Adam-God
The Adam-God theory is a Mormon doctrine taught by Brigham Young that Adam was a god prior to the creation, and that he created the earth and colonized it with Eve, one of his wives from another planet. The doctrine also included the idea that Adam was the father of Jesus Christ through the Virgin Mary, although Young's earlier statements on this subject are somewhat ambiguous.
The Adam-God theory was unpopular even among some contemporary Latter-day Saint leaders such as Orson Pratt, and by some of the Mormon public, in part because it was not easily understood. It is generally rejected by the modern Latter Day Saint movement.
Brigham Young first taught the doctrine in a sermon on April 9, 1852, when he stated:
- "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.... 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....
- "It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael....
- "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." (1 J.D. 50-51).
After this sermon, Young's close associate Hosea Stout wrote in his diary: "Another meeting this evening. President B. Young taught that Adam was the father of Jesus and the only God to us. That he came to this world in a resurected [sic] body &c more hereafter." (Diary of Hosea Stout, vol. 2, p. 435 (April 9, 1852)).
Despite objections by some other leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at that time that the doctrine was misunderstood, Young continued teaching the doctrine, which he claimed that God had revealed to him (see Deseret News, p. 308 (June 18, 1873)) Young never fully explained Adam-God theory, and said that most would misunderstand his teachings in the matter. Speaking of the doctrine nine years later, Young stated:
- "Some years ago (9 to be exact) I advanced a doctrine with regard to Adam being our Father and God. That will be a curse to many of the elders of Israel because of their folly with regard to it. They yet grovel in darkness and will. It is one of the most glorious revealments of the economy of heaven. Yet the world holds it in derision." (Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, Oct 8, 1861).
Though Young referred to Adam as the "Father" in his 1852 sermon and thereafter, it is clear that Young did not equate Adam with "Elohim" (who Mormons usually identify as God the Father) for he stated in his sermon that "Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael" were "three distinct characters". Moreover, in 1873, when discussing the Adam-God theory, he stated:
- "We say that Father Adam came here and helped make the earth. Who is he? He is Michael, a great prince, and it was said to him by Eloheim, 'Go ye and make an earth'.... Adam came here, and then they brought his wife.... Then he said, 'I want my children who are in the spirit world to come and live here. I once dwelt upon an earth something like this, in a mortal state. I was faithful, I received my crown and exaltation'." (Deseret News, p. 308 (June 18, 1873)).
Young's earlies statements about the Adam-God theory were made in the 1850's, during a widespread reformation among many Utah Mormons. Some writers have argued that Young's zeal for his new theory faded with the reformation.
In 1877, while Brigham Young was beginning to standardize the Endowment ceremony for use in the Saint George temple, Young introduced the Adam-God theory to the temple as part of the Endowment's "Lecture at the Veil". The final draft of the Lecture, made after Young's death, is kept secret in LDS Church Archives; however, the Young's personal secretary recorded Young's dictation of the lecture as follows:
- "Adam was an immortal being when he came. on this earth he had lived on an earth similar to ours... and had begotten all the spirit 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.... Father Adam's oldest son (Jesus the Saviour) who is the heir of the family is Father Adams first begotten in the spirit World. who according to the flesh is the only begotten as it is written. (In his divinity he having gone back into the spirit World. and come in the spirit [glory] to Mary and she conceived for when Adam and Eve got through with their Work in this earth. they did not lay their bodies down in the dust, but returned to the spirit World from whence they came." (Journal of L. John Nuttall, personal secretary of Brigham Young, Feb. 7, 1877 in BYU Special Collections).
Many scholars have debated Young's precise meaning. Some think he meant that Adam was an eternal God-like being and the father of the human race (and thus a god, and a literal Son of Eloheim born with an immortal body without blood), who chose to partake of the forbidden fruit, Fall and mortality.
Others have argued that in Mormon theology, Christ is the only begotten Son of God "in the flesh." Adam could have also been a Son of God, became the "first flesh," thus placing responsibility on Adam, not God, for mortality. Regardless of interpretation, the mystery of Young's teachings in regard to exactly what he meant in the few statements he made on the subject apparently died with him and his close associates.
Some have argued the Adam-God theory was influenced by Hermeticism.
After Young's death, Adam-God theory was disregared by most Mormons, and has not been officially recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or its members at large. Latter-day Saint president Spencer W. Kimball stated, "We denounce [the Adam-God] theory and hope that everyone will be cautioned against this and other kinds of false doctrine." Conference Report, p. 115 (October 1-3, 1976).
The doctrine, however, is still accepted by a few small fundamentalist Latter Day Saint organizations.
See also: Controversies regarding Mormonism
External link
References
- Gary James Bergera, "The Orson Pratt-Brigham Young Controversies: Conflict Within the Quorums, 1853 to 1868," 13(2) Dialogue7-49 (Summer 1980).
- Journal of Discourses http://journals.mormonfundamentalism.org/ (public domain)
- Robert J. Matthews, Origin of Man: the Doctrinal Framework.
- Scanned images of various 19th century LDS publications with statements on Adam-god from Brigham Young and other LDS General Authorities
Referenced By
Brigham Young | Controversies regarding Mormonism | Controversies regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints | Controversies regarding the LDS religion | Mormon controversies
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