A theology paper and a few must reads

This week I had to write a theology paper for my Hebrew Scripture Study class and I was originally going to write it on either the temple (Solomon's, not our current ones) or the sacrificial system. Luckily, I was also visiting my fabulous SIL while the kids were one spring break and finally got to start reading "Eve and the Choice made in Eden," by Beverly Campbell. I was quickly inspired to change my topic and here is the result. I also got to start an oh-my-gosh-you-have-to-read-this- series called "Standing in Holy Places," by Chad Daybell. Here is the publisher's description because I can't do any better:

'Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints . . .' (D&C 84:4)

In the near future, Tad and Emma North and their children live in a United States that is growing increasingly wicked. The Norths and their extended family notice that many Latter-day Saints are being deceived by alluring temptations, and they wonder how much longer the Lord will allow American society to continue its downward spiral.

Then comes an invitation from Church leaders for the Saints to gather together. This invitation isn't well-accepted--and even openly mocked--but those faithful Church members who trust in the Lord soon find themselves accomplishing monumental tasks. Join these humble yet heroic Saints as they embark on an unprecedented journey to build New Jerusalem.

The Great Gathering, the first novel in the Standing in Holy Places series, paints a vivid picture of exciting prophesied events that still must occur before the Second Coming. If you have an interest in what awaits the members of the LDS Church, this series should definitely be on your reading list!

So far only two books are out and there are going to be five. The third one comes out this summer. Everyone has to read this! Drop whatever book you are in the middle of and order this one! Jsut to warn you, he doesn't take a whole lot of time for character development which made me a little crazy and it took me longer to get all the characters straight, but the meat of the story is so incredible and extremely inspiring to get those 72-hour kits put together!

Here's my paper. Enjoy!

A Theological study of Eve

To some she is known as Mother Eve and others see her as the one who is to be blamed for all the worlds' problems. Some see her as a divine individual and others see her as weak. I believe that Eve and her story is one of the most misunderstood in all of time and that misunderstanding is the basis of all thought that women are less than men. How is it that a gender that is seen as the Mother of All Living in the Bible is also viewed as shameful in some cultures?

Eve was not an afterthought. "And God said, Let us make man in our 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. (Ch.1 vs.23) "….but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." (ch. 2 vs. 20) God knew that the only way for the earth to be inhabited was for there to be male and female and for both of them to be given dominion over the land and all the beasts that dwelt there. Eve was given to Adam as a helpmeet, not as someone for him to reign over. A definition of helpmeet is a partner who helps and a partner is one who is equal to the task at hand. Partners are joint in their goals and ways of reaching those goals. Eve was given to Adam to be his partner and for them to work together in the goals they had in their life.

"And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." (Ch. 2 vs. 22-23) Does this tell us that Eve was a literal creation from a part of Adam? Or is this figurative? The Hebrew word tsela, which is what is translated as rib, actually means "side." Also, every other use of the word in the Hebrew canon is in reference to a sacred object such as the Temple, the Tabernacle or the Ark of the Covenant. By using this same word to refer to Eve, we can learn that she and Adam were created as two equal beings by the master builder. In the book of Jeremiah, he speaks of 'keepers of my tsela', which he means to be bosom friends or inseparable companions. If we then apply this same meaning to Eve, we know that she was not made from the rib or out of the rib but that she was the rib. "And the rib….made he a woman…" (Ch.2 vs. 23) The Lord made Adam's closest and most trusted companion to be a woman, Eve.

Before Adam and Eve were given the commandment to not partake of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were first given the commandment to multiply and replenish the earth. They knew what their goal was, but had no knowledge of how to get there. "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." (Ch. 2 vs. 25) They were not ashamed because they were like little children, not knowing the physical differences between them and what needed to be done for them to multiply. It wasn't until they had partaken of the fruit that their eyes were opened and they were given the knowledge necessary for them to reach their goal. If Eve, and subsequently Adam, had not eaten the fruit mankind never would have been born. It's not that we would all be living in paradise in the Garden of Eden, we would not be living at all. Adam and Eve were given the freedom to choose just as we all have the same in our lives. Eve inherently knew that if she didn't choose to eat the fruit, she would never be able to fulfill her higher purpose which was to bear children.

The pains of childbirth are not a punishment for the sin that was committed by Eve. We read in the scriptures many times that there is to be opposition in all things, Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Pain and Pleasure, Life and Death. If Adam and Eve had stayed in the Garden they would have continued to exist in immortality, a state of limbo. There had to be the opposition of death for there to be birth. The oppositional process of creating children is no different. While there is pleasure in the creation of them and the raising of them, there is also pain in the process of bringing them in to this world and pain in the sorrow they can rent upon the hearts of their parents.

While many claim that Eve's act in the Garden was one of sin and defiance for which women need to be punished, we can learn that woman's place next to man is a revered one. One that is equal in honor to Adam. Women were not created as a weak sidekick to the burly strength of men, but were created to help, lift, and work alongside during the trials and perils of life.