By Rick Brunson
=====================================================
~Part 1 - Q&A~
Perhaps no doctrine taught throughout the history of the Church has caused
as much controversy and as much confusion as the so-called "Adam-God theory." Certainly no doctrine within the Church has
been more misunderstood by its members. So
what exactly is the Adam-God theory?
Before we can answer this question, we must first establish certain truths regarding Adam and Eve. Part-1 of this 3-part series will ask a number of questions. This is intended to invite the reader to ponder certain concepts in their hearts. It must be noted that much of the information presented in this article will be new to the honest Church-going member. Perhaps it will even be new to those who may already be familiar with certain aspects of the Adam-God theory. Because of this, we must understand that the things discussed in this article cannot be fully understood without the aid of the Spirit. If at any time the reader feels inclined to disagree with any of the conclusions drawn in this article, I would encourage the reader to take a moment to ponder these questions and come to their own conclusions, rather than simply dismissing these concepts because they may be new.
With that introduction, we turn to
our questions.
What type of body did Adam have in the Garden of
Eden before the fall?
We have 3 choices:
- Mortal
- Translated
- Immortal (which can be broken out into three sub-categories):
- Celestial body
- Terrestrial body
- Telestial body
Each of these
possibilities will be discussed below.
Could Adam have been Mortal before the fall?
No. Adam would have lived forever in the Garden of
Eden had he not partaken of the forbidden fruit. Lehi stated:
And now, behold,
if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have
remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have
remained in the same state in which they were after they were created; and they
must have remained forever, and had no end. (2 Ne. 2:22)
This tells us that
Adam would have lived forever.
Therefore, Adam was not mortal before the fall.
Was Adam Immortal?
Yes. President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Adam and Eve...were yet immortal beings
in the Garden of Eden and before death entered the world."[1]
President Smith
also stated: “After the fall, which came by a transgression of the law under
which Adam was living, the forbidden fruit had the power to create blood and
change his nature and mortality took the
place of immortality, and all things partaking of the change, became
mortal”[2]
We can therefore
conclude that Adam was an immortal being before the fall.
If Adam was immortal before the fall, would it have been possible for
him to have been a translated being, like the 3 Nephites, or John the Revelator?
And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I
shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from
mortality to immortality; (3 Ne. 28:8)
Translated beings
have not yet tasted of death, while immortal beings have. You cannot become immortal without first dying
and being resurrected. Translated beings
have neither died nor been resurrected.[3]
**Conclusion - We know that Adam was not a translated being in the
Garden of Eden, but was an immortal being.**
How Was Adam Created? / How did Adam get his
Immortal Body?
Was Adam's physical body created in the
Garden of Eden, or was he created before being placed there?
Moses 3:15 and
Abr. 5:11 both state that Adam’s physical body was placed in the Garden of Eden. Therefore, Adam’s body was created before he
arrived in the Garden of Eden.
What does it mean to be created from the
dust?
The phrase
“created from dust” is figurative. LDS
scholar Cleon Skousen wrote:
“The Lord
originally told Moses precisely what it meant to be made from the dust of the
earth. This is a technical phrase. It meant to be "born...by water, and blood, and the spirit which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul"
(Moses 6:59)”[4]
This tells us that
Adam was not literally created out of dust, but was rather born of a
woman. This was made clear by President
Brigham Young who said,
"He [Adam] was made as you and I were
made and no person was ever made on any other principle."[5]
This was also confirmed
by King Mosiah who said, “ye were created of the dust of the earth” (Mosiah
2:25). In other words, you and I were
created the same way that Adam was created.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie said,
"Mortal men
are born into mortality, meaning that the spirits from pre-existence come into
tabernacles which have been created from the dust of the earth through the
normal birth process."[6]
If we were created
from the dust of the earth (i.e. through the birth process), then Adam was also
created the same way we were. He was
born of a woman.
**Conclusion - We know that before arriving on this earth, Adam was born
of a woman. Therefore Adam was born
somewhere other than our earth.**
Was Adam Born Immortal?
We know that Adam was born of a woman before
being placed in the Garden. We also know
that Adam was immortal in the Garden of Eden.
So was Adam born as a mortal like us, or was he born immortal?
You may come to
your own conclusions as well as I can.
