and were living in a paradisaical state within the Garden of Eden.  They were given two commandments: 1) don’t eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and 2) procreate and populate the earth.  These are two commandments they had to choose between as it was impossible to follow both.  Their innocence was maintained by not partaking of the fruit, but that prevented them from even knowing they were naked; a huge hindrance to the whole “get busy and make me grandchildren” request from Heavenly Father.  Right?  Logic, people… logic.  In order to enter into a state of understanding that would allow them to procreate, they had to have their eyes and minds opened to full knowledge.  The way to do that, was to eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Heavenly Father knew that Adam and Eve wouldn’t partake of the fruit on their own.  Without a push in the righ-… wron-… different direction, they would have lived forever in their innocent state and nothing would have come of the rest of us.  The serpent, or Satan, being in the garden wasn’t a fluke; if God didn’t want him there, He would have kept him out.  Perhaps the scriptural record describing Satan as a serpent was just a representation of him to illustrate his wiliness, trickery, manipulative nature, etc.  I wonder if Satan presented himself to Adam and Eve in the same way he presents himself to us – in a type of thought.  Picture the dialogue from the scriptures without the serpent, Adam and Eve deliberating with themselves, possibly in their own minds.  Here’s what I envision Eve’s self-dialogue might go:

Ah, the tree is very beautiful today, indeed.  I’m here hanging out with the new goat family and these cute bear cubs, but I just want another look at that tree.  Mmm, it really is a marvelous view.  I wonder what the fruit is like.  Since we were told not to eat it, it’s probably far less desirable than the fruit of the other trees we eat from.  Or maybe… it’s more desirable?  No, it couldn’t be.  Why would God make it so that desirable fruit grows on a tree that will cause us to die?  Well, we won’t surely die.  It’s probably not immediate.  Eventual death might be a worthy trade-off for the taste of that fruit, and the knowledge that comes with it.  Would a small bite hurt?  A nibble?  No, no, no, no, no!  We’ve been commanded not to.  Why am I even glancing at it?  It’s just so… beautiful.  And I want to know more!  Like how can we keep our second commandment?  The only things that are fruitful and replenishing anything around here are the plants and animals.  This is great, but what about us?  Perhaps a taste of the fruit will help me understand. 

[Eve walks up to the tree.]  Wow, it smells fantastic.  I just want to know more.  With more knowledge, I can navigate the disappointment Adam will have in me, and God… ooooh, He’ll be upset.  No, I shouldn’t do it.  [Looking back at the baby goats and bear cubs.]  Why am I drawn to the new little lives so much?  I’m missing something… I’m missing something big.  [Looks back at the tree.]  That’s it.  I won’t die, what will it hurt? [Takes a bite.]

I imagine Adam’s self-dialogue would be similar, ending with Eve (having full knowledge) helping him understand how breaking one commandment is necessary to fulfill the other.  If Adam wouldn’t eat of the fruit, Eve would be cast out of the garden, he’d be left in the garden, and they doubly wouldn’t be able to fulfill the commandment to procreate and replenish the earth.  Adam partook of the fruit in order to ensure our existence would come to be.  Now that’s dedication.

This also shows that Satan, be it him in a representative serpent or a influenced thought, played right into God’s plan all along.  God knew what needed to occur in order for mankind exist.

Testifying of Divinity

My husband and I taught the 11/12 year-old Sunday School class last year and moved up with them for the new year, so now we're teaching the 12/13 year-old class. I think we were more excited to keep them than they were to keep us (I got really attached, OK?). Then again, they're in that awkward "tween-age" time of life where they'll stick around class and deal with you if they know oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are part of the bargain (or mint gum on fast Sundays). I don't take their harmless mild attitudes to heart much, it's a touchy age... an age I struggled to enjoy when I was in their shoes myself. They're good kids and I love 'em.

