The One Being Sweet, the Other Bitter

"...it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter" (2 Nephi 2:15).

The word order on this suggests that the forbidden fruit was sweet. We learn more about if the forbidden fruit was sweet or bitter in the temple. The word order in this sentence also suggests that the tree of life was bitter. The question is asked, "how can this be?"

Let's look at how the forbidden fruit can be "sweet." Adam and Eve were commanded to "multiply and replenish the earth." They were also commanded to not partake of the forbidden fruit. To multiply and replenish the earth they would need to procreate. That would involve a sexual experience with their spouse, where they would have a "sweet" experience with their spouse. That would also lead to pain, if viewed from a position of not wanting any responsibility. For Eve would have to bear the child through excruciating pain. She would then raise and nurture the child unto God. That involves some pain as she would see her child make good and bad choices. Watching her child choose the good would bring her joy and watching her child choose evil would bring her pain.

I have heard from women who are in tune with their bodies that they are now finding joy in that pain. (This is a topic for a different post).

Adam would also experience the "sweet" in the procreation process. Then he would have the pain of providing for the child.

Again, a man may find great joy in providing for his family but that takes effort to find joy in one's work.

Now, once one has partaken of the forbidden fruit, they fall. This leads to redemption only in and through Jesus Christ paying the demands of justice through the atonement. That is a "sweet" experience and joyous to the soul. When one repents, they feel the love of God for them individually. They feel they are valued of God, of Father and Jesus Christ. Father allowed them to come to earth to learn and grow through experience and this would mean they'd fall. That fall would necessitate an expiation, the atonement of Jesus Christ, which leads to redemption as one repents. That is SWEET! Anyone who has repented, changed and turned to Christ (https://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/08/the-meaning-of-repentance?lang=eng), knows of the sweet experience of true repentance.

Now, let's evaluate how the tree of life could be bitter. We know partaking of the tree of life keeps one immortal and in the state they are in. As Adam and Eve partook, they stayed in the garden as immortal beings. Once they partook of the forbidden fruit, they fell and had to leave the presence of God. They became mortal (2 Nephi 2). So that sounds "sweet," to live in the presence of God partaking of the tree of life, right? Wrong! Why wrong? Because being in the presence of God without a mortal experience means there was no opportunity for growth, no chance to exercise agency to fail or to succeed. No time to learn to prize the good. So, even though the security of the garden seemed nice, it really was "bitter" as it kept them from growth and development. It also kept them from needing the Savior to redeem them.

It is interesting to now pause and look at the two plans presented in the Grand Council in heaven. Once plan by Lucifer was that not one soul would be lost (Moses 4:1). Jesus said He would suffer the consequences of our actions but taking upon Him the demands of justice. It became "bitter" for Him for us to obtain eternal life, to be in the presence of God. Of course, His love for us outweighed the bitterness of His experience in suffering for our sins. I believe that His love for us is what gave Him the strength to carry out the Father's plan and suffer the bitterness of hell in our behalf, that we might live again and be clean again before Father. So, the tree of life really was bitter in this way too.

The real power comes in the application of this doctrine and these principles. How many times do we hold ourselves back from moving forward because of the pain or the lack of security that will come if we move forward. God's plan is not to have perfect security and comfort. His plan invites us to experience some bitterness that we might grow and develop.

There is much more the scriptures say on this topic but I'll let this be for now. Elder Dallin H. Oaks has some great insights into this doctrine, "Opposition in All Things," April 2016, General Conference.