2 Nephi 2:26 - 29

And the Messiah cometh in the fulness of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the fall. And because 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.

Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.

And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom.

Die Folgen des Falls Adams und Evas

Wegen des Falls Adams und Evas sind zwei Arten von Tod in die Welt gekommen, nämlich der physische (order zeitliche) Tod, und der geistige Tod. Diese zwei Arten von Tod halten uns davon ab, wie unser himmlischer Vater zu werden.

Unter dem physichen Tod verstehen wir, daß unser Geistkörper von unserem physischen Körper getrennt wird. Unser Geist geht in die Geisterwelt, wo wir auf unsere Auferstehung und letzten Gericht warten.

Unter dem geistigen Tod verstehen wir, daß wir von der Gegenwart Gottes getrennt sind. Wenn wir Sünde begehen, trennen wir uns immer weiter von unserem himmlischen Vater, denn "nichts unreines" kann in der Gegenwart Gottes wohnen ( 1. Nephi 10:21 ). Nur durch Umkehr und Glauben an Jesus Christus und sein Sühnopfer können wir dem geistigen Tod überwinden.

Jesus Christus hat es uns ermöglicht, die Folgen des Falls zu überwinden. Er nahm unsere Sünden auf sich (Lukas 22), damit wir den geistigen Tod vermeiden können, sofern wir ihn als unseren Erretter annehmen und seine Gebote befolgen. Er war der erste Mensch in der ganzen Menscheit, aufzuerstehen (Lukas 24:36 - 39). Er überwand dem geistigen Tod, damit wir auch die Chance haben würden, auferstanden zu werden und dem geistigen Tod zu überwinden.

Um mehr über den Fall, seine Folgen, und wie das Sühnopfer uns hilft, diesen Folgen zu überwinden, zu erfahren, bitte darauf klicken.

Consequences of the Fall

The Fall of Adam and Eve brought two kinds of death into the world: Physical Death and Spiritual Death. These two kinds of death are obstacles that prevent us from becoming like our Heavenly Father.

Physical Death is when our spirit bodies are separated from our physical bodies. Our spirits go to the Spirit World until our resurrection and final judgement.

Spiritual Death is where we are cut off from God's presence. When we sin, we distance ourselves further away from our Heavenly Father, because "no unclean thing" can dwell in his presence ( 1 Nephi 10:21 ). Only through believing in Jesus Christ, accepting his atonement and repententing from our sins are we able to overcome Spiritual Death.

Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to overcome the consequences of the Fall. He took upon himself our sins ( Luke 22 ), so that we could avoid spiritual death, as long as we accept him as his Savior and keep his commandments. He was the first of all mankind to be resurrected ( Luke 24:36 - 39 ). He overcame physical death, so that we too would have the chance to be resurrected and overcome physical death.

To learn more about the Fall, its consequences, and how the Atonement reverses those consequences, please click here.

November - Agency and the Fall of Adam and Eve

After this Earth was created, God created Adam and Eve after his own image ( Genesis 1:27 ), and placed them in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were the first of God's children to come to earth and obtain a physical body.

God gave Adam and Eve their Agency, which is the right and ability that each of us has to make good or bad choices. He also gave them the commandment to "multiply and replenish the earth" (Genesis 1:28) and not to partake of the forbidden fruit ( Genesis 2:16 - 17 , Moses 3:16-17 ). Obeying the second commandment meant that they could dwell forever in the Garden of Eden and dwell in God's presence. However, they could not progress and learn while they were in this state, as was part of the whole reason why this earth was created. They could not know what it means to feel joy and happiness, because they could not feel sorrow or pain. Without opposition in mortality, the opportunity for Adam and Eve to learn and progress was minimal. The Book of Mormon prophet, Lehi, explains this predicament very well in 2 Nephi 2:11 - 27.

Adam and Eve used their Agency to choose to eat the forbidden fruit. Because of their choice, they were separated from God's presence, and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. However, they were now able to know right from wrong, be able to have children, and experience joy and happiness, because they could understand sorrow and pain ( Moses 5:11 ) This was part of God's plan for us.

To learn more about Agency and the Fall of Adam and Eve, please click here.