The story of Adam and Eve is the most important human story ever told. Why? Because their story is very much our story as well! Their story is symbolic of each of our stories. Their story teaches us about our Sacred God given agency. Their story brings us further light and knowledge that helps each of us as we navigate through life.

God created Adam and Eve, and thus, all of us in his likeness and image. “I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them.” (Moses 2:27) Further, Adam and Eve walked and talked directly with God. The knowledge they gained from this personal “walk with God” is invaluable to them and by proxy to all of us as well! In addition, there is so much we can glean from the knowledge that we are created in the image and likeness of God. It gives us insight into our eternal nature and our eternal significance. We are truly deity in embryo with all the potential of Godhood. We are literally princes or princesses of our Eternal Father who is King of Kings. One of my favorite stories as it relates to being a king our queen was told by Bishop Vaughn J. Featherstone in 1975. I share it in the introduction of my Book, “Look Up and Live, The pathway to Heaven – Overcoming the Natural Man”. It reads: “Many years ago I heard the story of King Louis XVI of France. King Louis has been taken from his throne and imprisoned. His young son, the prince, was taken by those who dethroned the king. they thought that inasmuch as the king’s son was heir to the throne, if they could destroy him morally, he would never realize the great and grand destiny that life had bestowed upon him. They took him to a community far away, and there they exposed the lad to every filthy and vile thing that life could offer. They exposed him to foods the richness of which would quickly make him a slave to appetite. They used vile language around him constantly. They exposed him to lewd and lusting women. They exposed him to dishonor and distrust. He was surrounded 24 hours a day by everything that could drag the soul of man as low as one could slip. For over six months he had this treatment – but not once did the young lad buckle under pressure. Finally, after intensive temptation, they questioned him. Why had he not submitted himself to these things – why has he not partaken? These things would provide [worldly] pleasure, satisfy his lusts, and were desirable [to the natural man]; they were all his. The boy [simply] said, ‘I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a King’.” If all of us realized who we truly are and how magnificent our soul is we would always respond to temptation as this brave young prince did – “[Satan], I cannot do what you ask for I was born to be a king!” Or as Moses said directly to Satan: “Depart from me, Satan, for this one God only will I worship, which is the God of glory.” This is why the story of Adam and Eve is so important to the whole human family. Let me explain:

“I, God, blessed [Married/sealed] them, and said unto them: be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it…,” God set the standards, gave the commandments, and made covenants with Adam and Eve which are available to all who choose to follow Christ. He shared great knowledge with them and through their creation, naming, and assigned roles, gave the rest of us understanding of the great plan of God for us – The Plan of Happiness!

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and everything therein. “I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these thing; Yea, in the beginning I created the heaven, and the earth…” (Moses 2:1) How did God create all things? By his word: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:1-3) Further, according to the record of Abraham, through every single step of the creation process: “The Gods ordered… and it was so as they ordered.” (See Abraham 4) (“The Gods”, no doubt refers to Elohim which means counsel of the Gods.) Who was part of that counsel besides Heavenly Father, Christ and Michael, we are not told. But we can expect that there were probably others and it may have included all of “the noble and great ones.” 

Why did the elements obey the command of “The Gods”? That’s a very interesting question and one that requires pondering and study. As I’ve studied this over many years, I believe it is because of the perfect love of God. As I write in my book and other materials, “God’s love is the greatest power in the universe.” The elements obey because God loves them with perfectness. Even the least of these intelligence’s know of and feel God’s love for them. And just like us, they love him in return because he love them first. How long it took for the elements to obey we are not told, but Abraham tells us the following: “And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed.” (Abraham 4:18) One gets the impression from this verse that God didn’t “look at” the elements with a dictator stare, but more likely “watched over” them with love an devotion – with Godly encouragement. Abraham goes on to say, “And the God’s saw that they would be obeyed, and that their plan was good.” (Abraham 4:21)

