The
Adam-God
Maze
Culley K. Christensen
Table of Contents
[3] CONTENTS Preface 5 Key to Abbreviations 7 Chapter 1 Knowledge Is the Key to Salvation 9 Chapter 2 What Is the Adam-God Doctrine? 19 Chapter 3 The Creation 33 Chapter 4 The Fall 57 Chapter 5 Did Adam Die? 65 Chapter 6 Is God Merely an Angel? 71 Chapter 7 Adam-Ondi-Ahman 75 Chapter 8 The Relationship of Michael-Adam to Jesus Christ 79 Chapter 9 Was Brigham Young Misquoted? 95 [4] Chapter 10 Was Brigham Young Wrong? 105 Chapter 11 Whence Cometh the Adam-God Doctrine in This Dispensation? 131 Chapter 12 Adam-God and the Ancients 151 Chapter 13 Pearls Before Swine 177 Chapter 14 From Reticence to Mystery 205 Chapter 15 Is Jesus Christ the Jehovah of the Old Testament? 239 Chapter 16 Jesus Christ, Our Atoning Savior 259 Appendix A Brigham Young's October 8, 1854, Discourse 263 Appendix B Miscellaneous Adam-God Correlates 287 Appendix C The Sophistry of Man or They Split the Adam 297 Bibliography 319 Scripture Index 325 Index 329
[5]PREFACE To Latter-day Saints, no doctrine is more important and central to a belief in God than that which deals with His nature and identity. Yet paradoxically, no doctrine in the history of Mormon theology has been shrouded in greater mystery and given rise to more misunderstanding and emotional misrepresentation than the teachings of early church leaders concerning the identity of God as Adam. These teachings have in fact spawned a controversy which has proved uncomplementary to a gospel which by nature should promote enlightenment and understanding. Most members misunderstand the controversy as insignificant. Yet, it portends to be one of the most important doctrinal issues of our day.
It is unfortunate that the controversy has been compounded by attempts to circumvent the issue through denial, neglect, intimidation or the claim of spuriousness. This approach has not only fostered ignorance but has perpetuated erroneous impressions. Furthermore, skirting the issue has proved detrimental, as Mormon critics have capitalized on this untenable position to cause embarrassment.
The author feels that the gospel dictates a policy of forthrightness and open investigation. Furthermore, truth is the servant of honest inquiry. But, before most members can approach this subject they must overcome the subliminal taboo against investigating anything styled as a mystery. It is rather the privilege of Latter-day Saints to inquire after the mysteries of God. Said Orson Pratt:
We should not get into that old sectarian notion, that we have no right to know anything about this, that or the other, and that we must not pry into this, that or the other. That is an old sectarian notion, which we have fought against all the day long, and we do not want it to creep into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the privilege of its members to [6] let their minds expand, and to ponder upon the things of God, and to enquire of him, and by and by, when we have prepared ourselves by getting all the knowledge we possibly can from that which is written, God will give more (J.D. 16:336).
In relation to the nature of God, one must inquire what it was that those early church leaders were trying to teach. And, do their teachings have current implications? A gospel of truth demands answers to these questions. This book has been prepared to help provide these answers.
This book is a product of several years' work and reflects the collaborations of many individuals. A solution to the Adam-God maze is here presented. The reader, however, may find other conclusions. Whatever the conclusion, a plea is made for a more rational and insightful analysis of Mormon doctrine and history.
KEY TO ABBREVIATIONSB.A. Biblical Archaeology
BOM Book of Mormon
B.N.D. Be Not Deceived
B.Y.U. Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Coffin Texts The Egyptian Coffin Texts
C.H.O. Church Historian's Office, more recently known as the Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, located at 50 E. North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah
D & C Doctrine and Covenants
D.H.C. History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Herm Sim The Shepherd of Hermas Visions
J.D. Journal of Discourses
Jub Jubilee
M.A.B.Y. Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young
N.E.T. New English Translation
PoGP Pearl of Great Price
SOMIMH Son of Man in Myth and History
T.P.J.S. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
W.W.J. Wilford Woodruff Journal
IQM War Scroll
IQS Manual of Disciple
CHAPTER 1
KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY
TO SALVATION
In contrast to centuries of darkness, superstition, and intellectual oppression, the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ marked the beginning of a new era characterized by the enlightened acquisition of knowledge. Whereas man had heretofore been a slave to ignorance, the restored gospel offered the promise of freedom. The Savior's words "ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32) had assumed new meaning. No longer could one expect salvation through passive obedience. Salvation, as taught by Joseph Smith, is a dynamic process with the acquisition of knowledge at the very foundation.
The principle of knowledge is the principle of salvation. This principle can be comprehended by the faithful and diligent; and everyone that does not obtain knowledge sufficient to be saved will be condemned. The principle of salvation is given us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge (Joseph Smith, T.P.J.S., pp. 297, 357)
On another occasion Joseph said:
A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits its will have more knowledge, and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth. Hence it needs revelation to assist us, and give us knowledge of the things of God (T.P.J.S., p. 217).
Concerning knowledge and salvation Brigham Young said:
All truth is for the salvation of the children of men--for their benefit and learning--for their furtherance in the principles of divine knowledge; and divine knowledge is any matter of fact--truth; and all truth pertains to divinity (J.D. 7:284).
Thus, knowledge is any matter of fact or truth. By these teachings we see that salvation is more than being saved by God's good will. It is the laborious acquisition of all the divine attributes and qualities of God. Foremost among these attributes is knowledge. Ultimately, the difference between man and God is the righteous application of knowledge. Without a knowledge of truth there can be no active application of truth. Hence, said the Lord: "It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance" (D&C 131:6). We see, then, that our salvation hinges on the acquisition of knowledge. "And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come" (D&C 130:19). This is because one's exaltation is predicated on righteousness, and one can only apply righteousness as he has knowledge. Paul feared for the salvation of Israel because although they had "zeal of God" they did not have the knowledge (Rom. 10:2, 3).
The very purpose of our existence is that we prove ourselves as stewards over knowledge. Our judgment will not be concerned so much with the quantity of what we have known and applied as it will with the quality of what we have known and applied. That is to say that there are disciplines of knowledge which contribute more constructively to our salvation and exaltation than others. In this vein, the knowledge of the greatest worth is that knowledge which pertains to God, His identity and relationship to us. As knowledge is any matter of fact or truth, we must concern ourselves with those areas of truth which lend the greatest contribution [11] toward our exaltation. That truth is a knowledge of God.
It is indeed ironic that this, the most important area of truth--a knowledge of God--is the area most sorely wanting in the world today. To many, the confusion and ignorance concerning the nature of God is direct evidence that there is no God. It is almost self-evident that if there were a God, His major concern would be the communication of this knowledge to us, His children. However, to the gospel student it becomes apparent that this precious knowledge is not indiscriminately given to all but is imparted in degrees to the worthy according to the following principles: 1) diligence, 2) the Spirit of God, and 3) magnification of that which we already have.
