Genesis 22-24

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 22-24

Chapter 22: Sacrifice of Abraham’s Son Isaac

God commands Abraham to take his son Isaac to the land of Moriah and “…offer him there for a burnt offering…” (Genesis 22:2)

Abraham takes his son and they journey towards the mountain that the Lord had commanded him to go, but Abraham does not tell his son what the Lord had planned. As they journey to the top of the mountain, Isaac even asks Abraham “…where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7)

Abraham tells Isaac that God will provide one for them, once they get to the top Abraham builds an altar and bound his son Isaac, Abraham takes a knife out and gets ready to kill his son… when an angel calls out to him and tells him “…lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God…” (Genesis 22:12)

So we learn that the whole thing was just a test to see if Abraham would listen and do as the Lord commands. But they notice a ram caught in a thicket.

God tells him, that because he did as the Lord commanded, that Abraham would be blessed with the seed as the number of stars and grains of sand, or in other words… A LOT!

Chapter 23: Sarah Dies

When Sarah (Abraham’s wife) was 177 years old she died. Abraham buys a cave for her to be buried in for four hundred shekels of silver.

Abraham buries his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre.

Chapter 24: Isaac’s Wife

Abraham commands Isaac to not marry a Canaanite, but instead commands his servant to go to Meopotamia into the city of Nahor.

Abraham tells the servant that when he comes across a lady who offers him and his camels water that she would be the one for Isaac. So the servant waits at a well and is offered water for him and his camels by a young fair virgin named; Rebekah. The servant offers her a golden earing (1/2 shekel), two bracelets (10 shekels weight) of gold. She is impressed and takes them home, where he brother Laban is also impressed and invites the man into their home. The servant than explains what his business really is and the family and Rebekah accept and head back to meet Isaac.

When Rebekah and Isaac meet eyes, she jumps off her camel to meet him. They get married and Isaac is now comforted after the death of her mother.

Genesis 19-21

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 19-21

Chapter 19: Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Lot entertains holy men, but before they are able to lay down at night, men from Sodom encircle the house and demand to see the holy men. Lot tells them that they cannot come in, but if they were to leave, he could offer then his daughters (Genesis 19:8). Those men that were demanding to see the holy men are stricken with blindness, giving Lot, his wife and his daughter’s time to leave. Because angels had told them the city of Sodom would be destroyed by the hand of God. They were commanded to leave and go to the city of Zoar, they were also commanded to not “…look not behind…” (Genesis 19:17).

Lot and his family narrowly escape Sodom when “…the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven… but his wife (Lot’s wife) looked back from behind him, and she became as a pillar of salt.” (Genesis 19:24-26)

Abraham woke up in the morning and saw Sodom and Gomorrah as “…the smoke of a furnace.” (Genesis 19:28). God remembered Abraham by removing Lot before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah.

When Lot arrives in Zoar, he and his daughters take shelter in a cave at the top of a mountain. Lot’s daughters come up with a plan to save Lot’s “seed” by getting him drunk and then “lying” with him to “preserve” his seed. The first night, Lot’s oldest daughter lies with him and then the next day she tells her younger sister to do the same thing. (Genesis 19:30-34).

In my scriptures I have Genesis 19:30-32 marked as “What?” which is an entire list of “What?” scripture stories/verses in the Bible that make you stop and think, maybe even wonder why these things are in the Bible. As we read more of the Old Testament, I will make sure to point out the odd things that you can find in the Bible. Honestly if the Bible were to be made into a movie, it would easily have an R rating. This along with other oddities that you can find in the Bible, gives me reason to believe that the Bible is not the complete written work of God. The Bible has passed through so many hands, it is hard to know what part of the Bible is really and what was added by men. Now, this particular story probably did happen, and we can see that it was probably for good reasoning, so as to preserve mankind.

Anyways, they both get pregnant and bare Lot a son, the oldest had a son and names her son; Moab, who later becomes the father of the Moabites. The younger daughter has a son as well and names her son; Benmmi, who is the father of the children of Ammon.

Chapter 20: Abimelech and Sarah

Abraham and Sarah travel to Gerar, between Kadesh and Shur. After arriving in Gerar, the king of Gerar sent for and took Sarah, because Abraham had told them that she was his sister.

