Eve in Contemplation

Eve in Contemplation

By Jenny Komenda

(after Paul-Albert Besnard)

“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

Genesis 3:6-7

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The story of Eve in the Garden of Eden is often read through the lens of loss, with Eve’s act of partaking the forbidden fruit seen as a grave error, a reckless act of disobedience resulting in mankind’s banishment from Paradise. Yet scripture itself presents her choice as not motivated by rebellion or simple curiosity, but of spiritual discernment—of a soul seeking life, wisdom, and progression. Genesis 3:6 records that the fruit was “good for food,” “pleasant to the eyes,” and “to be desired to make one wise.” Thus, her decision can more properly be seen as an act of profound faith, a brave venture into the uncertain for the greater good of God’s children.

Russell M. Nelson has taught, “We and all mankind are forever blessed because of Eve’s great courage and wisdom. By partaking of the fruit first, she did what needed to be done.” Eve, standing at the precipice of knowledge and innocence, made a choice. She did not plunge into disobedience out of mere folly but stepped forward into the unknown out of a desire for growth, however painful or challenging that growth might prove to be. She chose knowledge over ignorance, experience over innocence and, by doing so, she made life as we know it possible.  In the words of Sheri Dew:

"Eve set the pattern. She mothered all of mankind when she made the most courageous decision any woman has ever made and with Adam opened the way for us to progress. She set an example of womanhood for men to respect and women to follow, modeling the characteristics with which we as women have been endowed: heroic faith, a keen sensitivity to the Spirit, an abhorrence of evil, and complete selflessness. Like the Savior, ‘who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,’ Eve, for the joy of helping initiate the human family, endured the Fall. She loved us enough to help lead us."

It is striking that Eve is given her name – “the mother of all living” (Gen. 3:20) – only after her momentous decision to partake of the fruit. Her faith-filled action, shrouded in risk and uncertainty, set in motion the grand tapestry of human experience with all its trials, triumphs, and opportunities for growth. In this light, Eve’s act should be understood not as a fall, but as a courageous leap forward. 

In our own lives, we often face our own ‘Garden moments’. Times when we must choose between the comfort of what we know and the uncertainty of growth. We may hesitate, fearing the consequences, yet it is often through stepping forward in faith that we experience our most profound growth. Remember, even Christ Himself “learned through the things He suffered” (Heb. 5:8). In this light, we, like Eve, can embrace the uncertainty of faith, knowing that it is often through our bravest and most faith-filled decisions that we experience the most growth and transformation. In these Garden moments, let us choose, as Eve did, faith over fear, growth over
comfort, and progress over stagnation.

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