Glorious Truths about Mother Eve

by Susan Easton Black

As the mother of all living, Eve is perhaps the most well-known—and most misunderstood—woman in the scriptures. She partook of the forbidden fruit, persuading Adam to do likewise. Was she a temptress? Did she introduce evil into the world? When scrutiny regarding Eve’s actions in the Garden of Eden takes on a negative tone, we can turn to truths to put Eve in the right light. Glorious Truths about Mother Eve addresses many questions about her and her story by exploring the hidden depths of the Genesis, Moses, and Abraham accounts of the Fall of Adam and the teachings of Latter-day prophets on the role of Eve in the garden and in mortality. Learn how these sacred truths challenge traditional religious scholarship, and rejoice with gospel scholar Susan Easton Black in the revelations that clarify Eve’s noble role as matriarch of the human race in the Lord’s plan.

Genres: Religion, Lds, Nonfiction, Church, Inspirational, Spirituality, Lds Non Fiction

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2018

About the author

Susan Easton Black is a retired professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. She is also an author of several books related to Joseph Smith, Jr. and the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have previously read the book Eve and the Choice Made in Eden by Beverly Campbell and done some reading on Eve so I really didn't learn anything new but felt this had some good reminders. It's part of Deseret Bookshelf Plus so I listened to it. Worth listening to for sure.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Praise to Mother Eve. But can we please not use the word "helpmeet" because the scriptures never use that made-up word. Rather, it's an help (noun) meet (adjective, i.e., suitable) for Adam. Unlike anything else that was created, Eve was suitable for Adam and vice versa. The Latin is adjutorium simile sibi. Susan refers to the "suitable" meaning in ch. 3 (I believe), but for some reason uses the made-up word "helpmeet" throughout the book.
Some interesting perspectives on the account of Adam and Eve.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this at the library but the reviews on here were not too appealing. Luckily I kept going and really enjoyed this book. The author does a great job discussing many aspects about Eve and the creation that I had never considered. Good stuff!

[Kim Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book compared what other religions, including Judaism, Muslim and other Christian religions, believe about Eve to what Mormons believe. It examined the four sources of Mormons’ history of what transpired in the Garden of Eden. It also discussed the Mormon view of the idea of Original Sin. It was interesting.

[Shiloah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of review for me with a few added insights.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for tons of knowledge regarding Eve—one of the most famously enigmatic people to ever live. What this book did was confirm what I already knew—we don’t know much about Eve.
The details on various religions’ views on Eve was interesting though.

[Makenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gave me a lot to ponder about our Mother, Eve. A lot of thought provoking information!

[Ashley]

Quick read with some really good reminders about why the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints reveres Mother Eve. For someone unfamiliar with the LDS doctrine about her, this is a great starting point. For those who have studied Eve in depth, this book may not offer much in terms of new material or insights.

As a supplement for more advanced studies about Eve and her role in the Plan of Salvation, I would recommend checking out an address by Dr. Valerie Hudson entitled “The Two Trees” ( https://www.fairmormon.org/conference... ). Enjoy!

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this only took me about two sittings to read. I just ended up reading one half early in October on a Sunday and then finally remembered to finish it today. That doesn’t mean this was a boring book that I forgot about. It is actually a very interesting read and I learned quite a bit. Mother Eve of the Old Testament is often looked down upon and many people blame her for so many of the problems of the world. This book puts her life and that infamous moment she ate the fruit into perspective. I loved how she added text from histories and other cultures to bring more light and truth to the subject than can be found solely in the King James Version of the Bible. The only reason why I didn’t give it four stars is because I liked another book about Eve more than this one. So if asked to recommend a book about Mother Eve, I would recommend Eve and the Choice Made In Eden by Beverly Campbell. Although, this is also a great book and I would recommend it because of its brevity in comparison to Campbell’s book. This one was definitely worth the read though!

[Quisqueya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always admired Mother Eve. My faith sees her as a woman of strength, wisdom and great faith. I would like to meet her one day and thank her for the great sacrifice she and Father Adam took to begin the miraculous process of starting the human race. I certainly don't understand all things regarding what happened in the Garden of Eden. One thing I learned from reading this book is that we don't know how long it took for Eve to finally give in to the temptations presented by Lucifer. It could have been a very long time; where she thought about their innocent state, and how were they supposed to bring seed to this earth.
I supposed also that she was taught how to plant for food, how to cook, how to make clothes for them...etc. There is so much I want to know.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came up short for me. In the introduction, the author tells us that she was asked to write a book about Eve. What follows feels like a half-hearted attempt to do what she was asked with as seemingly little thoroughness as possible. Maybe she did do a lot of research and reading on the subject - there are plenty of footnotes - but the outcome is short (the book is less than 100 pages, I read it in an afternoon), and skims the surface of so many aspects of Eve's story that could have been explored in much more detail. For a far more extensive treatment of the subject, I recommend Beverly Campbell's "Eve and the Choice Made in Eden". I respect Susan Easton Black and am aware that she is a highly regarded scholar, this work simply didn't feel like it got off the ground for me.