Diligence implies that one actively seek and labor to obtain knowledge (truth). As was the case with the faithful servant who multiplied his talents, so will we be rewarded by increasing our knowledge. Without an investigative spirit, the acquisition of knowledge is reduced to passivity. The key to our salvation is the zeal to learn and evaluate. True faith courts an investigative spirit which can only lead to a confirmation of faith by knowledge.
Truth (knowledge) is the only sound foundation. It is an insurmountable offense and an impenetrable defense. Hence, the Lord admonished: "Seek not for riches but for wisdom, and behold, the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto you, and then shall you be made rich" (D&C 6:7). Paul advised that we "prove all things, hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. 5:21). In order to prove all things one must first know, then put that knowledge to the test. Hence John taught that we should "try the spirits whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). The process of acquiring knowledge by seeking and proving was revealed to Oliver Cowdery in the Doctrine and Covenants when the Lord told him to prove all things by studying them out in his mind then to try the spirit of that which he had studied by asking the Lord if it be right (D&C 9:8).
Only in this way can the full potential of our free [12] agency be realized. After all, the singular purpose of our existence is the increased exercise of our agency in becoming gods. Godhood represents the ultimate exercise of free agency, whereas the opposite plan leads to captivity and a progressive diminution of its exercise. The potential of our agency can only be realized through knowledge. Where there is no knowledge there is neither decision nor agency--hence captivity.
Truth (knowledge of that which is) on the other hand will make us free--free to exercise and realize the potential of our agency. Although we may always have the agency to choose, knowledge presents the alternatives and hence the opportunity. In this sense, our agency is proportional to our state of knowledge. If our agency is not utilized in obtaining knowledge, it is put in abeyance, for further knowledge leads to further exercise. Failure to utilize our agency in the acquisition of knowledge leads to ignorance and captivity.
It is furthermore only by exercising our independent judgment in the acquisition of knowledge that we can obtain the maturity and mastery to govern ourselves in the principles of salvation. Only after we have learned to govern ourselves will we be given the responsibility of governing others.
In the final analysis, whether we will govern or be governed is dependent on the degree of faith which we, in this life, acquire.
Who cannot see, then, that salvation is the effect of faith? . . . And what constitutes the real difference between a saved person and one not saved, is the difference in the degree of their faith: one's faith has become perfect enough to lay hold upon eternal life, and the other's has not (D&C, 1835 ea., Seventh Lecture on Faith, paragraphs 9, 17).
Like every other gospel principle, the acquisition of sufficient faith to be saved is not a static but a dynamic process dependent upon our diligence and faithfulness. Our diligence should be nothing less than that which was [13] exercised by Enoch and Moses, until we have sufficient faith to behold God face to face.
Let us here observe, that after any portion of the human family are made acquainted with the important fact that there is a God who has created and does uphold all things, the extent of their knowledge, respecting his character and glory, will depend upon their diligence and faithfulness in seeking after him, until like Enoch, the brother of Jared, and Moses, they shall obtain faith in God, and power with him to behold him face to face (Second Lecture on Faith, paragraph 55).
This diligence is in expanding our experience, searching after wisdom and understanding, until we have obtained a knowledge of all things that pertain to life and salvation (Fourth Lecture on Faith, paragraph 18). And certainly a knowledge of God's true identity and character is the foundation of life and salvation.
It was shown that correct ideas of the character of God are necessary in order to exercise faith in him unto life and salvation; and that without correct ideas of his character, men could not have power to exercise faith in him unto life and salvation, but that correct ideas of his character, as far as his character is concerned in the exercise of faith in him, lay a sure foundation for the exercise of it (Fourth Lecture on Faith, catechism).
Thus, knowledge of God is the foundation for the exercise of faith in Him.
The second principle in the acquisition of knowledge is the Holy Spirit of God. All knowledge relates elates to truth and all truth pertains to God, consequently, no knowledge can be obtained without the Spirit of God (see D&C 84: 45; 91: 4; 93:23, 24). Hence, "the things of God knoweth no man, but [by] the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:11). This is the grand distinguishing feature between the gospel of Jesus Christ and all other religions. While all other religions are based on scripture, the philosophy of a "prophet" or dogmatism, the gospel of Jesus Christ rests upon the foundation of revelation through the Holy Spirit of God.
It is through the Spirit of God that passive [14] knowledge acquires sanctifying power. From the scriptures, we may gain some insights into the nature of God, but it is through revelation that we obtain absolute knowledge sufficient to change our lives. "And no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him" (Luke 10:22). Latter-day Saints take exception to the world by accepting revelation through the Holy Spirit as their foundation. Although recorded scripture is for our benefit and learning, it is only a means to the Spirit. Joseph emphasized the necessity of obtaining knowledge through the Holy Spirit:
Search the scriptures--search the revelations which we publish, and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation, No; for when men receive their instruction from Him that made them, they know how He will save them (T.P.J.S., pp. 11, 12).
Brigham said:
If I should undertake to tell the people what I believe in my heart and what seemeth . . . to me to be eternal truth, how would they know unless they had the spirit of revelation to say to them whether it was a truth or untruth? (M.A.B.Y. April 25, 1855.)
We see that the design of God is to make each person dependent on Him for our guidance and learning. With each member reliant on God through the medium of the Holy Spirit, we would soon be able to realize our promised blessings of unity in the faith, and perfection of the saints (Eph. 4:12, 13). There would be no division among us. We would each become a prophet and members of "one body" through "one spirit" (Eph. 4:4). Said Joseph F. Smith:
He [the Spirit of Truth, which proceedeth from the father] teaches all things; and brings to the remembrance of the Saints [15] all the instructions of the Master. He guides into all truth, and as in all truth there is unity or harmony . . . . (Gospel Doctrine, p. 131).
George Q. Cannon went one step further to explain the purpose of knowledge acquired by the Spirit of God.
The genius of the kingdom with which we are associated is to disseminate knowledge through all the ranks of the people, and to make every man a prophet and every woman a prophetess, that they may understand the plans and purposes of God (J.D. 12:46; emphasis added).
The third principle in receiving knowledge is honoring that which we have already received. We must incorporate into our lives every ray of light that is communicated to us. This implies not only expansion but perfection in truth. Perfection through progression demands change in the being, not merely adaptation. This requires constant revision, the paring away of false tradition. "To become a joint heir of the heirship of the Son, one must put away all his false traditions" (T.PJ.S., p. 321). As one progresses in knowledge, many previous assumptions consistent with a former state of progression may no longer be consistent. Thus, we are constantly required to revise or unlearn that which we once thought to be knowledge or truth. In this way, we evolve as beings of truth, continually putting off the old man until we have become totally enlightened.
Such enlightenment, however, requires the application of faith and the perseverance in truth which leads to an enlightened confirmation of that faith in new knowledge. This new knowledge then becomes a departure point for the exercise of greater faith with the promise of a greater confirmation of yet higher knowledge.
