Adam A Mysterious Person
Compiled By Glen W. Chapman
Feb 1997
The Apocalypse of Adam*
by Stephen E. Robinson**
Stephen E. Robinson, BYU Studies, Vol. 17, No. 2, p.131
In 1945 a collection of thirteen leather-bound volumes,
containing fifty-three separate compositions,
was discovered in the vicinity of the small
town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt. Since that time this
collection has generally been referred to as the
Nag Hammadi Library. These manuscripts, written
in Coptic, the language of Egypt during thefirst centuries of
the Christian era, are the literary remains of a group
of Egyptian Christians who practiced a form of Christianity
called Gnosticism.
Summary of the Apocalypse of Adam
The Apocalypse of Adam (CG V, 5) purports to record the revelation which Adam taught to his son Seth. According to the text, Adam first explains to Seth that after being created out of the earth, he and Eve possessed in unity a great glory, that Eve taught him a word of knowledge of the Eternal God, and as a result of this they were like the great eternal angels and were higher than the evil Creator God who made them. It is then told how the Creator God divided them into two aeons,13 apparently an allusion to the myth of the androgynous creation of Adam. Thus separated, their original glory and first leave them and enter into their seed to be manifest in future generations through the lineage of Seth. Seth himself is named after the great Savior figure who will be the manifestation of the lost knowledge and glory of Adam and Eve in some future generation. Adam and Eve, having lost their original glory and knowledge in the fall, now learn as men about dead things. They also now recognize the evil Creator God, who is roughly equivalent in Gnosticism to the Satan of Christianity. Adam then falls into a sleep during which three men come to him whom he does not recognize, because they are not from the Creator God, but presumably from the Great Eternal God. Saying "Adam, arise from the sleep of death . . ." they restore some of Adam's knowledge and tell him about the Savior/Illuminator who will eventually be born from his and Eve's seed. When Adam and Eve hear these things they give a sigh in their hearts which is overheard by the evil Creator God. He then appears before them and insists that he is their god, the god who made them. He somehow causes Adam to lust after Eve (the text is broken here) and there is a second fall. Adam now reveals to Seth the things that the three men taught him, which consist of a vision of the future and of the appearance of the Savior/Illuminator. Adam prophesies that the Creator God will bring the Flood upon the world and destroy all men in order to kill the seed of Seth into whom the original knowledge and glory of Adam have
entered. But angels from the Great Eternal God come
on clouds and, plucking the seed of Seth from
the flood, transport them to the place of the spirit of
life. The Creator God has in the meantime made a covenant with
Noah and his sons,14 promising to save them
and give them kingship over all the earth
if they will bear no seed of those who will not worship him.
When the seed of Seth reappears, Noah is accused
by the Creator God of breaking this covenant,
which Noah denies. The seed of Seth then go into
a land by themselves and establish a utopian community where
there is no evil for 600 years, where angels of the
Great Eternal God dwell with them, and where
they are called by "the Name."
Noah then divides the earth among his sons and charges his posterity
to serve the Creator God in fear and slavery. But
from the seed of Ham and Japheth 400,000 men
join themselves with the seed of Seth. The remainder
of the seed of Ham and Japheth form twelve kingdoms and
serve their god Sakla, the Creator God. Inevitably
friction arises
between the twelve kingdoms on the one hand and the seed of Seth with their 400,000 converts on the other. To vindicate his power in the eyes of the twelve kingdoms the Creator God sends some of his angelsto rain fire, sulphur, and asphalt upon the seed of Seth. But again, the Great Eternal God sends his angels Abrasax, Sablo, and Gamaliel in clouds of light to descend upon the seed of Seth, lift them out of the fire, and take them away. Some time after this the Illuminator of knowledge himself appears in order to leave for himself fruit-bearing trees (i.e., men who have thegnosis) and to redeem their souls from death. This is the Savior promised to Adam and Eve. He performs great signs and wonders and mocks the powers of the Creator God. Because the origin and power of the Illuminator is something that the Creator God and his angels cannot explain, they "punish his flesh." Nevertheless, they use "the
Name" in error, and ask, "Where did it come from?" In answer to this question the twelve kingdoms of Ham and Japheth attempt to explain in short enigmatic statements how he was conceived, born, nourished and
thus "came to the water." These statements follow the pattern of the first which is, in part: He was from . . . a spirit . . . to heaven. He was nourished in the heavens. He received the glory and the power of the one who is there. He came to the bosom or womb of his mother. And thus he came to the water. After the twelve kingdoms, a thirteenth adds its account. Then finally the fourteenth, the generation without a king, gives the correct answer which is God chose him from all the aeons. He caused a gnosis of the undefiled one of truth to be in him. She said: "He came from a foreign
atmosphere (aer). From a great aeon the great Illuminator
came forth. He makes the generation of those
men whom he has chosen for himself to shine,
so that they shine upon the whole aeon." A great conflict
follows between the seed of Seth, here referred to as
"those who will receive his name upon the water" and
the thirteen kingdoms. Finally the peoples
cry out that the seed of Seth is truly blessed
and that they themselves are in error, that they have perverted
the truth and will die as a result. In answer to this mass confession
of the kingdoms, a voice is heard (a bath
kol) addressed to the three aeons Micheu, Michar, and Mnesinous,
who are over the holy baptism, condemning them for
persecuting the seed of Seth, for fighting
against the truth, and for polluting the waters
of life in order to serve the Creator God. The voice then
praises the seed of Seth (Gnostics) and assures them
of their reward which they have earned by
keeping the words they received and by not writing
them down. The voice further declares that the truth will be borne
through the generations by angelic beings and that the words of
truth will be upon a high mountain upon a rock of
truth and that those who know the Great Eternal
God know all things.
In the conclusion of the document, which follows the proclamation
of the heavenly voice, we are told that Seth
passed these revelations on to his posterity.
We are further informed that the secret gnosis is the
holy baptism which is administered by the seed of Seth. Appended
are the three names Jesseus, Mazareus, and Jessedekeus.
The planets stand there,
they are bound by fetters and say:
When Adam fled from us
out watch-houses were destroyed.
When Adam rose from us,
our radiance was soon taken away.
He rose up and ascended to the House of Life;
they, the uthras, washed him in the Jordan and protected him.
They washed him and protected him in the Jordan ;
they placed their right hand on him.
They baptized him with their baptism
and strengtened him with their pure words.
Adam Placed on The Earth
Mandaean Writings: (the Mandaeans of Southern Mesopotamia )
GINZA:
"Go down to that place where there is no occupied place, where there is no world, and create for us another world after the fashion of the Sons of Salvation ...
God started out by creating a topos where His children could settle, there to recognize and to serve Him as their Father...
Adam., this is the place where you are going to live; your wife Eve will come and Join you here, and here your progeny will thrive...
