[For a color coded version of this essay with pictures, see this document.
RS Cre - Handout NoDeathBeforeFallEvolutionists, to try and squeeze their theory into God’s word, claim that the paradisical state was before the creation and was merely the pre-mortal spirit realm. But the creation clearly happened before the fall. Adam and Eve were physical beings on the physical earth when they fell. When Adam ate the fruit, the entirety of creation fell into the condition of mortal flesh.
The Bible Dictionary entry on the Fall of Adam explains that the fall was a literal historic event: “Latter-day revelation supports the biblical account of the fall, showing that it was a historical event that literally occurred in the history of man.”
Not so for the evolutionists, they insist that Adam’s fall is merely an allegory for coming to earth.
President Dallin H. Oaks taught, “When Adam and Eve received the first commandment, they were in a transitional state, no longer in the spirit world but with physical bodies not yet subject to death and not yet capable of procreation. They could not fulfuill the Father’s first commandment without transgressing the barrier between the bliss of the Garden and the terrible trails and wonderful opportunities of mortal life. … The Prophet Lehi explained that “if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen” (2 Ne. 2: 22) but would have remained in the same state in which he was created. “And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin” (2 Ne.2:23) But the Fall was planned, Lehi concludes, because “all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things” (2 Ne. 2:24) It was Eve who first transgressed the limits of Eden in order to initiate the conditions of mortality. Her act, whatever its nature, was formally a transgression but eternally a glorious necessity to open the doorway toward eternal life. Adam showed his wisdom by doing the same. And thus Eve and “Adam fell that men might be” (2 Ne. 2:25).” (President Oaks, The Great Plan of Happiness, Oct.1993, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1993/10/the-great-plan-of-happiness?lang=eng)
Elder Soares recently taught, “Christ graciously fulfilled the will of the Father through His infinite and merciful sacrifice. He overcame the sting of physical and spiritual death, introduced to the world through the Fall, (2 Ne. 2:22) offering us the glorious possibility of eternal salvation.” (Elder Soares, Jesus Christ: The Care Giver of our Soul, April, 2021, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2021/04/41soares?lang=eng)
A friend of mine told me an evolutionist in the church challenged her to come up with teachings from the prophets against evolution within the last 5 years. Read ‘em and weep, mission accomplished. The Christian picture is clear: God made the Earth, animals, and man, then the fall occurred, then death entered the world. Why this gentile-spirited man needed a witness from within the last 5 years is foreign to me, but there he has it.
The doctrine of no death before the fall appears in all four of the Standard Works of scripture. What more witness do we need?
For starters, The Book of Mormon has a lot to say about no death before the fall. Surely this is one reason why President Benson taught, “the Book of Mormon exposes the enemies of Christ [and] confounds false doctrines” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Ezra Taft Benson [2014], 132).
2 Nephi 2:22-23 is a key passage from the Book of Mormon against evolution, wherein the prophets Lehi teaches about the impossibility of death and birth before the fall of Adam: “22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end. 23 And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.” (2 Ne. 2:22-23)
This scripture indicates that both Adam and other forms of life on Earth (“ALL THINGS”) would have remained in their same created state if the fall hadn’t occurred.
Again: Alma 18:34: “Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true;”
Indeed, if man in the beginning was in the image of God, there was no need for him to transform through the ages from lower life forms. There he was – fully formed man, IN THE BEGINNING! No time or need for death before the fall! How beautiful is the truth! How simple and sweet and glorious is the power of God!
Alma 12:23-24: says, “23 And now behold, I say unto you that if it had been possible for Adam to have partaken of the fruit of the tree of life at that time, there would have been no death, and the word would have been void, making God a liar, for he said: If thou eat thou shalt surely die. 24 And we see that death comes upon mankind, yea, the death which has been spoken of by Amulek, which is the temporal death; nevertheless there was a space granted unto man in which he might repent; therefore this life became a probationary state; a time to prepare to meet God;”
Alma 42:9 says, “9 … the fall had brought upon all mankind a spiritual death as well as a temporal, that is, they were cut off from the presence of the Lord, …”
This scripture indicates that both Adam and other forms of life on Earth would have remained in their same created state if the fall hadn’t occurred.
