If God created Eden to be a perfect place for his perfect people why did he put an evil tree and snake in it Did he set us up for failure on purpose or was this a oversight on his part?

Answer

God made good and evil the snake did what he did on his own and Adam and Eve didn't have to listen to the snake they made the decision to eat the fruit so no it was not a setup.

Answer: According To Mormon theology

Gods plan was not frustated by the actions of Adam or Eve. They were specially chosen to be placed upon this earth because God knew what they would do under given situations. They were also told to magnify and replemish the earth, this they could not do unless they transgressed to law by partaking of the forbiden fuit.

Satan spoke through the mouth of the serpant, and Eve, using her agency, reasoned that it was neccassery to partake of the fruit so that they could fulfill the commandment to have children. Adam also saw that the reasoning of Eve was correct. Remember, up intil then they were not as we are, they did not have to eat because they were at that time immortal. A change had to come over them so that Gods plan would work, if not they would have remained in the garden forever.

Adam and Eve had to make a choice, and as soon as they partook of the fuit they became human, and so Gods plan was put into action.We have to be grateful to our first parents otherwise the knowledge that passes through this site would never have been known.

One last mention about their action. It was not a sin but a trangression of a law.

Answer

The Earth is a place where we are tested whether we will or will not serve God. We learn best through experience and decision making.This is also a chance for us to grow and to grow we need opposition. Just like a weight lifter uses more weights to get stronger. So did Adam and Eve have to have opposition to see if they would grow. God is perfect and knew what we would need to help us grow. Since he is perfect and is his law is;if we come here to be tested and make mistakes; we cannot return to his presence. He knew we would make mistakes and Jesus offered to pay the penalty and allow us to return.

There are conditions we have to continue to try, repent, take on his name "become Christians",and follow all the examples he set. We are here to make choices. His plan is perfect. We can now know right from wrong, good from evil, bitter from sweet. We all have different tests as well. Some suffer physical disabilities, some struggle with faith, we all struggle with the temptations of a physical body and its mortal limitations, and the temptations it provides and the temptations of the adversary Satan who does exist.

This helps us towards perfection and through stick obedience, love, prayer (because he does answer; maybe not when or how we want but he does),repentance,and humility we can all get there. Its our choices that are not perfect not the lord.

So there was a plan and a loving Father who offered a way we could return to him even if we made mistakes. Don't forget a wonderful savior Jesus Christ who paid the penalty of our imperfections just because he loves us just like his father God.

Answer

This is a common discrepancy, had the Christian god created the perfect human we would have been flawless in any and every aspect known, choice would have been ruled out by logic, in reference the biblical story was to point out that humans have choice and how the god gave 2 humans the ability to choose on their on.

Answer from a Christian Perspective

With respect to some of the presuppositions of the question they are not quite correct since everything that God created was originally stated to be 'very good'. Thus the tree in the midst of the garden was indeed very good, as would have been the serpent originally. The serpent was somehow a personification of Satan, or else inhabited by him, for the purpose of getting mankind to join in his rebellion, which occurred sometime after his creation.

The fact that man fell by heeding the lies of the serpent is not God's fault but mans. God did not force man to sin, but gave him a free will so that he would serve God as a real person and not a robot. Man chose to and the sad fact is that we would all have done the same if in the same position, just as people deliberately choose today to be in rebellion against their maker.

Thus man was not 'set-up' but chose to ignore God's clear command and exercise his free choice against his maker, who evidently considered free will an important aspect of the perfection of man. Since God is Himself a totally 'free agent' in the sense that He decides things for Himself, according to His nature. Man similarly, has the ability to make decisions and not just be ruled by instinct, although of course man is not a spirit and also is fallible.

According to the Bible and contrary to Mormon theology the fall into sin was firstly not necessary for them to 'become human.' They each were fully human from the moment they were created by God. It is quite contrary to Christian theology to suggest that the fall was either good or necessary. It was neither. If it was good then there would have been no need for Jesus to come as the redeemer from sin.

In addition, Adam and Eve did not have a pre-existent state before they were created by God in Eden. This also is not Christian or Biblical but Mormon theology. Thus, the fall was definitely not part of God's purpose to redeem man or perfect him, whereas the sending of Jesus Christ was.

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