Old Testament Lesson 36: The Glory of Zion Will be a Defense

So who was Isaiah? We have few clues. The bible tells us that he was the prophet during the time of 4 Judean kings - Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He was a prophet for a span of close to 50 years, maybe more. And there is some suggestion that Hezekiah was his son-in-law and that Hezekiah's son Manasseh (Isaiah's grandson) killed Isaiah by putting him in a hollowed out tree trunk and having him sawn in half (cf Heb 11:37). So much for being able to enjoy your grandkids!

Isaiah's name means "Jehovah is salvation" and it is clear his name, ministry and life were meant to help point to Christ. Now before we start studying Isaiah it might be worth noting that 16 chapters of Isaiah are quoted in the Book of Mormon. For the next 5 lessons we will be studying Isaiah. The Saviour encouraged us to study Isaiah in 3 Nephi 23:1-3 ( I know some of us would prefer he had said the Book of Jarom or Omni) but interestingly although Nephi encourages a study of Isaiah also, he seems to recognize that people not of Isaiah's time and culture would struggle to understand his words. 2 Nephi 25:1-4. According to Nephi what is the key to understanding Isaiah?

The Great Isaiah Scroll of Qumran

Isaiah 1 we are told is a vision Isaiah had concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
What is the state of the people in v.2-4? rebellious, ignorant, sinful, evildoers, corrupted, gone away backward. Dumber than the dumbest animals - ox and ass.
What does that phrase "gone away backward" suggest?

How spiritually sick are the people? v.5-6 the whole head and the whole heart (leaders and the people) and notice what ails them - head is sick (unrighteous) hear is faint (weak and unrighteous), from head to toe it is ridden with wounds bruises and putrefying sores that have not been bound and closed or soothed with ointment. Based on that analogy what are the people sorely lacking? A good doctor? (cf Psalms 147:3). Who could heal them? And yet they hadn't even applied a band-aid yet. Why do people avoid repentance and healing?

What does he tell the people to do that are in this state? v.16-19 Repent, clean up.
v.18 "come now, and let us reason together" When? NOW. Don't delay.

v.29-30 alludes to the shrines set up and built with oak trees in gardens for idol worship
v.30 tow=tinder

Then he moves away from them and starts discussing the last days.

Isaiah 2:2-4 mountain of the Lord house to be established in the tops of the mountains.
It is interesting to note that when the Salt Lake valley was first settled, those that settled there wanted to call the region Deseret. However the US government in granting statehood insisted it be called Utah in common with their practice of naming states after the tribal people common to that area. Little did they realize they were helping fulfil this prophecy in Isaiah. Utah in the Ute language means "the top of the mountains".

Zion and Jerusalem to be the two centres of the Millenium. One the legal and judicial centre (constitutional) and one the spiritual centre (scriptural).
A world of peace and happiness is shown where there is no more war.

Why did Isaiah share this vision of the last days after telling people how sick they were? v.5  has the answer but try comparing to 2 Nephi 12:5 it's an invitation. You are wicked and suffering the calamities of your wickedness but there is a better way and one day it will be better. You can experience this if you walk in his light.

v.6-9 But currently you get your light and replenishment from psychics, eastern philosophies, marrying outside of the temple, your focus is on money, you have more cars and armies than you know what to do with, and you have sports idols, pop idols, movie idols and worship man-made things. Even your poor are proud! You give more credence to your own things than to the things of God. Google and Wikipedia are valued more than scripture. Which did you use more this week? We are far from the simple desire of the Lord's prayer - "give us this day our daily bread!" We chase riches and build armies in our vain efforts to self-preserve and forget the great Deliverer has promised us salvation and preservation if we just trust in Him.

What is the advice given if that is your state or condition in life - Hide! Crawl under a rock and hide! (cf Alma 12:14)

v.10. Why?
v.11-17 Because all the mighty and proud will be brought low. Cedars of Lebanon, Oaks of Bashan, Ships of Tarshish. All trees. Trees represent man. No matter how great you are, how powerful, how good-looking, how rich, He will bring you down!
v.10 and v.19 why will they hide? For fear - they will recognize he is greater than anything they put their trust in. Notice also it will be too bright for them..where do they go to hide? In dark places. Will their idols save them? No! v.20 in fact they are thrown to moles and bats. What do moles and bats have to with this? They also live in darkness and are blind!