The Father taught me about the worlds of the Lord and the Glory that abides in them. The Adam of light treads upon the earth's trembling foundation which is laid in the midst of the worlds...
There is no rivalry or competition among them, but they are glorious in their firmaments, and there ia agreement among them, fitting together like the lashes to the eye. All rejoice in each other, each being more glorious and bright than the other...
'No words can describe Thy power over all Thy worlds...'
When beings from different worlds meet, they exchange garments and treasures an identification a sign of mutual esteem. For the creation of endless worlds follows a single pattern -- that laid down by God the creator. The planet say, 'Come Lord of the gods, Lord of the entire cosmos.' (They rejoice and say) 'Come be our head, be the head of our whole world'..
"In the million of worlds that God has made for his sons every world is different from the other and wonderful in its own radiance.
Among ten thousand times ten thousand world you will find no two alike. Before this world, there had already been a thousand thousand mysteries and a myriad myriad of planets each with their own mysteries or ordinances.
He who has fulfilled all the ordinances and has done good work cannot be held back. We are taught the principles of salvation, so that we cannot be held back in this world...
When Adam stood praying for light and knowledge, a helper came to him and gave to him a garment and told him, 'Those men who gave you the garment will assist you throughout your life until you are ready to leave earth.'..
When Adam was created, he was found in a deep sleep, from which he was awakened by the helper who forthwith began to instruct him. And at his death also, the Sent Ones came to take Adam back to the great first Paternal House and to the places in which he formerly dwelt.
Second-- when Adam awoke, be faced the light and called for help. The Lord Himself approached him, in glory, and took him by the palm of the right hand instructed him and calmed him and Then he comforted Eve. 'In this way, I have brought joy and aid to his descendants.' The Sent Ones came to bring hope to Adam, who was in, the image of God...
At the creation, God gave orders that the angels should come to keep Adam company. At the beginning, it was the Lord Himself and two companions who instructed Adam and Eve in everything.
'Go down into the world, Adam, and grow up in the body, in that garment which has been assigned to you. Go down and grow up in the ordinances, that the ordinances may be magnified by you, that your progeny may thereby be firmly established. The Man that taught the elect righteous and the Nazoreans, who were to exist upon the earth in the preexistence, said, 'When you beget generations, and when you teach them their knowledge, explain to them, show them, and tell them about the rites which you have performed.' The wholesome things were transplanted
from the world above"
The evil spirits, who claim this world for their own, resent the Sent One's instruction. 'These three men are in the world,' they say, 'but they were not really men. They are light and glory, and they have come down to little 'Enosh' [that's physical man -- Adam] who is helpless and alone in the world. They are intruding on our world. The children of men have taken over the earth. They are really strangers who speak the language of the three men. They have accepted the teachings of the three men, and rejected ln our own world. They refuse to acknowledge our kingdom and our glory '
Thus, the evil ones plotted to overthrow Adam, who was hoping for Mandadihaya (Teacher of Life), the messenger from the Father, to come-and give him aid and support.
When; Adam called upon God, the Great Spirit sent them from the land…
The Lord and two companions taught Adam and Eve all the ordinances and blessed them. 'The Great Light planted us here and gave us helpers who taught us the prayer of Adam in the world.' Three angels were sent to teach Adam and Eve the law of chastity, and to instruct them to be true and faithful when misfortune came upon them, and to dedicate all of their property to the needy and the poor -- the rule which is binding upon all the elect. They were to call upon God without ceasing, in the name of the Son, and not to trust in the things of this world. "
Messengers sent to Adam
Prayerbook of the Mandaeans
"When Adam was placed on earth, three messengers were sent to oversee him with myself at their head... I taught Adam and Eve the hymns, and the order of prayer, and the ordinances by which would now help one to return to the presence of the Father." In sending three, God says to them, giving them instructions. He said to the pure sent one, His Son, 'Go call Adam and Eve and all their posterity and teach them concerning everything about the Kingdom of Light and the Worlds of Light. Be friendly with Adam and keep him company, you and the two angels which will be with you. Warn them against Satan; also, teach them chastity'.
The helper came and awakened the Lord of Mysteries,
who is Adam. For Adam went through all the ordinances, including
baptism, washings' and anointings,"
From The Berlin Papyrus 8502
"The first man was the third of the Sent Ones-- the Father, the Son, and Adam...As he left Heaven to come down and undergo his earthly trials, Adam received affectionate farewell embraces from all his faithful children. He put on his physical body and went forth to oppose the primal enemy. Before the creation of this world, the third Sent One (as Adam is called) came into the free space and began to organize this world. "This third Sent One was Christ's great coworker in the Plan of Salvation, but in all things he has precedence....
At their new birth Adam and Eve received the seals and the tokens. As Adam stood praying and supplicating, God sent someone who came. and gave him a greeting of peace (shalom), embraced him, and preached the Gospel to him"
From The Apocryphon of John
"After the physical Adam' was created, a messenger
was sent to the head Of all creations, Adam, and at his call Adam
awoke and said, 'How the precious, beautiful life has been planted
in this place. But it is hard on me; down here.' Then the Sent
One reminded Adam and said, 'But your beautiful throne awaits
you, Adam. Why then do you, the image of God, sit here complaining?
All this is being done for your good. I have been sent to teach
you, Adam, and to free you from this world. Listen and return
to the light.' Hither a messenger from the house of light was
sent to fetch Adam farther when he was ready."
In the name of the Great Life
the sublime Light be glorified.
From the Place of Light I have come forth,
from you, everlasting dwelling-place,
From the Place of Light I have come forth,
and an uthra from the House of Life accompanied me.
The uthraa who accompanied me from the House of the Great Life
held a staff of living water in his hand.
The staff which he held in his hand
was completely full of leaves.
He gave me its branches,
of which the ritual books and prayers were full.
Then he gave me more of them,
and then my suffering heart was healed.
My suffering heart was healed
and my world-shy soul found peace.
Satan Appears To Adam
"And Satan said to Adam,' I have no need to worship you, I will not worship an inferior being and younger being. I was your senior in the creation. Before you were made I was already made. It is rather your duty to worship me. The angels who are under me refuse to worship You also... Adam I was cast forth from my Glory because of thee, and behold I have caused thee to be expelled from the Garden Paradise because thou didst cause me to become a Stranger in my home in heaven Know thou that I shall never cease to contend against thee and all those who shall come after thee until all go down into my kingdom with me' "
Combat of Adam and Eve 14, 15
.
In his book The Millennial Messiah, Bruce R. McConkie gives an excellent opening regarding the mystery of Adam-ondi-Ahman:
We now come to the least known and least understood thing connected with the Second Coming. It might well be termed the best-kept secret set forth in the revealed word. It is something about which the world knows nothing; it is a doctrine that has scarcely dawned on most of the Latter-day Saints themselves; and yet it is set forth in holy writ and in the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith with substantially the same clarity as any of the doctrines of the kingdom. Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, pp. 578-579.