But God comes to Abimelech (the king of Gerar) in a dream and tells him that he will be comitting sin if he touches Sarah, because she is another man’s wife. Abimelech tells God “Said he not unto me, She is my sister?” (Genesis 20:5), God tells him the truth and promises him that he will not be cursed because of what he had done, because he acted in ignorance. But he commands him to restore Sarah to Abraham because he is a prophet.

In the morning, Abimelech calls for Abraham and asks him;

Abimelech: “…What has thou done unto us?… that thou hast brought on me and my kingdom a great sin?…” (Genesis 20:9)

Abraham: “…Because I thought, Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my wifes sake. And yet indeed she is my sister; she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife” (Genesis 20:11-12)

Abimelech then took sheep, oxen, men and women servants and gave them to Abraham, also restoring Sarah to him and allowing him to stay anywhere that it pleased Abraham throughout the kings land.

Abraham then prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech and caused that his wife and his servants to bare children.

Chapter 21: Abraham and Abimelech

Sarah is visited by the Lord and caused that Sarah in her ripe old age to have a child. She bares Abraham a son and calls him Isaac. Isaac is circumcised by Abraham at the age of 8 days old. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born. We learn that promises of Abraham will be preserved through Isaac and not through Abraham’s other son Ishmael, who was conceived through Hagar. Hagar and her son Ishmael are cast out of Abraham’s household. Abraham gives Hagar a bottle of water and sends her and Ishmael on a journey through the wilderness of Beer-sheba. But during this journey, Hagar runs out of water and places Ishmael on the ground nearby, and starts weeping, because she does not want to watch her son die. God hears the voice/cry of Ishmael and calls out to Hagar; “…What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation. And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the lad drink.” (Genesis 21:17-19)

Ishmael grows up in the wilderness and becomes an archer. Hagar and Ishmael dwell in the wilderness of Paran and Ishmael marries a woman from Egypt.

Abraham and Abimelech deal justly with each other and make a covenant to each other to continue to deal justly.

Genesis 16-18

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 16-18

Chapter 16: Hagar and Ishmael

Sarai goes to Abram and tells him to go to her maid, Hagar and have children with her, because Sarai is unable to, and wants children. Abram does as his wife asks, this all happening 10 years from the time that they established themselves in the land of Canaan. Sarai after seeing that Hagar was pregnant with her husband’s child, gets worried that God will judge her. Sarai speaks with Abram and asks what she should do, Abram responds that she should do as she “pleaseth” with Hagar, so Sarai deals “Hardly” with Hagar and Hagar flees.

Hagar, having fled is visited by an angel of the Lord, who tells her:

That she needs to return to Sarai and submit to her.
That she will bear a son, and his name will be Ishmael.

This all happened by the fountain in Shur, which is later named “Beer-Lahai-Roi” – between Kadesh and Bered. Hagar has the child and Abram names his new son, Ishmael, as the Lord had told Hagar he would.

Chapter 17: Abrahamic Covenant

When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared unto him and Abram and God conversed (they talked and walked with each other). God tells Abram that he will no longer be called by Abram, but now by a new name: Abraham.

God tells Abraham that he will make him “exceedingly fruitful” and establishes his covenant with him. Men, starting at the age of 8 days old will be required to be circumcised, removing the flesh of the foreskin. Abraham is also instructed of the Lord to no longer call his wife Sarai, but by her new name: Sarah. God promises Abraham that through his wife Sarah, they will have a son and his name will be Isaac.

God promises Abraham’s son Ishmael that he will also be blessed, having 12 princes born unto him, making him and his posterity a great nation.

At the age of 99, Abraham and his son, Ishmael (age 13) are circumcised.

Chapter 18: Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

The Lord appears unto Abraham in the plains of Mamre, three holy men also appear unto Abraham and ask for water and bread. Abraham also fetches a young, tender calf for them to eat.

These three holy men tell Abraham that his wife Sarah will conceive a son, Sarah over-hears this and laughs in her heart, Sarah being old an unable to have children thought that this was impossible.

