Adam & Eve Hope in Covenant Child Episode Fifteen

Adam and Eve's expanding posterity would not listen to the gospel taught to them, bringing sorrow and affliction to their parents. Yes, there was a missionary program in the beginning, and Adam and Eve had many children who are lost to the current scriptural canon. Is it odd to think the first parents had other children than those specifically mentioned in Genesis?

Odd it is indeed, unless, there's more truth out there to factor into the equation, which there is. Here is perspective on the succession of the priesthood authority God entrusted to Adam and Eve and their children.

The priesthood authority is the power to act on behalf of God for the betterment of humanity as conferred from one person in authority to another. As the son of God, Adam received the authority to act in God's name directly from Him in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve's expulsion.

This authority made Adam into the first high priest. After the Fall from the Edenic period, Adam was baptized for the remission of sins and started to officiate in the covenants of God, sharing with his posterity as the Spirit directed.

Adam and Eve blessed the name of God, and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters. ...Satan came among them, saying: I am also a son of God; and he commanded them, saying: Believe it not; and they believed it not, and they loved Satan more than God. And men began from that time forth to be carnal, sensual, and devilish. [Moses 5:12-13]

The full gospel of Jesus Christ was taught from the beginning.

Faith in the advent of Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, conferring of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and performance of all other ordinances of salvation enduring until the end of the mortal life were taught from the beginning. Satan had gained access to the hearts of the children of Adam and Eve interfering with their missionary success. The adversary could not tempt away Adam or Eve again; so, he and the spirits that follow him tempt their children to this day.

Adam and Eve knew that they would die as God had promised would happen in the day that they partook of the fruit. Adam, knowing the reckoning of time for the Lord knew that a day was approaching its end, with the understanding that one day to the Lord equaled one thousand Earth years.

Adam wanted to have an heir to pass on the authority to act for God to the next generation to continue God's work among his posterity. When Eve bore Cain, she was full of hope and joy at his birth.

Adam also joyed in a successor for the priesthood of God, which he freely ordained Cain, giving him the patrimonial succession. Eve even proclaimed, "I have gotten a man from the Lord; wherefore he may not reject his words." [Moses 5:16]

The joy of the first parents was short-lived. Cain, a prophet of God, possibly, a chosen vessel and a leader of the kingdom, forfeited his calling by listening and mimicking his elder brethren who hearkened to Satan.

He loved Satan more than God following the trend set by humanity up to that point, for as Cain matured and went among the people, his brethren of over a century his senior, converted him away because "Cain hearkened not, saying: Who is the Lord that I should know him?" [Moses 5:16]

Seeing that Cain would be like many of the other children she bore, Eve was blessed with Abel, then Seth. When Abel was born, again, Adam and Eve put their hopes in him and he, Abel, was ordained to the priesthood and given the birthright position to lead the souls of men to God. "And Abel hearkened unto the voice of the Lord" [Moses 5:17].

Satan, desiring Abel, as he did the worship of all humans, but not able to convince him away from his righteous employment among the people, decided to use the enmity in Cain's heart to prevail upon Cain to offer an improper sacrifice, which Satan knew would be rejected.

Cain was taught by Adam that the Lord wanted an offering from the firstlings of the flock, but Satan instructed Cain to provide an offering using the firstfruits of his field. Cain was a man of the earth--a farmer. Abel was a tender of cattle and sheep. Apparently, Cain still had the ear of the Lord and could also receive instruction because he was chastised for his foolish act.

The Lord warned him if he kept along the path that he trod, a curse would come upon him--that he would rule over Satan in wickedness! "...and this is a cursing which I will put upon thee, except thou repent" thus said the Lord. And Cain was wroth, and listened not any more to the voice of the Lord, neither to Abel, his brother, who walked in holiness before the Lord." [Mose 5:25-26]. Abel became the mouthpiece and Cain the rebellious.

Cain murdered Abel following his complete disconnect from God and a curse came upon him. Stripped of the birthright and the priesthood, the Lord marked him for his protection. Again Adam's Posterity was without a patrimonial heir.

Seth's birth brought caution from Adam and Eve. There was no rush to ordain him or declare him until Adam knew for sure Seth would be heir to the birthright. "And Adam glorified the name of God; for he said: God hath appointed me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. [Moses 6:2]

Pride prevented Cain from requesting a proper animal from his brother. Pride, buoyed by Satan, led Cain to change the ordinances of God without being instructed. Pride was wounded when God refused the offering.

Cain seems to be the father of priestcraft from the records available. There is no mention of any other man holding the priesthood authority of God that changed the ordinances before Cain without authorization from God. What Cain attempted is akin to an elder baptizing by sprinkling when the Lord requires immersion!

Just like Satan did as Lucifer in the premortal world, Cain tried to have his own plan for salvation based on the false premise that he knew better than God what should occur and how it should occur. Any time a person takes it upon him or herself to change ordinances prescribed by God without revelation from Him, it's priestcraft.

Adam and Eve's sophrosyne paid off with Seth, as they were able to witness the miracle that they wanted from the very start when the first children were born, a continuation of righteous legacy.

And God revealed himself unto Seth, and he rebelled not, but offered an acceptable sacrifice, like unto his brother Abel. And to him also was born a son, and he called his name Enos. And then began these men to call upon the name of the Lord, and the Lord blessed them; And a book of remembrance was kept. [Moses 5:3-4]

In Seth, Adam found his successor as leader of the faith which continued in an unbroken chain until Noah. He found the son that could take the gospel to his children and grandchildren.

"Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his own image, and called his name Seth. And the days of Adam, after he had begotten Seth, were eight hundred years, and he begat many sons and daughters; And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died," a happy man as he saw the plan unfold before his eyes watching grandchildren also take the patrimonial responsibility upon them to teach the gospel to the people. [Moses 6:10-12]