In conferring the "keys of salvation" upon Adam, the revealing and unlocking of the conditions of salvation were made known to them and through them to mankind. In this we can understand the true meaning of the term "Adam-ondi-Ahman," or simply: from "Ahman," who is the Lord-"ondi," meaning through Adam unto mankind. Alvin R. Dyer, Conference Report, October 1968, p. 109.
More specifically, Alvin R. Dyer has stated:
The very word itself speaks of the manner in which Adam has received the "Keys of Salvation" under the counsel and direction of the Holy One, who is Jesus Christ the Lord. The word "Adam" refers directly to Adam. The word "ondi," means nearby or connected with. The word "Ahman" means the Lord himself. Therefore a literal translation of the words "Adam-ondi-Ahman" means The Lord Jesus Christ, through Adam unto mankind. Robert J. Matthews, B.Y.U. Studies, Vol. 13, No. 1, p. 30 (quoting Alvin R. Dyer, The Lord Speaketh (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co. 1964), p. 216).)
As taught by Prophet Joseph Smith, "the Garden of Eden was on the American continent located where the City Zion, or the New Jerusalem, will be built." Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, p. 74. After Adam and Eve were driven from the Garden of Eden, they eventually dwelt at a place called Adam-ondi-Ahman. Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, p. 74. However, while "The Lord has revealed to us that Adam dwelt there towards the latter period of his probation, ... "Whether he had lived in that region of country from the earliest period of his existence on the earth, we know not. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 16, p. 47, Orson Pratt, May 18, 1873.
The foundation of Adam-ondi-Ahman was established by Jesus Christ. D&C 78:15 ("That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made rulers over many kingdoms saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Zion, who hath established the foundations of Adam-ondi-Ahman"); History of the Church, Vol. 1, Ch. 18, p. 256; Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 99. Prophet Wilford Woodruff taught Adam "went to Adam-ondi-Ahman to offer sacrifice." The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 18. Upon offering the sacrifice, an:
angel of the Lord asked him why he did so. Adam replied that he did not know, but the Lord had commanded him to do it. He was then told that the blood of bulls and goats, of rams and lambs should be spilt upon the altar as a type of the great and last sacrifice which should be offered up for the sins of the world. The first principle, then, ever taught to Father Adam was faith in the Messiah, who was to come in the meridian of time to lay down his life for the redemption of man. Journal of Discourses, Vol. 23, p. 127, Wilford Woodruff, May 14, 1882; The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, p. 18.
Adam built an altar on "a hill above the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman" Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, p. 232. or "plateau near Adam-ondi-Ahman [comprised of] a number of rocks piled together [where Adam] offered up sacrifices." John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, p. 102 (repeating statements made by Joseph Smith). At that place, "the Lord revealed to [Adam] the purpose of the fall and the mission of the Savior." Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, p. 232 (referencing D&C 107:53-57, 116, 117:8, 11; Moses 5:5-8; Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 122, 158. Adam-ondi-Ahman became "the land where Adam dwelt" D&C 117:8 ("Is there not room enough upon the mountains of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and on the plains of Olaha Shinehah, or the land where Adam dwelt, that you should covet that which is but the drop, and neglect the more weighty matters?"). and "the valley where God talked with Adam." John Taylor, The Gospel Kingdom, p. 102 (repeating statements made by Joseph Smith).
Adam-ondi-Ahman is where "the family of mortals had its beginning. It was there that mortal man learned to work by the sweat of his brow. It was there that the first mortal children were born to the first mortal parents. Mortal man first learned to communicate with his God in those valleys." Otten & Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine & Covenants, Vol. 2, pp. 278-279. Adam-ondi-Ahman was also "the site of the first death and murder on this earth. The blessings of the Savior's atonement took on added significance there, for the members of Adam's family. The first family relationships and associations were developed. In short, this area was truly a place of beginnings." Otten & Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine & Covenants, Vol. 2, p. 279.
Three years prior to Adam's death, 3077 B.C. Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p. 606:
According to the Biblical chronology, Adam fell in 4004 B.C. and died 930 years later, in 3074 B.C. By latter-day revelation we know that the meeting at Adam-ondi-Ahman, which was attended by all of his righteous posterity and to which the Lord himself came, was three years previous to Adam's death, that is, in 3077 B.C. (D&C 107:53-56.), he called the sons of his lineage (in order: Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah) with the "residue of his posterity who were righteous ... into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing. D&C 107:53-57:
53. Three years previous to the death of Adam, he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, who were all High Priests, with the residue of his posterity, who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and there bestowed upon them his last blessing.
54. And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael the Prince, the Archangel.
55. And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him, I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee; and thou art a prince over them for ever.
56. And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation, and notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.
57. These things were all written in the Book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time.
see also Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section One 1830-34 p. 38; John Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, Ch. 8. Joseph Smith described this incident:
I saw Adam in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman. He called together his children and blessed them with a patriarchal blessing. The Lord appeared in their midst, and he (Adam) blessed them all, and foretold what should befall them to the latest generation. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Section Four 1839-42 p. 158.
Elder John Taylor also described these events:
Adam, before he left the earth, gathered his people together in the Valley of Adam-ondi-ah-man, and the curtain of eternity was unfolded before him, and he gazed upon all events pertaining to his descendants, which should transpire in every subsequent period of time, and he prophesied to them. He saw the flood and its desolating influence; he saw the introduction again of a people in the days of Noah; he saw their departure from the right path. He saw Abraham, Moses and the Prophets make their appearance and witnessed the results of their acts; he saw nations rise and fall; he saw the time when Jesus would come and restore the Gospel and when he would preach that Gospel to those who perished in the days of Noah; and in fact he saw everything that should transpire upon the earth, until the winding up scene. He was acquainted with the day in which we live and the circumstances with which we are surrounded. Otten & Caldwell, Sacred Truths of the Doctrine & Covenants, Vol. 2, p. 279 (citing Bruce R. McConkie, Gospel Doctrine, Vol. 17, p. 372).
President Wilford Woodruff described this blessing as Adam's "great and last patriarchal blessing" The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 65-66. and explained that the "Holy Ghost rested upon Adam when he blessed his posterity in Adam-ondi-Ahman." The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, pp. 4-5; The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Liverpool) 48:802, Epistle to the Saints Abroad, October 26, 1886. Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., explained further that "the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael the prince, the archangel. And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them forever." Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 3, p. 163 (citing D&C 107:53-55). Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., explained that "Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation -- and no such a gathering on any other occasion has this world ever seen -- 'and notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost (he) predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the last generation.' And all this is written in the book of Enoch, which shall be revealed in due time." Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr., The Way to Perfection, pp. 288-289 (quoting D.C. 107:54-57); Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, pp.579-580. As Elder Orson Pratt has said, "When we get [the Book of Enoch], I think we shall know a great deal about the ante-diluvians of whom at present we know so little." Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 2, "Enoch" (citing Journal of Discourses, Vol. 19, p. 218).) However, "All that happened at Adam-ondi-Ahman in those early days was but a type and a shadow -- a similitude, if you will -- of what shall happen at the same blessed place in the last days when Adam and Christ and the residue of men who are righteous assemble again in solemn worship." Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p. 580.