He [Peter] says that all things that pertain to life and godliness were given unto them through the knowledge of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. And if the question is asked, how were they to obtain the knowledge of God? (for there is a great difference between believing in God and knowing him: knowledge implies more than faith. And notice, that all things [16] that pertain to life and godliness, were given through knowledge of God;) the answer is given, through faith they were to obtain this knowledge; and having power by faith to obtain the knowledge of God, they could with it obtain all other things which pertain to life and godliness.
By these sayings of the Apostle we learn, that it was by obtaining a knowledge of God, that men got all things which pertain to life and godliness; and this knowledge was the effect of faith (Seventh Lecture on Faith, paragraphs 16, 17).
Although true faith in God, as previously pointed out, must be founded in knowledge, it is the application and increase of faith that leads to the acquisition of greater knowledge of God. It is through this knowledge that we can obtain all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Hence, by application we grow in gradients of faith to greater knowledge, preparing ourselves in the lesser to receive the greater until we behold the face of God.
Our relationship with God places us in a situation to advance in knowledge (T.P.J.S., p. 354). We can never be like God until we have His knowledge and comprehend all the mysteries of godliness through heavenly instruction. Our facility to receive this instruction and comprehend the mysteries is ". . . enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven" (T.P.J.S., p. 51). This instruction is not to be postponed until a later date. This probation is the day of knowledge. Since knowledge is an integral part of salvation, we must exert ourselves to obtain knowledge about God and our relationship to Him in order to be saved (exalted). There is no greater knowledge than to know the identity of God and the grand plan whereby we may become like Him.
This knowledge, although part of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, is placed under a strict command. It is given only to those who thirst after truth, test and prove new-found knowledge by the Spirit of God through the exercise of faith. Only to this type of person will a greater portion of the word be given.
[17] It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him . . . and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full (Alma 12:9, 10).
A knowledge of the nature of God will not only help us understand His identity but ours as well. Said Joseph: "If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves" (T.P.J.S., p. 343). It is therefore the author's hope that this book will inspire the reader to seek greater confirmation and insights into the nature of God. After all, "It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the Character of God . . ." (T.P.J.S., p. 345). If the first principle of the gospel is not mastered, there will be no revelation of a second or a third principle. How can we, then, become competent in the ways of God? How will His ways and thoughts ever become ours?
[19] CHAPTER 2
WHAT IS THE ADAM-GOD DOCTRINE?
As brought out in the previous chapter, the premise upon which God reveals truth is our preparedness to receive. "The Lord deals with this people as a tender parent with a child, communicating light and intelligence and the knowledge of his ways as they can bear it" (T.P.J.S., p. 305). From this quote is the eternal plan of progression unmasked. This is that we are but mere children growing in light and knowledge, progressing from one line and precept to another (Isaiah 28:10). Until we receive a fullness of the Father, our knowledge of Him will be incomplete. Brigham Young said:
There are items of doctrine and principles, in the bosom of eternity that the best of the Latter Day Saints are unworthy to receive. If the visions of their minds were opened to look unto the vast creations, and gaze upon the power, and glory, and goodness, and exaltation of the Gods, they would exclaim, "Wo is me, I am undone, I am of unclean lips" (M.A.B.Y., Oct. 8, 1854).
Knowledge must be suited to our level of understanding or we will not understand, even though angels were to preach to us. "Consequently the Lord has to descend to our capacities and give us a little here and a little there, line upon line and precept upon precept, as the prophet has said" (J.D. 3:354).
History bears out that, of all knowledge, man has always been the least prepared to receive knowledge concerning the nature and identity of God. We, today, [20] are no exception and have fallen short in our preparations to know God. Yet, God is willing to reveal more to us if we but prepare ourselves to know.
Since we have not received a fullness of knowledge concerning God, we must assume that there is knowledge pertaining to His nature and identity that we are currently unable to bear. When further knowledge is revealed, will we find it shocking in content? If we have prepared ourselves, by growing in a knowledge of truth, further light will come as a warm, assuring confirmation. However, to those who lack the necessary preparation, further light and knowledge might be too much to bear. This was exactly what Brigham Young meant when he said that a knowledge of the Adam-God doctrine would prove either the "salvation or damnation" of the saints (J.D. 1:51).
Our current knowledge of God, then, does not represent a fullness but rather a point in progression. The church has arrived at its current point in progression by having received line upon line; that is to say that the church since its organization has received successively greater revealments of knowledge concerning God. Just as there is greater light and knowledge yet to be received, so was there a point in the progression of the church when it was not prepared to receive the light that it today has. Said the Lord in 1831: "Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of truth" (D&C 50:40). The spiritual development of the church as it grew in grace can be appreciated by examining the church's growth in the knowledge of truth concerning God. This is reflected in church history by the progressive introduction of higher doctrinal precepts relating to the godhead. According to God's methods, the church did not receive a full knowledge at first, but received line upon line, as it prepared to receive.
Historical of the Godhead Doctrine
Today, Joseph Smith's first vision is the basis whereby we understand that God the Father and the Son [21] are two separate beings with bodies of tabernacle. Yet, it comes as a surprise to learn that the first vision remained unknown to the saints for almost a decade after the church had been organized. History bears out that the first vision had little if any effect on the early theologic concept of deity before 1840. B.Y.U. History Professor James B. Allen writes:
. . . it would appear that the general church membership did not receive information about the first vision until the 1840's and that the story certainly did not hold the prominent place in Mormon thought that it does today.... It is evident that the general membership of the church knew little, if anything about it (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, vol. 1, no. 3, pp. 32, 34)
The first vision account with which we are familiar was written in 1839 and first made known to the saints when published in 1842 (B.Y.U. Studies, vol. 9, no. 3, p. 287). What reason could Joseph have had to withhold from the church his encounter with God? Professor Allen proposes the following explanation:
A possible explanation for the fact that the story of the [first] vision was not generally known in the 1830's is sometimes seen in Joseph Smith's conviction that experiences such as these should be kept from the general public because of their extremely sacred nature.... It represented one of his most profound spiritual experiences he could well have decided to circulate it only privately until he could feel certain that in relating it he would not receive again the general ridicule of friends (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, vol. 1, no. 3, p. 34).
As Joseph's experience lost none of its sacredness, his decision to make it known to the saints must have awaited the development of a foundation upon which the saints (his friends) could accept it without ridicule.
It is well known that the first vision account was not originally used to demonstrate the pluralistic and anthropomorphic nature of the godhead; yet the account does embody these concepts which, had they been revealed on unprepared minds, might well have proved [22] too great a contradiction to have been accepted and may have resulted in ridicule as suggested by Dr. Allen. Thus, the first vision account, although possibly not a direct endowment or expansion on the godhead doctrine, does barometer a change within the general membership toward receptivity to a more developed godhead theology.
