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Question

I was reading what you wrote about how us imperfect humans are to become perfect like our Heavenly Father is perfect. Did you ever think that that was meant in a spiritual way? Heavenly Father specifically stated at Genesis 2:17 that they would die if Adam and Eve ate from that tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and bad, they would positively die, do you agree with this? Both of them were selfish to have done this. How do you feel about this yourself?

Response

You said that you wanted to know if I ever thought that becoming perfect like Heavenly Father is perfect is meant in a spiritual way. I absolutely believe that it was meant in a spiritual way because we are the spirit children of our Heavenly Father. We are on this earth having a human experience and it is our greatest hope to return to Him and live eternally with Him as resurrected beings. Isn’t it logical to think that if His never ending teaching of us continues on and on, we will gain more and more knowledge, we will gain more and more Christ-like attributes, we will gain ability and power? Is it not conceivable that over an unknown period of time, we might actually get to the place where we come to know all that He knows? If He is our teacher, and we believe that He is and will continue to be, wouldn’t we gain His abilities? You asked if I believe what the scriptures say in Genesis chapters 2 and 3 regarding Adam and Eve eating the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and if they did they would surely die. Yes, that is exactly what our Heavenly Father said to them when He commanded them not to eat the fruit of that tree, but as we know, they did not immediately die. Instead, their bodies were subjected to some chemical change, which caused an aging process that would mean that they would die eventually. We know from the scriptures that Adam lived for more than 935 years. It does not tell us about the length of Eve’s life. I would imagine that it must have been considerable. In any event, we know from reading the scriptures that Adam and Eve lived hundreds of years after they partook of the fruit. God was simply saying that partaking of the fruit would subject them to the physical frailties that would eventually end their life. You asked if I thought the both of them were selfish to have done this (eat the fruit). You wanted to know how I feel about it. I do not think they were selfish. I think they were tempted with a curiosity and we know that the Lord cast them out of the Garden of Eden as a result of that transgression. But consider this, until they partook of the fruit they did not have any awareness of their nakedness nor their physical attraction toward each other. Their children were not conceived until after they gained that physical attraction for each other. Doesn’t it bless all of mankind forever more that they were our first parents? In actuality then, I believe that what they did was a great blessing to all of those who would come thereafter. Without that step, none of us would have "come thereafter" and been able to enjoy the great blessings, joys, sorrows, and growing experience of this life and been able to enjoy the beauty and majesty of God’s handiwork which is the earth and all of his creations. While it’s true that we are called upon to suffer trials and temptations, this is all part of God’s plan. By being faithful to the principles of His gospel, we can return to live with Him in the eternities. Sincerely, Donny Osmond See related multimedia presentations

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