President John Taylor reported the following song sang by the Saints about Adam-ondi-Ahman:
This earth was once a garden place, With all her glories common, And men did live a holy race, And worship Jesus face to face, In Adam-ondi-Ahman. We read that Enoch walk'd with God, Above the power of mammon, While Zion spread herself abroad, And Saints and angels sung aloud, In Adam-ondi-Ahman. Her land was good and greatly blest, Beyond old Israel's Canaan; Her fame was known from east to west, Her peace was great, and pure the rest Of Adam-ondi-Ahman. Hosannah to such days to come -- The Savior's second coming, When all the earth in glorious bloom, Affords the Saints a holy home, Like Adam-ondi-Ahman. John Taylor, Mediation and Atonement, Ch. 8.
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Van Hale's "WHAT ABOUT THE ADAM-GOD THEORY?"
Sandy, Utah: Mormon Miscellaneous, July 1983.
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At the age of twenty, as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I first came in contact with the so- called Adam-God theory in an anti-Mormon tract. I had read such literature before and knew that it frequently twisted and misinterpreted LDS sources. I therefore felt certain that the purported quotation from Brigham Young's April 9, 1852 discourse - that Adam is our father and our God - either was taken from context or was an outright fabrication. After examining the evidence, however, I soon became convinced that on at least two occasions Brigham Young had taught a concept which generally has not been accepted by Mormons - namely, that God the Father, the Father of our spirits and the Father of Jesus (of both his body and his spirit), came to this earth, took upon himself mortality, and was known as Adam, the progenitor the of human family. Simply stated, according to President Young, God the Father became Adam. (Journal of Discourses [JD] 1:50; Deseret News, June 18, 1873). Later I found several other references in which President Young hinted at this belief. (JD 4:216-218, 271; 5:331; 6:274; 7:290;
11:41,42). Over the past fifteen years I have found many additional sources which confirm that this idea was taught for a period of time in the past century. They include sermon reports, private diary entries, minutes of meetings,
letters, articles, and statements. Many of these are unpublished and have only come to light in the last several years.I have encountered strong and varied opinions on this subject. Opponents of Mormonism have taken a particular interest in it. Two positions are most prevalent: (1) Non-Mormon Christians committed to evangelizing Mormons seek to establish that Brigham Young taught the Adam-God theory, that it is contrary to Biblical teaching, and that Brigham Young could therefore not have been a true prophet. (2) So-called fundamentalist Mormons seek to
establish that Brigham Young taught it, that recent prophets have rejected it, and that some prophets since Brigham Young could therefore not be true prophets. Both groups have taken advantage of two facts: First, most Mormons are unaware that Brigham Young ever taught the Adam- God theory; and second, most Mormons are uncomfortable with the position that prophets may have differed in their concept of God. My purpose here is not to present evidence to show that Brigham Young taught the Adam-God theory. Rather, as one who is convinced that he did teach it, I wish to state briefly some of my reasons for rejecting the conclusions of these two groups of Mormonism's opponents. The non-Mormon Christian Argument I am not persuaded by the non-Mormon Christian argument for several reasons, two of which I will discuss. First, in their zeal to refute Mormonism they have misstated, ignored, or distorted many points of Mormon history. Second, and perhaps more important, they demand qualifications of a prophet which are both un-Biblical and unreasonable. I will present my response by answering two questions. Was the Adam-God theory official Mormon doctrine? My answer to this question is an emphatic "No." After presenting evidence
that Brigham Young taught the Adam-God theory, critics usually go on to
claim: that is was official doctrine for 50 years; that it was widely taught and received; that Brigham Young claimed he had received it by revelation; that it was accepted as the inerrant word of God because Brigham Young said his sermons were scripture; and that those rejecting it were excommunicated from the church. The effort of opponents to establish this point is evidence that they consider it important. Their purpose is to make Mormons feel uncomfortable with Mormonism. To present the Adam-God theory as a concept expressed by Brigham Young on several occasions but which was never accepted officially as doctrine does not serve their purpose nearly as well. They therefore resort
to considerable distortion to maintain this erroneous
position. My reasons for rejecting this anti-Mormon caricature
are based on the following six points.
1. The Adam-God theory has never been a part of the Mormon canon of scripture. The Church has always had an official canon. During Brigham's Young's lifetime it was the Bible, Book of Mormon, and a somewhat smaller Doctrine and Covenants. President Young never attempted to incorporate any statement of the Adam-God theory into this
canon. Opponents frequently quote Brigham Young's statement that he had "never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture" (JD 13:95), or that his sermons "when they are copied and approved by [him] they are as good Scripture as is couched in this Bible," (JD 13:264). They contend that President Young in calling his sermons scripture and comparing them to the Bible was declaring his to be the inerrant word of God, but this is their definition of scripture and not Brigham Young's. His definition of scripture and thus the only one appropriately applied here did not define scripture as being word for word the word of God. Rather, he
said: "I have heard some make the broad assertion that every word within the lids of the Bible was the word of God ... I believe that the Bible contains the word of God, and the words of good angels and the words of bad angels and the words of the devil; and also the words uttered by the ass when he rebuked the prophet in his
madness. I believe the words of the Bible are just what they are."
(JD 13:175,235).
Brigham Young did not claim inerrancy for his sermons. In fact quite the contrary is true, as will be seen.
2. The theory was never advocated in any official statement. In addition to the canon, official statements were occasionally issued by the First Presidency and by the Quorum of the Twelve. The only one in which Brigham Young ever referred to the Adam-God theory was a statement issued in 1860 entitled "Instructions to the Saints." Signed by the First Presidency and published in the Deseret News, it stated several conclusions of councils held to consider some doctrinal differences between Apostle Orson Pratt and President Young. One of these was the Adam-God theory. But rather than declaring the theory to be Church doctrine, the statement says, "It is deemed wisest to let that subject remain without further explanation at present" (Messages of the First Presidency 2:222).
3. No revelation was ever presented by Brigham Young on the Adam-God theory. Nor does it appear that he ever claimed to have received a direct revelation on the subject. Opponents would challenge my claim with this quotation from President Young: "How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me - namely that Adam is our father and God."
(Deseret News, June 18, 1873).