That receptivity was undoubtedly influenced by the sequential introduction of fractional doctrinal concepts which at some point would be consolidated into a cohesive theology. Until that time, men's minds were prepared by innuendo, inference and private instruction. In this way, the church was prepared "line upon line, precept upon precept." It has even been suggested that Joseph's concepts of God "were not fully developed in the spring of 1820, but rather grew, `precept upon precept,' and possibly had not reached their full stature even at his death in 1844" (B.Y.U. Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, p. 213). It should be remembered that the light of the restoration burst forth after centuries of dark traditions which could only be laid aside as men perfected themselves in the lesser to receive the greater. Having been indoctrinated with centuries of false traditions, it was difficult enough for the early saints to accept the idea that God and His Son were two separate beings, let alone two beings with physical bodies. As a result, the saints were taught that the godhead consisted of two beings: the Father and the Son, both possessing a common mind known as the Holy Spirit (Fifth Lecture on Faith, D&C, 1835 ed., pp. 53-57). This "Lecture on Faith" further identifies the Father as a "personage of spirit," whereas the Son is identified as a "personage of tabernacle." Further expansion on the godhead doctrine took place on March 1, 1842, when Joseph published a synoptic version of church history known as the Wentworth letter. This letter contains a brief account of the first vision wherein "two glorious personages who exactly resemble each other in features and likeness" [23] were described. No allusion was given, however, that these beings were God the Father and His Son (Times and Seasons, March 1, 1842) until April of 1842 when the full account of the first vision was published. In this latter account, Joseph states that he saw two glorious personages. "One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said (pointing to the other), `This is my beloved Son, hear him'" (Times and Seasons, April 1, 1842). Although this does not explicitly identify the Father as a tabernacled being, it does ascribe to Him the properties of a tabernacled being, i.e., a personage in the exact likeness of the Son--a tabernacled being (see the Fifth Lecture on Faith) capable of physical gestures and audible speech.
Although the first vision account was not reported to declare the nature of God, the embodiment of these concepts within that account cannot be overlooked as they reflect an advancement in church progression to receive the concepts contained therein, laying the groundwork, as it were, for the explicit pronouncement that God the Father is a tabernacled being with the exact likeness of the Son. This announcement took place in April of 1843 at a conference held at Ramus. Here Joseph confirmed previous inferences by declaring that the Father is a tabernacled being:
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us (D&C 130:22).
This development, since incorporated into the Doctrine and Covenants, has become the foundation of Mormon theology and is seen as a "theological landmark in the development of the doctrine of the Godhead among Latter-day Saints" (T. Edgar Lyon, B.Y.U. Studies, vol. 15, no. 4, p. 438). Although the Ramus speech is a landmark in the development of the godhead doctrine, it did not represent a unified cohesive theology on the nature of God. Joseph [24] took his boldest step toward that end on April 7, 1844, when he delivered his controversial King Follett discourse.
This sermon was Joseph's most significant attempt to unify all previous godhead teachings under a common theology known to us today as eternal progression. For the first time concepts relating to man's progression among the gods were publicly declared. Among these was the concept that the Father and Son are not only separate beings of tabernacle but two of innumerable gods one above the other. More shocking than this was the disclosure that God the Father had once been a man like us, and that we may become as great as He. For the first time, the saints were given a vision of eternal progression whereby they, too, could become gods. The godhead doctrine now became a matter of personal application. An abstract theology now had intimate relevance in the life of each saint.
Like all other revealments from heaven, these new teachings were found difficult for many saints to digest for they had been brought up to believe that God was a being of incomprehensible power, glory and person. Granville Hedrick called Joseph's sermon "one of the most infamous sermons of blasphemy ever preached from the pulpit," and said: "A more high handed and degrading infamous attempt in blasphemy never was uttered by mortal tongue" (Truth Teller 1, September and October 1864, pp. 37, 53). William Cadman said that "Joseph Smith taught a worse doctrine than the Devil did in the Garden of Eden. The Devil only taught that men should be as gods. But Joseph taught that men could be gods" (Faith and Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ, p.16). Others reacted by calling Joseph a fallen prophet (T.P.J.S., p. 370). Yet to those who accepted Joseph as a prophet these truths came as a sublime assurance of their eternal significance.
These truths were incorporated into the temple ceremony, becoming the essence of its message. The temple ceremony was to become the medium whereby [25] each saint could obtain a fuller, more tangible vision of God and his true nature. Yet the temple ceremony by no means represented a final consummation of the godhead doctrine. Joseph taught yet higher doctrinal concepts to an elect inner circle of trusted friends who had prepared themselves to receive light greater than that given to the collective church. It was as members of this inner circle that Brigham and others learned the Adam-God doctrine.
Following Joseph's death and the saints' removal to the Rocky Mountains, Brigham felt that the saints were prepared to receive yet another endowment of knowledge concerning the nature of God. In 1852 Brigham Young, as a prophet of God, revealed to the church that God the Father not only had a body, that He is not only one of many gods, that He not only was once a man like us, but is in fact Father Adam.
The Adam-God Doctrine
What is called the Adam-God doctrine should not be interpreted in the genre of dogmatic orthodoxy. The word "doctrine" refers more to a constellation of teachings which express a cohesive ideology or belief about the divinity of Adam. Although a fullness has as yet not been revealed, we have sufficient information from the teachings of church prophets to construct a fairly complete outline of the concepts that ideology or doctrine embodies. These concepts, pertaining exclusively to the gods within the eternal patriarchal order, include:
A. God our Father is a being currently abiding laws of eternal progression. He, like us, will continue to progress throughout all eternity; hence, eternal progression.
B. God the Father merited His current status as a deity through obedience to laws of progression the same as you and I are now attempting to do.
1. This means that God was once a man like us.
[26] 2. That He lived a mortal existence analogous to our present mortal existence.
3. There He obeyed and kept the celestial law.
4. In that existence, He received effication of an atonement through a savior.
5. Having kept the celestial law, He was resurrected with a celestial glory having the promise of eternal increase.
6. He assumed His position among the gods in the eternal patriarchal order.
7. As a member of the patriarchal gods, He commenced the realization of His promised blessings by becoming a spiritual creator under the council and direction of His patriarchal superiors.
a. Known then as Michael, He received the direction and keys from His father to commence a spiritual creation.
b. The spiritual creation included mankind and all life that dwells on the earth.
c. As the Father of our spirits, it was His (Michael's) responsibility to oversee and direct our spiritual progression.
d. Jesus Christ, you and I are the progeny of that spirit creation and are all of the same spiritual generation; i.e., brothers and sisters.
e. Another council was held to plan the temporal creation. In this council Jesus Christ was chosen to be the atoning Savior for His father's creations.
8. The Father, Michael, proceeded with the temporal phase of creation which was necessary for the progression of his spiritual creations.
[27] 9. The temporal creation included a world of gross matter by organization and all life forms with physical tabernacles provided by procreation through transplantation from another physical world.
10. Human life was transplanted from another world to this earth by the following schema:
a. Michael, our spirit father, became Adam after having been "prepared" and placed in the Garden of Eden under the direction of God (Michael's patriarchal father).
b. His preparation included a "veil of forgetfulness" concerning His former existence.
c. Adam "fell" from a higher or more exalted state of existence to a lower state.
1) Exactly how the fall was effected and what the symbology represents are conjectural; however, the concept is that Adam's celestial body was rendered mortal such that He could then procreate physical tabernacles for His spirit offspring.
