“Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5,” Scripture Helps: Old Testament (2025)
Scripture Helps
Genesis 3–4; Moses 4–5
In the premortal life, Jesus Christ submitted to the will of Heavenly Father and was chosen to be our Savior. Satan sought to destroy the agency of all people. He tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which led to the Fall. After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they became aware of their nakedness and tried to hide from God. The Lord taught Adam and Eve the consequences of the Fall. He also clothed them and gave them the law of sacrifice, which symbolized the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Adam and Eve rejoiced in Christ and began the human family. Cain killed Abel and was cursed. The posterity of Adam and Eve became divided as some accepted the gospel and others did not.
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Background and Context
How did Satan rebel in the Council in Heaven?
In the premortal Council in Heaven, our Heavenly Father presented His plan of salvation. Elder Neal A. Maxwell noted that this council “was not an unstructured meeting, nor was it a discussion between plans, nor an idea-producing session, as to how to formulate the plan for salvation and carry it out. Our Father’s plan was known, and the actual question put was whom the Father should send to carry out the plan.”
Jesus Christ, the “Beloved and Chosen from the beginning,” sustained Heavenly Father’s plan. He said, “Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.” In rebellion, Satan proposed an alternative to the Father’s already established plan. He “sought to destroy the agency of man” and to dethrone God.
The Grand Council, by Robert T. Barrett
Did God give Adam and Eve conflicting commandments in the Garden of Eden?
(Compare Genesis 1:28; 2:16–17; Moses 2:28; 3:16–17; Abraham 4:28; 5:12–13.)
The account of Adam and Eve presents seemingly conflicting commandments from God. He commanded them to have children, but He also forbade them from partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Partaking of the forbidden fruit would make Adam and Eve become mortal and able to have children.
President Joseph Fielding Smith explained, “Now this is the way I interpret [Moses 3:16–17]: The Lord said to Adam, here is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you want to stay here, then you cannot eat of that fruit. If you want to stay here, then I forbid you to eat it. But you may act for yourself, and you may eat of it if you want to. And if you eat it, you will die.”
The Fall of Adam and Eve was a necessary part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation, but it could only be introduced to the world through the exercise of agency. President Boyd K. Packer taught, “There was too much at issue to introduce man into mortality by force. That would contravene the very law essential to the plan.”
God’s plan to redeem Adam and Eve after they made their choice to partake of the forbidden fruit involved sending His Son as the Redeemer. Because of Jesus Christ’s Atonement, they—and all of God’s children—could learn from their experiences (including their mistakes and sins) without being condemned by them. Thus, through their own choice, Adam and Eve entered mortality, learned for themselves the difference between good and evil, and experienced the joy of redemption through Jesus Christ.
In what sense did Adam and Eve die after partaking of the fruit?
God told Adam that he would die if he partook of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. After Adam and Eve partook of the forbidden fruit, they continued to live, but they were forced to leave the garden and the presence of the Lord, causing them to suffer spiritual death. Additionally, when they fell, their bodies changed to a mortal state, and they ultimately experienced physical death.
Was it a sin for Adam and Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit?
Many people believe that Adam and Eve committed a serious sin by partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The restored gospel provides a different perspective.
President Russell M. Nelson taught: “It was our glorious Mother Eve—with her far-reaching vision of our Heavenly Father’s plan—who initiated what we call ‘the Fall.’ Her wise and courageous choice and Adam’s supporting decision moved God’s plan of happiness forward. They made it possible for each of us to come to earth, receive a body, and prove that we would choose to stand up for Jesus Christ now, just as we did premortally.”
President Dallin H. Oaks discussed the difference between a sin and a transgression. He taught: “[A] suggested contrast between a sin and a transgression reminds us of the careful wording in the second article of faith: ‘We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression’ (emphasis added). It also echoes a familiar distinction in the law. Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited. These words are not always used to denote something different, but this distinction seems meaningful in the circumstances of the Fall.”
Who is the seed of the woman?
The seed of the woman refers to Jesus Christ, who was a descendant of Eve and Adam. God declared that Jesus Christ would bruise Satan’s head, while Satan would only be able to bruise the Savior’s heel. This declaration illustrates the power Jesus Christ has over Satan, despite Satan’s attempts to fight against the Savior and His work.
What does it mean that Adam was to “rule over” Eve?
This passage of scripture has sometimes been misunderstood to mean that a husband is allowed by God to be domineering or controlling, which is false. President Spencer W. Kimball said: “I have a question about the word rule. It gives the wrong impression. I would prefer to use the word preside.”