However,
the Lord has
never indicated that it is possible for someone to be born immortal. If it were possible, then you and I could
have theoretically forgone this mortal estate, and been created immortal from
the beginning. Since the Lord's whole
purpose is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man"
(Moses 1:39), we can conclude that if there were an easier way for us to become
immortal, the Lord would have chosen that path in the first place. Even during the millennium, when the earth
will be elevated to a terrestrial state, everyone born at that time will be
born mortal, and will undergo death.[7] In order to receive an immortal body,
everyone must go through the exact same steps as Brigham Young indicated above. Adam therefore must have been born as a
mortal like us.
Where was Adam born?
If everyone goes
through the exact same steps, then Adam was born as a mortal like us, on a
telestial earth much like ours. Brigham
Young stated:
"Adam was
made from the dust of an earth, but not from the dust of this earth."[8]
How Did Adam Become Immortal?
We know that Adam was born as a mortal, and
we also know that by the time he was placed in the Garden of Eden, he was
immortal. What happened in between?
To answer this
question, we must ask how you and I will become immortal. Everyone becomes
immortal by living on an earth, dying, and receiving their resurrection.
Is there more than one way for you and I to
become immortal?
No.
Each of us must be born mortal, die, and be resurrected.
Is it the same
for everyone? Does everyone have to be a
resurrected in order to be immortal?
Yes.
How then, did
Adam become immortal?
Once Adam was
born as a mortal on another earth, he lived and died there, and was after
resurrected to an immortal body.
When Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden,
did he have a Telestial, Terrestrial, or Celestial resurrected body?
Eve was Adams wife while
they were in the Garden of Eden. Can
Telestial or Terrestrial beings be married? No.
Therefore, Adam and Eve were
both resurrected to the highest degree of the Celestial kingdom and they each
had a Celestial body by the time they entered the Garden of Eden.
What Do We Know About Immortal Beings?
Adam, an immortal
being, did not have blood in his body before the fall.
The LDS Bible
Dictionary (under “Fall of Adam”), states: “Before the fall, Adam and Eve had physical bodies but no blood.”
Since immortal beings do not have blood
running through their veins, what fluid do they have?
Immortal beings
have a spiritual fluid running through their veins rather than blood. Such was the case with Adam. President Joseph Fielding Smith stated:
“A spiritual [or immortal] body
is one which is not quickened by blood, but by spirit. Before the fall Adam had
a physical, tangible body of flesh and bones, but it was not quickened by
blood. The partaking of the forbidden fruit caused blood to exist in his body
and thus the seeds of mortality were sown and his body then became temporal, or
mortal, subject to the vicissitudes of mortal change.”[9]
Can mortal bodies
have spirit children? And can
resurrected beings produce physical mortal bodies?
Elder Melvin J.
Ballard said:
“men and women
who keep the commandments of God…will come forth with celestial bodies...and
unto them through their preparation, there will come spirit children. I don’t
think that is very difficult to comprehend. The nature of the offspring is
determined by the nature of the substance that flows in the veins of the being.
When blood flows in the veins of the being the offspring will be what blood
produces, which is tangible flesh and bone; but when that which flows in the
veins is spirit matter, a substance which is more refined and pure and glorious
than blood, the offspring of such beings will be spirit children. By that I
mean they will be in the image of the parents. They will have a spirit body and
have a spark of the eternal or divine that always did exist in them”[10]
This doctrine
originated from Joseph Smith:
"Joseph
[Smith] had previously taught that resurrected beings will have "spirit in
their [veins] & not blood"[11] The implication is that if your body is not
resurrected, your children will be born flesh and bones, but that if your body
is resurrected and has spirit in its veins your children will be spirits."[12]
Such was the case
with Adam. Apostle Samuel O. Bennion said:
"When Adam
and Eve were first placed in the Garden of Eden they had resurrected bodies, in
which there was no blood. A spiritual
fluid or substance circulated in their veins instead of blood. Consequently, they had not power to beget
children with tabernacles of flesh, such as human beings possess. The fall caused a change in their bodies,
which, while it rendered them mortal, at the same time gave them power to
create mortal bodies of flesh, blood and bone for their offspring."[13]
Resurrected
persons have a spiritual fluid running through their veins and will therefore
produce spirit children. They cannot produce mortal bodies. Persons with blood running through their
veins will have offspring with flesh and blood.
Could Adam and Eve therefore have spirit
children before being placed in the Garden of Eden?
Yes. It would have been physically possible for
them to have spirit children because they had resurrected celestial bodies with
spiritual fluid running through their veins.
Did Adam and Eve have spirit children
before being placed in the Garden of Eden?