As we study this creation process we begin to understand that it was just that, a process. And most likely did not occur quickly as measured by man. But a process that took great planning, organization, execution, and time. It also required the cooperation and approval of all intelligence’s who accepted His plan. God will never violate our agency or the agency of any intelligence, this is why he is God – a God of love. How does one love another with perfect love as God does, but refuse to allow that intelligence agency? It is not possible. That was Satan’s plan and we know that his plan is based on enmity or opposition – opposed to God. We also get the impression that maybe the elements are more obedient than the sons and daughters of God. We get this impression because of what is says multiple times in Abraham chapter 2: “they were obeyed” as referring to the obedience of the elements that make up the heavens and the earth. However, when we begin to realize that to God, one day is one thousand years to us, and because the creation process happened in 7 days or 7 periods of time referred to as days, we can see that even the elements were given time to obey. But once they made that choice, it is clear they obeyed with exactness.

It appears that the probationary state of man was indeed given to us from a God of love in order to allow us ample time to repent and learn to obey. After Adam and Eve partook of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and Jehovah escorted them from the Garden of Eden, God said: “Let Cherubim, and a flaming sword be placed before the Tree of Life lest Adam and Eve put forth their hands and partake of the fruit thereof and live forever in their sins.” (Temple Endowment) The last thing God our Father wanted was for Adam and Eve and their posterity to have no way back to Him. No way to repent; No way for Chris to save us. Thus a probationary state was created for our benefit. (And interestingly, that probationary state was nearly 1000 years or one day to God. Adam lived 930 years. Noah lived 950 years and Methuselah, the grandfather of Noah lived 969 years.) A time for us to “learn from [our] own experience.” To learn the difference between good and evil so we would have the opportunity to choose the good.  

Further, God gave Adam dominion over the earth. “I, God said let [Adam] have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Moses 2:26) This is part of the Priesthood power and responsibility that was given to Adam. Eve, on the other hand, was given a different responsibility and power – the power to save! The power of creation was given to both Adam and Eve which could only be used when they were united as one flesh. Further, Eve was given the responsibility to nurture their children. While Adam was given the responsibility to protect and provide for Eve and their children. Also, Eve was made to be a “help meet” to Adam. This term has a much greater meaning than most understand! Fortunately, we can go back to the original Hebrew words which were translated into “Help Meet”, which give us a much richer definition and explanation of Eve and her role as Adam’s wife and the “mother of all living.” I write in more detail about this in my blog, “Help Meet”. For this article, I will explain it simply by saying that “Help” comes from the Hebrew word ezer which means “A mighty Savior” and “meet” or “meet for” comes from the Hebrew word k’enegdo which means opposite but equal to… So the full meaning of Help Meet is: “Mighty Savior equal to but opposite Adam.” Thus we begin to see that God created Adam and Eve each with their respective roles, responsibilities, and godly powers. These roles, responsibilities, and powers were different but complimentary. Which requires Adam and Eve to work together in love, compassion, and understanding in order to accomplish the sacred work they were tasked with. When God said, “I created man in my own image, male and female created I them.” He was explaining that there are differences between male man and female man but they are both “man”. Therefore, they must join together to become one – different roles, singular purpose. They are both a child of God. They are both morally equal. They are “complementary” to each other and only as they truly become one can they begin to understand their greatest God given power, to assist God in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of “man”. Ponder on the significance of God trusting Adam and Eve (You and I) to assist Him and Christ in their most sacred work, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man! Further, if this is God’s work and glory as it states in Moses 1:39, then it stands to reason that it must also be our work and our glory, for His plan cannot proceed without our willingness to “multiply and replenish” and make and keep sacred covenants.

