Mothers, Choices, Mother Eve

A few days ago we had some people at our house who asked some great questions about Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.  Here is my take on this particular story.  I feel it is especially appropriate today in honor of Mother’s Day.  I believe, and the scriptures tell us, that in the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve were given a choice.  They were warned not to eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but they were also told to start a family.  They could not have it both ways.  I used to ask my Seminary students if they were “set up to fail”.  No, here is the thing.  All parents know that sometimes our children will have to make hard choices.  They will have to choose between things that are neither the wrong choice nor the right choice, simply a choice.  No parent wants his children to experience pain and failure, but no parent wants her children to remain “immature” for eternity.  He had to give Adam and Eve a choice.  Adam’s choice, at first, was to follow God’s advice not to eat the fruit, stay safe in this pleasant place.  Eve made the hard choice, she took the biggest risk.  Mother Eve chose pain, and strife, and hard work, and death so that all men might live.  Eve risked having Adam choose other than he did, he still had agency.  Sometimes this story is told with the perspective that Eve committed a “terrible sin” and then led Adam astray if that is so, then the lives we all have on this earth are a consequence of that sin.  It makes it sound like life is a punishment.  This is just not so.  Our lives on this earth are the greatest gift our Father in Heaven could offer us.  This is our opportunity to become like Him and our Savior, Jesus Christ, completed the plan.  Our Father knew the end from the beginning but he also knew the the key would be in the choice.

Today, I want to express my gratitude to every mother for making the hard choices.  Being a mother is really hard work.  It is painful (both emotionally and physically) and often thankless but it comes with an equal measure of joy.  Happy Mother's Day.