Adam stated,
"she is the mother of all living" (present tense). More of this possibility will be discussed in
part-2 of this article.
Problems Our Heavenly Father Faces With Providing
Mortal Bodies for His Spirit Children:
How is it possible for resurrected Celestial beings to provide mortal
bodies for their spirit children?
Remember,
resurrected beings with spirit running through their veins can only have spirit
children. It therefore requires a mortal
body, someone who has blood running through their veins to produce offspring of
flesh and blood.
How then does God provide mortal bodies for his spirit children?
In the
case of our earth, Elohim placed Adam, an already immortal resurrected person,
on the earth, and had him fall from his immortal state, to a mortal state. When Adam fell, the spirit that ran through
his veins became blood, and therefore his offspring would now be flesh and
blood. It was in this way that God
provided physical bodies for his spirit children.
It therefore
seems like the only way a resurrected celestial being can provide mortal bodies
for their spirit children is to have someone with a resurrected body fall and
become mortal.
Does it make sense that God would ask someone else who has a
resurrected Celestial body to do something that He is capable of doing himself?
No.
Does it make sense that God would have somebody else provide mortal
bodies for his own offspring?
No.
Before being placed in the Garden of Eden, it is very likely that Adam
had spirit children of his own. Does it
make sense that Adam would fall to provide bodies for someone else’s spirit
children, rather than doing it for his own spirit children?
No.
What can we conclude from these questions?
A
resurrected being will have spirit children with his eternal companion. They now are faced with the problem of providing
mortal bodies for their spirit children.
They decide to place themselves on an earth where they can choose to
fall. When they fall, their bodies are
changed from immortal to mortal, making it possible to provide bodies of flesh
and blood for their spirit children.
This is what happened to Adam and Eve.
***Conclusion: Adam is the Father of both
our spirits and our mortal bodies.***
This is
the Adam-God Doctrine. As we shall see
in part-2 of this series, Brigham Young taught this doctrine publically for
over 20 years. He was not misquoted as
some have suggested. Neither was he misunderstood
as some have suggested. Before we turn
to his quotes on this subject however, we must first clarify a few more issues
regarding the creation account.
Who then are Elohim and Jehovah?
They are Michaels
Patriarchs. Jehovah is Michael's Father,
and Elohim is Michael’s grandfather. (It
is important to remember that Jehovah, in the creation account, is not
Jesus. It is Adam's Father. Jehovah is a title. It can be applied to more than one God under
different circumstances. Later, in the
Old Testament, this title would also be applied to Jesus.) President Joseph F. Smith recorded,
"Elohim,
Yahovah, and Michael were father, Son, and grandson. They made the earth and Michael became Adam."[14]
If Adam is the father of our spirits, is he
also the father of Jesus Christ’s spirit?
Yes.
How did Adam father the physical body of
Jesus?
Once Adam fell, he lived
and died on this earth. Since he
possessed the keys of resurrection from his previous earth, he was able to be
resurrected and return to his former celestial state. He was then able to overshadow Mary in the
Meridian of time.
Will we have to go through this same
process?
Yes. If we are resurrected to the highest degree
of the celestial kingdom and are able to have spirit children of our own, we
must fall to provide physical mortal bodies for them. Brigham Young said to a group of Elders,
"you [will] get the privilege of being an Adam on an Earth"; and also
said to a group of Sisters "You will become Eves to earths like
this."[15]
~Part 2 ~ Quotes from General
Authorities
Part-2 of
this series will examine various quotes from General Authorities who taught and
believed this doctrine. We begin with
Brigham Young. Here are a few of the statements he made regarding this Adam-God
doctrine:
"Adam…had begotten all the spirits that were to come to this earth, and Eve our common mother who is the mother of all living, bore those spirits in the celestial world…Father Adam’s first begotten in the spirit world, who according to the flesh is the only begotten as it is written."[16]
"He [Adam] is the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, both body and spirit: and he is the father of our spirits, and the father of our flesh in the beginning. You will not dispute the words of an Apostle, that he is actually the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the father of our spirits….He is not only the father of our spirits, but of our flesh, he being the founder of that natural machinery through which we have all obtained our bodies… the God with which we have to do. I tell you simply, he is our father; the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the father of our spirits….I say he was not made of the dust of the ground of this earth, but he was made of the dust of the earth where he lived, where he honored his calling, believed in his Savior, or elder brother, and by his faithfulness, was redeemed, and got a glorious resurrection….I tell you more, Adam is the father of our spirits. He had lived upon an earth; he did abide his creation, and did honor his calling and priesthood, and obeyed his master of Lord, and probably many of his wives did the same and they lived and died upon an earth and they were resurrected again to immortality and eternal life….Our spirits and the spirits of all the human family were begotten by Adam and born of Eve…. I tell you, when you see your Father in heaven, you will see Adam; when you see your mother that bore your spirit, you will see mother Eve."[17]
"Adam was an immortal being when he came to this earth. He had lived on an earth similar to ours. He had received the priesthood and the keys thereof, and had been faithful in all things, and had gained his resurrection, and his exaltation and was crowned with glory, immortality and eternal lives, and was numbered with the Gods, for such he became through his faithfulness."[18]
"Now hear it, O inhabitants of
the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into
the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought
Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this
world. He is Michael, the
Archangel, the Ancient of Days!
