Renee's Analysis of "Mother Eve"

Eve: Mentor for Today's Women

Eve, the first mother, has been scourged, blamed, and belittled for centuries. She has been held up as the quintessential weak-willed woman because she opened a Pandora’s Box of sin and woe with a bite of an apple. Many of those within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are familiar with the images of Eve contemplating a large, devil-red apple as a serpent slithers slyly nearby and the connotations that are associated with them. It is important, however, to consider whether or not the common conception of Eve is accurate. In the article Mother Eve, Mentor for Today’s Woman, Beverly Campbell effectively uses an appeal to ethos through quotes from religious texts, leaders, and scholars to reclaim Eve’s place as a positive figure within the doctrine of the LDS church.

Campbell refers to Eve’s own words in the Book of Moses to scripturally back Eve’s role in God’s eternal plan. She quotes Moses 5:10, in which Eve says, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient.” These are not the words of one who is suffering under a curse, or of one who is regretting the loss of the bounteous Garden of Eden. Instead, these are words of gratitude from a woman who has gained an eternal perspective and an intimate understanding of the Plan of Salvation. By using this quote, Campbell effectively appeals to ethos through the authority of the religious text. This aspect of ethos coupled with the logos of the quote make this an effective quote.

Secondly, a quote from the canon works of scripture bolsters Campbell’s arguments, although this time on the role of Satan in the Fall. The quote used is Moses 4:6, which reads, “And Satan put it into the heart of the serpent, (for he had drawn away many after him,) and he sought also to beguile Eve, for he knew not the mind of God, wherefore he sought to destroy the world.” It is important to note that Satan was unaware of God’s plan. He sought to destroy the world by convincing Eve to partake of the fruit, but instead he helped bring to pass one of the most important steps in God’s plan for man on Earth. This authoritative scriptural explanation of Satan’s role as an ignorant catalyst to an important part of God’s plan effectively helps refute the idea that Eve was a woman easily convinced to sin; it paints a picture of a woman who had an intelligent understanding of the Lord’s plan.

By discussing a scripture that Campbell knows that her audience would recognize, she brings the argument closer to home. LDS members who have completed seminary are familiar with 2 Nephi 2:25. Many can still rattle off the words, “Adam fell that man might be and men are that they might have joy.” The importance of this scripture is that it simply explains the positive and necessary consequences of the Fall. In order to convey an accurate picture of the eternal importance of the Fall through an effective appeal to authority, Campbell helps her audience see the wisdom in Eve’s decision to eat the fruit.
Campbell also quotes many modern-day leaders of the LDS church, such as John A. Widtsoe, a late member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. From him, Campbell takes the quote, “It is a thrilling thought that Adam and Eve were not coerced to begin God’s work on earth.” This quote emphasizes the tie between the Fall and the incredibly familiar doctrine of agency. This quote conveys the importance of God offering Adam and Eve a choice in the matter in order to preserve the agency of his children. Since this quote comes from an Apostle, whom members of the LDS church believe to be a prophet, it carries a similar authority to that of ancient scripture.

The essay also includes an authoritative quote about Eve from Elder Boyd K. Packer, which reads, “She should be praised for her decision.” This quote is important not only because it is a positive portrayal of the role of Eve by the President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, but also that it is an authoritative assertion that her decision to eat of the fruit was praiseworthy. The inclusion of this quote adds an effective appeal to ethos to Campbell’s argument.
In this essay, Campbell also calls upon the authority of scholars to support her arguments, such as Hebrew Scholar Dr. Nehama Aschkenasy. Campbell was curious about the original Hebrew verb form of the word “command” used in the creation stories, and asked Dr. Aschkenasy to investigate for her. In doing so, Campbell appeals not only to the authority that Dr. Aschkenasy has as a Hebrew scholar, but also to the authority of the original Hebrew text of the scripture. The appeal to the original Hebrew text is particularly important in regards to the LDS belief that, through improper translation, many important biblical truths have been lost. Therefore, the Hebrew text holds more authority than the English text for it less polluted by translation, and hence a more effective appeal to ethos.

The article effectively elevates Eve to a level of respect and dignity through the use of ethos. The use of this rhetorical device is particularly important with LDS audiences. Campbell’s appeals to religious authorities such as scripture, modern day prophets and religious scholars help to bolster the idea that a positive portrayal of Eve is not a fringe belief, but authority figures throughout the ages support it. This assertion makes it very difficult for any LDS member with a testimony that Apostles are prophets, and in the LDS scriptural cannon to disagree with Campbell’s arguments.