Pearl of Great Price: Moses 6:48: “And he said unto them: Because that Adam fell, we are; and by his fall came death; and we are made partakers of misery and woe.”
Doctrine & Covenants: D&C 77:6-7, 12: “6 Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals? A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence. 7 Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed? A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.” 12 “Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation? A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.”
Knowing this limit on the temporal life of Earth from the D&C, we know there was no life before that point. No birth, no death. If the temporal lifespan is 7,000 years, that means outside of that window of time, there was no temporal life. In other words, no birth or death before it.
The Bible is not silent on this topic either.
Genesis 3:17-20 shows even plant life was impacted by the Fall of man, and that Eve was the mother of ALL living: “17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. 20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.”
Romans 8 :21-22 speaks of all of creation being cursed: “21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 26, and 45 speak of Adam as the first man, and as death entering the world at his Fall: “21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.”
Romans 5: 12-14 also teachings these doctrines of death originating from sin of man: “12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”
Why any faithful Latter-day Saint would question a doctrine taught in all four of the standard works is a mystery to me. Yet Ben Spackman, an ardent evolutionist in the church, has made it his quest to try and explain away these plain and precious teachings. In case the scriptures weren’t clear enough, many latter-day prophets have taught this doctrine as well. For him and those like him, no amount of inspired prophetic teachings will do. He wrote a large paper about his opinion of President Joseph Fielding Smith and other prophets being wrong about evolution. Oh well. Let them be. We will just keep proclaiming God’s word and the teachings of His prophets, which are one and the same.
The 1st Presidency published in 1972 in “Selections from Answers to Gospel Questions” that “The animals were all created and placed on the earth preceding the coming of Adam and Eve. In fact the whole earth and the creatures on it were prepared for Adam and Eve before Adam’s fall…. The earth and all upon it were not subject to death until Adam fell…. It was through the fall of Adam that death came into the world.” (pp. 53-54, 111)
In the aforementioned “Selections from Answers to Gospel Questions,” at least 35 passages from “Man: His Origin & Destiny” are suggested. Joseph Fielding Smith teaches against death before the fall at length in his Origins book (pp. 2, 50-51, 279-280, 328-329, 357-358, 362-365, 376-377, 381, 384, 387-396, 463-464).
Brigham Young echoed this teaching, that all life, not just human life, was cursed at the time of the fall: “they transgressed a command of the Lord, and through that transgression sin came into the world. . . . Then came the curse upon the fruit, upon the vegetables, and upon our mother earth; and it came upon the creeping things, upon the grain in the field, the fish in the sea, and upon all things pertaining to this earth, through Man’s transgression.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 10:312)
Harold B. Lee also taught that the fall of Adam impacted the entire Earth, including animal and plant life: “Besides the Fall having had to do with Adam and Eve, causing a change to come over them, that change affected all human nature, all of the natural creations, all of the creation of animals, plants—all kinds of life were changed. The earth itself became subject to death. … How it took place no one can explain, and anyone who would attempt to make an explanation would be going far beyond anything the Lord has told us. But a change was wrought over the whole face of the creation, which up to that time had not been subject to death.” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Harold B. Lee, 2000, p. 20)
Bruce R. McConkie demonstrated that the creation before the fall was paradisical, and not based in evolution. He said, “There is no salvation in a system of religion that rejects the doctrine of the Fall or that assumes man is the end product of evolution and so was not subject to a fall. True believers know that this earth and man and all forms of life were created in an Edenic, or paradisiacal, state in which there was no mortality, no procreation, no death. In that primeval day Adam and Eve were “in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.” (2 Ne. 2:23.) But in the providences of the Lord, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:25.) By his fall, Adam introduced temporal and spiritual death into the world and caused this earth life to become a probationary estate.” (The Caravan Moves On by Elder Bruce R McConkie) (https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1984/10/the-caravan-moves-on?lang=eng&query=evolution#watch=video)
John Taylor taught that before the Fall of Adam, animals all got along. Does this sound like survival of the fittest? Take a look: “Now, restoration signifies a bringing back, and must refer to something which existed before . . . when a prophet speaks of the restoration of all things, he means that all things have undergone a change, and are to be again restored to their primitive order, even as they first existed. . . . “First, then, it becomes necessary for us to take a view of creation, as it rolled in purity from the hand of its Creator; and if we can discover the true state in which it then existed, and understand the changes that have taken place since, then we shall be able to understand what is to be restored. . . the beasts of the earth were all in perfect harmony with each other; the lion ate straw like the ox—the wolf dwelt with the lamb—the leopard lay down with the kid—the cow and bear fed together, in the same pasture . . . . all was peace and harmony, and nothing to hurt nor disturb, in all the holy mountain.. . . the earth yielded neither noxious weeds nor poisonous plants, nor useless thorns and thistles; indeed, every thing that grew was just calculated for the food of man’ beast, fowl, and creeping thing; and their food was all vegetable….This scene, which was so beautiful a little before, had now become the abode of sorrow and toil, of death and mourning: the earth groaning with its production of accursed thorns and thistles; man and beast at enmity . . . . Soon man begins to persecute, hate, and murder his fellow; until at length the earth is filled with violence; all flesh becomes corrupt, the powers of darkness prevail . . . But men have degenerated, and greatly changed, as well as the earth.” (John Taylor, The Government of God.” [Liverpool: S. W. Richards, 1852], 105.)