And what is the lesson the Lord would have us learn from all of this? v.22  "Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils..." We are nothing, we live - carried along by a mere puff of air. Can we save ourselves? NO. Only he who is mighty to save can save mankind, through the great atonement.

Notice that Isaiah 2 has two great heights that can be reached in life - the tops of the mountains where you will find the Lord's house OR the loftiness of man (pride). Which are you closest to scaling?

Isaiah 3 is a continuation of the vision Isaiah had and here he is told in vision that the Lord will take away his support from the people. He will no longer feed them, taking away the wise and replacing them with immature leaders v.1-4

v.16-26 even the women are guilty of pride and being followers of fashion more than faithful followers of their God. They will be shamed and their families torn apart by war.

How great will be the desolation and destruction according to Isaiah 4?   7 women will ask 1 man to give them his name. Don't feed or clothe us just let us belong. (v.1) Only the righteous will be left in Jerusalem and Zion.
v.5-6 Every home (dwelling place), every congregation of his people (assembly) shall be protected by a pillar of fire at night, and by a cloud and smoke during the day. What else will be there - a tabernacle (temple). How is it described? As a shadow from the sun and heat, a cover from rain and storms and a place of refuge. Could we use a place to get away from the storms and the stresses of our life? Could we do with having a place of refuge and protection for us? Go to the temple!

Isaiah 5:1-7 The Lord now compares his people to a vineyard. How did he look after it? Built a fence (protection and defence), gathered out the stones (made life a rich place to grow for us) planted the choicest vine (the best, the chosen people were given for their roots Abr. 3:22-23), built a tower in the midst (a place of gathering and a sign of God's presence in our midst - the temple), made a winepress (gave us challenges to bring the best out of us). What was the result - sour grapes! What was the Lord's reaction - take away the protection and stop looking after it.
v.8-24 a expansion on who these sour grapes are.
wo unto them that call evil good, and good evil:

Spencer W. Kimball

Jesus Christ our Lord is under no obligation to save this world. The people have ignored him, disbelieved him, failed to follow him. They stand at his mercy which will be extended only if they repent. But to what extent have we repented? Another prophet said, "We call evil good, and good evil." Men have rationalized themselves into thinking that they are "not so bad." Are they fully ripe? Has the rot of age and flabbiness set in? Can they change? They see evil in their enemies, but none in themselves. Even in the true Church numerous of its people fail to attend their meetings, to tithe their incomes, to have their regular prayers, to keep all the commandments. We can transform, but will we? It seems that we would rather tax ourselves into slavery than to pay our tithes; rather build protections and walls than drop to our knees with our families in solemn prayers night and morning. (Conference Report, Oct. 1, 1961, p.31)

v.25 his hand is still stretched out against them - there is more destruction to come.
v.26 in the last days an ensign will be lifted and people will gather to it swiftly with the aid of young lions (missionaries).

LeGrand Richards

Since there were no such things as trains and airplanes in that day, Isaiah could hardly have mentioned them by name, but he seems to have described them in unmistakable words. How better could "their horses hoofs be counted like flint, and their wheel like a whirlwind" than in the modern train? How better could "Their roaring...be like a lion" than in the roar of the airplane? Trains and airplanes do not stop for night. Therefore, was not Isaiah justified in saying "none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken"? With this manner of transportation the Lord can really "hiss unto them from the end of the earth," that "they shall come with speed swiftly." (A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, p. 236)

Isaiah 6
Isaiah is called of God but feels unworthy of his call saying he has unclean lips and lives among people with unclean lips. How was Isaiah made worthy? v.6-7 Where did the coal come from? Why was it hot? What does the coal symbolize?

Once cleansed and purified Isaiah answered his call saying, "Here am, I send me" alluding to the Saviour's own mission call in the pre-existence.

Our first study of Isaiah has been a study full of symbols and imagery. But it is clear that the wicked are being called to repentance. The righteous are promised great blessings and all can still be saved through the cleansing power of the great atonement.
As we are cleansed, attend the temple and live the commandments we will find that the Lord's Glory will attend us and will protect us.