It is not all certain that Brigham Young intended this to be an
announcement of a direct revelation. It was his belief
that God is the source of all truth in every
field. To him, every truth known to any man
has come by revelation from God, sometimes directly but usually
indirectly upon such natural principles as observation,
study, inquiry, and meditation. Since he believed
that the Adam- God theory was true, no matter
how he arrived at that conclusion, to him it was revealed by God.
(He presented this thought at some length in JD 3:209; see also
12:207; 12:148).
But even if this is to be accepted as a claim of direct revelation,
the extent of it seems to be "namely
that Adam is our father and God." The more
specific idea that God the Father became Adam may be Brigham
Young's own expansion or interpretation. There is,
however, another possible interpretation -
that, as the Lord made Moses a god to Pharaoh(Exodus 7:1) and
as Paul was "as Christ Jesus" to the Galatians (4:14),
Adam, our great progenitor, will preside over the
human family as "father and God."
This was the interpretation of Brigham Young's statement
advocated in 1853 by Samuel W. Richards, who, as editor of
the Millennial Star and President of the Church in
the British Isles, first published President Young's initial sermon
on the subject (Millennial Star, December
10, 1853). Richards' successor, Apostle Franklin
D. Richards, also advanced this interpretation (MS, March 31,
1855), as have most of Brigham Young's successors.
The fact remains that there is no revelation from Brigham Young
specifically stating the idea that God the Father
became Adam.
4. Brigham Young himself did not consider the Adam-God theory
official Church doctrine. Again opponents
would challenge my assertion by quoting the
bold language he used in his first mention of the subject
:"Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile,
Saint and sinner!" and "Every man upon
the earth, professing Christian or non-professing, must know it
sooner or later." From this they insist that
President Young considered the Adam-God theory official Church
doctrine. However, he expressed his attitude toward
it on several other occasions making it very
clear that he considered belief in the subject non-essential.
Opponents, to maintain their argument, chose to ignore
these quotations:
"[The] subject ... does not immediately
concern yours or my welfare... I do not pretend to say that the
items of doctrine and ideas I shall advance
are necessary for the people to know."(October 8,
1854, Historical Department of the Church [HDC]).
"... it is one that should not trouble us at all ... I do
not tell it because that I wish it to be established
in the minds of others."
(April 25, 1855, HDC).
"Whether Adam is the personage that we should consider our
heavenly Father, or not, is considerable of
a mystery to a good many. I do not care of
one moment how that is; it is no matter whether we are
to consider Him our God, or whether His Father, or
His Grandfather, for in either case we are
of one species. "(JD 4:217; see also JD4:271; 7:238; 7:285;
11:43, 268).
I cannot believe that President Young would speak this way of
an official Church doctrine. Opponents give
the impression that for many years President Young frequently
and forcefully advocated the Adam-God theory, but this is another
distortion. I have not found a single sermon devoted to a full
exposition of the theory. Rather, it must be pieced
together from several of his sermons and comments.
Also, he delivered some 1500 sermons as President,
and not more than half a dozen, only two of which appeared
in print, contain explicit statements of central Adam-God
theory concepts.
5. The Adam-God theory was not considered Church doctrine by other
General Authorities. Tens of thousands of
hours of sermons by some twenty leading authorities
of Brigham Young's era have been recorded and preserved.
Yet we have only several brief comments on the subject by
only one of them - Brigham Young's counselor Heber
C. Kimball, and these can be read in less
than two minutes. The same is true of their writings.
Of thousands of printed pages by these authorities there are
less than a dozen on the subject, and most of these
argue that Adam, as patriarch, will be our
God in a certain sense, not that God the Father became
Adam. At least a hundred other topics were more frequently addressed
in sermons and in print.
6. The Adam-God theory was not a test of faith. That is, acceptance
of it was not required to become a member
or to remain a member. Opponents frequently claim that it was
Church practice to excommunicate those who
did not accept it. This is simply false. The only reference
they present in support of their claim is from a
conference talk in Great Britain by Apostle
Amasa Lyman. However, this very reference, if read
in its entirety refutes their argument. Lyman said, "I have
heard of a man who was cut off because he
would not believe that Adam was our Father
and God." They stop here, but Elder Lyman did not. He
continued, disapproving strongly of excommunicating
a man on those grounds (MS 24:99, 100).
Those familiar with LDS history and practice are well aware that
official doctrine must meet certain requirements
which were not met by the Adam-God theory.
The fact is it was never a part of the LDS canon, never presented
in an official statement, never the subject
of any known revelation, and never declared
church doctrine by any recognized Church authority. The status
of the Adam-God theory was summed up in 1897
in a private letter outlined by President
Wilford Woodruff and written by Apostle Joseph F. Smith. Both
had been Apostles under Brigham Young:
"Prest. Young no doubt expressed his
personal opinion or views upon the subject.
What he said was not given as revelation or commandment from the
Lord. The doctrine was never submitted to the councils of the
Priesthood nor to the church for approval
or ratification, and was never formally or otherwise
accepted by the church. It is therefore in no sense binding
upon the Church. Brigham Young's "bare mention"
was "without indubitable evidence and
authority being given of its truth." Only the scripture,
the "accepted word of God," is the
Church's standard (Letter to A. Saxey,
January 7, 1897, HDC).
It seems appropriate at this point to state briefly what has been
the prevailing LDS belief. The idea most readily
found in the LDS scriptures, the teaching
of all of Brigham Young's successors is that Adam and all of the
human family have a common Father and God, who is
the Father of Jesus Christ. In fact, this
very concept was stated in public sermons on several occasions
by Brigham Young himself. An example is found in
his April 17, 1870 sermon:
"The world may in vain ask the question: "Who are we?"
But the Gospel tells us that we are the sons
and daughters of that God who we serve. Some
say, "We are the children of Adam and Eve." So we are,
and they are the children of our Heavenly
Father. We are all the children of Adam and Eve,
and they and we are the offspring of Him who dwells in the heavens,
the highest Intelligence that dwells anywhere that
we have any knowledge of." (JD 13:311.
See also JD 1:238; 10:231; 13:309).
So, with the exception of several sermons that fell far short
of official pronouncements, Mormon belief
has been consistent in stating that the Father and
God of Moses, Jesus, Joseph Smith, Spencer W. Kimball, and all
the restof mankind is the same being who is the Father and God
of Adam. Although never official doctrine,
some still wonder how President Young could have held
such views. This leads to the next question. Can Prophets Differ
in Their Views?
As one who believes that God has called prophets at various times,
I think that the only possible answer to this
question is "Yes." Most opponents who have made an issue
of the Adam-God theory insist that true prophets
have been infallible, at least in matters of faith and doctrine,
and therefore there could be no doctrinal
difference or disharmony among them. They
demand that LDS prophets either meet this standard or be denounced
as false prophets. They assume that Biblical
prophets were in such perfect union with God
as to be free from all error and personal opinion and that their
every word and thought were not their own, but God's.
