A neglect on the part of woman to follow God’s plan in her creation, an effort to reach for important positions which He has not qualified her to fill, leaves vacant the position that she could fill to acceptance. In getting out of her sphere, she loses true womanly dignity and nobility. When God created Eve, He designed that she should possess neither inferiority nor superiority to the man, but that in all things she should be his equal. The holy pair were to have no interest independent of each other; and yet each had an individuality in thinking and acting. But after Eve’s sin, as she was first in the transgression, the Lord told her that Adam should rule over her. She was to be in subjection to her husband, and this was a part of the curse. In many cases the curse has made the lot of woman very grievous and her life a burden. The superiority which God has given man he has abused in many respects by exercising arbitrary power. Infinite wisdom devised the plan of redemption, which places the race on a second probation by giving them another trial. {3T 484.1}

En forsømmelse fra kvindens side af at følge Guds plan med hendes skabelse, en anstrengelse for at opnå vigtige stillinger, som han ikke har udrustet hende til at fylde, medfører, at den plads bliver stående tom, som hun kunne fylde på en tilfredsstillende måde. Ved at gå uden for sit felt mister hun sin sande kvindelige værdighed og adel. Da Gud skabte Eva, var det hans hensigt, at hun hverken skulle være manden underlegen eller overlegen, men at hun i alle ting skulle være hans lige. Det hellige par skulle ikke have nogen interesse uafhængig af hinanden; og dog havde hver af dem en individualitet i tanke og handling. Men efter Evas synd meddelte Herren hende, at eftersom hun var den første til at synde, skulle Adam herske over hende. Hun skulle være sin mand underdanig og dette var en del af forbandelsen. I mange tilfælde har forbandelsen gjort kvindens lod meget tung og hendes liv til en byrde. Manden har i mange henseender misbrugt den overhøjhed, Gud gav ham og udøvet en vilkårlig magt. Den alvise udtænkte genløsningsplanen, der tilstår menneskene en ny prøvetid ved at give dem en ny anledning.