215Moses 4: The Fall – Overview

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Moses 4The Fall

Overview ................................................................................................. 215 The Everlasting Covenant ........................................................................... 216 The Grand Councils .................................................................................... 220 Rebellion in Heaven .................................................................................... 223 Transgression in Eden ................................................................................. 227 The Nakedness and the Clothing of Adam and Eve ................................ 234Moses 4: Text and Commentary ............................................................. 242Gleanings ................................................................................................ 283

Endnotes ................................................................................................. 298

Overview

FOLLOWING a rapid sweep across the vast panorama of the Creation and the Garden of Eden in Moses 1-3, the narrative slows to a more measured pace at the beginning of Moses 4—and with good reason, for it is at this point that the whole purpose of

Creation begins to unfold. A statement attributed to Cardinal John Henry Newman sums up a message that can be taken from the juxtaposition of the accounts of the Creation and the Fall: “It is better that the whole universe disappear than that one little, little lie be spoken.”1 In other words, the moral significance of the choice made in Eden—and of similar choices we make on a daily basis—outweighs in importance the entire amoral universe.

The pivotal nature of Adam and Eve’s choice is made clear in the structure of Moses 4 itself. Wenham sees the corresponding chapter in Genesis as a “masterpiece of palistrophic writing, the mirror-image [chiastic] style, whereby the first scene matches the last, the second the penultimate and so on: ABCDC’B’A’… Not only does the literary structure move in and out in this fashion, but so does the action: it commences outside the Garden, the dialogues are conducted within the Garden, and the decisive act of disobedience takes place at its very center.”2 In this way, the focal theme of “opposition in all things”3 reveals itself in both the content and the structure of the account.

A modified version of Wenham’s schema, as applied to the book of Moses, follows:

A. 3:5-17: Adam and Eve are placed in the Garden and are given a commandment B. 3:18-25: The spiritual order of relationships before the Fall (4:1-4: Digression on Satan’s fall) C. 4:5-11: The dialogue between Eve and the serpent D. 4:12-14: Adam and Eve transgress the commandment C.’ 4:15-19: The dialogue between Adam, Eve, and God B.’ 4:20-27: The temporal order of relationships after the Fall A.’ 4:28-31: Adam and Eve are driven out of the Garden1 J. M. Bradshaw, AHK Notes.2 G. J. Wenham, Genesis 1-15, p. 51. See Endnote 4-1, p. 298.3 2 Nephi 2:11.

245Moses 4: The Fall – Text and Commentary

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In stark contrast to Satan’s speech, the Redeemer never once mentions the words “I” or “me,” being wholly focused on the will and the glory of the Father.

d glory be thine forever. Jesus later contrasted His position to the one adopted by Satan: “He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.”210

3 a Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man. D&C 29:36 underscores the irony of Satan’s efforts to destroy man’s agency by pointing out that it was “because of their agency” that a “third part of the hosts of heaven” were permitted to follow him in rebellion.

Although the exercise of agency was surely a condition of the premortal existence, Moses 7:32 seems to imply, erroneously, that it did not exist until Adam and Eve came into the Garden: “I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency.” ot2, however, renders this verse differently: “I gave unto them their intelligence and in the Garden of Eden man had agency.”211 Whether this emendation took place at the initiative of a scribe or under the direction of the Prophet, its purpose is obvious: to make it clear that agency was not something “given” for the first time to mankind in the Garden, but rather that it was something they already had. The modification also forestalls a possible implication that Adam and Eve had already been given “knowledge” at the time of their creation. Significantly, ot2 states that they were given “intelligence” rather than “knowledge” at that time. Thus, the change leads us to infer that Adam and Eve began to obtain the “knowledge” they lacked only later, after their transgression.

b that I should give unto him mine own power. Commented Elder Maxwell: “[Satan] wanted glory, not growth; control, not salvation. His ascendancy meant more to him than our agency. The Devil is a despot.”212

c by the power of mine Only Begotten. Moses had seen the power of the Only Begotten used in a similar way when, in His name, he commanded Satan to depart.213

d I caused that he should be cast down. Lehi records that an “angel of God… had fallen from heaven; wherefore he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.”214 Although Moses 4:6 and Abraham 3:28 say only that “many” followed Satan, the Doctrine and Covenants is more specific. The Lord, speaking of Satan’s rebellion said that it was “a third part of the hosts of heaven” that he “turned… away from me because of their agency.”215

It is possible to see an allusion to this event in the separation of light and darkness in Day One of creation.216 A parallel can also be seen in the account of how God “drove out the man” from the Garden217—though, in Adam’s case, God held out the joyous possibility for his return.

210 John 7:18.211 S. H. Faulring et al., Original Manuscripts, p. 618; K. P. Jackson, Book of Moses, p. 25. See Excursus 47: Islamic

Perspectives Relating to Redemption, p. 645212 N. A. Maxwell, Deposition, p. 81. See Commentary 4:1g, p. 244.213 Commentary 1:21-c, p. 58.214 2 Nephi 2:17; cf. Revelation 12:7-9; 2 Peter 2:4: Jude 1:6; Isaiah 14:12-17; D&C 29:36-38; Abraham 3:28.215 D&C 29:36; cf. Revelation 12:14.216 See Commentary 2:4-c, p. 101.217 See Commentary 4:31-a, p. 280.