2) The fall may have been effected by Adam's partaking of coarse elements of this earth until His body became "charged" with the seeds of mortality.
3) As mortal beings Adam and Eve began procreating temporal bodies for their spiritual offspring to inhabit. In this way, human life was brought to another reach of the universe on a procreative basis.
11. Having accomplished His mortal mission, Adam, possessing the keys and power over [28] death from a previous resurrection, effected a transition from mortality to His former glorified state.
12. This same father, who had been known as Michael and Adam, later appeared to and overshadowed Mary in the meridian of time, fathering our Savior Jesus Christ as the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.
13. Prior to the millennium, Adam our Father will appear at Adam-ondi-Ahman. All including Christ, who have held the keys will stand before Him and give unto Adam an accounting of their stewardships.
a. Adam will increase Christ's stewardship to include the entire world, giving Christ power and authority to reign for a thousand years.
b. Adam will confer upon Christ the keys of the universe.
14. Adam (Michael) has power over Satan and will ultimately rout the forces of evil, banishing them to perdition forever.
15. Adam as Michael will initiate the resurrection with the sound of His trumpet.
16. At the end of the world, Christ renders up His kingdom to Father Adam, who in turn renders His kingdom to His father and so on. Father Adam then advances by inheriting His father's kingdom just as Christ inherits His father's (Adam's) kingdom. In this way the Savior treds in the tracks of Adam just as Adam treds in the tracks of His father, and so on.
17. As resurrected beings who have kept the celestial law with the promise of eternal increase, we may have the opportunity of becoming Adam's and Eve's to other worlds.
[29] Man and the Cosmos
The foregoing concepts represent only an outline of eternal progression through mortality to eternal lives. In order to obtain a deeper understanding of the foregoing implications, we should consider our relationship to the cosmos.
Man, since the beginning of our time, has struggled to know his relationship to God and the universe. This knowledge not only gives life purpose and meaning but direction as well. For these reasons it is an essential part of the gospel message. This knowledge, as in every dispensation, has been made freely available to all who seek to know the truth.
To the world which fantasizes man as having evolved from lower mammalian forms, the truth that we are the offspring of a race of gods is met with derision. Nevertheless, the revealed gospel declares us to be the literal offspring of a race of beings that inhabits the universes whom we call gods (Moses 6:8). This race of beings oversees the population and development of the universes.
Many have the concept that we, in our present state of progression, are gods in embryo. However, as the offspring of gods this is not the full truth. The Savior had to remind the Jews that the scriptures state that "Ye are Gods" (John 10:34). Further, He said: "Those are called Gods to whom the word of God was delivered" (John 10:35 N.E.T.). By the Savior's own words, we in our current state of existence are gods. We possess all the powers that gods possess, differing only in degree. Under this definition, one becomes a god when he receives the keys and powers to perform two specific functions: create and reign over a dominion. Inherent in these two functions is the objective to constructively build. Creation itself is a building process. However, the created needs to be tended and ruled over by a loving parent to be guided and elevated to a higher sphere or level of progression. In this way, God himself is glorified by extending His [30] powers and dominions by bringing to pass the eternal life and immortality of man. In this sense, we have been given the keys and power to act as gods. To us has been given the honor to procreate life. Second, as our dominion, we have been given the responsibility to rule over our posterities. Whether we will be given greater dominions with exaltation is dependent upon the exercise of righteousness over our current stewardships.
We are not merely the offspring of gods, we are what they are--gods differing only in degree the same as our children are what we are, differing only in degree. This is the law of propagation that each species brings forth its own kind. "A horse sires a horse, a man begets a man, a god brings forth a god" (Gospel of Philip). We have the promise of becoming as great as our eternal parents, the same as our children have the promise of maturing into adults--by abiding the laws upon which those blessings are predicated.
According to the law of propagation, we are of the same species as our parents. They are a highly developed race of beings who have brought their lives in harmony with the light of truth that pervades the universe. Having identified with universal truth and light, it is their objective to elevate their creations to the same utopian glory that they have achieved. This is God's ultimate purpose in creating worlds without end--that His creations might be elevated to share in his glory and goodness. Thus, God offers each of His creations an inheritance that the created might create and exercise the same love for their creations. In this way, all the created have the same promise of glory and eternal life upon receiving their father's inheritance.
Thus, the eternal pattern of the universe is one of constant building, the bringing to pass of immortality and eternal life of one's creations; ever extending one's dominions over his ever-increasing posterity throughout the eternities. Hence, their social structure is founded in the eternal patriarchal order. This is an eternal chain of [31] fathers or patriarchs comprising a posterity or race of deities. Each God in his standing within this order is subordinate to a hierarchy of fathers who have gone before, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather, etc. According to this system man finds himself on the lowest of the patriarchal rungs. Ours, however, is the promise of becoming glorified by extending dominions over our posterities. In this structure, a god is nothing more or less than father. All fathers are gods and all gods are fathers. "Father" is a priesthood calling and of office of God. Gods differ only in their fatherhood i.e., glory, dominion and degree of progression. Within this framework, Adam is one of many gods in a system of godhood wherein each member is subordinate to his lineal ancestors. Adam and His posterity represent only a part of a greater dominion. Jesus Christ is a part of Adam's dominion and as such is subordinate not only to Adam but to all His fathers who have gone before in Adam's patriarchal line. These patriarchs are gods in the eternal priesthood order.
Brigham Young explained:
. . . each person who we crown in the celestial kingdom of God will be a father of fathers, a king of kings, a lord of lords, a god of gods, but in no case will there be three persons or more embraced in one god, as some have foolishly supposed to be the case with the godhead. Each person will reign over his posterity. Adam, Michael, the Ancient of Days, will sit as the judge of the quick and dead, for he is the father of all living, and Eve is the mother of all living, pertaining to the human family, and he is their king, their Lord, their God, taking and holding his position in the grand unbroken chain of endless increase, and eternal progression.... You can readily see this makes our father Adam a great and mighty king. When we are crowned kings and queens, father Adam and mother Eve will be king and queen of us all. Under the Priesthood which is after the Son of God and the power of an endless life, each father being a son, will always throughout time and eternity be subject to his father, and his king, dictator, father Lord, and God. Each son, in his own turn, becomes a father, and is entitled to the same obedience from the line of his descendants. It is by the authority and power of the Holy Priesthood alone that those in heaven [32] and on earth can be entitled to, and secured in, the possession of the legal authority (M.A.B.Y., Nov. 30, 1862).
The glory of the patriarchal order is one's degree of progression and the extent of one's dominion. As the Lord has said: "This is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). The greater his posterity, the greater his glory. With the eternal life of each generation, God's patriarchal dominion is extended beyond his immediate offspring to his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., each of whom is engaged in the creation and the bringing to pass of the immortality and eternal life of their progeny.