Old Testament Lesson 33: Sharing the Gospel with the World

Jonah 1-4, Micah 2, 4-7

Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Fasting Jews gather to worship in their synagogues. Of all the sacred scripture available to them, they read the book of Jonah on this day. Why?

The main message of Jonah is that God's gospel is for ALL people and that no matter what your mistakes may be, if you return unto Him there is mercy and forgiveness waiting.
Today's lesson focuses on the Book of Jonah and its relevance to us today. We will also study the words of the prophet Micah.

Jonah 1:1-3 it's a fair assumption that Jonah was not singing "I'll Go Where You Want me To Go" when he received his mission call. Why not? What made a prophet of God turn down his mission call?

Ninevah is right on the banks of the Tigris in Northern Iraq. Ninevah is on the opposite bank from where modern day Mosul is today. Going there, as it is today, would have been fraught with danger. 

From an earthly perspective, it is no surprise that Jonah decided to get on a ship and head in the opposite direction toward Spain. But it was not the danger of the mission that turned Jonah away from his proselyting duties. Rather it was Jonah's worry that these heathens, who had caused his people so much pain, would be forgiven and given the same gospel blessings he had. He wanted to see Ninevah destroyed. Read Jonah 4:2 Why did he flee? Because he knew that God was a "gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." This is quite amazing from a prophet and shows that Jonah is not really understanding of the true power of the Atonement. The Atonement was not a demonstration of God's love for his chosen people Israel. The Atonement was a demonstration of God's love for EVERYBODY! (cf. John 3:16) Jonah did not understand this. He was angered that those not "chosen" could be shown mercy and salvation. Jonah believes that sinners should be punished. It is a thought prevalent among all religions today including our own. Sinners should be punished. But the Lord believes sinners should be given a chance to repent and shown forgiveness. For all our cries of justice, the Lord ever answers with mercy.
So in fleeing, Jonah is declaring he wants nothing to do with a God who will not punish people. Why was Jonah swallowed by a great fish? Many will suggest it was punishment. NO!  The great fish was a means of salvation for Jonah. Rather than a punishment the great fish saved Jonah. Jonah was shown mercy by the Lord and by the sailors who tried everything they could to save him. Jonah 1:17 The Lord had "prepared" the great fish. Jonah sat in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Imagine, being in the belly of a fish in the depths of the sea, trapped. Would you really think you were going to escape? You are waiting to die. You are as good as dead - living but as good as dead. 3 days Jonah experienced this only to be delivered on dry land. What should that teach us about the Atonement? Surely it teaches us that no matter what depths you plunge to, no matter what darkness you become a part of, no matter how long you are gone, you can still be delivered! Jonah got that lesson. At least on a personal basis. He cried unto the Lord in his darkness and he was rescued. The lesson he did not get was no matter who you are...you can be rescued.
As Latter Day Saints I think we are all aware of the saving graces of the Atonement in our own personal lives. But do we sometimes judge and discern for ourselves who is and who isn't worthy of that Atonement? Have you held back from sharing the gospel with a neighbour because they are just not the type? Have we given up on a less-active because they just don't appreciate it or make it difficult for us to do our duty? Do we sometimes react like the elder brother of the prodigal son when the Father's mercy and love enfold the repentant, quietly wishing our consistent righteousness would be noticed more?  

Jeffrey Holland speaking of the older brother of the prodigal son said,

"In the story of the Prodigal Son, we can miss, if we are not careful, the account of an elder son, for the opening line of the Savior’s account reads, “A certain man had two sons”—and He might have added, “both of whom were lost and both of whom needed to come home.”

This [older] son is not so much angry that the other has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. …

No, he who has virtually everything, and who has in his hardworking, wonderful way earned it, lacks the one thing that might make him the complete man of the Lord he nearly is. He has yet to come to the compassion and mercy, the charitable breadth of vision to see that this is not a rival returning. It is his brother. As his father pled with him to see, it is one who was dead and now is alive. It is one who was lost and now is found.

Who is it that whispers so subtly in our ear that a gift given to another somehow diminishes the blessings we have received? Who makes us feel that if God is smiling on another, then He surely must somehow be frowning on us? You and I both know who does this—it is the father of all lies…It is Lucifer, our common enemy, whose cry down through the corridors of time is always and to everyone, “Give me thine honor.”"

