romans8

I see from the scriptures that both Adam and Eve failed to take responsibility for their actions and instead blamed someone else.

I find no indication that God placed Adam and Eve in a specific place in the garden; unless the garden was very tiny and could only accommodate a few trees.

Yes. It occured to me once. I lost an opportunity to get job A and ended up getting a better job B. I was not disobedient in losing job A though.

When I study further, it appears the term 'Fall' also refers to the actual changes that occured upon Adam & Eve. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-principles?lang=eng The changes that came upon Adam and Eve because they ate the fruit are called the Fall. (Gospel Principles, chapter 6, ) When Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, they were not yet mortal. In this state, "they would have had no children” (2 Nephi 2:23). There was no death. They had physical life because their spirits were housed in physical bodies made from the dust of the earth (see Moses 6:59; Abraham 5:7). They had spiritual life because they were in the presence of God. They had not yet made a choice between good and evil. I need clarification on this 'not yet' part. What was their first choice between good and evil from God's perspective? In the Adam and Eve’s Separation from God section, their choice is said to have had these effects: - they were expelled from the Garden of Eden. - they became mortal. - they and their children would experience sickness, pain, and physical death. - they and their children suffered spiritual death (the could not walk and talk face to face with God). Another article of the church https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/friend/1973/02/our-first-parents?lang=eng says - Adam and Eve were happy in their beautiful home in the Garden of Eden, for they had been given everything they could want for food and for pleasure. They knew nothing of evil, for their world was all good. - Often in the cool of early evening the Lord would walk and talk with them, and their happiness was complete. He told them that everything had been made for them to enjoy except one tree- the tree of knowledge of good and evil - and that they should neither touch nor eat the fruit of that tree, for if they did, they would be punished. Adam promised that they would not disobey this commandment. Is there any reason why Gospel Principles refers to them as effects instead of punishments? Then another section mentions Great Blessings Resulted from the Transgression. It says they would: - get physical bodies. - have the right to choose between good and evil. - have the opportunity to gain eternal life. - have children. - know good and evil. - know the joy of redemption. - know that eternal life comes from God to all the obedient. Why is a physical body viewed as a great blessing that resulted from a transgression? Didn't Adam already have an immortal, physical body, made from the earth? Thank you, Matteo

I have heard some use Latter-day Saint as it strikes a balance between LDS and the longer name.

What were they doing that showed they were acting in God's will and pleasure?

Hello, Can someone explain this to me. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/bc/content/ldsorg/content/english/manual/missionary/pdf/36950_the-plan-of-salvation-eng.pdf Page 6 – Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, and they chose to do so. This was part of God’s plan. Because of their decision, they were separated from God’s presence physically and spiritually. They became mortal, that is, subject to sin and death. They were unable to return to Him without His help. Their physical and spiritual separation from God is called the Fall. I also believe the Fall was caused by the decision [a singular event] to eat from that tree. But why do the definition sections for the Fall (page 18), Spiritual Death (page 19), and the Book of Mormon (Alma 12:31) say the Fall/Spiritual Death was caused by multiple events? The Fall The event [singular] by which mankind became mortal. It resulted in a spiritual and physical separation from God. Because Adam and Eve, the first humans, disobeyed God’s commandments [plural], they were separated from His presence (this separation is also called spiritual death) and became mortal (subject to physical death). Spiritual Death Separation from God as a result of disobeying His commandments [plural]. Alma 12:31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments [plural] as to things which were temporal, and becoming as gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good. Prior to the Fall in the garden of Eden, did Adam & Eve exist in a state to act according to God's will and pleasure? Thank you, Matteo

How is elevating one's use of the name of the church done?

A few observations. When husband and wife are physically able, they have the privilege and responsibility to bring children into the world and to nurture them. Those who are physically able have the blessing, joy, and obligation to bear children and to raise a family. This blessing should not be postponed for selfish reasons. Husband and wife are encouraged to pray and counsel together as they plan their families. Issues to consider include the physical and mental health of the mother and father and their capacity to provide the basic necessities of life for their children. Decisions about birth control and the consequences of those decisions rest solely with each married couple. Based on the above statements, would a physically/mentally-able couple (where the husband is a basketball player making $5 million per year while the wife stays at home) be violating God's commandment if they decided to limit their family to two children?

