The Bible said that the Holy Ghost
overshadowed the Virgin Mary. Of course, we have been taught that there was a
celestial being who overshadowed the Virgin Mary and begat the tabernacle of
Jesus, who was the Son of God, and He was born of a woman, and all the beings
that we knew anything about, of our species, were born in the same way. I took
up his quotation from the new translation of the Bible concerning the creation
of Adam, and I said, according to my reading and interpretation, it is as clear
to me that Adam was begotten in the usual way, through procreation, as it
appeared to be in the mind of Father Bunker that he had been made as an adobie
was made. I said, now we know that the Lord Jesus received a tabernacle in the
manner in which our tabernacles were organized, and no doubt his father, if he
had received a tabernacle, had received it in the same way; and I asked, Why
should Adam be sui generis—that is, the only being in all the species that was
a new creation? I reasoned upon this, and I think made it clear to all who were
present that it was nonsensical. I then referred to a number of passages to
explain how difficult it is, unless we have the light of the Spirit, to
understand the Godhead. I said the Savior—and I quoted revelations to illustrate
the point—spoke to His servants as though He were the Father himself and spoke
of himself as the Only Begotten Son. I said the reason for this is that Jesus
represented the Godhead and spoke for the Godhead. Viewed in this light, many
passages that would be puzzling might be clearly understood. I said that
according to the teachings of President Young Adam was our Father and our God,
and the father of the Lord Jesus, but it was not necessary for us to argue or
contend about this. If we cannot understand it, let it remain without agitation
and without discussion; for it would inevitably lead to bad consequences if men
indulged in that spirit. I then referred to the case of Brother Orson Pratt,
who had been a strong opponent of President Young in regard to this doctrine,
and related instances where Orson came very nearly loosing [losing] his
standing, and would doubtless have lost it if President Young had not been
determined to hold on to him. He contended against this doctrine for a long
time; but for some time before his death he ceased his opposition, and had
acknowledged that whenever he contended against Brother Brigham on these points
his mind was filled with darkness, and he did not feel happy, but when he
received the doctrine and submitted to the teachings of President Young his
mind was light and clear and he had peace. I said this was the experience of
Orson Pratt, and we would do well to profit by it. (George Q. Cannon, Journal,
June 11, 1892, Church Historian's Press)
