Did Joseph Smith know Adam personally?
“If you were to ask Joseph what sort of a looking man Adam was; he would tell you at once; he would tell you his size and appearance and all about him.” (John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 18:326.)
Joseph also taught about Adams condition before coming to the earth when he said,
“Now regarding Adam: He came here from another planet – an immortalized being and brought his wife Eve with him – and by eating of the fruit of the earth, became subject to death and decay – was made mortal and subject to death.” (Joseph Smith to Anson Call, John M. Whitaker Papers.)
This teaching of Joseph is testified by apostles as well.
“It was Joseph’s doctrine that Adam was God &c When in Luke Johnson’s at O. Hydes the power came upon us, or shock that alarmed the neighborhood. God comes to earth & eats & partakes of fruit.” 4/4/1860, Minutes of Meeting at Historian’s Office
“Joseph said that Adam was our Father and God.” 5/14/1876, Journal History
“At meeting of School of the Prophets: President Young said Adam was Michael the Archangel, & he was the Father of Jesus Christ & was our God & that Joseph taught this principle.” 12/16/1876, Journal of Wilford Woodruff
The prophet also taught us about Adams important position over priesthood keys.
He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as head of the human family. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p 157)
The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent. When they are revealed from heaven, it is by Adam’s authority. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p 157)
When the ordinances need to be restored, Joseph tells who they are restored through,
[God] set the ordinances to be the same forever and ever, and set Adam to watch over them, to reveal them from heaven to man, or to send angels to reveal them. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p 168)
Not only are the keys of the priesthood given through Adam, the keys to Salvation itself are given through Him acting through his position or office of Michael.
The Lord God… hath appointed Michael your prince and established his feet, and set him upon high, and given unto him the keys of salvation. (D&C 78:16)
In the Hebrew lexicon we learn that the word Michael means, “who is like God”. This is of particular interest when we read the account of the creation as restored through the Prophet Joseph in the book of Abraham.
And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born. And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell; (Abraham 3:23-24)
Adam again plays a huge role in the lives of His children when it is time for the resurrection of the just.
But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth – yea, even all. (D&C 29:26)
Joseph also restored and expounded upon our knowledge of Adams role in the vision given to Daniel,
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire…
I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. (Daniel 7:9. 21-22)
The Lord revealed this to be Adam,
Michael, or Adam, the father of all, the prince of all, the ancient of days; (D&C 27:11)
As stated above, Joseph taught that Adam presides over His family because we are His children. Joseph explained,
The priesthood was first given to Adam… the father of all living… (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg. 157)
This is of particular interest when we read what Joseph taught in the Lectures on Faith saying,
Having previously been made acquainted with the way the idea of his (Gods) existence came into the world, as well as the fact of his existence, we shall proceed to examine his (Gods) character, perfections and attributes, in order that this class may see, not only the just grounds which they have for the exercise of faith in him (God), for life and salvation, but the reasons that all the world, also, as far as the idea of his existence extends, may have to exercise faith in him the Father of all living. (LoC 3:6)
As the “Father of all living”, Adam also plays an important role in the restoration of Gospel in every dispensation. The prophet revealed,
Commencing with Adam, who was the first man,1 who is spoken of in Daniel as being the “Ancient of Days,” or in other words, the first and oldest of all, the great, grand progenitor of whom it is said in another place he is Michael, because he was the first and father of all, not only by progeny, but the first to hold the spiritual blessings, to whom was made known the plan of ordinances for the salvation of his posterity unto the end, and to whom Christ was first revealed, and through whom Christ has been revealed from henceforth. Adam holds the keys of the dispensation of the fullness of times; i.e., the dispensation of all the times have been and will be revealed through him from the beginning to Christ, and from Christ to the end of the dispensations that are to be revealed. “Having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He that purposed in Himself; that in the dispensation of the fullness of times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him.” -Ephesians 1:9-10. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg. 167)
Adam is the father of all, not only in body, but in “spiritual blessings” and He is who Christ is revealed through whenever the Savior is shown to man. This reveals so much about Adam when we think about who introduces the Savior in the scriptures. (See baptism of the Savior and the First Vision)
In terms of dispensations of the earth, Father Adam plays another role in conjunction with the Savior and the prophet, which was revealed through Joseph.
