Eve was the first woman created by God. She was married to Adam, the first man. They were first placed in the Garden of Eden, a perfect place that allowed them to adapt to mortality. Adam, who had been created first, called her Woman while in the garden because she was created from the womb of man. They were taught they could eat anything in the Garden except for the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because eating from it would cause them to die. He commanded them to multiply and replenish the Earth, which was not yet possible because they did not have fully mortal bodies. He also commanded them to have dominion over the living creatures and to subdue the earth.
Eventually Satan beguiled her and convinced her to eat of the forbidden tree. Following her choice, Adam also ate of it. They hid from God when He spoke to them, but admitted to their transgression. They were cast out of the garden wearing clothing God made for them. As a result of their choice, they were now fully mortal and able to begin having children, although Eve was warned that childbirth would be painful.
Many religions criticize Eve for her choice but Mormons, relying on additional scripture and revelation, honor her. They teach that she understood the consequences of her choice and made it willingly in order to allow God’s plan to progress. If they had stayed in the garden, they would not have been able to have children or to die. Without being able to experience the full range of mortal experiences and emotions, they could not have appreciated what they had. One must experience sorrow to know joy. Mormons believe she made a difficult but unselfish choice.
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After leaving the Garden, Adam named his wife Eve, which means Mother of All Living. She had many children. Cain killed his brother Abel and she later gave birth to Seth. However, she had other children as well, as evidenced by the presence of wives for her sons. Mormon scripture reports that Cain and Abel were not her first children. Some of their children loved Satan better than God.
Adapted from Every Person in the OT by Lynn F. Price; Horizon Publishers and the Bible Dictionary.