Jonah, for all his weaknesses was a prophet of God. His record is not here for us to condemn him, but rather as a reminder to ask ourselves whether we are active messengers of this gospel of mercy or whether we withhold it for those whom only we deem prepared and worthy? It stands as a true testimony of God's love for all - a witness that God's mercy and love, his Atonement, covers ALL who are willing to repent.

Jonah waits hopefully for Ninevah's destruction

Compare Jonah 3:1-3 with Jonah 1:1-3. Jonah has at least learned enough to go on the mission he is called to. He decides going to Ninevah is not so nearly as bad as rotting in the belly of a fish for 3 days and nights. He preaches repentance but is thoroughly disappointed when the people of Ninevah repent and are saved.

The book of Jonah finishes in a very odd way. It finishes like no other book of scripture - with a question.

It also follows chiasm patterns:
A.Go and preach against the wicked Ninevites
   B.Jonah sins; not wanting Ninevah to be saved
      C.Jonah repents and is delivered by the Lord
      C.Ninevah repents and is delivered by the Lord
   B.Jonah sins; not wanting Ninevah to be saved
A.The Lord asks "Should not I spare Ninevah?"

Remember the point of chiasmic literature is to focus the reader on the central point. Interestingly though the end question here is also asking the reader to consider the books central theme of repentance and mercy. Should God cease being God by not offering mercy and salvation? If Ninevah is not to be saved, who else must therefore not be saved, by the same logic?
Jonah's answer is never recorded. It does not matter because the purpose of scripture is to ask the reader the question. Like Jonah, we all must learn that to be worthy of the Lord's mercy we must be able to be merciful.

Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah and preached repentance to both the Northern Kingdom of Israel as well as the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Like Isaiah, much of his prophecy has dual meaning, warning the people of his day while also prophesying of latter-day events.
Micah 2:1 describes a time when people eat, sleep and breath evil. Even when they sleep they are devising wicked plans to gain property and wealth and power over other people. Despite those perilous times what promises does the Lord make with his people in Micah 2:12-13? How are these promises being fulfilled today?

Micah 5:7 How does the Micah describe the Lord's people? How can the image of dew or showers upon the grass be compared to the effects of church members on the world? What does it mean that these dews "tarrieth not for man"?
Micah 5:8 How does Micah describe the Lord's people? What does this image suggest about the strength and power of the Lord's work? Who could stop it?
In 1842 the Prophet Joseph Smith declared,

“No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).

That seems like a lot to live up to? Does the load seem heavy you are called to bear? How might Micah 6:6-8 be a comfort to those of us who can feel overwhelmed?

Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God. That's it. And in return we have a God who will love us and show mercy to us. Micah 7:18-19.
So today we have discussed how the Atonement and God's mercy covers EVERYONE who wishes to repent and embrace the gospel message, we have spoken of how in the Latter-Days we will be called to help spread this message and gather in those who wish to hear this message. The message is a simple message. Elder Russel M Nelson described it as a message that was announced 194 years ago with just seven words: "This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him". Whatever age we are, whatever we do in life, whatever our circumstances, we can share this message. It does not have to be forced or contrived. We just have to be willing to go where he wants us to go, and do what he wants us to do and say what he wants us to say. His message is a message of love and compassion and mercy and it is a message for everyone.

Let me finish with a story told by Elder Henry B Eyring,

"A family moved into a house near us. The   home was new, so I was part of the crew of   Latter-day Saints who spent a number of   nights putting in landscaping. I remember the   last night, standing next to the husband of   the family as we finished. He surveyed our work and said to us standing nearby, “This is the third yard you Mormons have put in for us, and I think this is the best.” And then he quietly but firmly told me of the great satisfaction he got from membership in his own church, a conversation we had often in the years he lived there.

In all that time, the acts of kindness extended to him and his family never ceased because the neighbors really came to love them. One evening, I came home to see a truck in his driveway. I had been told they were moving to another state. I approached to see if I could help. I didn’t recognize the man I saw loading household things into the truck. He said quietly as I drew near, “Hello, Brother Eyring.” I hadn’t recognized him because he was the son, now grown older, who had lived there, married, and moved away. And because of the love of many for him, he was now a baptized member of the Church. I don’t know the end of that story because it will have no end. But I know that it begins with love."