This claim has much appeal, but many devoted
Christians who have examined this point have declared
that the Bible in no way support this assumption. Commentators
who have studied the Bible in chronological
order have found numerous differences when
comparing earlier writings to later, and when comparing author
to author. This basic idea has been widely
discussed and abundantly demonstrated in such
major Biblical works as the Interpreter's Bible, and the
Interpreter's Bible Dictionary.
Several subjects on which the authors of the Bible diverge include:
the nature of God, Jesus, and the Messiah;
salvation, resurrection, the second coming,
and the observance of the law of Moses. Our opponents must be
able todeny the differences demonstrated by Bible scholars on
these several important points and show a
perfect agreement among Bible authors before I could
see any validity in their demanding perfect consistency among
LDS prophets.
Non-Mormon Christians who acknowledge these differences within
the Bible have not felt obligated to reject
the Biblical prophets because of their differences.
Rather, they have proposed what they feel are valid explanationsof
them. As far as I am concerned, the same explanations apply with
equal validity to LDS prophets. The two primary
points of their explanations are: a) Prophets are not infallible,
and b) Their knowledge was fragmentary and incomplete. Rev. J.R.Dummelow,
in his widely received work stated:
"We must not regard the Bible as an absolutely
perfect book in which God is Himself the author
using human hands and brains only as a man might use
a typewriter. God used men, not machines - men with like weakness
and prejudice and passion as ourselves ...
in the Bible we do not expect the actors to
be real and natural. Because of our false theory of Verbal
Inspiration we are puzzled when the divine is mingled
with the human. We must learn that the divine
is mingled with the human ... It is a mine of precious
ore where the gold is mingled with the rock and clay - the oreis
richer in one part than another, but all parts in some degree
are glittering with gold (p. cxxxv). The Apostle
Paul said that that "which is perfect" would come in
the future. For the present, he claimed that
he only "knew in part and prophesied in part."
He compared his present imperfect knowledge to the distorted,
imperfect image reflected in the poor grade of mirrors
of his day. He did not consider his knowledge
either complete or perfect. The renowned New Testament
interpreter William Barclay has commented on this
passage from 1 Corinthians13:9-12:
The Corinthian mirror was made of highly polished metal and, even
at its best, gave but an imperfect reflection
... In this life Paul feels we see only the
reflections of God and are left with much that is mystery and
riddle ... Even if in Christ we have the perfect
revelation, our seeking minds can grasp it
only in part, for the finite can never grasp the infinite.
Our knowledge is still like the knowledge of a child, But the
way of love will lead us in the end to the day when
the veil is drawn aside and we see face to
face and know even as we are known. (The Letters to
the Corinthians, p. 125).
I believe that the only reasonable position is that the Biblical
prophets were a mixture of the divine and
the human. They received revelation progressively.
God revealed Himself to them "line upon line." The prophets
increased in their knowledge and understanding, as
did those who followed. The result is that in different ages different
prophets have held some different views. Even
the same prophet grew in insight and understanding. >From their
writings and sermons it seems to me that both Joseph Smith and
Brigham Young would have concurred with these conclusions
of recent Bible commentators. Both maintained
that God had not perfectly nor fully revealed Himself
to past prophets nor to themselves. There were, like Paul, looking
to the future for God's perfect revelation
of Himself and for their own perfect understanding
of His revelations. Neither one claimed to be infallible, but
rather frequently admitted to his own imperfections
(D&C 42:61; 50:24, 40;78:18; 88:49; 121:28; 124:41; 128:18;
JD 2:314; 1:115). Brigham Young once
stated as his opinion that:" even the best of
the Latter-day Saints have but a faint idea of the attributes
of the Deity.
Were the former and Latter-day Saints, with their Apostles, Prophets,
Seers, and Revelator collected together to discuss
this matter, I am led to think there would
be found a great variety in their views and feelings upon
this subject, without direct revelation from the Lord. It is as
much my right to differ from other men, as
it is theirs to differ from me, in points
of doctrine and principle, when our minds cannot at once arrive
at the same conclusion."(JD 2:123).
Many non-Mormon Christians, while admitting that differences exist
in the prophetic writings, are not willing
to reject the prophets. Neither am I. I am
not willing to discard Paul's claims because some of his imperfections
and lack of harmony with other prophets and
apostles have been pointed out.Neither am I willing to discard
Mormonism because opponents can point to a difference
between Brigham Young and a Bible prophet, or between him and
a succeeding LDS prophet.
I believe those who insist that prophets must be infallible are
either uninformed or unreasonable. Either
they will find themselves disappointed, or will
find themselves constantly refusing an objective examination of
the subject. I think it only fair that opponents
of Mormonism either relinquish this point,
or be prepared to refute the massive evidence of prophetic
differences and variations presented by objective
Christian Bible scholars.
It is common for Mormons who have examined the Adam-God issue
to reject this concept of Brigham Young but
not reject him as a prophet believing that both the
Bible and Mormon history have revealed that all who have been
prophetswere yet fallible and susceptible to error. When the evidence
against the infallibility of prophets is acknowledged,
I believe this position is reasonable. However,
there is something more which needs to be said. I also
know some Mormons who believe the Adam-God theory
is true, and others who, after considerable
exposure, have not yet formed an opinion. In order to understand
these other two positions two additional points need attention.
In their zeal to portray Mormonism as negatively as possible it
is very common for opponents to charge that
the Adam-God theory is absurd and blasphemous,
but this greatly exaggerates the issue. This is a charge made
in the spirit of ridicule rather than reasoned examination.
The claim is frequently made that Brigham Young believed in a
different God, that he did not believe in
the God of the Bible. However, in his sermons, when
he spoke of God, he clearly had reference to the God of the Bible,
the Being who: formed the earth (Discourses
of Brigham Young, p. 117, 352), made promises
to Abraham (p. 342), delivered the children
of Israel from Egypt (p. 342), gave the Law
to Moses (p. 104, 348), and is the Father
of Christ (p. 26, 119). He did not believe in a different God.
He believe that the God of the Bible, He who
performed these and many other acts described therein, also came
to this earth as Adam. If in error on this
point, his error was in believing God performed
an act which He did not perform. The point of difference is not
who is God, but rather what has God done.
I have frequently heard our opponents respond to the claim that
God the Father experienced mortality by crying
absurd, or blasphemous. However, they believe,
as do Mormons, that: the "man, Christ Jesus" (1 Tim
2:5), who "grew and waxed strong"
(Luke 2:40), "increased in wisdom and
stature, and in favor with God and man" (Luke
2:52), "learned obedience
by the things which he suffered" (Heb 5:8), "was
in all points tempted like as we are" (Heb 4:15),
who experienced birth, pain, joy, sorrow, anger,
and death. that this man was in fact God the Son passing through
mortality. By comparison, Brigham Young believed
that: God the Father took upon Himself mortality to begin the
human race. God the Son took upon Himself mortality to redeem
the human race. I can understand how someone who believes the
second statement could disbelieve the first
one, but I am surprised that those who believe the second
one do not hesitate to declare the first one absurd and blasphemous.