This week's "Come Follow Me" studies covered 1 Nephi 8-10 in the Book of Mormon.  During our Sunday School class today, we engaged in a conversation with our kids about how Lehi described the physical attributes of the fruit on the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8:11.

Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

I had asked everyone to relay to me how Lehi described the fruit. I heard, "glowing," "white," and "white to exceed all whiteness." Then a question: "How do we know it was a fruit?" I replied with a reminder that it was Lehi's vision and accounting regarding what he saw and ate, and that we need to have a little faith that he shared his vision with accuracy and honesty. Right as I got cozy with my opportunistically inserted testimony of faith, another kid piped up with a little 'tude and proclaimed, "Geeze, we know it was fruit because vegetables don't grow on trees."  Oh my goodness, if there was ever a "mic drop" moment in class, this was most definitely it. I'm still chuckling a little on the inside and proud as heck!

This led to further discussion about the descriptions in various scriptures that mention others as shining, appearing as lightening, fire, or having an exceeding light, brightness (sometimes compared to the sun), or whiteness, etc. Just two weeks ago, "Come Follow Me" covered the introduction to the Book of Mormon, which includes the testimony of Joseph Smith where we see a repetition of these descriptors with every visit from the messenger (angel), Moroni. From a quick surf through the scriptures online, I have found 24 instances (including references to the fruit from the tree of life) where these are used throughout all the written works (Old and New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine of Covenants, Pearl of Great Price); 25 plus if you count the multiple references in Joseph Smith's testimony. The fruit on the tree of life exceeding "all the whiteness" is in good company with the following:

• Christ's disciples having recently been blessed and "shined upon" by His countenance (3 Nephi 19:25).
• "[...]and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof."

• Christ as He was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:2).
• "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

• Christ as He was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John (Mark 9:3).
• "And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them."

• Christ as He appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirkland temple (Doctrine and Covenants 110:3).
• "His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun[...]"

• The messenger (angel), Moroni, as he appeared to Joseph Smith in the account of his first visit (Joseph Smith - History 1:31).
• "He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant."

• God's glory, as described by Ezekiel from a vision (Ezekiel 10:24).
• "Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory."

• God, as described by Habakkuk in a prayer (Habakkuk 3:4).
• "And his brightness was as the light[...]"

• Christ, as described by Paul (Acts 26:13).
• "At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun."

• The twelve apostles, as described by Lehi from a vision (1 Nephi 1:10).
• "[...]their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament."

• Christ, as described by Lehi from a vision (1 Nephi 1:9).
• "[...]his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day."

• The justice of God, as interpreted by Nephi from Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 15:30).
• "[...]and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire[...]"

• The light of God and Christ that appeared as a precursor to the first vision, as described by Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith - History 1:16).
• "[...]a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun[...]"

• Moses, as observed (three times) by the children of Israel after having spoken to God (Exodus 34:29, 30, and 35).
• "[...]the skin of his face shone[...]"
• "[...]the skin of Moses’ face shone[...]"

• Abinadi, while delivering his divine message of truth to King Noah and his priests while imprisoned before his death (Mosiah 13:5).
• "[...]his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord."

• The faces of Nephi and Lehi while they testified to a multitude of people as prisoners of the Lamanites (Helaman 5:36).
• "[...]they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels."

• The righteous saints of the church in paradise after their death, as described by Joseph F. Smith from a vision (Doctrine and Covenants 138:24).
• "Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them[...]"

These are wonderful patterns in the scriptures, which I unfortunately was only able to touch on briefly earlier today in class. I believe the way in which Lehi described the appearance of the fruit of the tree of life in his vision shows us that it was instilled with God's power and love based on what we know from all these similar references. This conclusion is right in-line with 1 Nephi 11:21–24, which clarifies that the tree and fruit represent the love of God and the blessings of the atonement of Christ. To conclude, the exceeding whiteness of the fruit from the tree of life does more than just offer a detailed description, it testifies to the divinity of this significant symbol in Lehi's vision.