Old Testament Lesson 4: Because of My Transgression My Eyes are Opened

Michelangelo's "God and Adam"

A serious study of the fall of Adam and Eve must include the question of why it was even necessary in the first place.
I decided this week to frame the doctrine of the fall of Adam and Eve in terms of another doctrine that seems completely opposite to where the fall appears to take us - Perfection. In doing so I hope to answer the question of why the fall was necessary, in a way that might be new to you and may enable you to ponder this great event in more detail.

The seedling
In Genesis 1:26-27 we learn that Adam and Eve were created in God's image, after his likeness. Do you notice the similarity in language between the other creations created "...yielding seed...after his kind" and Adam and Eve that are created in God's image, after God's likeness. Of course, this is not just a species commonality but the very likeness and image of gods, it's far more personal but nevertheless the point is obvious - we are of the same seed as God! As we explore further we discover that within us we have two specific ingredients that are God's and that make us His children and He our Father:

• Our Spirit
• Light 

Our Spirit: We each were born spiritually of heavenly parents - a heavenly mother and a heavenly father, inheriting from our heavenly parents divine spiritual qualities (for more scriptural evidences of this feel free to follow this link). Some may have received heavenly father's and heavenly mother's ability to discern and understand, or their ability to care and be compassionate, or maybe to forgive and love. 
Light: We also each received a portion of his light when we were born to our surrogate mortal parents. (cf Moroni 7:16-18). This light is in our very DNA. Like any seed, for us to grow to our full potential we must let that light nourish us and we must yearn and strive towards more light if we are to reach our full potential as a divine seedling. It is this portion of light within us that actually guides us towards the greater light; and it is this very journey that enables our growth. (For those wishing to go deeper into a study of spirits and light, read Doctrine and Covenants 93:29-38).

With these two divine ingredients we are created like God and have the potential to be as God.

Does this make us Gods? No. But it does make us Gods-in-embryo. Do we have the potential to grow and develop or evolve into Gods eventually, at some point in the eternities? Absolutely. For people caught up in the depths of darkness in this world that is a powerful and enabling doctrine. If you take nothing more from this lesson, take this: every person, every one, has that potential. Whether it is you sat on the internet right now in your warm house and eating a snack, or someone else sat on a hot barren plain in Africa with no food, or another person lying cold in the early morning hours behind a dumpster with an empty bottle of alcohol - every single one of us is a God-in-embryo.
When I ponder that I feel so many emotions: immense gratitude, self-respect, determination, sorrow, forgiveness, frustration and I start to feel just a little how Alma felt as he wished he were an angel, that he might declare these tidings more clearly to all mankind at once. This knowledge can be life-changing.
So this is the seedling. Us, mankind. We are the seedling.
                                                                                                                                        
 
Adam, Eve, and perfection
Now do you remember how at the beginning I said that I would like to discuss the fall within the context of perfection. Well, to do so we must first clarify and distinguish the two different aspects or definitions of perfection:

1. without sin or blemish
2. complete, whole

As we study the fall, differentiating between these two aspects of perfection will be vital in understanding why the fall was necessary. Ask yourself these questions:                Were Adam and Eve perfect when they were created and placed in the garden of Eden? To answer this question you may need to answer the following two questions.
In what ways were Adam and Eve like God, immediately after their creation?
They were spirit, intelligences, given a body in a paradisaical state, with both the likeness and image (form and shape) of God, without blemish or sin.
In what ways were Adam and Eve NOT like God, immediately after their creation? 
They had no knowledge of good and evil (that is they did not understand the difference for themselves), they had no posterity, and their body was of a substance or matter that was not resurrected immortal material but merely eternal. They were not yet complete as to their eternal purpose.

In short, they were LIKE God but not yet AS God. 

Now read the Saviour's admonition as he taught what has become known as the sermon on the mount:

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect" Matthew 5:48

Is there any doubt what is intended for us in the long run? Heavenly Father intends for us to ultimately be without blemish or sin AND to reach our fullest potential - that is perfection.
Thus He does not intend for us to be LIKE him but rather he intends for us to be AS him.

