Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Drew Briney on Brigham Young's Comments on April 4, 1860, concerning when and where Joseph Smith Purportedly Taught Adam-God

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)