about whom holy men have written and spoken—He
is our Father and our
God, and the only God with whom
we have to do. Every man
upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will
know it sooner or later... When Adam and Eve had eaten of the forbidden
fruit, their bodies became mortal from its effects, and therefore their
offspring were mortal. When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the
Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the
Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family... I
could tell you much more about this; but were I to tell you the whole truth,
blasphemy would be nothing to it, in the estimation of the superstitious and
overrighteous of mankind. ... What a learned idea! 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. Now, let all who may hear these doctrines,
pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they
will prove their salvation or damnation."[19]
While the above quotes are in no way a complete
list of Brigham Young's teachings on this subject, they do give us an idea of
what he taught. One might ask, "Where
did Brigham Young get this information?"
If you asked Brigham Young this question, he would tell you that he
learned it from none other than the Prophet Joseph Smith. He stated on more than one occasion:
"Joseph [Smith] said
that Adam was our Father and God."[21]
"It was Joseph's
doctrine that Adam was God."[22]
Furthermore,
Wilford Woodruff wrote:
"At a meeting of School of the Prophets, President Young said Adam was Michael the Archangel and he was the Father of Jesus Christ and was our God and that Joseph taught this principle. He [Brigham Young] said that our God was Father Adam. He was the Father of the Savior Jesus Christ - our God was no more or less than Adam, Michael the Archangel."[23]
Brigham Young would also tell you that this
information was confirmed to his soul by the Holy Ghost:
"How much unbelief
exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular
doctrine which is revealed to them, and which
God revealed to me – namely that Adam is our father and God…I could not
find any man on the earth who could tell me this, although it is one of the
simplest things in the world, until I met and talked with Joseph Smith."[24]
In fact, Brigham Young felt so strongly about the truthfulness of this doctrine that he had it taught in the temple as part of the endowment session. The below is taken from the Journal of L. John Nuttall, scribe of Brigham Young. It compromises the former Lecture given at the veil of the temple:
Adam... was made of the dust of the earth but not
of this earth. He was made just the some way you and I are made, but on
another earth,
Adam was an immortal
being when he came on this earth; he had lived on an earth similar to ours; he
had received the Priesthood and the keys thereof, and had been faithful in all
things and gained his resurrection and his exaltation, and was crowned with
glory, immortality and eternal lives, and was numbered with the gods for such
he became through his faithfulness.
And had begotten all the
spirits that was to come to this earth. And Eve our common mother who is
the mother of all living bore those spirits in the celestial world. And then
this earth was organized by Elohim, Jehovah and Michael, who is Adam, our
common Father.
Adam and Eve had the
privilege to continue the work of progression, Consequently they came to
this earth and commenced the great work of forming tabernacles for those
spirits to dwell in. And when Adam and those that assisted him had
completed this kingdom our earth he came to in, and slept and forgot all and became
like an infant child
Adam and Eve, when they
were placed on this earth, were immortal beings of flesh, bones and
sinews. But upon partaking of the fruits
of the earth while in the garden and cultivating the ground, their bodies
became changed from immortal to mortal beings, with blood coursing through
their veins as the action of life. ...
Father Adams oldest son
Jesus the Savior, who is the heir of the family, is father Adam’s first
begotten in the spirit world, who according to the flesh is the only begotten
ad it is written. In his divinity he [Adam] having gone back into the
spirit world, and came in the spirit to Mary and she conceived. For when
Adam and Eve got through with their word in this earth, they did not lay their
bodies down in the dust, but returned to the spirit world from whence they
came.[25]
Why is this doctrine not taught in the church
anymore? Part-3 of this series will attempt to answer this important question.