The Lord tells Abraham about Sarah laughing in her heart after over-hearing that she would conceive a son unto Abraham. The Lord asks Abraham; “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” – but the Lord assures Abraham that Sarah will indeed bare Abraham a son, even in her ripe old age. Abraham confronts Sarah and asks her why she had laughed in her heart, and out of fear, Sarah denies that she had laughed in her heart..

We learn that Abraham will command his children to do justice and judgment in the world. The Lord also appears unto Abraham and discusses the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham does not want Sodom and Gomorrah to be destroyed and asks God; “…If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city…” (Genesis 18:26) then will you not destroy the city? God tells him that he will not, if he can find fifty righteous men within the city. But Abraham does not stop there, he continues to ask the Lord (essentially hypothetical questions) if smaller and smaller amounts of righteous men can be found, if the Lord would still spare the city. He starts with 50, then goes to 45, 40, 30, 20 and then finally 10, each time the Lord responds that he will not destroy the city, but cautioning him to not make him angry by his constant demands.

Genesis 13-15

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 13-15

Chapter 13: Abram’s Seed

Abram leaves Egypt with Lot and Sarai. We learn that Abram was a very wealthy man, with lots of cattle, silver and gold. They return to the place where they were before reaching Egypt, between Beth-el and Hai, where he had built an altar unto the Lord.

Lot’s herdmen and Abram’s herdmen get into a fight and Abram asks Lot (to avoid more contention and fighting) to just go his own way, Lot decides this is best as well and he separates from Abram. Lot journeys to the plain of Jordan, and Abram stays behind in the land of Canaan. Abram pitches his tent toward Sodom, which we learn is full of wickedness and sin.

Once Lot and Abram were separated, God tells Abram that his seed will be numbered as the dust of the earth. God tells Abram that he can have any land he wants, and he decides to go to the plain of Mamre in Hebron, where he builds an altar unto the Lord.

Chapter 14: Melchizedek and Abram

In the days of…

Amraphel king of Shinar
Arioch king of Ellasar
Chedorlaomer king of Elam
Tidal king of the nations

Started war with…

Bera king of Sodom
Birsha king of Gomorrah
Shinab king of Admah
Shemeber king of Zebojim
Zoar king of Bela.

For twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

This battle goes on for a while, known as the “Battle of the kings”

They took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and Lot and all his goods. When Abram finds out that his nephew Lot was taken captive he takes 318 of his own men and pursues them into Dan. He continues to pursue them until he has all the goods and all the goods of Lot, Lot and his women.

Melchizedek, the king of Salem comes forth to bless Abram and breaks bread and brings wine to bless them, as he was a high priest of God. Abram gives Melchizedek tithes.

Chapter 15: Abram Receives Offspring

Abram is a little upset, because he has no offspring. He asks God in a vision why he cannot have offspring, the Lord re-assures him that if he can count the number of stars in heaven… so shall the number of his offspring be.

Genesis 10-12

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 10-12

Chapter 10: The Generation of Noah

These are the families of the sons of Noah, divided into nations after the flood.

Japeth begat: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meschech and Tiras.
- Gomer begat: Ashkenaz, Riphath, Togarmah,.
- Javan begat: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, Dodanim.
- Ham begat: Cush, Mizraim, Phut, Canaan.
  - Canaan begat: Sidon, Heth, Jebusite, Amorite, Girgasite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, Hamathite.
    - The border of the Canaanites was from Sidon to Gerar unto Gaza, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim and Lasha.
Mizraim begat: Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim, Caphtorim.
- Casluhim begat: Philistim
Cush begat: Nimrod, Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah and Sabtecha
- Raamah begat: Sheba and Dedan
- Shem begat: Eber,Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, Aram.
  - Aram begat: Uz, Hul, Gether, Mash
  - Arphaxad begat: Salah
    - Salah begat: Eber
      - Eber begat: Peleg and Joktan (and in his days the earth was divided, pangea?)
        
        Joktan begat: Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah, Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah, Obaj, Abimael, Sheba, Ophir, Havilah, Jobab.
        
        The dwelling of the family of Joktan was from Mesh to Sephar a mountain in the east.