Previously in the Temple, before the changes of the past several years, we were given much greater insights and knowledge of the uniqueness of male man and female man and how they are to unite with each other and God to bring to pass His great plan of happiness. First, it is important to understand that Help Meet is a term giving to Eve only. Adam does not have that distinction. Further, as we go back to the original Temple covenant of obedience, we gain additional light and knowledge regarding our roles as husband and wife. Adam and Eve made separate but complementary obedience covenants with God. Eve made the covenant first because she was the first to partake of the fruit of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” In her covenant she promises to obey the “law of Jesus Christ” and to follow her husband’s lead as he follows God the Father. Adam promises to obey the “law of God the Father”. We glean from these covenants that the Godhead is then represented within the marriage covenant as Adam and Eve invite the Holy Ghost into said marriage and honor their respective obedience covenants. Thus we understand that Adam is to act in the marriage covenant as God the Father and Eve is to act  in the marriage covenant as Jesus Christ, or following the roles and examples of each respectively. Adam is the spiritual creator, organizer, and director and Eve is the savior. Adam calls the marriage counsel together and Eve helps to manifest the vision of the marriage counsel as she nourishes their children. Adam is to provide and protect his wife and children and to share/teach all that God has revealed unto Adam and Eve to their children. 

We gain even further understanding in the initiatory ordinance as a specific blessing is pronounced on each part of the body. These blessings are similar for Adam and Eve, but there are specific differences that enhances our understanding of the specific roles God has given to Adam and Eve respectively.  And then our understanding increases further in the Sealing ceremony/ordinance. Eve receives Adam unto herself just as Adam receives Eve unto himself. But there was something else that was in previous versions of the sealing that gives greater meaning to Eve’s agency specifically and to our roles within the marriage. It is this: Eve was given the opportunity to say “Yes” to the patriarchal order and to join Adam as one. She was asked to “give herself” to Adam. As I just mentioned, this was an opportunity for her to agree to join Adam’s sealing line. She would take upon her not only his name, but also the sealing or patriarchal line of her husband. No longer to be part of the sealing line of her father. This is no small matter!  She is literally adopted into her Husband’s sealing line. Which is part of God’s command for us to leave our father and mother and join together as husband and wife in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. Further, this part of the ordinance gave Eve the opportunity to agree to place her very life and happiness into Adam’s care. Adam would then take on the role of provider and protector for Eve, a role that her father had previously. This part of the covenant is and was a significant part of allowing Eve her agency in making sure she was/is willing to become one with Adam in every way. Only as Adam and Eve become one can they begin to understand all the attributes of God, let alone to become like him. It takes both male man and female man to unite in order to be exalted… As those who have been married in the covenant for decades in a relationship of love can attest, and as God has declared, only husband and wife sealed by the holy spirit of promise in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage can be exalted. They are exalted as one because they have become one with each other and with God the similar to way Christ and Heavenly Father are one. Only through the new and everlasting covenant can we gain all the attributes of God and therefore dwell with him in the eternities with all of the creation power he has. This takes both male man and female man to accomplish. 

The Garden of Eden is a representation of the purity and perfection of God’s creations. (Please note that both Adam and Eve were part of this pure and perfect creation.) According to the record of Moses, God “created the garden “eastward” in Eden and the placed Adam [and Eve] in it.” (Moses 3:8) After Adam and Eve had left the Garden of Eden and were toiling in the Telestial world, they built an altar and offered sacrifice. They were looking for the further light and knowledge God had promised to give them when they left the Garden. “Adam and Eve, his wife, called upon the name of the Lord, and they heard the voice of the Lord from the way toward the Garden of Eden, speaking unto them…,” (Moses 5:4) Remember that Eden was “eastward”. This is why we look to Christ to return from the East and why all altars created by God’s people throughout the ages face east. As a result of them calling upon God, Adam and Eve received more light and knowledge from God as he promised. The same light and knowledge we obtain in the Temple. This revelation prompted the following responses from Adam and Eve: Adam enthusiastically stated, “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” (Moses 5:10) Followed by Eve’s joyous declaration: “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy or our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” (Moses 5:11) After which, they both “Blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters.” (Moses 5:12)

As we learn from Adam and Eve and their story, we begin to see ourselves respectively as Adam and Eve. Thus we gain new light and knowledge that gives us the power to return to God just as our first parents did. As many prophets have declared, “salvation is a personal matter, but exaltation is a family matter.” Further, we see that the story of Adam and Eve really is our story. It requires progress, learning from our own experiences, commandments, covenants, repentance, forgiveness, and Christ like love. All which requires our agency every step of the way. 

G. Dean Wessendorf