In our day, the Lord’s prophets have taught that husbands and wives should see each other as equal partners. Elder Ulisses Soares taught: “There is no superiority or inferiority in the marriage relationship, and neither walks ahead of or behind the other. They walk side by side, as equals, the divine offspring of God. They become one in thought, desire, and purpose with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, leading and guiding the family unit together.”
What is the significance of God clothing Adam and Eve with coats of skins?
The coats of skins that God gave Adam and Eve had deep symbolic meaning—symbolism that is also represented in the holy garments we receive through the temple endowment. Sister J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, taught: “When Adam and Eve partook of the fruit and had to leave the Garden of Eden, they were given coats of skins as a covering for them. It is likely that an animal was sacrificed to make those coats of skins—symbolic of the Savior’s own sacrifice for us. Kaphar is the basic Hebrew word for atonement, and one of its meanings is ‘to cover.’ Our temple garment reminds us that the Savior and the blessings of His Atonement cover us throughout our lives. As we put on the garment of the holy priesthood each day, that beautiful symbol becomes a part of us.”
Adam and Eve, by Douglas M. Fryer
The First Presidency taught the following about the sacred temple garment: “The garment of the holy priesthood reminds us of the veil in the temple, and that veil is symbolic of Jesus Christ. When you put on your garment, you put on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ. Wearing it is an outward expression of your inner commitment to follow Him. The garment is also a reminder of your temple covenants. … As you keep your covenants, including the sacred privilege to wear the garment as instructed in the initiatory ordinances, you will have greater access to the Savior’s mercy, protection, strength, and power.”
What are cherubim?
Cherubim are “figures representing heavenly creatures, the exact form being unknown. Cherubim have been called to guard sacred places.” God placed cherubim and a flaming sword to restrict access to the tree of life. The prophet Alma taught that Adam and Eve were kept from the tree because its fruit would have allowed them to live forever; instead, they needed to remain in their mortal “probationary” state so they could repent.
Why did Adam and Eve rejoice after being cast out of the Garden of Eden?
As mortals cast out of the garden, Adam and Eve would experience the pains, sorrows, and difficulties associated with our fallen world. Yet after being taught by the angel of the Lord and filled with the Holy Ghost, they expressed gratitude for the blessings that would come as a result of the Fall.
“The Fall is an integral part of Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation. It has a twofold direction—downward yet forward. In addition to introducing physical and spiritual death, it gave us the opportunity to be born on the earth and to learn and progress. Through our righteous exercise of agency and our sincere repentance when we sin, we can come unto Christ and, through His Atonement, prepare to receive the gift of eternal life.”
Why was Cain’s offering not accepted by the Lord?
Neither the Genesis nor the Moses account specifically states why Abel’s offering was accepted by the Lord but Cain’s was not. However, Moses 5:18 provides the important details that “Cain loved Satan more than God” and that “Satan commanded” Cain to “make an offering unto the Lord.” The scriptures teach the importance of obedience and of having righteous intentions when making offerings to the Lord. Cain followed Satan’s instructions and his intentions were not pure. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that Cain in his offering did not exercise faith in the redemption of Jesus Christ.
What do we know about the curse and mark placed upon Cain?
God cursed Cain for murdering his brother. Cain’s curse was that the ground would not grow crops for him, he would wander as a fugitive, and he would be separated from the presence of the Lord. God also set a “mark” upon Cain, which was a sign for others to not seek revenge and kill him.
It is unclear what Cain’s mark was, though many have speculated about it. Recent studies indicate that the Hebrew word used for mark “is not normally attached to physical appearances or characteristics.” Instead of a physical mark, the Hebrew points to actions that made Cain a “‘marked man,’ meaning that the people knew who he was and that they were to keep their hands off him and let God deal with his punishment.”
We should avoid speculating about the nature or appearance of the mark placed on Cain or that the curse applied to anyone other than him. The Church rejects and condemns racial and cultural prejudice in any form. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “I assure you that your standing before God is not determined by the color of your skin. Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments and not the color of your skin.”
Learn More
The Fall
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 104–6
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Topics and Questions, “Fall of Adam and Eve,” Gospel Library
Temple garments
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Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Garment of the Holy Priesthood,” Liahona, Sept. 2024, 4–9
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J. Anette Dennis, “Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ,” Liahona, May 2024, 10–13
Media
Videos
“Sacred Temple Clothing” (4:12)
Images
Similitude, by Walter Rane
Adam and Eve Teaching Their Children, by Del Parson
Adam and Eve Offering Sacrifices, by Keith Larson
Cain and Abel, by Robert T. Barrett