Our First Parents Adam and Eve

I believe the scriptures are a wonderful place to look to find examples of valiant women who honored their role as wife and mother. Since March is designated as National Women in History month, I have decided to honor a few of the significant women who have played important roles in the history of the world.

One of the greatest women to have come to this earth is Eve. Eve is the ultimate example of the word mother, for she was designated “the mother of all living.” Being given the title of the first mother, Eve naturally can be looked to as a model for all mothers to follow.

Joined together as husband and wife, she and Adam in obedience lived by the perfect pattern, set by the Lord, for all families to follow. Being symbolically formed from the rib of Adam, Eve became a lateral partner with her husband. Working side by side in equality Adam and Eve raised their children in righteousness, teaching them, making “all things known unto them.” Such is the job of righteous parent throughout all time periods.

As partners, Adam and Eve became co-creators with Deity, to build and organize bodies of mortal men. This partnership made them literal parents, or progenitors, of the entire human race. As their children we can all fondly call them Father Adam and Mother Eve. Thus the Lord declared, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be done flesh.” The pattern for procreation was clearly established on this earth, patterned after what was in Heaven before.

Eve was created in the image of God, and deemed “very good” by Him. She learned to call upon the Father in the name of the Lord as she learned to pray. She and Adam blessed the name of the Lord, and were taught the law of sacrifice as it pointed to the last great sacrifice, Jesus Christ. These concepts of prayer, calling upon the Father through Jesus Christ, and offering sacrifices, they lovingly taught their children.

As a mother, Eve knew the heartache of loss. She understood the effects of both the spiritual death and the physical death, learned very clearly through the example of her children Cain and Able. Eve also knew great happiness and joy in her posterity with the gift of an obedient child in Seth. She understood the blessing she received, in that, a righteous posterity would continue on the earth through his line. Eve received all the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoyed all of the gifts of the spirit. As a great mother and teacher she sought to prepare her posterity for all the same blessings she enjoyed.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated:

"Thus, in the beginning, the perfect pattern is set for perfecting the family. The man and the woman are together in worship; they are together in teaching their children; they are together in establishing the family unit that hopefully will endure in the eternities ahead, thus giving eternal life to all those who earn it."

In a time where the sanctity of marriage may be in question, and the importance of the role of mother is at stake, I am grateful for the example set by our righteous first parents, Adam and Eve.