Swinging the Ax Safely and Conflicting Commandments

[wenglund]

2 hours ago, CV75 said:

I took the idea of God giving the fruit of the tree of knowledge to His paradisaical children in other worlds came from Hugh Nibley: “Satan disobeyed orders when he revealed certain secrets to Adam and Eve, not because they were not known and done in other worlds, but because he was not authorized in that time and place to convey them [ https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1123&index=5 ]…it was not his prerogative to do so—regardless of what had been done in other worlds. (When the time comes for such fruit, it will be given us legitimately.) [ https://publications.mi.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1114&index=6]”

 

I take full responsibility for the notion that procreation, enabled by partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, could occur in a paradisaical condition. But as long as Satan was still there, at some point, disobedience and a Fall certainly would have eventually taken place, somehow. None of God’s children (except Christ) have the knowledge and faith He does, or the proficiency that Satan has, so at some point along the way someone would have disobeyed something and caused the fall of paradise.

 

But God could have also introduced mortality with His approved partaking of the tree of knowledge if it was simply His time for Adam and Eve to experience mortality. Here again, none of God’s mortal children fully possess either His or the devil’s advantages so at some point sin would enter the picture in the same way we see that innocent children conceive sin in their hearts (D&C 93:39, Moses 6:55).

 

This is why I see opposition as the driving principle, and not so much conflict, though conflict is a subset of opposition and certainly a part of mortality, and a necessary step toward exaltation through the merits of Christ and our agency. But because we cannot win exaltation on our own, conflict does not reflect any advantage we innately possess over the devil (no contest!).

 

That appears to be a popular perspective on this board, and it has a lot to commend it.  

I had written a response, However, now that I think of it,  mine would be the musings of a woefully lacking intellect and a highly limited and relatively unenlightened perspective, and this on a topic that may best be discussed in the temple, if at all.  Certainly, it is not vital to working out my salvation and exaltation at this time.

So, I will follow the example of others and likely say nothing further on the matter.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-