God planted a beautiful garden and put Adam and Eve there. They were very happy, but Satan, that wicked old serpent, came in to spoil their happiness and to ruin God’s fair creation.
God had said they could eat the fruit of any tree in the garden except “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” If they ate of that tree, they would surely die.
Now the serpent was very cunning, and he told Eve that they would not die. Instead they would become wise like God Himself. Poor Eve believed Satan’s lie instead of God, and she ate the forbidden fruit. She gave some to Adam and he ate, too. At once they knew they were naked, for sin had given them a bad conscience. They sewed fig leaves together and made aprons to wear.
Soon they heard God’s voice as He walked in the garden, and they hid from His presence behind the trees. “Where art thou?” God asked. “Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat?” Adam then blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.
God put a curse on the serpent. He told Eve she should have pain and sorrow. Adam, He said, would have to work hard for a living, for earth would no longer be like this beautiful garden. He would die and his body return to dust.
But God loved them in spite of their disobedience and covered them with coats of skins in place of their fig leaves. Then He sent them forth from the garden, never to return, for He placed angels with flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life.
ML-12/12/1976