“…ye shall be as gods”
In the Garden of Eden, Satan, in the form of the Serpent, deceived Eve. She and Adam disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This was rebellion against God. This was sin. This was an evil act that brought death into the world. This event was the beginning of great evil and deception and rebellion among mankind throughout history continuing through the time of Noah, The Tower of Babel, and culminating in the rule of the Anti-Christ prior to Jesus’ return. See Genesis 3:1-4:1.
And yet this event is exalted by “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” (LDS), the Mormons, as the very foundation of their doctrine. They teach it was actually good that Adam and Eve disobeyed God in that situation.
The Bible teaches that God gave Adam and Eve two commandments:
1. Be fruitful and multiply. (Genesis 1:28)
2. Do not eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Genesis 2:17)
The LDS religious system teaches that the greater commandment was the first, “Be fruitful and multiply” because they see it as the foundation of their doctrine of “Eternal Progression” where human beings can become gods. See quotes from the Book of Mormon and Mormon Doctrine. Associated with Eternal Progression is their doctrine of eternal marriage and “plural marriage” (currently disavowed by the mainstream LDS).
They teach that it was a great and noble thing that Adam and Eve disobeyed the lesser command in order to fulfill the greater command. But this is a twisting of God’s word, the Bible! There is no indication in the Bible that they had to disobey one to fulfill the other. They could have obeyed God in every commandment. Nothing in the Bible calls the rebellion in Eden anything but an evil that the Lord Jesus Christ would redeem us from (Romans 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 45-47; 2 Corinthians 11:3). The Bible in Revelation 12:9, speaks of, “…that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world…”
Instead, Mormonism joins a great company of pagan and occult traditions that promote the Serpent’s lie and the “godhood” of Eve as good. It is no coincidence that the LDS system is promoting the very lie that deceives the whole world through the centuries. See the articles on this site: Lucifer, the Garden of Eden, & the Tower of Babel and About The Matrix Reloaded.
Therefore, I appeal to you, if you are an LDS member, to see the corrupt foundation of the LDS religious system. I encourage you to be an Acts 17:11 Berean, and compare everything with the Bible, repent of your sin and trust in the real Jesus in terms of the Biblical Gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
The Good News – “What Must I Do to be Saved?”
An Appeal to Mormons – Lucifer, the Garden of Eden, & the Tower of Babel – About The Matrix Reloaded
President Bush Visits the Prophet
Back to The World Religion
Quotes from the Book of Mormon
“And because he [the devil] had fallen from heaven, and had become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, even that old serpent, who is the devil, who is the father of all lies, wherefore he said: Partake of the forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
“And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth. And they have brought forth children; yea, even the family of all the earth. And the days of the children of men were prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became a state of probation, and their time was lengthened, according to the commandments which the Lord God gave unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.
“And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin. But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things. Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy. And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be by the punishment of the law at the great and last day, according to the commandments which God hath given.” (2 Nephi 2:18-26 in Book of Mormon)
Quotes from Mormon Doctrine
by Bruce R. McConkie (1915-1985) a member of the LDS “Quorum of the Twelve Apostles”
“Adam’s great part in the plan of redemption was to fall from the immortal state in which he first existed on earth and thus bring mortality and death into the world.” p. 17
“Eve was the first woman… Strictly speaking, it was she who first partook of the forbidden fruit, with the resultant change in the physical body from a state of immortality to mortality. Adam thereafter partook in order to comply with the command to multiply and fill the earth with posterity…One of the most perfect summaries of the plan of salvation ever given fell from the lips of Eve: ‘Were it not for our transgression,’ she said, ‘we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption. and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient,’ (Moses 5:11 [in the Mormon Pearl of Great Price]) Indeed, Eve is a joint-participant with Adam in all his ministry, and will inherit jointly with him all the blessings appertaining to his high state of exaltation.” p. 242
“According to the foreordained plan, Adam was to fall; that is, “in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things” (2 Ne. 2:24 [in the Book of Mormon]), Adam was to introduce mortality and all that attends it, so that the opportunity for eternal progression and perfection might be offered to all the spirit children of the Father.” p. 268
[“Eternal Progression” means humans becoming gods.]
Genesis 3:1-4:1 in the Bible
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
“And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
“And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
“And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.”