What ancient records and by whom?

@Anddenex mentioned another one - the Origin of Man. I saw that OD2 needed a vote whereas the others apparently did not. What criteria determines if a proclamation is voted on or not? https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/od/1?lang=eng Regarding OD1, I see several punishments and consequences mentioned. - all temple ordinances would be stopped throughout the land of Zion. - confusion would reign throughout Israel, and many men would be made prisoners. - this trouble would have come upon the whole Church. - our Prophets and Apostles and fathers would not be free men. - confiscation of personal property of the people (all of which of themselves would not stop the practice). It seems there was a danger of imprisonment, not death, and confiscation only to those involved in the temple and the Apostles/Prophets of the church. The majority of Saints who were not worthy to enter the temples would not be under this threat. What confusion is OD1 referring to? How would this same confusion and trouble come upon the whole Church when other countries of the world did not have temples and temple-workers?

How did Satan try to divide them so they would not make the choice together? And what choice are you referring to?

Was it God's desire to have Eve eat from the forbidden tree so He devised a plan for them to become mortal, or was it part of Satan's plan in order to spoil God's creation?

Why do you consider them as prison kingdoms?

Hello, I don't understand some things about the Plan of Salvation as described on your church website. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/council-in-heaven?lang=eng - In the premortal life, our Heavenly Father called a Grand Council to present His plan for our progression (see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 209, 511). We learned that if we followed His plan, we would become like Him. We would be resurrected; we would have all power in heaven and on earth; we would become heavenly parents and have spirit children just as He does (see Doctrine and Covenants 132:19–20). - At this council we also learned that because of our weakness, all of us except little children would sin (see Doctrine and Covenants 29:46–47). From what I see, Heavenly Father's plan was to give mankind the opportunity for exaltation. Jesus volunteered to be our Savior and give his life so that we could return to live with Heavenly Father. Lucifer's plan was to deny mankind agency, meaning all would return to Heavenly Father's presence and none would be lost. But it doesn't appear an atonement was involved with Lucifer's option. Did the choice of the one-third to follow Satan occur before or after Heavenly Father made his choice of whom to send? Did they choose to follow Lucifer because a 100% success rate of returning back home appealed to them? Or was there another reason? Did Lucifer also sway angels to follow him in the rebellion? Thank you, Matteo

The chorus for this song has Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven! Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain. Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren; Death cannot conquer the hero again. Did some revelation lead the church to believe he ascended to heaven or is this a theoretical song? Did the NT church also sing a similar hymn of Peter or Paul? Matteo

I would view it a little differently - Satan hasn't changed, the overall temptation and excuse is, "Has God really said ..." Satan has always tried to get people to doubt what God has said to mankind.

What community service opportunities are females unable to perform since they don't hold the priesthood in your church?

I was wondering if you had a scriptural rationale for your statement "But they were all to go forth two-by-two and perform missionary work. Only after the Resurrection" The only two-by-two example that Jesus commissioned in the Bible that I find is for the 70 (72 in some translations) but this is before His resurrection. For singles, I see Philip with the Ethiopian eunuch and Paul on Mars Hill as some examples. For more than 2, I see Acts 10:23-48 where Peter and his companions travel to Caesarea and share the Good News of Jesus’s death and resurrection with Cornelius’s group. I read the chapters surrounding Christ's visit to the Nephites and there is no mention of seventies or a two-by-two commission.

Do you have a Book of Mormon reference for this?

Hello My name is Matteo (Matt for short). I joined the forum a few weeks ago and wish to learn something about this church before I start meeting any missionaries. @Jane_Doe gave a link to https://www.comeuntochrist.org/beliefs. I currently attend a mainstream Protestant church. Thanks Matt