~ Part 3 - Pearls Before Swine ~
Adam God Teachings Go From Doctrine…
Brigham
Young made it very clear throughout his presidency that these truths regarding
Adam should in fact be considered doctrine.
For example, after giving his famous Adam-God discourse in 1852 he said,
“Now, let all who
may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them
with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation.”[26]
Brigham Young also went on record as
saying,
“I know just as well what to teach this
people and just what to say to them and what to do in order to bring them into
the celestial kingdom, as I know the road to my office. It is just as
plain and easy…. I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the
children of men, that they may not call Scripture.”[27]
“If there is an Elder here, or any member of this
Church, called the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who can bring
up the first idea, the first sentence that I have delivered to the people as
counsel that is wrong, I really wish they would do it; but they cannot do it,
for the simple reason that I have never given counsel that is wrong; this is
the reason.[28]
With
Brigham Young’s death in 1877 however, these doctrines regarding Adam were rarely
taught. LDS scholar Rodney Turner stated,
With the passing of Brigham Young, the subject of Adam’s
identity, beyond that revealed in the standard works of the church, was seldom
discussed. … However, with the turn of the century, the Church came under fire
from various protestant ministers and “Mormon haters” for, among other things,
its belief in the “Adam deity” of Brigham Young. It is then that we find such leaders…speaking
forth in defense of the official doctrine of the Church.”[29]
As one
might expect, once the enemies of the Church got ahold of these teachings during
this time period, they mockingly spread the word. As a result, a new generation of church
members were hearing these teachings for the first time. This caused a great deal of confusion and
even contention within the Church, and was also preventing many new converts
from joining the Church.
Therefore,
Church leaders at this time could go one of two ways. They could either state firmly that Brigham
Young’s teachings were true, or remain silent in hopes that the flame would die
out on its own. They decided to do the
later.
The Doctrine is Hushed
The reason behind this decision comes
strictly from the Lord’s council as recorded in Matthew:
Give not
that which is holy unto
the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before
swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. (Matt. 7:6)
Brigham Young’s teachings, while
intended only for the faithful Saints, were also heard by the enemies of the
Church. Rather than casting more pearls,
Church leaders attempted to retrieve these pearls and cast them before swine no
longer. In fact, Brigham Young may have agreed
with this decision towards the end of his life.
On more than one occasion he said,
“And I can truly say that I believe, if I
am guilty in any one point in my walk before this people, it is in telling them
things they are not worthy of—that I have given unto them things that they
could not receive.”[30]
“And I will say, as I have before said, if
guilt before my God and my brethren rests upon me in the least, it is in this
one thing—that I have revealed too much concerning God and his kingdom, and the
designs of our Father in heaven. If my skirts are stained in the least with
wrong, it is because I have been too free in telling what God is, how he lives,
the nature of his providences and designs in creating the world, in bringing
forth the human family on the earth, his designs concerning them, etc. If I
had, like Paul, said—“But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant,” perhaps
it would have been better for the people.”[31]
In any event, this would be the route
the new Church leaders would take. For
example, in 1897, Ephraim Nye (President of the California mission), wrote a
letter to the First Presidency wanting clarification on the teachings of
Adam-God after some of his missionaries came in contact with an anti-Mormon Minister. Apostle Franklin D. Richards wrote President
Nye back as follows:
“Dear Brother: On
receipt of your letter…I conferred with Pres. Joseph F. Smith, and we concluded
to present the matter to the Council of the First Presidency and Twelve
Apostles…. The council did not deem it wise to lay out any line of procedure in
which to deal with the subject, but felt that it is best to avoid bringing it
up, and do the best we can and as the Spirit may suggest when it is thrust upon
us.
“…This like many
other points of more advanced doctrine, is too precious a pearl to be cast
before swine. But when the swine get
hold of them, let us rescue them by the help of the Spirit as best we can. Thinking it may be convenient to you to have
President Young’s sayings on that subject, I enclosed a copy from his sermon in
the first Volume of the Journal of Discourse.”[32]
President George Q. Cannon also
stated in 1898:
“Concerning the
doctrine in regard to Adam and the Savior, the Prophet Brigham Young taught
some things concerning that; but the First Presidency and the Twelve do not
think it wise to advocate these matters.
