In the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ, we find a little clearer description of the purpose of the fall of Adam, and it’s done in two short statements.
“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).
When Adam and Eve first resided in the Garden of Eden they were given two commandments. The first was not to partake of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Both Adam and Eve came to know it was necessary to partake of the forbidden fruit. Only by introducing sin into the world could the earth be made ready for all of us to come and live, be tested, and prove ourselves worthy to return to a heavenly life.
Had Adam and Eve never taken that first bite we would not be here today. Some might say this is a good thing, but our Heavenly Father’s Plan could not have come to pass otherwise. Adam and Eve knew of the second commandment and came to realize if they did not commit the first sin they could not fulfill the second (to multiply and replenish the earth). Their bodies were immortal, unable to bring mortal beings into the world.
There was another purpose to this first sin, which we can find in the second part of the scripture. We were all to come to earth in the hopes of experiencing joy. The word ‘joy’ may have a different meaning to some today, but remember this word was written almost 600 years before Christ came to the earth. Joy does not mean pleasure, it does not mean having tons of irreverent fun.
Joy comes in the most perfect, tender moments of our lives. It comes from knowing someone loves you no matter what. It comes from serving others. It comes from following the guidelines and commandments our Savior put in place so we might maintain that joy. Even when we are being tried and tested we can find joy.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (nicknamed the Mormon Church), we have a different view of this ‘original sin,’ as most other churches refer to it.
“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (Articles of Faith 1:2).
In other words, we don’t need to worry about being punished for the choice Adam made. We certainly have enough to deal with when it comes to our own mistakes and wrong choices. That first sin was a necessary step in bringing about the salvation of mankind. As Christ took upon Him all of our sins, he paid the debt of this first sin.
Adam and Eve broke a commandment of God when they chose to eat the forbidden fruit, but without that choice the entire plan of salvation would have stalled. We would never have had the chance to come here to earth. We would never have known joy. We would never have had the blessing of living with our Heavenly Father again.
I don’t know about you, but I am grateful for that first, difficult choice Adam and Eve made.
