Article of Faith 2: The Fall of Adam

At First Glance

This statement sounds entirely reasonable—even reassuring. Scripture does teach that each person will give an account for their own life (Romans 14:12), and that we are not personally guilty for the sins of others (Ezekiel 18:20). There’s a built-in sense of fairness here that resonates deeply: we’re responsible for our own choices, not punished for someone else’s failure. On the surface, it feels just, balanced, and even biblical—something most Christians would readily affirm without hesitation. However, within Mormon belief the concept goes much deeper.

What This Means in LDS Teaching

In LDS theology, the Fall is not viewed primarily as a tragic act of disobedience. It is often described as a necessary and even beneficial step in God’s plan. Adam and Eve, according to this view, could not have children in their original state. Only by partaking of the forbidden fruit—and becoming mortal—could human life begin.

As stated in the Gospel Principles manual:

“Their fall was a necessary step in the plan of life and a great blessing to all of us. Because of the Fall, we are blessed with physical bodies, the right to choose between good and evil, and the opportunity to gain eternal life.”
(Gospel Principles, 1997, p. 33)

This perspective reframes the event entirely:

“The privilege of mortality… is the principal gift given by the fall of Adam and Eve.”
(Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant)

Some LDS leaders have gone even further:

“I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin… This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin… for it was something Adam and Eve had to do!”
(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation)

In this framework, the Fall is sometimes described as a “fall upward”—a step forward, not downward.

The Critical Difference

This is where the two views part ways in a very serious manner.

These are not two ways of describing the same event. They are two completely different interpretations of what went wrong—and why the world is the way it is.

What This Means About Human Nature

This difference doesn’t stop in the Garden. It carries directly into how we understand ourselves.

In LDS teaching, because the Fall is viewed as a necessary step forward, human beings are not seen as fundamentally fallen—but as inherently divine in nature, with the potential to become gods. This idea has even been expressed in LDS teaching materials and music. A well-known line from a Young Women’s song captures it simply:

“My nature is divine.” 

That phrase may sound uplifting—but it reflects a very different starting point than what the Bible teaches. Scripture does not describe humanity as divine in nature. It describes humanity as fallen.

“The heart is deceitful above all things…”
(Jeremiah 17:9)

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
(Romans 3:23)

This does not mean people have no value. We are made in the image of God and deeply loved by Him.

But we are not born divine. We are born into a condition that needs redemption.

What Scripture Reveals

The Fall Was Disobedience

God’s command in the Garden was clear:

“From the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat…”
(Genesis 2:17)

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they did not fulfill a necessary step. They violated a direct command from God. The Bible defines sin plainly:

“Sin is lawlessness.”
(1 John 3:4)

The Result Was Death — Not Progression

Scripture does not describe the Fall as a blessing. It describes it as the entrance of death into the world:

“Through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin…”
(Romans 5:12)

Because of Adam:

• Humanity became subject to death
• Sin entered the human experience
• Separation from God became the human condition

All Humanity Was Affected

While we are not guilty of Adam’s personal act, we are all affected by its consequences.

“For as in Adam all die…”
(1 Corinthians 15:22)

This is why every human being struggles with sin. Not because we are neutral… but because we are born into a fallen condition.

Eve Was Deceived

The New Testament adds an important detail:

“Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning.”
(2 Corinthians 11:3)

If the Fall were a necessary and positive step, then deception would not be part of the story. But Genesis records the serpent’s promise:

“You will not surely die… you will be like God.”
(Genesis 3:4–5)

That promise should sound familiar. It echoes the very desire later attributed to Lucifer himself: to become like God.

Why This Changes the Gospel

This is where everything connects.

If the Fall was a step upward, then salvation becomes a process of continued progression.

But if the Fall was a real fall, then salvation is rescue.

The Bible presents the second picture:

“By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”
(Romans 5:19)

Adam brought death.
Christ brings life.

Not by helping us progress into godhood—
but by rescuing us from sin and restoring us to God.

A Gentle but Important Question

Was the Fall a blessing… or was it the moment everything broke?

Your answer to that question will shape how you understand:

• yourself
• sin
• and the need for Jesus

Final Thought

Many people have never stopped to examine this. They’ve simply assumed the story in Genesis is being interpreted correctly. But once you begin to look closely, you may find that two very different stories are being told:

The LDS one says:
“You are here because things went right.”

The Biblical one says:
“You are here because something went terribly wrong… and God stepped in to make it right.”

Only one of those leads to the gospel of grace.