Everlasting covenant was made between three personages before the organization of this earth, and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth; these personages, according to Abraham’s record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the witness or Testator (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg. 190)
What the Prophet Joseph Smith revealed during his comparatively short life is nothing short of remarkable and something we should all have gratitude towards. What it reveals to us tells so much more about who we are and what are potential is, if we keep our covenants and magnify our priesthood.
“Now regarding Adam: He came here from another planet – an immortalized being and brought his wife Eve with him – and by eating of the fruit of the earth, became subject to death and decay – was made mortal and subject to death.” (Joseph Smith to Anson Call, John M. Whitaker Papers.)
This statement seems illogical and fallacious. The source also comes across as “he said, she said” and not as an authoritative statement. I’m not trying to be derisive, but examine the statement.
Adam came from another planet – okay.
Adam came from another planet “an immortalized being and brought his wife Eve with him.” Based on doctrine this means that Adam & Eve already went through an earthly experience was born, died and resurrected to become immortal. That is the only way to become “immortalized.” Michael is the pre-mortal name for Adam (Mormon Doctrines pg. 491). Michael led the spirit hosts against Lucifer according to scripture. He wasn’t on another planet, but with the spirit hosts in the spirit world.
An immortal being cannot be subject unto death again. The New Testament states that it is appointed unto man to die once (Hebrews 9:27). A major conflict with doctrine.
Adam “brought his wife Eve” which means they were already married and “knew” each other prior to being placed in the garden. The scriptures state that if they didn’t partake of the fruit they would’ve never “known” each other and had seed. Major conflict of doctrine.
Michael is the pre-mortal name for Adam. If he was “immortalized” he would not be affiliated with this creation or the pre-mortal children of God for this creation.
Moses also tells us that God “formed man from the dust of the ground” (Moses 3:7). God also “breathed into the nostrils the breath of life” to the newly formed man that was created. Don’t we understand the breathe of life to mean the man’s spirit was placed into the body of the newly formed man?
This Anson Call statement doesn’t square with what God has restored concerning the matter in this dispensation.
It seems to me that there are members of the church who do not have faith that God can form man from the dust of the ground to create the physical body of Adam. They have to turn to this statement from Anson Call so they don’t have to believe in what God has revealed concerning the matter. If members of the church can’t believe that God can form Adam from the dust of the ground, then how can they have faith that God will resurrect billions of souls from the graves of this earth. Is that not the same process? The bones of each individual will have to be clothed once again from the elements of this earth to become resurrected and immortal. That’s a greater miracle than the man Adam being formed from the dust of the earth.
It wasn’t just Anson that taught it. Brigham Young taught it and said that he was taught it by Joseph Smith. That’s two witnesses, one of which is a prophet of God. https://faithfulsaints.com/sacred-cow-11-church-leaders-never-taught-adam-god/
Are the prophets since Brigham Young who have said the Adam-God theory is false not also prophets of God?
Was Joseph Smith not a prophet when he said Adam would not receive his fullness until Jesus presented this kingdom to the Father?
Love it! Joseph Smith was inspired and if he could have taught everything he knew, the world could not have contained it.
Anson call is a close family ancestor. It is a pleasure to read from his journals.
There are many additional quotes that show that Joseph taught about the nature of Adam’s divinity.
Do you have a copy of his journal?
There are two, I have one. Unfortunately it does not contain most of the quotes I am looking for, they are in the other one. I hope to purchase the other but they run about $200 at least and are rare
Edit:
Upon further investigation what I thought was two journals may actually just be one journal with two names. I do have it. I have never found any Adam god quotes in it however. Maybe there is something else in the archives the quotes are referencing?
Also, the whole journal is on family search
Where on family search?