Wilford Woodruff and other prophets also taught that all animals fell as part of the Fall of Adam, which I won’t include here for brevity.
Joseph Fielding Smith taught that the Earth was peaceful, and there weren’t millions of years of death before Adam: “The Lord pronounced the earth good when it was finished. Everything upon its face was called good. There was no death in the earth before the fall of Adam. I do not care what the scientists say in regard to dinosaurs and other creatures upon the earth millions of years ago, that lived and died and fought and struggled for existence. When the earth was created and was declared good, peace was upon its face among all its creatures. Strife and wickedness were not found here, neither was there any corruption.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, Volume 1, p. 108)
Joseph Fielding Smith taught that animal life also fell at Adam’s fall, and that before the fall, neither man nor animal had blood: “Thus when man fell the earth fell together with all forms of life on its face. Death entered; procreation began; the probationary experiences of mortality had their start. Before this fall there was neither mortality, nor birth, nor death, nor — for that matter — did Adam so much as have blood in his veins (and the same would be true for other forms of life), for blood is an element pertaining only to mortality.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man: His Origin and Destiny, pp. 362-365; Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 76-77)
Spencer W. Kimball expounded upon this concept, that finer substance than blood was in man’s body before the fall: “As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. Adam and Eve transgressed a law and were responsible for a change that came to all their posterity, that of mortality. Could it have been the different food which made the change? Somehow blood, the life-giving element in our bodies, replaced the finer substance which coursed through their bodies before. They and we became mortal, subject to illness, pains, and even the physical dissolution called death.” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, 44.), (Spencer W. Kimball, “Absolute Truth”, Ensign, September 1978, given at BYU, see https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/spencer-w-kimball/absolute-truth/)
Harold B. Lee and other prophets also taught that Adam had no blood before the fall, but I won’t include all the quotes here for brevity.
Joseph Fielding Smith demonstrated modern education’s rejection of both the fall and atonement. He said, “Adam, our first parent,—and I believe that doctrine very firmly, which is now discounted in the world—through his transgression brought into the world death, and through death came suffering and sin. The first death that was pronounced upon him was banishment from the presence of the Lord. For Adam died two deaths, a spiritual death, or banishment from the presence of God, which is the first death, and which is like the second death which will be pronounced upon the wicked when they are cast out of the presence of the Lord; and he also died the mortal death. Modern education declares that there never was such a thing as the “fall” of man, but that conditions have always gone on in the same way as now in this mortal world. Here, say they, death and mutation have always held sway as natural conditions on this earth and everywhere throughout the universe the same laws obtain. It is declared that man has made his ascent to the exalted place he now occupies through countless ages of development which has gradually distinguished him from lower forms of life. Such a doctrine of necessity discards the story a Adam and the Garden of Eden, which it looks upon as a myth coming down to us from an early age of foolish ignorance and superstition. Moreover, it is taught that since death was always here, and a natural condition prevailing throughout all space, there could not possibly come a redemption from Adam’s transgression, hence there was no need for a Savior for a fallen world.” (Melchizedek Priesthood, Joseph Fielding Smith, Improvement Era, 1937, Vol. Xl. May, 1937. No. 5)
Remember a recent message from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland affirmed the reality of the fall. (Jeffrey R. Holland, April 2015, Where Justice, Love, and Mercy Meet (churchofjesuschrist.org))
Joseph Fielding Smith put it succinctly, “If there is anybody here that believes that death has always been going on, and that sin was always here, he will have a difficult time to explain Adam and the fall, or the atonement.” Doctrines of Salvation, 1:119-120.)
