The Fall

How many of us have struggled when we have heard in this church that the fall of Adam and Eve was a good thing? I grew up in the southern United States, surrounded by many different people of different denominations, most of them strongly and devoutly Christian. I grew up hearing that Eve was awful and that because of her, bad things are on Earth. Because Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, bad things happen today, and people make bad choices.

I heard it so much, that I started to believe it. I questioned why the fall happened, why they made that choice, why God didn't stop them. Then, I studied (more than read) 2 Nephi 2. This chapter is beautiful and has some of my favorite scriptures in it. My favorite, and I believe the most simple scripture ever to be written, is 2 Nephi 2:25.

"Adam fell that men might be; and men

are that they might have joy."

How beautifully simple is this verse? It answers all of my questions I had in one statement. Why did the fall happen? Because if Adam and Eve had not eaten the fruit, we would not be here. They did that for US for ME and for YOU so that we could come to Earth and live, have experiences, and learn. Why did God let the fall happen? Because He wanted us to get bodies and come to Earth to learn and be tested. He wanted us to have real joy that can only be experienced when there is sorrow at some points in our lives. 

I hope this scripture is as simple to you as it was to me. I hope you feel the spirit testify of the beauty of God's plan and you feel the love that Adam and Eve had for God and for us. They did what they did because it would provide a life for us. They chose to live a harder life than they had in the garden so that we could live. I think that is beautiful.