Thus, we see a repetitive pattern that operates throughout the eternities. In this way is God's course one eternal round (D&C 3:2). "Jesus said that the Father wrought precisely in the same way as His Father had done before Him" (T.PJ.S., p. 373). Brigham explained that:
Every world has had an Adam and Eve--named so simply because the first man is always called Adam, and the first woman Eve; and the oldest son has always had the privilege of being ordained, appointed and called to be the heir of the family.... Every world that has been created, has been created upon the same principle (M.A.B.Y., Oct. 8, 1854).
The eternal round of glory and exaltation is none other than procreation and eternal progression for every creation.
[33] CHAPTER 3
THE CREATION
Rather than give a clear understanding of God, His ways and methods, the creation accounts have given rise to much misunderstanding and confusion. This confusion has spilled over into the Adam-God doctrine. An understanding of the creation with proper identification of the involved personalities is critical to understanding not only the nature of God but the relationship among the gods as well.
Most of the misunderstanding which arises from the creation accounts does so because we fail to consider: 1) the nature of the creation accounts--that they are highly symbolical and, as such, hide a mystery from the unprepared; and 2) that the accounts are not of the same creation; i.e., we fail to differentiate between the spiritual and the temporal creations.
Procreation--The Mystery of the Creation
That our creation accounts are allegorical in nature is self-evident to anyone who has attempted to accept their literal interpretation. Such a literal interpretation where man is molded as a brick and woman is taken from his rib not only conflicts with revealed gospel principles but contributes little to the understanding of God and His ways. Yet, within the creation lies hidden one of the greatest mysteries of godhood--the creation of life. Such a mystery could better be termed sacred knowledge [34] for it is carefully guarded and is imparted with saving power only to those who have prepared themselves to receive. God's purpose in revealing the creation account was not to reveal his sacred truths and thereby allow their desecration by the ungodly. His purpose was to satisfy the carnal mind of an unbelieving generation.
Consider Moses if you will. What secrets of God could he reveal to Israel who had repeatedly dishonored and mocked that which was most holy? He did what any loving parent would do. He satisfied their need for knowledge by communicating to them on their level of understanding the same as any parent would tell his child a stork story. Moses' creation account has been handed down to us concealing a mystery from the understanding of a sinful and unbelieving generation. Concerning the nature of the creation account Parley P. Pratt said:
In after years, when Paradise was lost by sin; when man was driven from the face of his heavenly Father, to toil, and droop, and die; when heaven was veiled from view; and, with few exceptions, man was no longer counted worthy to retain the knowledge of his heavenly origin; then, darkness veiled the past and future from the heathen mind; man neither knew himself, from whence he came, nor whither he was bound. At length a Moses came, who knew his God, and would fain have led mankind to know Him too, and see Him face to face. But they could not receive His heavenly laws, or bide His presence.
Thus the holy man was forced again to veil the past in mystery, and, in the beginning of his history, assign to man an earthly origin. Man, moulded from the earth, as a brick! A woman, manufactured from a rib! Thus, parents still would fain conceal from budding manhood, the mysteries of procreation, and the sources of life's ever flowing river, by relating some childish tale of new-born life, engendered in the hollow trunk of some old tree, or springing with spontaneous growth, like mushrooms, from out of the heaps of rubbish. O man! when wilt thou cease to be a child in knowledge? Man, as we have said, is the offspring of Deity. The entire mystery of the past and future, with regard to his existence, is [35] not yet solved by mortals (Key to the Science of Theology, pp. 49-50, 1st ed.).
As above, the symbolism of the creation hides the real mystery. The restored gospel has revealed to us the nature of that mystery. According to the gospel, that mystery is procreation. Said B. H. Roberts: "And as for the story of the rib, under it I believe the mystery of procreation is hidden" (The Contributor, vol. 10, pp. 265-66). Brigham Young confirmed the nature of this mystery when he said:
When you tell me that Father Adam was made as we make adobies from the earth, you tell me what I deem an idle tale. When you tell me that the beasts of the field were produced in that manner, you are speaking idle words devoid of meaning. There is no such thing in all the eternities where the Gods dwell. Mankind are here because they are the offspring of parents who were first brought here from another planet, and power was given them to propagate their species, and they were commanded to multiply and replenish the earth (J.D. 7:285).
How much more beautiful and consistent are the eternal principles which we know and understand, that man is created according to the law of propagation--"life begets life." To beget means to father or procreate. Joseph Smith clarified the law of propagation by saying: ". . . God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son?" (T.PJ.S., p. 373). Brigham extended the principle of procreation to universal application." He [God] created man, as we create our children; for there is no other process of creation in heaven, on the earth, in the earth, or under the earth, or in all the eternities, that is, that were, or that ever will be" (J.D. 11:122).
The laws that govern the creation of man mean that Adam was naturally procreated (sexually begotten) by a father and mother. Thus, the scriptures in telling us that Adam is the son of God may be literally interpreted (Luke 3:38; Moses 6:22).
[36] The Creation of Adam's Body
From the foregoing, we see that Adam obtained his body by procreation from a father and mother. Brigham Young taught that Adam's body had been created of the dust of another world prior to coming to this earth. These teachings are consistent with the scriptures which also indicate that Adam's body had been created prior to being placed in the Garden of Eden. "I, the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there I put the man whom I had formed" (Moses 3:8; Abraham 5:8). The temple account also portrays the physical Adam as having existed prior to being placed in the Garden of Eden. Thus, Adam's body had been created independent of this earth and therefore could not have been molded from or made out of the dust of this earth's ground.
The question of where he obtained his body can be answered by considering the nature of his body. This latter question is answered if one considers the environment in which Adam as a physical being dwelt. We know from the scriptures and the temple account that Adam endured the presence of God. This is an environment of everlasting celestial fire and glory. Both Paul and Joseph Smith told us that neither flesh and blood nor corruption can endure God's presence (T.PJ.S., pp. 326, 367; 1 Cor. 15:50). Moreover, Joseph told us that "immortality dwells in everlasting burnings" (T.PJ.S., p. 367)
Since Adam dwelt in His father's presence of everlasting burnings, His body had to have been incorruptible, without blood and immortal. In other words, prior to coming to the Garden of Eden, Adam possessed an immortal celestial body. The real question is how he acquired that body. Was he physically begotten in the celestial realm? If this be true then Adam would be the First Born, but we know that Jesus is the First Born. Furthermore, Christ would not be the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. The laws of progression would also be violated. [37] How, then, did Adam acquire his pre-Eden body? The gospel dictates that he had to have been procreated. The only method whereby a body can obtain celestial glory is part of God's round of eternal progression. According to this plan, one obtains a body through a resurrection from a mortal probation and then enters into immortality and celestial glory. This is the same principle upon which all of God's creations obtain immortal bodies. Indeed, this is the light that has been revealed to us by a prophet of God. Said Brigham Young:
Adam . . . lived upon an earth; he did abide his creation and did honor to his calling and priesthood, and obeyed his master or Lord . . . and died upon an earth, and then [was] resurrected again to immortality and eternal life (M.A.B.Y., Oct. 8, 1854).
