What I want to ask in the light of these
reflections is this: Is it such a wonderful thing to believe that at the last,
one of God's sons shall preside over this little earth as the God-president or
God of it? That our Father Adam, the "Grand Patriarch" of our
race—the "Ancient of Days"—"Michael, the Archangel"—give
him what title you will out of the many which are his—is it so hard to believe
that he will eventually attain to the dignity of the governorship of this
earth, when it is redeemed and sanctified and becomes one of the glorified
spheres of God? (B.H. Roberts, The Mormon Doctrine of Deity: The Roberts-Van
Der Donckt Discussion [Salt Lake City: The Deseret News, 1903], 42)
The Priesthood is an everlasting principle, and
existed with God from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days
or end of years. The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is
sent. When they are revealed from heaven it is by Adam's authority. Daniel 7,
speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam,
Michael; he will call his children together and hold a council with them to
prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the
human family and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had
the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place
before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him,
and there is given Him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to
Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe,
but retains his standing as head of the human family. (Ibid., 244)
Commencing with Adam, who was the first man, who
is spoken of in Daniel as being the "Ancient of Days," or, in other
words, the first and oldest of all, the great grand progenitor, of whom it is
said in another place he is Michael, because he was the first and father of
all, not only by progeny, but the first to hold the spiritual blessings, to
whom was made known the plan of ordinances for the salvation of his posterity
unto the end, and to whom Christ was first revealed, and through whom Christ
has been revealed from heaven, and will continue to be revealed from
henceforth. Adam holds the keys of the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times,
i. e., the dispensation of all the times, have been and will be revealed
through him from the beginning to Christ, and from Christ to the end of all the
dispensations that are to be revealed: Ephesians, 1st chap., 9th and 10th
verses—"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to
his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even in him." (Ibid.,
246)