This week in Elders Quorum we were discussing Adam and Eve. Funny last two lessons have disproved my concerns over the use of the Gospel Principles book for our lessons. Last month we got into a discussion about creation and evolution which was mildly respectful. This time we discussed Adam and Eve, the discussion was the usual story with the usual info.
Then our teacher sprung this scripture on us:
Moses 6: 59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the aspirit, which I have made, and so became of bdust a living soul, even so ye must be cborn again into the kingdom of heaven, of dwater, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and eenjoy the fwords of geternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal hglory;
60 For by the awater ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are bjustified, and by the cblood ye are dsanctified;
He demonstrated this idea of being born by blood water and spirit and how each of these things are key to your eventual death and return to God through a second birth.
Water = baptism
Spirit = the way that we are made holy though the Holy Ghost
Blood = blood of Christ and the atonement
The concept is a facinating one because it compares rebirth and birth as parts of the same whole. The circle of life, to misuse a saying. I think that is the key for the story of Adam and Eve, that whether we take the story literally or not the lesson we learn from it is eternal in nature.
We all must enter this life to meet our second estate. To go beyond that second estate we must meet the conditions in a way which has symbolic unity with the previous entrance. In a way it is beautiful in its simplicity.