Why is it any more absurd or blasphemous to believe
that God the Father experienced mortality
than it is to believe that God the Son did? I suppose that ultimately
whatever is false is also absurd. My point is that until
the ultimate truth is revealed what seems absurd or blasphemous
isusually that which contradicts a cherished religious tradition.
For 2000 years many Jews, upon their understanding
of the Old Testament, have condemned the Christian
view of Jesus as absurd and blasphemous. I see this approach
as an appeal to tradition, not as a worthwhile argument. The primary
argument of those who do not accept the Adam-God theory is that
it is not scriptural. I concur with this. I do not
believe that it can be supported from the
Bible. To me the Biblical message is that Adam's God is
our God; his Father is our Father (Genesis, and Luke
3:38). This also seems to be the message of
LDS scripture (Moses 2-5, and D&C 78:15-22). However, it does
not necessarily prove that an idea is false to show that itis
not supported by previous scripture, or even that it apparently
contradicts previous scripture. If otherwise, then
those who rejected the New Testament message
were justified. Many rejected Jesus because he came with
not only a new message, but sometimes a different
message. Several times in the sermon on the
mount Jesus said, "Ye have heard that it hath been said ...But
I say unto you ..." (Matthew 5, see also 19:3-12). The Old
Testament had one message, but Jesus had another.
In Acts 15, when Peter, by authority of the
Holy Spirit, announced that circumcision would no longer be required
of God's people, he announced a different
message than that of the Old Testament, which
spoke of it as an everlasting covenant for all generations
(Genesis 17).
The New Testament Christians rejected the current Jewish belief
that God's message was complete in the Old
Testament, and of course Mormonism has rejected
the common Catholic and Protestant belief that God's message was
completed in the New Testament. We believe that God
will yet reveal many great and important things
pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Article of Faith,
9). One Bible commentator has characterized the "true prophet"
as "a progressive, who continually advanced
in knowledge and grace." The false prophet
"harped continually on the same old string, merely repeating
what former prophets had said ... instead
of waiting upon Jehovah himself, and from
his never-failing treasury bringing forth 'things new and old'"(Abingdon
Commentary, p. 151).
Neither the Bible nor Mormonism has ever claimed that truth is
to be found only in the official canon. It must be remembered
that every new revelation ever given has always
been outside of the official canon initially. To reject
an idea simply because it sounds new or different
is to reject one of the most fundamental principles
of the Judeo-Christian religion epitomized in the statement
of Jesus, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear"
(Matt 11:15, etc). He clearly had a deeper
message which those who remain on the surface will
never grasp. As a result of this line of thought, some Mormons
believe the Adam-God theory even though it
was never official doctrine, never canonized, and not supported
from previous scripture. Personally, I do not find this conclusion
unreasonable. There are, however, those who are extreme
in their acceptance of the Adam-God theory,
are known as fundamentalist Mormons, or justfundamentalists.
Fundamentalist Mormon Argument
On several points the fundamentalist position is identical to
that of the non-Mormon Christian - namely,
that the Adam-God theory was official Mormon doctrine,
and that prophets cannot disagree. Where they differ is in thatthey
believe it is true and scriptural. Non-Mormon Christians believe
Mormonism is faults because early leaders taught
the Adam-God theory. Fundamentalists believe
current Mormonism is false because recent leaders have
not taught it. They frequently resort to considerable twisting
of the scriptures and the teachings of Joseph
Smith in order to force them to harmonize with the Adam-
God theory. I have stated what I believe to be the
doctrine of the scriptures. As for Joseph
Smith, he clearly taught that Adam holds a position of
authority superior to any of the prophets, that he stands at the
head ofhis posterity, and presides over the spirits of mankind;
that it is by Adam's authority that they keys
are revealed; and that he will judge the saints. However,
the most central issue of the Adam-God theory - that God the Father
became Adam - has not been found among Joseph Smith's
teachings; it has not been shown that he believed
that Adam was the Father of our spirits; and he clearly
taught that Adam's high position of authority is yet subordinate
to
that of Jesus Christ (Words of Joseph Smith, p. 9-12,
38-44). Most of the points previously discussed also apply to
the fundamentalist argument. There is one
point I wish to discuss further. They claim to be disciples
of Brigham Young. Yet I believe they have misunderstood him to
a greater degree than even the non- Mormon
Christians have. I believe Brigham Young himself
would denounce their position in the strongest of terms. By
declaring that Church leaders are in apostasy they
have created a division over a subject he
said "does not immediately concern yours or my welfare,"one
which he said "should not trouble us at all." They have
lost sight of what he believed was most important:
"We must be one. Our faith must be concentrated in one great
work - the building up of the Kingdom of God
on earth, and our works must aim at the accomplishment
of that great purpose" (JD 7:280).
"Even when a leader is in error he emphasized maintaining
unity:.. it is not the place for any person to correct any person
who is superior to them but to ask the Father
in the name of Jesus to bind him up from speaking
false principles. I have known many times I have preached
wrong but I asked the Father in the name of Jesus to take itfrom
the minds of the people and I believe he always did drop the veil
over it. Let your faith be for that man but do not
oppose and get up a division between them" (Thomas Bullock
minutes, May 8, 1854, HDC).
On another occasion he stated:
"Let the kingdom alone, the Lord steadies
the ark; and if it does jostle, and appear
to need steadying, if the way is a little sideling sometimes,
and to all appearance threatens its overthrow, be
careful how you stretch forth your hands to
steady it; let us not be too officious in meddling with
that which does not concern us; let it alone, it is the Lord's
work." (JD 11:252).
Since fundamentalists believe that Brigham Young was a true prophet,
I do not feel they can justify hindering one
of his major goals by their unbalanced preoccupation
with one of his more obscure doctrinal beliefs. There are three
additional attitudes which I have heard expressed by Mormons
which I wish to mention.
1. Some are totally disinterested in anything except the teachings
of thepresent leaders. These are working in the present and looking
to the future without ever looking back. There
is no spark of concern for past issues. There
are those most critical of this attitude. Although I am
one who must look back, I find myself unable to criticize
those not so inclined.
2. Some have insisted that Brigham Young never taught the Adam-God
theory; that he has been misquoted, inaccurately
reported, or misinterpreted. This was a reasonable
view for many years when the entire argument was founded
onlyupon Brigham Young's April 9, 1852 discourse. As additional
sources have been discovered this position has become less
and less tenable until now I believe it should be
totally discarded.