On another occasion he said:
He [Adam] had once been in the flesh, and lived as we live, obtained His exaltation, attained to thrones, gained the ascendancy over principalities and powers, and had the knowledge and power to create--to bring forth and organize the elements upon natural principles. This He did after His ascension, or His glory, or His eternity, and was actually classed with the Gods, with beings who create, with those who have kept the celestial law while in the flesh, and again obtained their bodies. Then He was prepared to commence the work of creation, as the Scriptures teach. It is all here in the bible; I am not telling you a word but what is contained in that book (J.D. 4:217).
What then, was Adam doing in God's presence with an immortal, celestial body? According to the principles of eternal progression, Adam had already obtained a body by having passed through a mortal probation. Following his resurrection to celestial glory, He assumed his position among the gods. That is to say that Adam assumed His position in the eternal patriarchal order. As such, he was now prepared and ready to function as a father creating his own progeny.
We have seen that God's course follows a predictable pattern of order. Such a pattern of order is the very [38] definition of law. Indeed God and the order of the universe are governed by law. God is a being of law, not a being of mystery. The mystery of God is simply a product of our ignorance. When we come to know God's laws, we will find that the power of creation lies in the organization of eternally existent life and matter. Thus, God creates neither life nor matter, he only oversees its organization and propagation. It is according to these same laws that the creation was extended to this earth with inorganic matter being organized out of chaos and life forms being brought from another sphere (transplanted) to this earth. Life was brought here for the express purpose to propagate its own kind. According to Brigham Young:
He [Adam] was the person who brought the animals and the seeds from other planets to this world, and brought a wife with him and stayed here. You may read and believe what you please as to what is found written in the Bible. Adam was made from the dust of an earth, but not from the dust of this earth. He was made as you and I are made, and no person was ever made upon any other principle (J.D. 3:319).
So we see that the mystery of life (procreation) applies not only to man but to all life throughout the universe. This is the plan by which life is extended from one portion of the universe to another, following the eternal round of procreation and progression.
The Spiritual and Temporal Creations
Another area of confusion is the contradiction posed between the first and second creation accounts. The first chapter of Genesis, which parallels Moses 3 and Abraham 4, relates a very orderly creation account transpiring in seven creative periods. "The account seems to reach from highest attenuated nebulae to the solid earth clothed with its wealth of vegetation and animal life, with man placed upon it as the crowning excellence of the Creator's work" (The Contributor, vol. 10, p. 263). Following a very explicit account, the reader is perplexed to read that man, [39] in conflict with the foregoing, has in actual fact not been created, for in Genesis 2:4, 5 we read:
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, and every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew; for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth and there was not a man to till the ground (emphasis added).
As there was no man to till the ground, man must not have been created upon the earth. If man had not yet been created, then what of the rest of the creation account? What of the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air and the earth's vegetation? The second chapter of Genesis then proceeds to confuse the reader further by relating a second creation account with a reversed creation order.
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree.... And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam . . . (see also parallel accounts in Moses 3:5-25, and Abraham 5:6-21).
Whereas the first account began with the formation of the earth from chaotic matter and relates the various steps of an orderly creation of all life ending with the creation of man, the second account begins with the creation of man out of the dust of the ground, followed by the creation of all other animal life. The Moses version as revealed to Joseph Smith underscores the disparity between these two accounts. According to Moses, Adam became the first flesh upon the earth. ". . . And man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also . . ." (Moses 3:7). This contradicts the former account wherein all animal life had not only been [40] formed prior to man but "brought forth abundantly" (Moses 2:20, 21).
Just as Joseph's inspired translation underscored the problem, so also does it reveal the key to its resolution. After relating the account of the seven creative periods, the Lord states that all things of which He had spoken concerning the creation of heaven and earth (the seven creative periods) were created spiritually before being placed naturally on the earth. The Lord goes on to explain that this creation was in heaven and not on the earth.
And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the generations of the heaven and of the earth, when they were created, in the day I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth: And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb, of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord Cod, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth. For I, the Lord God, had not caused it to rain upon the face of the earth. And I the Lord God had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air (Moses 3:4, 5; emphasis added).
The spiritual nature of this creation is verified in the Abraham account wherein we find that all life was "formed in the day that the Gods formed the earth and heaven; according to all that which they had said concerning every plant of the field before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew" (Abraham 5:4, 5). Accordingly then, Genesis 1, Moses 2, and Abraham 4, which also parallel the temple creation account, represent the creation of things spiritual before they were placed or created naturally upon the earth, i.e., the spiritual creation. The second creation account, as related in Genesis 2, Moses 3, and Abraham 5, is an account of the temporal creation of life. Indeed this has been the interpretation of the church leaders. Said Hugh B. Brown in a talk given at B.Y.U. (entitled: "What Is Man [41] and What He May Become?"): "The information given in the scriptures on the time involved in the first great acts of creation refers only to the spiritual creation." LDS scholar and theologian B. H. Roberts agreed, saying:
Though we cannot understand the nature of this spiritual creation, yet to learn that the first account of the creation in the Bible is of a spiritual creation and the second of an actual or natural one, gives some comfort, from the fact that it does away with all charges of inconsistency or contradiction between the two accounts. For since they are descriptions of two different things instead of one thing, there is nothing in the law of consistency requiring the accounts of different events to be alike (The Contributor, vol. 10, p. 264).
Said Orson Pratt:
The second chapter of Genesis (new translation) informs us that the spirits ... were created in heaven.... They were created in heaven, the spiritual part of them; not their flesh and bones.... The spiritual part existed in heaven.... On the seventh day he [God] began the temporal portion. There was not yet a man to till the ground, "and the gods formed man from the dust of the ground, and took his spirit"--that is, the man's spirit--"and put it into him and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." This we read in the second chapter of Genesis (J.D. 21:200-01).
While an understanding of the spiritual creation is a decided advancement in the interpretation of the creation accounts, it by no means resolves all the problems, for the seven periods account, while admittedly spiritual, contains elements of a temporal rather than a spiritual creation. This has led some LDS authors to speculate that the first account (seven periods) is wholly temporal, despite the scriptural affirmation that it is spiritual (see H. L. Andrus, God, Man and the Universe, p. 305). Thus, two philosophies have risen in an attempt to resolve the creation problems. One school states that the seven periods account is exclusively spiritual, while the second claims it to be exclusively temporal. Neither philosophy is wholly adequate. The major difficulty lies in the interpretation of the temporal elements of the spiritual [42] creation. This of course is resolved if one considers the account to be exclusively temporal, however this consideration fails to account for the obvious spiritual creation of life. The spiritual interpretation discounts the creation's temporal elements, claiming these in fact to be spiritual, although beyond human understanding.
The foregoing explanations are based on the assumption that God must complete one phase of His creation before He could commence another. They assume that the creation sequence was first spiritual then temporal. However, nothing was to prohibit God from preparing a temporal abode (the earth) while at the same time being engaged in the procreation of spirit life. Why also could not the seven periods creation account contain both temporal and spiritual elements?
