 Creation and the Fall
Creation
Catholic Doctrine
The Catechism of the Catholic Church outlines
the doctrine of creation as being carried out by the word of God
being facilitated by the Holy Trinity. This coordination between
the Holy Trinity and the word of God is described with reference
to God as “...the One who alone made heaven and earth”
(Catechism, 75, emphasis added) for the purpose of showing forth
the glory of God (see also Isaiah 43:1 and Psalms 115:15, 124:8,
and 134:3). The creation of the universe, although splendid and
magnificent, is not complete but continually evolving towards a
state of future perfection as designed and destined by God.
The creation of man was accomplished in the image of God (Gen.
1:27), with our first parents, Adam and Eve, being composed “...in
an original state of holiness and justice...” (Catechism 375)
amalgamating the spiritual and material worlds as male and female
within the friendship of God. As individuals, humans are of great
worth, having dignity, “self-knowledge,” and the ability to
interact and commune one with another. The earth and all creation
are given to and purposed for man; conversely, the purpose of man
is to “...serve and love God and to offer all creation back to
him” (Catechism 358).
As God’s creations, man is given freedom to choose for himself,
with the ultimate hope that he will choose intelligently and with
love that will perfect the work of the creation and lift up others
towards their ultimate destinies in mortality and beyond.
Latter-day Saint
Doctrine
Latter-day Saint doctrine purports that Jesus Christ created the
earth and all that is upon it (plants, animals, seas, and all
else), while having created many other worlds in the process (sun,
moon, stars, and other material things that constitute the
universe). Jesus performed the creation, which was done
spiritually before being executed physically, through the power of
priesthood and by delegation from God the Father.
After the creation of the physical environments and non-human
creatures came the greatest of all creations—mankind. Mankind,
both man and woman, were created in the image of God with spirits
clothed in bodies of flesh and blood. Adam and Eve were the first
man and woman to be put upon the earth, physically patterned after
our heavenly parents whom we left in the premortal existence. The
creation of the earth and of mankind demonstrates the power,
wisdom, and love of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.
See chapter 4 in Catholic Roots, Mormon
Harvest for a more comprehensive explanation and commentary on the
Creation
 The Fall of Adam and Eve—Original Sin
Catholic Doctrine
Catholic doctrine suggests that the fall of
Adam and Eve, commenced through their own temptation in the Garden
of Eden at the hand of the devil, led to decay in their trust in
God, the abuse of free will, and outright disobedience. Because of
their breaking the commandment against partaking of the fruit of
the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were
immediately stripped of the holiness they obtained through the
creation, and developing a distorted image of God of whom they
then became much afraid. The fall of Adam eventually led to
spiritual disharmony across a broad life spectrum, including
interpersonal tensions, loss of spiritual control, lust, and
obsession with domination. This decay included the world and all
that was in it.
The Catholic Church links man’s proclivity towards evil and
destruction to the creation and fall of Adam, spawning the
doctrine of original sin, in which all humans are born afflicted
with a sin transmitted from Adam as a result of his and Eve’s
fall. Original sin, as well as the justice of Christ through his
infinite atonement, comes through the “unity of the human race” in
which the transmission of the sin is thought to be a mystery and
beyond the comprehension of man (Catechism 404). Original sin can
only be removed through baptism, including infants who have not
committed personal sin themselves. Even after baptism the fall of
Adam creates a dynamic whereby the devil has assumed “certain
dominion” over man, despite his free agency. See Catechism 397,
399, 400, and 403 to 408
Latter-day Saint Doctrine
Latter-day Saint doctrine on the fall begins with the
understanding that Adam and Eve were valiant spirits in the
premortal existence and given the assignment to be the first man
and woman to live on the earth. It was their mission to bring
mortality into the world according to our Heavenly Father’s plan.
When they assumed their places in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve
had physical bodies, but were not yet mortal and therefore unable
to have children and exempt from death. Because they were in the
presence of God, Adam and Eve had a spiritual life, but were
unable to understand the difference between good and evil.
Adam and Even were given two key commandments by God: (1) to
“multiply and replenish the earth,” and (2) to not eat of the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. Just as he does today, Satan
entered the Garden of Eden with the intent of tempting Adam and
Eve to break the commandments of God, seeking to destroy the plan
of our Heavenly Father. When Adam learned that Satan persuaded Eve
to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he chose to do
likewise in order to remain with Eve, leading to what we refer to
as the fall. As a result of the fall, Adam and Eve became subject
to the consequences of their disobedience: They were cast out of
the Garden of Eden, became mortal beings, and were consigned to
live in a world much different from the garden. In this world,
Adam and Eve and all their descendants would be subject to
suffering and physical death. The trial and training of mortality
had begun. Perhaps more importantly, the fall brought about a
spiritual death that created a separation from God. Adam and Eve
and their posterity lost the opportunity to have face-to-face
communication with God. That separation from God was further
aggravated by Satan’s introduction of evil into the world. The
fall brought about both physical and spiritual death that would
eventually be reconciled through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Despite the introduction of physical and spiritual death and its
consequences, the fall is seen as the commencement of Heavenly
Father’s plan of salvation. This commencement is a great blessing
to all of mankind. This blessing included the obtaining of
physical bodies of flesh and bone, the prospect to choose between
good and evil, and the opportunity to take full advantage of the
Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Considering the state
of Adam and Eve before the fall in the Garden of Eden, none of
these blessings would have been available without the fall. The
sin of Adam and Eve belongs solely to Adam and Eve and is not
inherited by any of the descendants of Adam. The second Article of
Faith states: “We believe that men will be punished for their own
sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (AOF 1:2). The fall of
Adam brought forth mortality, but man does not carry Adam’s sin.
See chapter 4 in Catholic Roots, Mormon
Harvest for a more comprehensive explanation and commentary on the
Fall of Adam and Eve. |
