This week, for my General Conference Odyssey post, I get to write about my thoughts from Russell M. Nelson’s talk, “Lessons from Eve,” from October 1987.

While growing up, I was taught that everything was Eve’s fault. If she hadn’t let herself be tricked by Satan women would all be in much better shape. Women blamed Eve. And men used Eve as an excuse to mistreat women.

I believe only our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has always worked toward setting the record straight. Our prophets have all spoken highly of Eve’s sacrifice. And they have always recognized the importance the Fall is to the Plan of Salvation.

Satan continues to influence people into thinking that there is a war going on between men and women. But this is just one of his many lies. We have to readjust our worldly thinking and see the war for what it really is.

When the Family Proclamation came out, we didn’t realize then what we realize now, that families are under attack. Satan is doing all he can to separate men and women. If he can disrupt families and marriage, and introduce the idea that two men or two women can find happiness, then he has succeeded in preventing Heavenly Father’s children from coming to earth. That’s it in a nutshell. Satan doesn’t want children to be born and end up choosing Jesus again, over him.  

This is what Pres. Nelson said to Young Single Adults a few years ago:

Your faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel will give you the courage to marry and to bring children into your family while you are young and able to have them. When you are my age, you will prize your children, your grandchildren, and their children above any fame or fortune that otherwise might have come.  

Eve was the one who made that choice. That correct choice. She opened the door for the Plan of Salvation to begin. Because of her action Heavenly Father’s children can all come down to earth to receive their bodies and their eternal ordinances and choose their Savior, Jesus Christ.

Some of you may be aware I just wrote a book. In it, I mention a poem Eliza R. Snow wrote about how courageous Eve was and how she stands with holy honor throughout time because she ate the fruit first (it’s on pg. 68). After praising Eve for her courage and eternal glory, Eliza ends the poem with these words:

Eve, herself, confirms her own understanding of why she partook of the fruit in Moses 5:11.

Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.

In his 1987 talk, Elder Nelson says this, speaking to us women.

We thank you as mothers or potential mothers for your partnership with God in providing life. Without women, the whole purpose of the creation of this world would be in vain.

He said this same thing again, as our prophet, just last conference.

Let me be very clear about this: if the world loses the moral rectitude of its women, the world will never recover.

Eve was truly inspired and insightful in her action to eat the fruit. It allowed all of us to be born. We honor her courage by marrying, having children, and teaching our children about our Savior, Jesus Christ. By following this eternal pattern, we too will be called courageous.