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GARY This following statement is present in the 1997 version of Gospel Principles but was omitted from the 2009 version:
"Because Satan had introduced evil into the world, Adam and Eve and their children were separated from God both physically and spiritually."

What specific evil did Satan first introduce to Adam and Eve?
Helaman 6:30 says Satan is the author of all sin.
What first sin do you believe Adam and Eve committed on Earth?

JOEL - That Gospel Principles statement may have been removed to make a correction. Satan did not really introduce evil in the world. The potential for evil existing is always there when man has been given the knowledge of good and evil. "For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam" (Mosiah 3:19)

Satan may be the author of sin but he did not introduce it to Adam and Eve. Once they knew the difference between good and evil they committed the sins authored by Satan on their own. He did not have to show them how to sin or describe what sin is. Besides that first transgression of partaking the fruit, the Bible does not really say what their first sin was, once they were able to tell right from wrong.

GARY- In "Teachings of Presidents of the Church" - Joseph F. Smith, chapter 10.
"Death came upon us without the exercise of our agency; we had no hand in bringing it originally upon ourselves; it came be-cause of the transgression of our first parents. Therefore, man,who had no hand in bringing death upon himself, shall have no hand in bringing again life unto himself; for as he dies in consequence of the sin of Adam, so shall he live again, whether he will or not, by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and the power of his resurrection. Every man that dies shall live again.

And this:

"Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God the Eternal Father. He is our Creator. He is our Teacher. He is our Savior. His atonement paid for the sin of Adam and won victory over death, assuring resurrection and immortality for all men.. His atonement paid for the sin of Adam and won victory over death, assuring resurrection and immortality for all men." What think ye of Christ?

So did Adam sin or not?

JOEL - Transgressions can mean the same as sins depending on the context, but I was always taught that what Adam did could not really be called a sin but only a transgression of a commandment. "We believe that we will be punished for our own sins and not for Adam's transgression." (A of F 2)

Adam disobeyed a commandment of God but you can't really call it a sin because he did not know the difference between right or wrong yet. The ability to choose between right and wrong is a requirement for someone to willfully and intentionally commit sin. On those few places where church leaders or manuals use the word "sin" regarding what Adam did, they may have used that word so the rest of the Christian world would know exactly what they are referring to.

Elder Richard G. Scott differentiates the two words:
"Broken law from sin or transgression causes anguish of mind and heart from an offended conscience. Knowing that all of His spirit children save His Only Begotten, Jesus Christ, would unintentionally (transgression) or intentionally (sin) violate His laws, our Eternal Father provided a means to correct the consequences of such acts. (Elder Richard G. Scott, Peace of Conscience and Peace of Mind)

Neither Adam nor Eve seemed to look upon what they did as a sin when they learned the consequences, as reflected in their words after they learned the consequences.

"Adam said: `Blessed be the name of God, for because of my transgression my eyes are opened, and in this life I shall have joy, and again in the flesh I shall see God.'
"Eve said: `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.' (Moses 5:10-11)

That's why I don't personally consider what Adam did was a sin. ?

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