Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived.
Elder Sikahema said, “We will be blessed as we look for & follow the patterns, and the sequence in which the Lord teaches what’s most important to Him.”
[Vaiangina Sikahema LDS General Conference 10/2021
A House of Sequential Order]
I listened to this General Conference talk while pondering the scriptures, it made me think about marriage in the house of the Lord.
Adam & Eve were not just living together, they were husband & wife; married.
They made covenants.
I thought of earthly marriage,
“until death do you part”
and then,
I thought of temple marriage,
lasting throughout eternity, linking families, God’s family, forever.
You might ask, what patterns or symbols do Genesis 1-3 share?
Here are some I see.
I felt this was important to ponder before moving onto Genesis chapter 4 when Eve conceives.
Adam & Eve made aprons of fig leaves to cover themselves AFTER they partook of the fruit.
This was also when Eve first called Adam, husband, and when Adam first called Eve, wife.
I felt that their fig coverings were a symbol of their temporal marriage,
being that fig leaves are not very sustainable; they will wilt over time, something more would be necessary to stand the test of time.
God asks them why they covered themselves, and if they partook of the fruit.
Certainly God knew why they did both.
God wanted to know if they understood.
I had a thought I had never had before.
I wondered if the fruit was also a symbol of her virginity because it wasn’t until after they partook of the fruit that they could see their nakedness & realize their ability to procreate which was given as a commandment to multiply & replenish the earth. (Gen. 1:28)
After this, God made Adam & Eve coats from animal skin, that would be long lasting, symbolic of the everlasting covenant of marriage, and the law of sacrifice In which they would be instructed to do, in the similitude of the sacrifice Christ would make for all of us.
In chapter 4 , “Adam knew Eve,
his wife, and she conceived.”
They had children.
They taught their children about sacrifice, through words, pattern & symbols.
They knew the Only Begotten, of the Father & Mother, was Their Son, full of grace, mercy, truth and light, one to come.
They taught their children repentance AND
that everything they do should be done in the name of God. Adam & Eve were taught how to call upon God, in the name of the Son, in doing so they would have the Holy Ghost to be with them.
Adam & Eve along with the Spirit would help them bear witness to their children.
Just like Adam & Eve were given a choice, their children would too, and the same goes for me and you.
Everyone WILL know good & evil, fruit of the tree would multiply in you and me. Everyone will fall.
Everyone may be REDEEMED
thru the Savior’s atoning sacrifice.
Our Heavenly Parents shared this with our first parents, our earthly parents, Adam & Eve, before Eve conceives, and before they would leave the garden of Eden.
This knowledge is written, passed down from generation to generation, that we might share these things too.
That‘s what I got out of the scriptures this week. What about you? I’d love to know. You can share in the comments, below.
Love & Light,
Michelle
PS
I doodle, draw, paint, and ponder to help me understand, and create a visual to share with my family. Many of my art pieces are available in print.
The black & white illustrations, seen here, can be downloaded for free from my website.
The Wide-Margin spiral-bound scriptures are available to help you make them come alive or create a record to share.
If you need help finding these offerings, reach out to me. michellegessell@drawingnearertothee.com