2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;

1042 Indexes – Thumbnail Index to Figures

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1051Indexes – Scripture Index

INDEXES

OLD TESTAMENTGenesisGenesis 1 … 85, 200, 501

1:1 … 1, 93, 8531:1-3 … 7431:1-11 … 8251:2 … 331:3 … 1361:13-22 … 8251:14 … 3861:18-21 … 8241:26 … 3251:26-27 … 798, 8861:26-28 … 1121:27 … 325, 7871:27-28 … 8011:28 … 325

Genesis 1:1-2:3 … 561Genesis 1:1-2:4 … 148Genesis 1:1-6:4 … 832Genesis 1-2 … 788, 825Genesis 1-3 … 463, 724Genesis 1-4 … 608Genesis 1-5 … 886Genesis 1-6 … 851Genesis 1-11 … 124, 391,

728, 840Genesis 1:23-8:16 … 833Genesis 1-24 … 3, 4Genesis 2 … 85, 811

2:1-3 … 5612:1-4 … 2002:4 … 1562:4-7 … 2282:6-7 … 8252:7 … 158, 7982:9 … 10, 113, 2762:16-17 … 2282:17 … 174, 2762:18-19 … 8252:19 … 1792:19-24 … 2282:21 … 115

Genesis 2-3 … 433, 555, 556

Genesis 2:4-3:34 … 432Genesis 3 … 811

3:5 … 2763:6-8 … 8333:8 … 231, 260

3:10-12 … 8293:11-14 … 8243:20 … 1583:22 … 111, 276

Genesis 4 … 6174:1 … 619, 735, 7364:1-16 … 4324:5-7 … 8294:14 … 3884:23 … 829

Genesis 55:1-2 … 1125:1-3 … 1955:3 … 115:21-32 … 818

Genesis 5:22-24:41 … 3Genesis 6 … 827

6:1-2 … 5896:1-4 … xxvii, 585, 5866:2 … 5876:2-4 … 5866:4 … 5876:4-6 … 5906:6 … 76:14 … 2116:17 … 158

Genesis 6:5-9:17 … 492Genesis 6-11 … 618Genesis 7

7:2 … 1177:4 … 1557:12 … 3607:15 … 1587:17-20 … 8297:22 … 1587:23 … 589

Genesis 88:4 … 1528:6-12 … 80, 978:11 … 4038:21 … 729

Genesis 99:1-77 … 5919:3-4 … 1149:19 … 7289:20 … 5919:21 … 5929:21-27 … 591

Genesis 10 … 84810:2-5 … 47710:6-20 … 47710:7 … 17110:29 … 171

10:30 … 43Genesis 11 … 608

11:1-9 … 116, 258, 47311:2 … 16111:4 … 39111:6-9 … 63711:7 … 11111:10-27 … 48111:27 … 15411:27-29 … 37711:29 … 377, 477

Genesis 1212:5 … 60612:18 … 261

Genesis 1313:10 … 160, 43313:11 … 161

Genesis 14 … 66714:17-20 … 16114:17-24 … 52314:18 … 75914:18-20 … 573, 78114:19 … 36714:22 … 758

Genesis 1515:9ff … 42, 37815:12 … 181

Genesis 16 … 393, 61216:1-4 … 25816:8 … 262

Genesis 1717:5 … 37917:12 … 61717:12-13 … 50017:16 … 36717:19 … 47617:20 … 47717:23-27 … 339

Genesis 1818:2 … 195, 48118:3 … 33918:7 … 76718:13 … 38318:19 … 606

Genesis 1919:1 … 195, 48119:6 … 17319:19-38 … 47719:24-28 … 492

Genesis 2020:6 … 25220:9 … 26120:12 … 377

Genesis 2121:12-21 … 20721:19 … 258

Genesis 22 … 359, 82122:1 … 52, 7822:2ff … 7822:13-15 … 82422:14 … 82522:17 … 6422:18 … 167

22:20-24 … 477Genesis 23

23:17-19 … 824Genesis 24 … 1, 377

24:16 … 74424:22-24 … 824, 82524:27 … 744

Genesis 24:41-Nehemiah 10:30 … 3

Genesis 2525:1-4 … 82125:18 … 17125:23 … 54125:27 … 38025:29 … 380

Genesis 25-27 … 380Genesis 26

26:5 … 38226:9-10 … 26126:11 … 252

Genesis 2727:1-40 … 25827:33 … 5827:36 … 47627:38-39 … 82527:42-43 … 825

Genesis 27-33 … 463Genesis 28 … 377

28:11 … 18128:12 … 34, 43, 351

Genesis 2929:14 … 18329:20 … 744

Genesis 3030:36 … 370

Genesis 3232:3-5 … 82932:24 … 195, 48132:25-32 … 82632:29-30 … 82932:31 … 82632:32-33 … 829

Genesis 3333:1 … 82933:18-20 … 829

Genesis 3434:1-3 … 82934:5-7 … 82934:7 … 37234:17-21 … 82534:30-31 … 829

Genesis 3535:1, 4-7 … 82935:4 … 44035:5 … 83335:6-10 … 82935:17-29 … 82535:24-29 … 829

Genesis 3636:1-2 … 82936:1-13 … 82536:5-17 … 82936:6 … 833

SCRIPTUREINDEX