Also, I think the supposed comment was given in 1877 by Anson Call about a reminiscence in 1844. If those dates help any…
My husband has read the entire journal and never found the references, neither did I. We even have a family member who read the whole thing and said “I’m glad here was nothing weird in there” haha… I think the 1844 reference must be incorrect. All I can find online are these hints:
“”Now regarding Adam: He came here from another planet – an immortalized being and brought his wife Eve with him – and by eating of the fruit of the earth, became subject to death and decay – was made mortal and subject to death.” Joseph Smith to Anson Call, John M. Whitaker Papers. This is a late remembrance apparently filtered through the memory of Brigham’s 1852 Adam-God sermon.”
https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/affidavit-from-anson-call-and-others-19-june-1844-thomas-bullock-second-copy/1#source-note
And:
“James Beck Journal (Notebook) 1859-1865
Diary of Thomas D. Brown. Utah State University Press. Logan, Utah. 1972
“Sayings of Joseph the Prophet,” recorded in Anson Call’s Journal, 23-24 (Nauvoo period); Church Historian’s Office (hereinafter CHO). The following statement precedes the quotes found in the materials above:
I now quote from a certain statement by the Prophet Joseph Smith to certain brethren who promised to cut his wood if he would answer their questions. This statement was recorded at the time by Anson Call: recopied by Patriarch John M. Whitaker of Nauvoo. It was also copied, years later, by B. H. Roberts. A number of copies were also made by John M. Whitaker, the son, and distributed at the B.Y. University by proper consent, in connection with his seminary work. These two copies by Patriarch Whitaker and Roberts are verbatim, circa 1844
Journal of Abraham H. Cannon, BYU Library, Special Collections (hereinafter BYUSC)
(Drew Britney)”
Here’s the link to the note al:https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog
Dang it sorry, I’m on a phone and it is typing weird. Here’s the link
https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/records/item/390988-redirection
I looked in the Anson Call Journal on familysearch.org that you linked to and found this quote on page 264:
““Now regarding Adam: He came here from another planet an immortalized being and brought one of his wives, Eve, with him, and by eating of the fruits of this earth became subject to death and decay …”
If you start reading from the top of this page you will see that this is part of what Joseph was teaching.
Adam-ondi-Ahman = Adam God
Ahman means God (JD vol. 2 page 342).
The Adam God doctrine is true. The rejection of it is another manifestation of apostasy against the truths of the Restoration. Most saints aren’t properly taught it and thus are unable to understand it.
It’s clear to me that Joseph Smith did teach it and Brigham Young defended it.
It’s a powerful doctrine and is verily true. Brigham Young even though stating that Joseph Smith taught it to him, Brigham Young also bore witness that it was revealed to him too.
Brigham Young is correct in saying that the Adam God doctrine is right in front of you when you read the scriptures but for some reason most people can’t see it or discern it from the scriptures.
I see it. I’m grateful for it.
Joseph and Brigham are both true prophets of God.
Adam ondi Ahman according to John Taylor means “the valley where God talked with Adam” not Adam God.
That’s concerning the place and historical event. The name literally means Adam God.
President Young codified the Temple ceremony
under the direction of Joseph in Nauvoo and by
himself out West. Why should anyone think that the
Temple ceremony originally supported the present day
church teachings about Adam and not the teachings of
President Young, who prepared the ceremony?
Study more: http://www.2bc.info/pdf/Creation.pdf
It’s taught in the creation account in the Book of Moses. I’ve also found it in ” The Holy Scriptures” which is the version of the Bible put out by the reorganized church, which is interesting because the reorganized church denies that Joseph ever taught Adam God, but it’s in their own scriptures if you have eyes to see.
Wow, I’ve heard this here and there but no one in church expounding on it. I’m so confused and I’ve been in the church my entire life. So please someone help me! So is what bring said here is Adam is our Heavenly Father? Jesus is the son of Adam? I first learned thus in the temple and sat totally confused. Thus for me does not match up with genius in the Bible as The creation is explained. I’m not denying this, just not understanding this, if someone would be so kind as to help me precept upon precept understand what is being taught here. Thank you.
There are some books that expound, but it is probably best to start with what was said before delving into what was meant. Check out “Understanding Adam God Teachings” a neutral compilation of quotes on the topic