Eden, the philosopher, the fall
It seems clear that Adam and Eve, though perfect creations and being without sin and without blemish, were not complete in regards to their ultimate purpose. God knew this and set up a classroom in which Adam and Eve could learn this.

Read Moses 3:8-9
What kind of classroom is the Lord setting up, what do you think the focal point of the classroom will be?  

God also issued some basic class rules:

"be fruitful and multiply" Moses 2:28

"Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Moses 3:16-17

Notice that Eve elaborates further on this commandment, telling Satan that God had told them that  "Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it, lest ye die." Moses 4:9
What do you think would have happened if Eve just touched it and then put it back?
Why did the Lord forbid them from even touching the fruit?
How can we relate this to our lives?

There is an interesting insight with the second commandment. God starts by pointing out all of the other trees in the garden which, he tells Adam, they may "freely eat". The key word is "freely" or in other words without consequences.
The same cannot be said of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam may choose for himself to eat of it but there will be consequences and God has forbidden it.

Joseph Fielding Smith once put this conversation between God and Adam into his own words. He said, "The Lord said to Adam, here is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If you want to stay here then you cannot eat of that fruit. If you want to stay here then I forbid you to eat it. But you may act for yourself and you may eat of it if you want to. And if you eat it you will die."

So with that setting, the Lord God then allows the guest speaker into the classroom. 

Now notice how Satan tempts Eve in Genesis 3:1-5. He tempts her by telling her a lie and a truth to confuse and muddy her determination. He lies by telling her that "ye shall not surely die".
Well, actually she will.
As things stood in the garden, Adam and Eve could go on eternally in their current state not tasting death. God had clearly stated that if they eat the fruit of that tree it would introduce them to death. So telling Eve that if she eats the fruit she wont die, is a big fat lie from the father of all lies (about as big and fat as lies come). But then he emphasizes the truth of what will happen "your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be AS gods, knowing good and evil."
This clearly indicates that even Satan knew there was potential for mankind not just to be LIKE God but to become AS God. How has this doctrine been lost to the world?
But teaching Eve the doctrine of her potential, backfired on Satan. It's an astonishing lack of cautiousness from Satan that seems to imply that he really thought he had a good chance of destroying God's plan right there at that moment in the garden of Eden. Moses tells us as much when he comments that at that point, Satan "knew not the mind of God" (Moses 4:6).

Genesis 3:6 How did Eve reason herself into taking the fruit?

• it was edible 
• it was desirable
• it would make her wise. 

Without a distinction between good and bad she can only use the facts in front of her. The fruit was edible, it was pleasant (as God had made it), and now Satan had also informed her that it would take her one step closer to becoming as God. Is it any surprise she partook of the fruit?

Likewise, we can only presume that Adam chose to eat the fruit for the same reasons...except we have one other fascinating clue to his reasoning and for all you romantics out there this is as good as it gets!
When explaining to God why he ate the fruit, Adam says something often missed even by Latter-Day Saints. Genesis barely hints at it, but in the translation of Genesis that we call the Book of Moses we read this:

"And the man said: The woman thou gavest me, and commandest that she should remain with me, she gave me of the fruit of the tree and I did eat" Moses 4:18

Clearly in Adam's mind the higher priority was staying with Eve. Seeing she had eaten and would "die", he chose to die with her rather than remain in the garden alone. Maybe he knew death would not be instantaneous and that this was also a way for them to be fulfill the other commandment to be fruitful and multiply, but clearly in his mind his priority was to stay with Eve. What a beautiful example of pure love from our first parents.

Be clear. No sin was involved here. Any notion of "original" sin or any sin is blatantly false and does not do justice to the great honour we should hold both Adam and Eve in.
Not having a knowledge of good and evil they could only obey or disobey, as a little child obeys or disobeys the command to leave the cookies alone. Sure it was wrong and it had consequences but it was not sin.