In view of the many scriptural and prophetic teachings of no death existing on Earth before the fall, Elder Bruce R. McConkie asked, “Can you harmonize these things with the evolutionary postulate that death has always existed and that the various forms of life have evolved from preceding forms over astronomically long periods of time?” (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, June 1, 1980, https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie/seven-deadly-heresies/)
The obvious answer is no. No harmony can exist between Christianity and evolution theory. Any attempts to mesh the two, although perhaps well-meaning, result in weaker faith in the word of God.
No Death Before the Fall: Letter from Joseph Fielding Smith to a Missionary
(Special thanks to Ben Spackman referring to this letter in some of his research (despite Spackman taking the position against NDBF), and special thanks to Daniel Burdette for going and tracking down the letter, which is now public, from the Church History Library. The following are excerpts from the letter.)
from the Church History Library: Elder Joseph Fielding Smith to missionary David S. King, Jan. 5, 1940:
… In your letter to Elder Lyman you repeated in substance what you said to me that “there is a conflict between the unanimous verdict of science ** and the doctrine of Mormonism ** that man appeared first about six thousand years ago,” etc.
While I am not in a position to admit that the “unanimous” verdict of scientific men, is to the conclusion that organic evolution is correct, it is conceded that the vast majority of them hold to this view, and that living things upon the earth, all related, date back many millions of years ago. It must also be conceded by any reasonable thinking person that there is most definitely a conflict between these teachings and the teachings in the revelations, and they cannot possibly be harmonized, try as we may to bring such a thing to pass.
We as members of the Church, are left then, to reach one of the following conclusions:
1) The overwhelming voice of scientifically trained men is true and the revelations of the Lord are false dealing with the origin of things, including man.
2) The overwhelming conclusion of scientifically trained men is wrong because it is in conflict with the revealed word of God in relation to the origin of things, including man.
3) That the Lord in his limited wisdom has not caught up with the knowledge possessed by scientific men, and must modify His views as science reveals to him its revelations, and as progression among mankind is made. In other words, belief in God is a progressive process which changes and is modified as man advances.
4) There might be this other ground, but it is not in any sense consistent: That the Prophets misunderstood the word of the Lord and their revelations are only partly true and contain matters expressing the prophets’ opinions and we are to judge whether the matter is a revelation or an opinion merely by our reason and scientific conclusions. I think you must agree with me that such a thought as this is out of the picture. We must confine our views to one of the first two.
The overwhelming conclusion of scientifically trained men is wrong because it is in conflict with the revealed word of God in relation to the origin of things, including man.
If a person has a convincing testimony that the Lord did actually speak to Joseph Smith and call him to be His prophet, then he must, it seems to me, accept the revelations which have come through that prophet. Therefore, whatever is taught in the world, no matter how universally, that is in conflict with those revelations, must be erroneous.
President Joseph F. Smith once said in answer to those who believed in these theories: “The Church holds to the definite authority of divine revelation which must be the standard; and that, so-called ‘science’ has changed from age to age in its deductions, and as divine revelation is truth, and must abide forever, views as to the lesser should conform to the positive statements of the greater; and further, that in institutions founded by the Church for the teaching of theology as well as other branches of education, its instructors must be in harmony with its principles of doctrine **.
The truth persists, but the theories of philosophy change and are over thrown. What men use today as a scaffold for scientific purposes from which to reach out into the unknown of truth, may be torn down tomorrow, having served their purpose; but faith is an eternal principle through which the humble believer may secure everlasting solace.” President Joseph F. Smith, Era 14:549-551. Again President Smith said: “There is no science, nor philosophy, that can supersede God Almighty’s truth. The Lord has said, ‘My word is truth,’ and indeed it is; and I believe that the Latter-day Saints know enough about the word of God to know it is his word when they see it and shun whatever is not; and they will abide by every word of God, for it is truth. As the Savior said, ‘If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ I believe that the Latter-day Saints, and especially the leading men in Israel have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the principles of the gospel that they know the truth, and they are made free by its possession – free from sin, free from error, free from darkness, from the traditions of men, from vain philosophy, and from untried unproved theories of scientists, that need demonstration beyond the possibility of doubt.