A careful reading of this creation account not only bears out both temporal and spiritual elements but verifies the same by distinguishing these in the manner of their creation. The organization of gross matter in the seven periods account lends itself to a temporal interpretation, whereas there is no question that all life was created spiritually. This distinction is real rather than apparent, for the creation reflects two different classes of created entities (the organized and the procreated).
Lehi recognized and distinguished between these two classes. One (gross matter) was organized to be acted upon; while the other (life as we know it) was created to act as an independent agent. ". . . He [God] hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon" (2 Nephi 2:14). The latter is a result of overt organization, while the former is a result of procreation. This may have been the Lord's distinction when He said: "Behold I reveal unto you concerning this heaven, and this earth" (Moses 2:1), the creation of heaven being spiritual by procreation and the creation of the earth being temporal by organization. Indeed the spiritual creation of all life was in heaven by spiritual procreation.
[43] Life can exist as spirit independent of a temporal tabernacle, but the same is probably not true of gross matter. We know that all matter possesses intelligence or life to some degree. Said Brigham Young:
There is not a particle or element which is not filled with life, and all space is filled with element.... There is life in all matter, throughout the vast extent of all the eternities; it is in the rock, the sand, the dust, in water, air, the gasses, and in short, in every description and organization of matter. . . .(J.D. 3:277).
The kind of life within a rock, however, is not the same kind or degree as the life possessed by animate beings. From a doctrinal standpoint, we understand that the spirits of all animal life were created by procreation, whereas the spirit of gross matter (e.g., a rock) is created by overt organization of individual intelligences that comprise that rock. That intelligence, or spirit, is light and truth as an integral part of all matter. Therefore the aggregate spirit of organized gross matter lies in the organization of that matter. Hence, the spiritual creation of gross matter is accomplished through its physical organization, which in the beginning existed as "unorganized matter." The creation of the earth as a life substrate, then, is neither exclusively spiritual nor temporal but temporospiritual because of the nature of life or spirit within matter. The temporal elements of the earth's temporospiritual creation are:
1. In the beginning, the earth was created from unorganized matter.
2. The account relates the creation of heaven and earth or the spiritual and the temporal. The Lord uses the terms "of heaven" and "of earth" in a distinguishing fashion. Clearly, all that is spiritual is heavenly. If the creation of the earth were spiritual, would it not also be of heaven? Why then distinguish it as being "of the earth"? Because it is of earth, not of heaven. "And now, behold, I say unto you, that these are the [44] generations of heaven and of the earth, when they were created, in the day that I, the Lord God, made the heaven and the earth" (Moses 3:4; also, Abraham 5:4). The Lord is clearly speaking about two generations, one of heaven and another of the earth, heaven being spiritual and earth being temporal. The day in which He created them was the seven periods creation. Furthermore, the scriptures clearly distinguish between the heavenly and the earthly. The earthly has always been considered temporal as opposed to spiritual (John 3:12, 31; 1 Cor. 15:48, 49).
3. The earth already ruled by day and night from the first creation period was later placed into a new solar system with greater and lesser ruling lights.
4. Dry lands were caused to appear by the gathering of waters.
5. All gross elements were watched until they obeyed (the law of their creation, Abraham 4:18). In contradistinction, God noted that all life forms would obey at a future time. This difference in treatment suggests a difference in states of existence between gross matter and life. This difference lies in the creative purpose of obedience which is ultimately in the temporal sphere. Hence, gross matter being already temporal was seen to obey the laws of its (temporal) creation, whereas with life, then in the spirit, it was noted that they (life) would obey the laws of their temporal creation.
And the Gods organized the earth to bring forth the beasts after their kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after its kind; and the Gods saw they would obey (Abraham 4:25).
[45] 6. The earth at the end of the sixth period existed in a temporal state while all life existed as spirit. On the seventh day the Lord said:
I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.... And I, the Lord God, had created all the children of men; and not yet a man to till the ground; for in heaven created I them; and there was not yet flesh upon the earth, neither in the water, neither in the air (Moses 3:5).
From this we learn that, although man had been created, he was not yet on the earth, thus the creation was in heaven--spiritually. The same verse implies, however, that the earth, the ground, the sea and the air were in their natural temporal state, but that no flesh had yet been placed thereon.
7. The second creation account deals only with the temporal creation of life forms, suggesting temporal completion of the earth in the foregoing account. The only account of the temporal creation of the earth is in the seven periods account.
8. The earth with its gross matter is not specifically included in the heavenly creation of things spiritual, as is all life.
The only specific mention of the spiritually created is in reference to life. The Lord, in Moses 3:5, makes it clear that the spiritual creation refers only to life that was to be placed upon the earth.
And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew. For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.
Misunderstanding is introduced by the word "all." "All things" does not refer to all things of the foregoing creation account but rather to all [46] things spoken of in the spiritual creation, for the Lord qualifies these "all" things as those which were created spiritually before they were naturally upon the face of the temporal earth. This clearly distinguishes between the earth and those things found thereon. That which was placed on the face of the earth was exclusively life. Therefore, the earth is excluded from the spiritual creation, for the earth cannot be found naturally upon itself. The word "upon," in this context, plainly has reference to the external temporal surface of the earth, where life was placed. Thus, the spiritual creation pertains only to those things which were found naturally upon the earth, not the earth itself. 9. The second creation account represents the finishing of the Lord's work on the seventh day by the placement of all life on the already created earth. It does not deal with the creation of the earth. It therefore represents a temporal creation account of life only. The temporal earth had already been created on the first and second days. The spiritual life forms were created on the sixth day and placed on the earth on the seventh day as God completed his creation. Nowhere is there an intimation of an earthly creation other than that which is mentioned in the seven periods account.
The Second Account
It should be noted that life was not placed on the earth until a rain fell. At that point in the creation rain was the necessary prerequisite for life support. It supplied the rivers and lakes providing fresh water for vegetation and animal life. The rain which descended upon the earth demarcates the spiritual from the temporal creation of life. Had life been placed upon the earth prior to rain it would not have borne fruit.
According to the second creation account, vegetation was the first life on the face of the earth, having been [47] planted from seed. The rain caused the seeds to sprout and grow into a lush garden (Eden). With the garden established, man, who had previously been formed from the ground of another earth (Moses 3:8), was placed in the garden as the first flesh (Moses 3:7). It should be noted that man, prior to being made of the dust of the ground, was not a living soul (soul = the union of spirit and flesh; D&C 88:15). This is further confirmation that the preceding creation of life was spiritual. This is not only true of Adam but of all life (trees, beasts, and fowl) which became living souls upon being created in the second creation account, out of the dust of the ground. From this we conclude that all life forms theretofore were not living souls but were spirits (Moses 3:9, 19).
As the temporal creation of all life is identical (from the ground) we can conclude that all life forms were created temporally according to the same plan or pattern which, as we have seen, is transplantation from another sphere. Thus we see that
This is all you get till you go out and find a copy of the "Adam God Maze" for your ownself. It gets really good when it explains the LDS possible explanations. Maybe I'll get that chapter scanned in and put it in one of these days. Thanks for reading!