It is sufficient to know we have a Father – God the Eternal Father, who
reveals Himself by His Holy Spirit unto those who seek Him; and that Jesus
Christ is His Son, our Redeemer, the Savior of the world.”[33]
In
addition to retrieving our pearls from swine, perhaps there was a second reason
why this doctrine was hushed during this time period. To understand this decision made by our
former church leaders, we have to understand that not everyone within the Church
was at the same level spiritually. The Church
at this time saw a considerable increase in size from the presidency of Brigham
Young, and with this growth came new challenges of feeding everyone
spiritually. In a sense, the Church
still faces this same obstacle today, which is why we only hear the basics (milk)
of the gospel in our general conferences.
Giving the deeper mysteries (meat) of the gospel to those who are not
spiritually ready to receive them would only confuse the learner. We are told
that we are to receive the gospel “line upon line, precept upon
precept, here a little and there a little” and “unto him that receiveth I
will give more”
(2 Ne. 28:30).
For each of these reasons, the
doctrine was hushed. No doubt this was an
inspired decision. However, this did not
mean that Adam-God teachings did not linger and continue to surface among Church
members who did not understand these concepts.
As time passed, more and more people were pressing the current Church
leaders to speak up.
To “Don’t be Concerned”
Finally, church leaders did decide
to speak on the subject. They simply counseled
the Saints to not be concerned with Adam’s identity. For example, President
George Q. Cannon said,
“I was stopped
yesterday afternoon by a young man, who wanted to know whether Adam was the
Father of our Lord and Savior—whether he was the being we worshipped, etc. Now,
we can get ourselves very easily puzzled, if we choose to do so, by speculating
upon doctrines and principles of this character. The Lord has said through His
Prophet that there are two personages in the Godhead. That ought to be
sufficient for us at the present time.... Concerning the doctrine in regard to
Adam and the Savior, the Prophet Brigham Young taught some things concerning
that; but the First Presidency and the twelve do not think it wise to advocate
these matters.”[34]
Also, Wilford Woodruff said to the
Saints in 1895:
“Cease troubling
yourselves about who God is; who Adam is, who Christ is, who Jehovah is. For
heaven's sake, let these things alone. Why trouble yourselves about these
things?... God is God. Christ is Christ. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Ghost. That
should be enough for you and me to know. I say this because we are troubled
every little while with inquiries from Elders anxious to know who God is, who
Christ is, and who Adam is. I say to the Elders of Israel, stop this.... We
have had letter after letter from Elders abroad wanting to know concerning
these things. Adam is the first man. He was placed in the Garden of Eden, and
is our great progenitor. God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Ghost, are
the same yesterday, today, and forever, that should be sufficient for us to
know.”[35]
These
statements were a clear push to encourage the Saints of that generation to
not concern themselves with these things. As one might imagine, this did not
satisfy this particular group of Church members in the least and probing
questions continued to follow.
To Mystery
Therefore, President Joseph F.
Smith stated in 1910:
“Whether the mortal bodies of man evolved in
natural processes to present perfection, through the direction and power of
God; whether the first parents of our
generation, Adam and Eve, were transplanted from another sphere, with
immortal tabernacles, which became corrupted through sin and the partaking of
natural foods, in the process of time; whether
they were born here in mortality, as other mortals have been, are
questions not fully answered in the revealed word of God.”[36]
Here, President Joseph F. Smith defined the doctrines
pertaining to Adam as “questions not fully answered in the revealed word of God.” And in a sense, he was correct. After all, these teachings were not found in
the scriptures. Rather they were given
to the Saints by the Lord’s Prophet, Brigham Young. On a second occasion, President Smith wrote:
“It is certainly unwise for the Elders or
any other member of the Church to advocate doctrines that are not clearly set
forth in the revealed word of God, and concerning which, in consequence,
difference of opinion exist. No good can come from it, but on the contrary,
much evil may result….
“What is called
the Adam-God doctrine may 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.…
“As to the
personality and position of [Adam] … these are matters immaterial at the
present time, and are at best but an unprofitable speculation.”[37]
Here President Smith labeled the
Adam-God teachings as a “speculation” and “mystery.” Again,
in a sense he was right—it was a mystery to those who did not understand
it. Unfortunately, not even these statements satisfied all Church members
and many continued to press the First Presidency for a further explanation.
