Mormons and Unificationists on the Fall of Man: Blessing or Curse?

Both Mormons and Unificationists differ in certain ways from orthodox Christianity regarding their understanding of the creation and fall of humanity; they also differ in important ways from each other. 

Mormonism

According to Mormon theology, the fall should not be seen as a cosmic tragedy wherein humanity lost an original perfection that God is now trying to restore through certain salvific and revelatory means. Instead, having first existed as spirit children of God in preexistence (the time before humans existed as embodied persons on earth), it was part of the Heavenly Father’s plan that humans would be given earthly bodies and allowed to exist on earth in order to experience hardships, corruption and sin, the goal being that humanity would learn obedience and progress towards divinity themselves. Salvation, then, is not merely about restoration into an original relationship with God, but exaltation into a divine existence. The initial separation from God was not a result of anyone’s rebellion but was part of the plan of salvation. Adam and Eve -- the first humans to have physical bodies -- were aware of this plan and chose to eat of the forbidden fruit so that they could produce children and so that subsequent generations could know true joy. Sin, according to Mormon theology, was the means by which humanity would learn to discern between good and evil and by which they could learn obedience (Bednarowski, 48). While sin is not intended to perpetually characterize an individuals choices and motives, it is seen as an essential stepping stone in the attainment a greater goal: becoming godlike. Mormons, then, see the fall as the occasion by which they can become like God. 

The Unification Church

The Unification Church diverges radically from this view of the fall. The fall, in their view, was a tragic event that ran contrary to God’s will. Humanity was created to live in harmony with God, each other, and the natural world. Instead of attaining this goal, humanity rebelled against God, hurting the heart of God and introducing travesties that God never wanted for the world. Particularly interesting is the Unificationist view of what Adam and Eve’s rebellion consisted of. The eating of the fruit in the garden of eden is interpreted symbolically as representing improper sexual relations, first held between Satan and Eve, and then between Eve and Adam before they were mature enough to have sex. The consequence of this, according to Unificationists, is that a bad lineage began with Eve, resulting in the various evils and sufferings that humanity now experiences (Bednarowski, 51). In all of this, God is grieved and longs to restore things back to their original design. Thus, the Unificationists do not view the fall as the means by which they can attain something greater, as the Mormons do, but as a tragic event in response to which they should return to God’s original plans and seek to heal His heart.

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Works Cited

Mary Farrell Bednarowski, New Religions & The Theological Imagination in America