Chapter 11: One Language/The Tower of Babel

We learn that all men on the earth spoke the same language. The people go to the land of Shinar and decide to build a city and a tower out of bricks to reach heaven. God goes down and confounds their language and causes them to not understand each other’s speech. The city and the tower is named “Babel”. God scatters the people all over the world. Remember the Jaredites in the Book of Mormon? They came from the time of the scattering of the Tower of Babel! This was after the world was “separated” as well, meaning that the Jaredites came over across the sea, and landed somewhere in the South/Central America that we know today. Some scholars say that the Jaredites left the Tower of Babel and landed somewhere in current day Peru.

Eber begat Peleg:
- Peleg begat: Reu
  - Reu begat: Serug
    - Serug begat: Nahor
      - Nahor begat: Terah
        
        Terah begat: Abram, Nahor, Haran
        
        Haran begat: Lot, Milcah and Iscah
        
        Abram and Nahor got married; the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; the name of Nahor’s wife was Milcah the daughter of Haran.Abram’s wife, Sarai was barren and unable to have children. Terah, took Abram, Lot, Sarai and went forth to Ur to the land of Canaan, unto Haran to dwell there. Terah dies at the age of 205.

Chapter 12: Abram the Great Nation

God tells Abram that he and his decedents will be greatly blessed. God commands Abram to leave from his family and go to a land that he will show him. Abram does as the Lord commands and takes his wife Sarai and his nephew, the son of Lot. They travel through the land of Canaan, through a place called Sichem and the plain of Moreh. Then passing through a mountain east of Beth-el and Hai on the east. Abram and Sarai go down to Egypt and tells her to tell anyone who asks that he is her brother, so that he will not be killed. Because the men in Egypt would take a liking to Sarai, because she was fair. When they arrive in Egypt, Pharaoh sees Sarai and desires to marry her, but Abram causes plagues Pharaoh and his house because of this. Pharaoh finds out that Abram is the husband of Sarai and commands them both to leave.

Genesis 7-9

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 7-9

Chapter 7: The Flood

Noah is commanded by God to bring with him in the Ark seven of each clean animal, male and female and 2 of every other animal that is unclean; male and female. We can find a list of clean and unclean animals in Leviticus 11.

God tells Noah that he will cause it to rain upon the earth for forty days and forty nights. Noah was 600 years old when the earth was flooded.

With the Ark built, and the animals loaded… and 125 years of preparation… they were ready for the floods to come from the“…fountains of the great deep…” and from the “…windows of heaven…” (Genesis 7:11)

The waters covered the entire earth, even the highest mountains in the world were covered by at least 22.5 feet of water (or 15 cubits). It rained for 40 days and 40 nights, and the waters prevailed on the earth for 150 days.

One cool thing that you can find throughout the scriptures (Shakespear, Bible, Book of Mormon) is Chiasmus:

“The figure of speech in which two or more clauses are related to each other through a reversal of structures in order to make a larger point; that is, the clauses display inverted parallelism. Chiasmus was particularly popular both in Greek and in Latin literature, where it was used to articulate balance or order within a text. As a popular example, many long and complex chiasmi have been found in Shakespeare and the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Bible. It is also used various times in the Book of Mormon.”

An example of this, can be found in Genesis 7:21-23

his is from my scriptures, notice that the words underlined in blue, red and green speak of the same thing.

Chapter 8: The Flood is over

The waters from the great deep and the rain from the heavens completely stops and the water starts to “drain”. The Ark is stopped by the top of the mountains of Ararat.

Noah decides to send out a raven and a dove to check for dry ground. Noah and his family wait patiently in the Ark until the dove brings back an Olive Leaf, which lets him know that the waters were completely removed from the face of the earth and dry ground did exist.

God commands Noah and his family to exit the Ark and multiply and replenish the earth. Noah, to offer thanks takes some of the clean animals (how many? we don’t know) and makes sacrifices of them before the Lord. Remember how 7 of each clean animal was saved for the Ark? Now we know why.

God responded to Noah’s sacrifice by saying: “…I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; … neither will I smite any more every thing living, as I have done” (Genesis 8:21)

Chapter 9: Multiply and Replenish the Earth

God commands Noah and his children to be fruitful and multiply the earth. God tells them that they should not shed the blood of man. God promises to never flood the earth again, this promise is given to us almost every time it rains… the RAINBOW. (Genesis 9:11-13)

Noah dies at the age of 450 years.