To Theory
Therefore, in 1912, President Joseph F. Smith issued an official statement which
labeled the Adam-God teachings as theory:
“Speculations as to the career of Adam before he came to
the earth are of no real value. We learn by revelation that he was Michael, the
archangel, and that he stands at the head of his posterity on earth. (D&C
107:53-56.) Dogmatic assertions do not take the place of revelation, and we
should be satisfied with that which is accepted as doctrine, and not discuss
matters that, after all disputes, are merely matters of theory.”[38]
In 1940, President Joseph Fielding
Smith went even further by saying,
“The Lord has not seen fit to tell
us definitely just how Adam came for we are not ready to receive that truth.
…The time will come when we shall be informed all about Adam and the manner of
creation, for the Lord has promised that when he comes he will make all these
things known.”[39]
To “Not Official Doctrine”
Years later, still being pressed by
Church members, Church leaders went a step further and labeled it "not
official doctrine." For example, Elder B.H. Roberts said,
“Brigham Young and others may have taught that doctrine, but it has never been accepted by the Church as her doctrine, and she is not in any way responsible for it.”[40]
This statement is 100% accurate. While Brigham Young may have labeled it as such, the Church never issued any statement labeling it as “official Church doctrine.” However, Church members at this time were not interested in whether or not it was Church doctrine; rather, they wanted to know whether or not it was true. Nevertheless, church leaders remained quiet on that issue except for a few occasions.[41]
To False Doctrine
When even
these statements did not satisfy church members, Spencer W. Kimball finally stated
in 1976,
“We warn you against the dissemination of doctrines which
are not according to the scriptures and which are alleged to have been taught
by some of the General Authorities of past generations. Such, for instance, is
the Adam-God theory. We denounce that theory and hope that everyone will be
cautioned against this and other kinds of false doctrine.”[42]
Again, this
quote is worded very carefully in my opinion. President Kimball stated
that the Adam God theory was not in accordance with the scriptures. He is correct. The scriptures do not teach this doctrine. President Kimball also denounced the Adam-God
theory and cautioned against false doctrines.
The debate continues, however, as to whether or not President Kimball
ever labeled Adam-God as false doctrine.
Although
there have been other General Authorities who have since denounced Brigham
Young’s teachings, this statement from President Kimball has been the last word
on this subject from any President of the Church.
In short,
Adam-God progressively moved through each of these stages:
·
From being labeled as doctrine by Brigham Young
·
To being hushed
·
To “don’t concern yourselves”
·
To mystery and speculation
·
To theory
·
To not official doctrine
·
To false doctrine
The reason for this progression? Church members constantly demanding further
explanation from the Brethren. Some Church members
have been outraged upon learning of these changes in doctrines for the first
time, and some have even left the church because of it. Many in and out of the Church have labeled
our prophets “liars,” “uninspired” or “apostate” for changing the churches
stance on Adam-God. However, there are
many of us who share a different opinion:
The Holy Ghost Teaches Truth
Those who
have demanded throughout the years that the First Presidency state plainly
whether or not the Adam God principle was true or false need to keep in mind
that it is the Holy Ghost who reveals truth, not human beings. In Jesus’ day, Jesus refused to reveal his
identity to anyone. Many times his
enemies would come up to him and demand Jesus to tell them plainly whether or
not He was the Son of God. Jesus would
reply, “If ye had ears to hear, ye would hear.”
This left his enemies outraged and they only continued to ask him this
same question.
Jesus’
followers on the other hand, did not need Jesus’ testimony to know whether or
not He was the Son of God. They had the
Spirit to bear witness to their souls.
Jesus did not even reveal his divinity to his own Apostles. They had to find out from heaven like
everyone else:
[Jesus] saith unto
them [His Apostles], But whom say ye that
I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed
art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
(Matt 16:15-17)
The Holy
Ghost in this instance was a much more powerful testimony than anything even Jesus
himself could have said regarding His divinity.
And so it is with all truth.
Those who demanded the truth concerning Adam’s identity from the lips of
the First Presidency were skipping steps.
They were bypassing the Holy Ghost.
On the other hand, Church members who had the Holy Ghost bear witness to
their souls of the truthfulness of the Adam God doctrine do not need the First
Presidency to confirm whether or not what they learned is true. In fact, this group does not even see the
need to ask the First Presidency because of this witness from the Spirit.
On the other hand, those who do need confirmation from the First Presidency
have not had the confirmation from the Spirit; for if they did, they would not
need to constantly ask them for an explanation.