3. Finally, some Mormons believe that after a fair examination
of all relevant points several reasonable
conclusions could be reached. Convinced that
Mormonism does not stand or fall upon the issue of the
Adam-God theory, they are satisfied to suspend final
judgement on the matter until further light
is shed. Although many individuals have an will resolve the matter
for themselves, I am certain that their conclusions
will continue to be varied because of the several
seemingly reasonable approaches to the issue.
In conclusion I include what I consider to be the most reasonably
statedposition on the issue. It is extracted from an unpublished
letter of President Joseph F. Smith to Bishop
Edward Bunker, February 27, 1902:
"While it is far from my purpose to stifle
thought and free speech among the brethren,
or to brand as "false doctrine" any and every mystery
of the kingdom, it is never-the less my wish
and my advice, in which Presidents Winder
and Lund, my counselors, heartily join, that the Elders
should not make a practice of preaching upon these
abstruse themes, these partly revealed principles,
respecting which there are such wide differences
of belief.
What is called the Adam God doctrine my properly be classed among
the mysteries. The full truth concerning it
has not been revealed to us; and until it
is revealed all wild speculations, sweeping assertions and
dogmatic declarations relative thereto, are out of
place and improper. We disapprove of them
and especially the public expression of such views ...Let us be
content with what is plainly revealed on this subject, namely;
that though there be Lords many and Gods many as
the Apostle Paul declares, yet to us there
is but one God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I have attempted to present as fairly as I could in so brief a
work the various attitudes I have encountered
on this interesting subject. Whatever conclusion
most appeals, I am confident that Brigham Young, if he were here,
would be dismayed that his few statements on this
one subject have prevented some people from
giving a fair examination to the restored gospel and church
that inspired and motivated him. A man of remarkable
common sense, Brigham Young did not think
that the existence of sun spots should lead one to turn
away from the sun's warmth and light.
This is said to have been a letter to an unnamed member of the church from the First Presidency dated 20 February 1912. The original is supposed to be held in the Church Historian's Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Dear Brother:
Your question concerning Adam has not been answered before because of pressure of important business. We now respond briefly, but, we hope, plainly. You speak of "the assertion made by Brigham Young that Jesus was begotten of the Father in the flesh by our father Adam, and that Adam is the father of Jesus Christ and not the Holy Ghost," and you say that Elders are challenged by certain critics to prove this.
If you will carefully examine the sermon to which you refer, in the Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, you will discover that, while President Young denied that Jesus was "begotten of the Holy Ghost," he did not affirm, in so many words, that "Adam is the father of Jesus Christ in the flesh." He said, "Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of Eden and who is our Father in Heaven. Who is our "Father in Heaven"? Here is what President Young said about him; "Our Father in heaven begat all the spirits that ever were or ever will be upon this earth and they were born spirits in the eternal world. Then the Lord by his power and wisdom organized the mortal tabernacle of man." Was He in the Garden of Eden? Surely He gave commandments to Adam and Eve; He was their Father in Heaven; they worshipped Him and taught their children after the fall to worship and obey Him in the name of the Son who was to come.
But President Young went on to show that our father Adam,--that is, our earthly father,--the progenitor of the race of man, stands at our head, being "Michael the Archangel, the Ancient of Days," and that he was not fashioned from earth like an adobe, but "begotten by his Father in Heaven." Adam is called in the Bible "the son of God" (Luke 3:38). It was our Father in Heaven who begat the spirit of him who was "the Firstborn" of all the spirits that come to this earth, and who was, also his Father by the Virgin Mary, making him "the only begotten in the flesh." Read Luke 1:26-35. Where is Jesus called "the only begotten of the Holy Ghost?" He is always singled out as "the only begotten of the Father." (John 1:14;3:16,18, &c) The Holy Ghost came upon Mary, and her conception was under that influence, even of the spirit of life; our Father in Heaven was the Father of the Son of Mary, to whom the Savior prayed, as did our earthly father Adam.
When President Young asked, "who is the Father?" he was speaking of Adam as the father of our earthly bodies, who is at our head, as revealed in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 107, verses 53-56. In that sense he is one of the gods referred to in numerous scriptures, and particularly by Christ (John 10:34-36). He is the great Patriarch, the Ancient of Days, who will stand in his place as "a prince over us forever," and with whom we shall "have to do," as each family will have to do with its head, according to the holy patriarchal order. Our father, Adam, perfected and glorified as a God, will be the being who will carry out the behests of the great Elohim in relation to his posterity. (See Daniel 7:9-14.)
While, as Paul puts it, "there be gods many and Lords many (whether in heaven or in earth), unto us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints worships Him, and Him alone, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, whom He worshipped, whom Adam worshipped, and who is God the Eternal Father of us all.
Your brethren,
/s/Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose
First Presidency
Adam-God Theory.
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.18 ADAM-GOD-THEORY
See ADAM, ANCIENT OF DAYS, BIRTHRIGHT, CELESTIAL MARRIAGE, EXALTATION, GOD, GODHOOD, MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL, PATRIARCHAL CHAIN, PATRIARCHAL ORDER, PLURALITY OF GODS. Cultists and other enemies of the restored truth, for their own peculiar purposes, sometimes try to make it appear that Latter-day Saints worship Adam as their Father in heaven. In support of their false assumptions, they quote such statements as that of President Brigham Young to the effect that Adam is our father and our god and the only god with whom we have to do. This statement, and others of a similar nature, is perfectly consistent and rational, when viewed in full gospel perspective and understood in the light of the revelations relative to the patriarchal chain binding exalted beings together. Full and detailed explanations of all important teachings on these points are readily available. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 96-106.)
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.18 ADAM-GOD-THEORY
Faithful members of the Church worship the Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and view Adam in his proper high place as the pre-existent Michael, the first man and presiding high priest (under Christ) over all the earth for all time, and as the one who will again lead the armies of heaven in the final great war with Lucifer. There is a sense, of course, in which Adam is a god. But so also, in the same sense, are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Moses and all the ancient prophets; Peter, James, and John; and all the righteous saints of all ages, including those of both high and low degree.
Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p.18 ADAM-GOD-THEORY
All exalted beings become joint-heirs with Christ and inherit
the fulness of the Father's kingdom. Having entered in at the
gate of celestial marriage, and having pressed forward in righteousness,
overcoming all things, they pass by the angels and the gods "to
their exaltation and glory in all things. . . . Then shall they
be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from
everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall
they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then
shall they be gods, Because they have all power, and he angels
are subject unto them." (D. & C. 132:19-20.) Of all these
Adam is the chief, presiding (under Christ and the Father) in
the patriarchal order over all the rest. There is no mystery about
this doctrine except that which persons ignorant of the great
principles of exaltation and unfriendly to the cause of righteousness
have attempted to make.