Genesis 4-6

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 4-6

Chapter 4: Cain and Abel

Adam and Eve “knew each other”, or in other words they were no longer innocent as children, and because of that… they were able to conceive a child, and they conceived Cain. They also had Abel who was Cain’s brother.

Cain gets upset with his brother Abel and kills him in the field. The Lord asks Cain where his brother is, and Cain essentially denies that he did anything.

The Lord curses Cain and sets a mark upon him, so that people will know that it is him. Cain is banished to the land of Nod, which is east of Eden. There, Cain conceives many children with his wife. Their first child was Enoch and after him did they name the city they started in the land of Nod.

Adam and Eve have another child named Seth to replace the loss of their son Abel. Seth has a son and calls his name Enos, and from that day forward men look unto God.

Chapter 5: The Generation of Adam

Adam lived until the ripe old age of 930, and then he died.
Seth was 105, when he conceived Enos.
Seth died at the age of 912.
Enos, conceived Cainan when he was 90.
Enos died at the age of 905.
Cainan conceived Mahalaleel when he was 70.
Cainan died at the age of 910.
Mahalaleel conceived Jared at 65.
Mahalaleel died at the age of 895.
Jared conceived Enoch at the age of 162.
Jared died at the age of 962.
Enoch conceived Methuselah at the age of 65.
Enoch walked with God for 300 years after Methuselah was Born. (Enoch was a righteous man).
Enoch died at the age of 365.
Methuselah conceived Lamech at the age of 887.
Methuselah died at the age of 969.
Lamech conceived Noah at the age of 182.
Lamech died at the age of 777.
Noah was 500 years old when he conceived his sons: Shem, Ham and Japeth.

Chapter 6: Noah and the Ark

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, the daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw that the daughters of men that they were fair…” (Genesis 5:1-2)

I get out of this scripture that it is NATURAL for a MAN to like a WOMAN and VICE-VERSA. No where do I see that it says “the sons of God saw the sons of men that they were fair”, God did not make men or women to be gay. That is not love, it is simply lust.

But, just like in today’s time we see wickedness… God was upset to the point where he said he wished he hadn’t made man on the earth. God was saddened by the wickedness of men! Therefore he decided to destroy mankind and their wickedness by using the earth to flood the earth.

“And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them, and, behold I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window thou shalt make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lover, second and third stories shalt thou make it.” (Genesis 6:13-17)

The Ark:

Width: 50 Cubits= 22.5 M OR 73.8 Ft.

Height: 30 Cubits=13.5 M OR 44.2 Ft.

Length: 300 Cubits-135 M OR 442.9 Ft.

Three Floors: 4.5 M in each floor 14.7 FT (the floor to ceiling had almost 15 ft tall rooms)

The Ark had 1 Single Window.

God tells Noah that he is going to flood the earth and that it will be his responsibility to save mankind and all life on earth through him building an ark, stocking it with animals and food and surviving through the flood.

God commands Noah to have 2 of every sort “male and female”, because without male and female there is NO LIFE.

Genesis 1-3

Posted on July 24, 2013 by zachridd Standard Reply

Genesis 1-3

Chapter 1: The Creation

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)

Day 1: “And God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Genesis 1:3) , God separated the light from darkness and “…called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night…” (Genesis 1:5)

Day 2: “And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let it divide the waters from the waters… And God called the firmament Heaven…” (Genesis 1:7-8)

Day 3: “…and let the dry land appear…And God called the dry land Earth…” (Genesis 1:9-10) “…Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit…” (Genesis 1:11-12)

Day 4: “…Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years…” (Genesis 1:14) And God gave us two lights, one to rule over the day (the sun) and one to rule over the night (the stars/moon).

Day 5: “…Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth…” (Genesis 1:20) and God commanded that all life in the sea and above the earth in the heaven to multiply and replenish after its own kind.

Day 6: “…Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth…” (Genesis 1:24) God creates all life on the earth.

“And God said, Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created them” (Genesis 1:26-27)

This part is very interesting to me, we all know that we were created in the image of God, right? Almost every single religion will attest that YES, we in fact were created in his image! So why does the world believe that God is a great “spirit”? Wouldn’t God himself have a body of flesh and blood, like us? After all we are created in His image, right? Let’s be clear, that I am not suggesting that God is on the same level with us, His children. He is our Heavenly Father and we must not seek to take his position or suggest that we are on the same level as Him. However, if we are created in his likeness, my guess would be that he looks like us, meaning he has a body, he has hands, feet, eyes, a heart…etc. But His body is perfect, whereas His children are not perfect.