We have had science and philosophy through all the ages, and they have undergone change after change. Scarcely a century has passed but they have introduced new theories of science and philosophy that supersede the old traditions and the old faith and the old doctrines entertained by philosophers and scientists. These things may undergo continuous changes, but the word of God is always true, is always right. I want to say to you that the principles of the Gospel are always true –the principle of faith in God, of repentance from sin, of baptism for the remission of sins by authority of God, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost; these principles are always true and you cannot get away from them. No other name, under heaven, is given, but that of Jesus Christ, by which you can be saved or exalted in the kingdom of God.”-
Personally, I would like to have you ponder over a few vital problems having much to do with the fundamental doctrines of our faith. The scriptures say: “I know that, whatever God doeth, it shall be forever; nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it.” Eccl. 3:14. This thought seems to find ample confirmation in D&C 29:23-25. We learn from Moses 3:5-9, that everything was created in the spirit before it was naturally upon the earth and in this statement in Sec. 29, the truth is revealed that everything is entitled to receive the resurrection. “Not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand.”
Now the fundamental doctrine of the Church is that death was brought into the world through the transgression of Adam. See 2 Nephi 2:22. And the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the result of Adam’s transgression.
The question is—If life first began on the earth millions of years ago, and that all things have developed from the simple forms of life to the complex forms that we see today, and if all down those ages every creature was dying how was death brought about in the beginning and down through these ages? What creature fell and brought death before the time of Adam?
If death was always here from that beginning millions of years ago and came naturally without any fall from some higher state, then by what manner of reasoning can a person justify the resurrection of these creatures including primitive man? They could not have any claim on the atonement of Jesus Christ for that comes by reason of the fall 2 Nephi 9: 6-7.
If death was always here, then how can we lay the charge to Adam? But considering all things, would it not be a good thing for you to read the first chapter of James verses 5-7? I am sure the Lord can direct a person in this matter if he seeks sincerely as well now as he did in the day of Joseph Smith. Again I commend to you the words of Moroni: Moroni 10:3-5. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost you may know the truth of all things.” I am sure the Lord will not tell one person that the theory of organic evolution is true and another person it is false. Then again, let us remember that we always have the guidance of that which the Lord has revealed. Should not this out weigh all the philosophy and theory and doctrine gained by man through uninspired research?
Now I trust you will receive this in the spirit in which it is intended. I will long remember my visit with you in England as being a very pleasant occasion. I have thought of you frequently and pray that the Spirit of the Lord may be your constant guide. If it were possible I would like to sit down with you and consider all of these things calmly and in the spirit of prayer.
Very Sincerely Your Brother, Joseph Fielding Smith
Missionary David S. King responds:
You mentioned a certain letter which President Lyman showed to you, and which evidently prompted the letter which I received from you to-day. I wrote that letter to President Lyman either before, or shortly after I had had that conversation with you in London. Since then I have done much thinking and praying on the subject, and my mind is somewhat more clarified. After examining the scriptures, and some of the references you have sent me, my mind has swung far over toward the direction of accepting the scriptures literally. I would far rather place my faith in the Lord and in His revealed word than in the findings of scientists. People too often erroneously imagine that the age in which they live has a monopoly on truth, and that the latest findings of the scientists will inevitably stand for all time, unchallenged.
The problem that is worrying me now, more than any other, is the fact that the Saints as a whole are drifting away from the fundamentals of the gospel. Their knowledge of the scriptures is shockingly little.
I certainly did appreciate the interest you took in my spiritual orientation, President Smith. I shall never forget it. … Please give my kindness regards to Sister Smith, who was so wonderful to all the British missionaries. …
Your sincere friend and fellow-servant,
David S. King
And again David S. King writes:
This is just a brief note to thank you sincerely for sending me an autographed copy of your book “the Progress of Man”. I deeply appreciate the effort you have made, and the time you have spent, to send me instructive letters to guide me in my spiritual growth.
Very Sincerely and Respectfully yours,
David S. King