Because the
First Presidency has remained quiet on this issue, we must find out on our own
whether or not it is true. Just like
anything else in our lives, the Spirit will either testify to our souls of its truthfulness,
or it will cause us to have a “stupor of thought” if untrue.[43] Parts one and two of this series can be a
valuable aid to someone who desires to know for themselves what was taught, and
ultimately what is true. However, these
doctrines are not for everyone; for not everyone within the Church is spiritually
ready to learn these things. It is for this very reason that I purposely
did not put a link to this article anywhere on my website: I simply did not
want just any church member to stumble upon it.
This means that in order for a Church member to read this article, he or
she would have had to have actively searched for it. Those who fall into this category have likely
been prepared by the Lord to learn some of these truths and make a decision on
their own.
Notes:
[1] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:115
[2] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:77 emphasis
added; See also Journal of Discourses
1:280-284
[3] Furthermore,
translated beings cannot have children (neither mortal nor spirit children (McConkie,
The Millennial Messiah, p. 644) while celestial
immortal beings can have spirit children.
[4] Skousen,
The First 2,000 Years p. 24
[5] Journal
of Discourses 3:319
[6]
McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 2:471
[7] While
they will not lay their bodies in the ground when they die, death will still be
present during the Millennium. When the
mortal has lived until the "age of a tree", they shall be
"changed in the twinkling of an eye," which means they shall die and
be resurrected instantly. See D&C
101:30-31; Isaiah 65:20; McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p. 644
[8] Journal of Discourses, 3:319
[9] Smith, Church History and
Modern Revelation, 2:5
[10]
Ballard, Crusader for Righteousness,
p. 211
[11] Wilford
Woodruff account of 20, March 1842 discourse
[12] Words of Joseph Smith, p. 270
[13]
Liahona, The Elders Journal 6:33
[14] Joseph
F. Smith Journal, 17 June 1871 entry; Church Archives. (A-G 83
[15] Journal of Discourses 4:271; Journal
of Discourses 8:208
[16] (Discourse delivered
by Brigham Young, Feb. 7, 1887, as recorded by his secretary and scribe, L.
John Nuttall, in the L. John Nuttal journals under date.) (AGM 100-01)
[17] (M.A.B.Y., Oct. 8,
1854) (AGM 83-84)
[18] (Brigham Young, John
Nuttall Journal, Feb. 7, 1887) (AGM 87)
[19] Journal of Discourses 1:50-51
[20] Brigham
Young, Feb. 19, 1854 Church Archives (A-G 75)
[21] (Brigham Young,
Journal History of the Church, May 14, 1876; also L. John Nuttall Papers,
B.Y.U. Library.)
[22] Minutes
of Quorum meeting held in the Historian's Office April 4, 1860, Brigham Young
Papers, Church Archives. (AGM 137)
[23] (Wilford Woodruff
journal. Dec. 16, 1867/Feb. 19, 1854) (AGM 104)
[24] (Deseret News,
6/18/1873, p.308). Emphasis added.
[25] L. John
Nuttall Journal, 1:18-21, Feb. 7, 1877 (A-G 142-44)
[26] Journal of Discourses 1:51
[27] Journal of Discourses 13:95.
[28] Journal of Discourses 16:161.
[29] Turner,
“The Position of Adam in Latter-day Saint Scripture and Theology,” August,
1953.
[30] Journal of Discourses, 7:238.
[31] Journal of Discourses, 8:58.
[32]
Richards Family Collection, Franklin Dewey Richards Letterbook, CHO.
[33] In first Sunday School Convention, 1898, p.
88.
[34] Proceedings of the First Sunday School
Convention of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, 1898
[35]
Woodruff, Millennial Star, (April 7,
1895), 57:355.
[36] Joseph F. Smith & E.H. Anderson,
"Editorial," Improvement Era
(1910), 13:570
[37] Joseph F. Smith, Letter to Edward Bunker,
Feb. 27, 1902
[38]
Improvement Era, March 1912, p. 417
[39] The Utah Genealogical and Historical
Magazine, (June, 1940), 21:147
[40] Deseret News, July 23, 1921.
[41] See for example Roberts, “Our Father Adam,” Improvement Era, September 1902, Vol 5,
No. 11; Widtsoe, Evidences and
Reconciliations, p. 55, 67, 71; Smith, Man,
His Origin and Destiny, p. 346-347; Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 1:8; Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:90-92, 96-106; Peterson, Adam:
Who is He?, p. 13; McConkie, Mormon
Doctrine, under “Adam-God Theory.”
[42] “OurOwn Liahona,” Ensign (November,
1976).
[43] D&C
9:8-9