We are his children and we should strive to be just like Him. One interesting part that gets me is where it says: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created them” – Does that mean that God, our Heavenly Father has a Wife? Our Heavenly Mother? It says, created “male and female” and just before that he says “Let US make man in our own image”, was God talking to his Wife? Our Heavenly Mother? Now, this is not doctrine of the LDS church, per say. But it is my TRUE belief that this is SO. After all, it would make since that we had a Heavenly Father and Mother! Right?! I like to think so.

God commanded “them” (most likely Adam and Eve)… “…Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth” (Genesis 1:28)

This tells me a few things, We have control over the earth… we as humans ARE supposed to USE the earth, “subdue” it and have “dominion” or control over everything that natural has to offer. BUT we are supposed to respect the earth by “replenishing” it. Interesting, if tree hugging hippies were actually religious they would know to use this scripture on people that say they are “religious” that may not care about the environment. Not saying that I am a hippie, tree hugging environmentalist. But I do believe that we should respect what God has given us!

AND GOD SAW THAT EVERYTHING THAT HE MADE WAS “GOOD”.

Chapter 2: Creation Complete: Adam and Eve Live

Day 7: “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day… And God blessed the seventh day, and he sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work…” (Genesis 2:2-3)

God essentially created everything Monday-Saturday and then took one day from his labors to rest, Sunday. That is why we must also rest on Sunday’s and not permit that others work. We should avoid having to go to the store, or a restaurant… so that everyone has one day of rest a week. He “sanctified” this day to be a day, we celebrate our Heavenly Father, and his Son, our Redeemer; Jesus Christ.

God planted a garden “eastward” in Eden and there, He put the man that he had created from the “dust of the earth”. God then brings Adam every beast of the field and of the earth in general and has Adam, “name” them. Adam gives a name for all of the animals and life in the earth. God sees that it is not good for man to “be alone”, so God causes a great sleep to fall over Adam, and he removes a rib from Adam to form a woman. Woman, because she was taken out of man.

God commands Adam and Eve to stay in the garden and “tend” to it, and that they can freely eat of all trees and plants, except for the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 4:24) – God marries Adam and Eve.

But we learn that Adam and Eve, were both naked and were “not ashamed”, therefore we learn that they were like little children, without knowledge of good and evil… they were innocent.

Chapter 3: The Devil Tempts Eve to Eat and She Did Eat

God leaves and Adam and Eve alone in the garden to tend to it, when the serpent (the devil), tries to beguile Eve.

The Devil: “…Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1)

Eve: “…We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die” (Genesis 3:2-3)

The Devil: “…Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Eve, saw that it was desirable, and she ate. She also did give the fruit to Adam and he did eat as well.

After eating the fruit they gained knowledge of good and evil, and knew that they were naked. God was walking in the garden, and when Adam and Eve heard him coming they hid themselves. When God asks them why, they tell Him, that it was because they were ashamed they were naked.

God finds out (even though he already knew), that Adam and Eve partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and because of this Satan (the devil/Lucifer/the serpent) is cursed above all living things of the earth.

God multiplies the “sorrows” of child-birth. He commands that by the “…sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread…” (Genesis 3:19) – We are commanded to work, and for our sustenance we must work, no such thing as a “free lunch”.

Adam and Eve are banished from their paradise and forced to the world to work, suffer; pain and sorrow… experience joy and happiness. Evil, good… light and dark.

God said: “…Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever:” (Genesis 3:22) In the Book of Mormon, we learn more about what this particular scripture means: “For behold, if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and partaken of the tree of life, he would have lived forever, according to the word of God having no space for repentance; yea, and also the word of God would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been frustrated” (Alma 42:5)

So we learn something SUPER IMPORTANT, if God would have allowed Adam and Eve to live in the Garden of Eden, they would have NEVER experience JOY or HAPPINESS! Because how can you feel joy, without knowing what pain is? OR VICE-VERSA.