The Gift of the Fall: Pain, Purpose, and God’s Plan

In this mini episode of Sisters Latter Day Voices, Clare and Candice talk about falling, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and what it means when life does not go as planned.

Through a story about a serious rock climbing accident and the doctrine of the Fall of Adam and Eve, they explore why pain and opposition are part of mortality and how the Fall was not a mistake but a necessary step in God’s plan.

This episode is a reminder that falling is not failure. It is part of living, growing, and finding joy through Jesus Christ.

Lessons from the Fall

2 Nephi 2:25

Moses 6:55

Adam and Eve

Sisters with Latter-Day Voices website

Transcript

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Transcript

Candice: Welcome to Sisters with Latter-day Voices. I’m Candice.

Clare: And I’m Clare. Today I want to talk about falling, not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally, and what it means when life does not go the way we thought it would. But first, I am going to take a brief sidetrack.

I have always loved magazines, and I love tearing them up. I have piles and piles of things I love. Recipes, even though I do not cook. House ideas, in case I ever get to build my dream house. I love thinking that one day I am going to use all of them, and I plead the fifth on whether I actually ever have. But they are here in case I need them.

Darren gets these BYU magazines from graduating. I am sure anyone can get them, but we get them and I go through and read all the stories. I read one story a couple of years back, and it has always stayed in the back of my mind. I loved the message of it.

Candice: Wait, what was that article about?

Clare: Oh no, I will get there.

Candice: Okay, all right.

Clare: I am going to leave you in suspense. It is great.

So recently, something made me think of that article again. I am probably going to say his name wrong, but Alex Honnold. I was thinking about this story because he recently did another climb, this time on a skyscraper, and it completely freaked me out.

I love documentaries, and I watched Free Solo, where he climbs El Capitan without using any safety gear. No ropes, nothing. It is insane. Obviously, he trains obsessively and calculates every move, but it is still crazy to watch.

Candice: It makes me so nervous just watching people do that. Usually, something eventually happens. It does not feel safe at all.

Clare: It really is wild. Did you watch the one where he climbed the skyscraper?

Candice: No, you told me about it, but I have not watched it yet.

Clare: I could not watch it live. I watched it a week later, and even knowing the outcome was good, I was stressed the entire time. One tiny mistake is all it takes.

Watching these documentaries reminded me of that story I saved from BYU Magazine. We love stories where preparation equals safety. That is probably why I could not watch Alex climbing live. I want a successful outcome. I also think we sometimes believe righteousness equals protection. I know that is not always true, but it is something we fall into thinking.

That is why I loved this story. The article is called Lessons from the Fall, and I will link it because everyone should read it. It is short but powerful.

The author shares about a rock climbing accident she had. She was a mom, her family was there, and she was not reckless. She was experienced, cautious, and prepared. But one mistake led to a devastating fall. Her injuries were catastrophic.

What really stuck with me was something she said while she was on her way to the hospital. She was in excruciating pain and was not allowed to have any medication because of her blood pressure. During that entire ride, she was fully conscious and in incredible pain.

She shares this line, and it has stayed with me for years. I want to read it word for word.

“Not everyone gets to feel this much physical pain all at once and live.”

I am going to read it one more time.

“Not everyone gets to feel this much physical pain all at once and live.”

She did not say it with fear, but with awareness.

Candice: Why does that line stand out to you so much?

Clare: I love it because she is in so much pain, and you would naturally wonder, why am I going through this? And instead, she receives a clear answer from Heavenly Father. Most people who experience that level of pain do not survive. She knew she was going to live, but it meant enduring tremendous pain.

Candice: Was she okay afterward?

Clare: Yes, she was okay. But I think it is incredible that you can go through so much pain, physical or emotional, and still get to live. Even when it is incredibly hard.

Candice: There was a man in our ward who talked about a rock climbing accident he had. He shared how much pain he was in afterward, and it made him think about the Savior. He said it helped him understand, even just a little, the suffering Christ endured for us. It deepened his gratitude.

Clare: That makes me think of Gethsemane too, and everything Christ went through for us. I do not fully understand how God being all knowing works, but I do not think our falls surprise Him. Sometimes our falls are necessary. They are a necessary step for growth.

That makes me think of Adam and Eve and that necessary step they took when they left the Garden of Eden. They experienced spiritual death and physical death. That moment is what we call the Fall.

They exercised agency, and because of that, we are now in a mortal state where pain, opposition, temptation, and death are part of life. We do not inherit Adam and Eve’s guilt, but we do inherit a fallen condition.

Life is hard. Our bodies break. Our hearts break. We are tested constantly, whether through our own choices or circumstances outside of our control.

The Fall was not a mistake. It was part of the plan. A necessary step forward, even though it came with pain.

In 2 Nephi 2:25, it says, “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” Because of the Fall, we get to experience joy.

And in Moses 6:55, the last line says, “They taste the bitter, that they may know to prize the good.”

God does not enjoy our pain, but growth does not happen in a painless place. That is why the word fall matters. Adam and Eve fell. Climbers fall. We all fall emotionally, spiritually, and physically. Falling is not a sign of recklessness. It is part of living.

Not everyone makes it through that kind of pain. And when someone does, it does not mean the fall was fair or deserved. Whatever you have gone through, or will go through, you are not alone in it.

Maybe the lesson is not learning how to avoid falling, but learning how God stays with us when we do.

Candice: I love that.

Clare: We hope you know that God loves you. Bye.