Eve, known as the “mother of all living” (Moses 4:26), holds a pivotal place both in the Bible and in the context of the Book of Mormon’s teachings where she is acknowledged as the first woman and together with Adam, the progenitors of the human race. The narrative of Eve in the Book of Mormon is largely consistent with the Genesis account, found in the brass plates that the prophet Nephi obtained during his family’s exodus from Jerusalem. These brass plates contained the five books of Moses, confirming the creation of the world and the role of Adam and Eve as the first parents (1 Nephi 5:11).
The Book of Mormon expounds on Eve’s role in the Plan of Salvation. It speaks of the Fall, explaining that there “must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life” (2 Nephi 2:15). Consequently, Eve’s choice to partake of the forbidden fruit, while portrayed as a transgression, is also depicted as a crucial part of God’s greater plan for humanity, setting into motion the possibility for mankind to experience both joy and redemption (2 Nephi 2:15-20).
The Fall brought both temporal and spiritual consequences, severing Adam and Eve’s immediate communion with God and casting them out of the Garden of Eden to a world where they would experience mortality (Alma 42:2-15). However, within the context of the overall gospel narrative presented in the Book of Mormon, Eve’s decision, under the temptation of the devil, is seen as an important step towards fulfilling God’s plan by introducing the opposition needed for moral agency and growth through the experience of good and evil.
Moreover, Eve’s actions are echoed through the framework of mortality as they enable the propagation of the human family, thereby furthering the divine commandment to “multiply and replenish the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Her legacy is thus integral to the human experience and is revered in the Latter-day Saint scripture not only as the genesis of human life but also as an example of the intricate balance of agency, opposition, and divine providence in the journey of God’s children towards eternal life.