Commenting on the April 4, 1860, Minutes of Meeting at Historian’s Office between Brigham Young et al. vs. Orson Pratt:
Regarding Brigham Young’s statement that Joseph taught
Adam-God doctrine at Luke Johnson’s house, Buerger, on page 58, notes: “Johnson
was ordained one of the original Apostles in mid-February 1835; briefly (six
days) disfellowshipped and removed from the Council of the Twelve in September
1837; went again into apostasy in December 1837; and was excommunicated in
April 1838. Although he was re-baptized into the Church well after Smith's
death (in 1846), it follows form his church career that any preaching on
Ada-God by Smith ‘in Luke Johnson’s’ would have to have occurred in Kirtland
well before the Nauvoo sermons. Note, however, that the grammar here could
suggest that Brigham Young was correcting himself and had intended to say that
it was at Orson Hyde’s home that Joseph taught this doctrine.” The latter
observation could put the talk in question at just about any time between
February 15, 1835 and October 19, 1838 when Hyde left the church or after June
27, 1839 when he was reinstated.
In this context, it may be worth noting that May 19, 1838
is the first time Joseph publicly referred to Adam as the Ancient of Days, a
doctrine many consider to be synonymous with Adam-God teachings. Joseph often
taught the Twelve a doctrine before teaching it publicly so this timeline is
worth consideration. (Drew Briney, Joseph Smith’s Doctrines and Insights:
The Forgotten Teachings [Hindsight Publications, 2024], 848 n. 1418)