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you are interested in learning and understanding more about Eve please look elsewhere. This book had too many misogynistic undertones to give proper credit to The Mother of All Living. Black herself starts the book with a preface stating that she wasn’t properly prepared to write a book on Eve but she was doing as her publishers asked. She heavily quoted from two separate books and made me feel as if I were getting the cliff notes version of those books without the quality. In general I try to give generous stars and ratings but I am too passionate about Eve to let this book slide. A better option to start your study with would be The Truth About Eden by Alonzo Gaskill.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda forgot I listened to this book. But I do remember it was a disappointment for me. I’ve read quite a few books on Eve and also on the temple endowment lately and sadly didn’t get anything new or gain greater insight while listening to this book.

Black concentrates the beginning of her book on what other religions and civilizations believe about the fall and the blame that Eve has gotten. Frankly this part of the book made me angry. The world has focused on the woman being a second class citizen to the man for far too long and I wish that Black would have spent that time on the favorable qualities of woman/Eve.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Easton Black was one of my favorite college professors and I have great respect for her and her scholarship. Unfortunately this book didn’t live up to my expectations or hopes. I wanted a deep-dive into the subject of Eve. I wanted to walk away from reading this armed with a greater understanding of this remarkable woman. It didn’t deliver. This is a great book for anyone who is unfamiliar with Eve, Adam, and Eden. It will give you plenty of basic information and jumping off points for further study. But it reads like a brief, general overview.

[Lindsey Field · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely give a 2 star rating, but this book was a disappointment to me. It felt very surface level, I got very few new insights. (I did get a few though, which is why it’s not getting 1 Star) It was a chore to read as well since the author more or less just strung together different quotes from other authors. She even concludes the book with a quote!

If you know nothing about Eve or the LDS understanding of the Creation, this might be a good choice to get you started. But if you’re looking for more depth of understanding, this misses the mark.

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent treatise about the life and calling of Eve. The book discusses her part in the creation and the fall in the Garden of Eden. It also discusses Eve’s role as mother “to all living.” This book includes a thorough exploration of the scriptures and the temple. Everyone should read this book to better understand Mother Eve.

[Dina Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has some great insight, but it is a narrow topic to which there is not a lot of accurate scholarly research or scriptural reference. But I love the way Susan E. Black covers the topic, with great respect toward Eve and simple directness.

[Kaitlin Lillywhite · Rating 3 out of 5]

A superficial though pleasant biographical review on our #1 gal. Like others have stated in their reviews, the book with superior information and understanding is Eve and the Choice Made in Eden by Beverly Campbell.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never realized how many religions and authors wrongly portray Eve. I appreciated the research the author shared and the reminder of what the church of Jesus Christ teaches contrary to the worlds false perceptions of Eve.

[Randi Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful. Fantastic historiography at the beginning outlining past narratives of Mother Eve and the negative rippling effects it has had not only for Christianity but societies as well. Susan Easton Black is a treasure.

[Patricia J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to understand

This book is an explanation of profound truths that are stated in a very clear and simple manner, making the content easy to understand. Well done and well documented.

[Apzmarshl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a starter book on Mother Eve. If you haven't read anything else about her, this book is pleasant and generally comprehensive. But it doesn't dig deep.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but I thought that I would gain more insights than I did.

[Kristie Stauffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the insights and perspective that were shared.

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much I bought it for my daughters and my mom and mother in law. It was well researched and brought a lot of insight to what Eve's role in God's plan was.

[Jamille Parks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and it answered many questions that I had about the Garden of Eden as well as expound on things that I never even thought about. I would recommend this to just about anyone.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

She did a lot of research and looked at from different points of view. It was an interesting read

[Meggen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book! I loved the insights and inspiration as I learned more about our wise and purposeful mother Eve. Highly recommended.

[Tabitha Sumsion · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a few insights I liked, but it didn't really feel that focused on Eve. I would say it's a good overview about the Fall, but nothing too glorious about Eve.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful reminder of all that Eve did for mankind...her courage, her faith, her wisdom, and her goodness.