Adam-God Theory (Primary Sources)
This evening, I found evidence that Adam-God was taught as far as Australia by August 1854.
Brigham’s April 9, 1852, sermon is, in part, reproduced as “Adam,
Our Father and Our God,” in The Zion’s Watchman 1, nos. 18-19 (September
16, 1854): 137-39. The issue then reproduces a talk from Elder John Jones,
August 20, 1854, which is unique to the issue (he was serving as a missionary
in Australia):
To be Gods implies the possession
of not only of a fulness of wisdom and knowledge but also power, power to
create or organize; there must also be matter to be organized, and there must
be a continued increase of systems, organized by such as attain unto this power
and glory; each stands at the head of the systems over which they are respectively
placed, and are the head or father’s of those who inhabit them, just as Father
Adam is the head of the human family.
Perhaps some one is ready to cry
out, what Brother Jones, do you mean to say that Father Adam is our God? Well I
will answer by asking and answering another question: What is the nature of God’s
governmeni ?- It is Patriarchal ? To illustrate the subject, I will refer to a
family circle .- Let us suppose a father ruling his family in wisdom and
goodness, every person moving in their proper places, the word of such a father
is the law of government for that family. He is, as it were, a God unto them;
the family attains unto maturity, then each son organizes a family for himself,
and he in relation to his family stands in the like position as his father did
to him; but does he here throw off the restraint of the father, by no means,
for that which he saw his father do, he does; his family are governed in like
manner, and by the same laws, and should he lack in anything, he would apply to
his own father whose word would be the rule of action; carry the figure out to
the fourth generation, and then we should have the great-grandson governing his
family by the laws and counsel of the great-grandfather. If we carry this back
from generation to generation, until we come to the first man, Adam, we shall
then see the relation that he stands in to the human family. But says one, will
not the world rise against such a doctrine, and with one voice declare it
blasphemy. To this I will answer:- Was it not blasphemy to them when the
Prophet declared that an angel had ministered unto him, yea, the world said
that the first principles of the Gospel were blasphemy, not only so, but they
said the same of the Holy Priesthood received through the ministration of
Peter, James, John, of the commands to gather and to build temples. When the
Lord revealed the law, through which man is exalted in the eternal world, they
with one consent cried blasphemy, every principle of truth connected with
salvation, will be blasphemy to the world.
Father Adam is not the only God
spoken of in Scriptures, for the Apostles says,-"There be Gods many, and
Lords many, but to us there is but one God the Father." God is one eternal
round. I fancy I hear some say, you have now gone out of the Bible, for this doctrine
can never be substantiated therefrom.
Well I know there are many people
that will not believe anything unless it can be proved from the Bible; yet,
there are many things that are true that cannot be proved from the Sacred
Writings. Did Abraham and the other ancients seek proof for that which was communicated
to them by the Lord or his Servants ? but here again we can bring the Bible to
our aid. We find that our Saviour commanded us to commence praying with the
following asseveration :- "Our Father." Christ is also called our
Elder Brother. How could the one be our Father unless we had proceeded from him
in the relation of children? How could Christ be our brother unless he with us
had proceeded from the same Father? but it may be asked do not the Scriptures
represent God as the Father of many other things besides man? I answer No! they
never represent him as the Father of the animal, nor of that which we call the
inanimate creation.
We also by reference to the first
chapter of Genesis find, that when Adam was placed on the earth he had absolute
power to rule and govern. In the 26th verse it is recorded,-"And God said,
let MS make man in our own image after our own likeness, and let them have
dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the
cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
over the earth." Here then is the testimony of the Bible; it does not mean
anything less than is here positively stated. But it will be here objected that
Adam fell and became a transgressor. In reference to this I would say, that he
had an understanding in this thing; the Book of Mormon says, that Adam fell
that men might be ; and Paul in reference to the same subject says: “Adam was
not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."
But we find by a revelation given
to the Prophet Joseph, in December, 1830, that the Lord said unto
Adam,-"Behold I have forgiven thee thy transgressions in the garden of
Eden;" by this he would be restored to the power and glory from which he
fell. This will appear more clear from the 12th chapter of Daniel. We find
there that at the time of the end, Michael shall stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of
trouble such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time; and
at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found
written in the book. In the 7th chapter he is called the "ancient of
days," and the description there given of him is the same as is given of
God in other places. One like the Son of man comes to him and receives from him
dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should
serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. That Michael the prince and
the ancient of days, are the same personage is clear from that which is to
accompany their appearance.
Who can the ancient of days be,
but he that has the most ancient relation to time on this earth? this must be
father Adam ! but we are not left in doubt on this subject, for we are told in
the revelations given to the Church in these days, that Adam in the Valley of
Adam-ondihman blessed his posterity that were righteous, and that the Lord
appeared unto them, and that they rose up and blessed Adam and called him
Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. And the Lord comforted Adam and said unto
him,-"I have set thee to be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come
out of thee; and thou art a prince over them for ever. (“A
Discourse. Delivered by Elder John Jones, in the Old Assembly Room, King
Street, on Sunday Morning, August 20th,” The Zion’s Watchman 1, nos.
18-19 [September 16, 1854]: 141-43)