James E. Talmage said "Here let me say that therein consisted the fall -- the eating of things unfit, the taking into the body of the things that made of that body a thing of earth: and I take this occasion to raise my voice against the false interpretation of scripture, which has been adopted by certain people, and is current in their minds, and is referred to in a hushed and half-secret way, that the fall of man consisted in some offense against the laws of chastity and virtue. Such a doctrine is an abomination. What right have we to turn the scriptures from their proper sense and meaning? What right have we to declare that God meant not what He said? The fall was a natural process, resulting through the incorporation into the bodies of our first parents of the things that came from food unfit, through the violation of the command of God regarding what they should eat." (Jesus The Christ, p30)

Dallin H Oaks added to that the following:

“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. …

“… We celebrate Eve’s act and honor her wisdom and courage in the great episode called the Fall. … Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said: ‘I never speak of the part Eve took in this fall as a sin, nor do I accuse Adam of a sin. … This was a transgression of the law, but not a sin.’ …

Consequences of the fall
But this transgression has left them in a bit of a state on the perfection front. Now, not only are they not complete but they are now as some would see it dirtied and sullied with mortality. Perfection seems further away than ever...except that wondrously, within the Great Plan, they are actually closer to perfection than in Eden.

Consider what happened as a consequence overall:

• Mankind is now introduced to the world and mortality with its physical trials and hardships and temptations and death.
• Having, now, the ability to distinguish between good and evil and choose either, sin (or spiritual death) is also introduced. 
• No longer able to endure the presence of God in their mortal state, mankind are separated from Him. 

Specifically Eve is told that her pain and sorrow will greatly multiply as she bears children and Adam too is told that he will feel great pain and sweat as he has to labour to provide for him and his family. Interestingly, neither Adam or Eve are cursed or punished here.
Of Eve we are told that the serpent is cursed so that her seed will be able to crush it (thus prophecying of Christ's victory of Satan).
Of Adam, we are told that the ground is cursed  "for thy sake"(I'm not sure why the ground was cursed). It is an interesting turn of phrase. Whatever it means, it does seem to imply that the consequence of the ground being cursed and Adam now struggling for his existence was actually a good thing.

Metaphor of the seed
Consider a seed: Even a seedling today follows the same process that Adam and Eve did. The seed is formed in the plant or on the tree. When the time is right the plant or tree dispels that seed whereupon said seed, through one process or another, falls to the ground. As part of this process it goes into the earth and there finds the perfect setting of nutrients, external darkness and internal light to help it develop and intuitively know to stretch, to extend itself, to reach towards the greater light above. Thus imbued with the characteristics of the plant or tree it came from, it is perfectly capable of becoming a tree or plant as strong and as beautiful as the tree or plant it came from. And thus capable of producing seed as did the tree or plant it came from.

Similarly in our lives as divine seedlings we come to earth -  we are plunged into a world of darkness (or temptation) but there are also many things around us that can help nurture and nourish us. We too are imbued with characteristics from that source which gave us life and we have been given a portion of his light that we might know from whence we came and recognize and feel the need to push toward the greater portion of light above the surface of the earth. It is in this very struggle that we can eventually become that which we were born from. There is no other way. Eternal laws of nature decree it. Thus it was as necessary that the fall happen, as it is that a seed fall from a tree or a plant if it wishes to grow and become a tree or plant itself.

Perfection: pipedream or possible?
Are we perfect? Can we be fully perfected in this life? It seems hard to fathom. And yet we have a commandment suggesting we be perfect?

It seems altogether clear that to become as God (not just "like" God) we must learn and evolve and grow and then after all we can do, we must rely upon the saving merits and grace of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. There is no other way. We only grow by pushing beyond our current limitations - hence "because of my transgression my eyes are opened".
Even Christ, the Great Redeemer in this plan, had to study and learn in this classroom we call mortality. (Doctrine and Covenants 93:11-14). He was without sin - that much we do know or else he could not have been the Saviour of the world. But scripture seems to tell us even the Saviour had to go through mortality (condescend/fall) before being considered "perfect" or before becoming AS God (not just "like" God). The verse "...and the third day I shall be perfected" in Luke 13:32 seems to suggest the Saviour himself felt he was waiting to be perfected.
Even more telling is the sermon Christ preaches to the Nephite people AFTER his atonement and resurrection. It is pretty much the very same sermon he gave on the Mount as recorded in Matthew 5-6 except for one very interesting, small detail. When he gives the command to be perfect to the Nephites he uses himself as an example of perfection

"Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." 3 Nephi 12:48

Adam and Eve fell so that mankind might exist and so that they might have a chance not only of being LIKE God but experiencing the joy of being AS God and Jesus Christ. 2 Nephi 2:25