The Angel 2 - Moses 5:7-12

The amazing part about Adam’s answer to the angel is that he’s basically saying, “I am giving up the best parts of my food and personally suffer and I don’t know why, just to be obedient to God’s commandment.” I wonder if I have that much faith in my own life. Ever since starting the Old Testament study I’ve been listening to OT commentary by expert scriptural analysts and it’s been absolutely fascinating, but also a little bit difficult because the OT is so much different. It was difficult understanding what the apostles meant in their writings from 2,000 years ago, and now we’re talking 5,000+ years ago, and just understanding that the OT especially the first 5 books were not written to be historical narratives but instead as literature meaning that the author had a specific message to a specific people in a specific culture several thousands of years ago. So for the last few days I’ve really been struggling because so much of what I understood about the OT turns out to be incorrect, I’ve had to decide what it means? If Adam didn’t actually live to be 900+ years old according to our reckoning time today, then does that mean that all the scriptures are a lie? Now that I say it out loud like that, it sounds ridiculous, but that’s what I’ve been panicking about for the last several days. If I’ve misunderstood about parts of the OT, then what else am I wrong about? It was a terrifying experience because I need the gospel in my life so badly that the thought of not having it was awful. What I’ve done is decide to start from the bottom, what do I know is true? I know who God is and who I am to Him. Does my limited knowledge of God’s dealing in ancient cultures change that? Of course not. What else do I know? I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I believe that this gospel is Jesus Christ’s work on the earth. I believe that the Savior atoned for our sins, my understanding of that has not changed at all and it makes total sense to me. I believe in the plan of salvation and the pre-mortal world as it is taught in the Church. I believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Here's where I had to stop and think about the article of faith that says that we believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly, and that includes the OT. But then I had to think that it is the word of God, and God didn’t necessarily say that it was a history book, it is what God wants us to know, so just because I don’t understand it perfectly doesn’t mean that suddenly it is invalid. These are the words God wants us to know, the stories, the lessons that he wants us to learn and remember. That’s what the “word of God” means, the words God wants us to know. Looking at Adam’s response to the angel here has really helped me to kind of accept that I don’t know everything and that just because I don’t understand doesn’t mean that all my other knowledge is invalid. Adam didn’t know why he was performing sacrifices, but he did know of God’s love for him. They were cast out of the Garden and suffered in the fallen world, but Adam knew that God would give them a way back to Him. He didn’t know what that way would be but he did what he was told anyway because of the foundation of his faith told him that whatever God asked him to do would be for his benefit. Likewise, I don’t know the how or why of the scriptures but I do know that God loves me and that He is all knowing, all loving, and all powerful so if these are the words he wants me to know, then ok, I accept that that and move forward. Because Adam was faithful, and especially because he was obedient without the knowledge of why, the angel teaches him that “this thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth.” They are taught the gospel and commanded to “repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.” The IM suggests that this is when A&E were baptized because “the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam,” and the Holy Ghost bore testimony from God saying, “I an the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth and forever, that as thou hast fallen thou mayest be redeemed, and all mankind, even as many as will.” What’s interesting to me here is that it isn’t until they receive the Holy Ghost that A&E both learn why their fall was so necessary, and the plan for them personally. Adam’s revelation comes to him as, “Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.” He sees the optimism available in life, the beauty for ashes that God provides, he sees the plan and the end goal. Eve is thrilled when she hears Adam say this and responds, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” The reason that this is so interesting to me is because it’s another great demonstration of how critical the Holy Ghost is in our lives and vital to our spiritual progression and learning. A&E “blessed the name of God,” and taught everything to their children. And we will see how that worked out next time.