What is the Adam God Theory?

Hello everyone. I hope everything finds you well. I got a great message (in my lds.net account – it’s great) from a new friend from Pennsylvania named Ken. Ken has a sister that converted to the Church, and he now has some questions about the Church. He asked some good, honest questions about the church’s history and teachings. My next four posts will consist of his questions, and my responses.

Ken’s Question:
What do you know about the Adam-God theory? Was Adam a God? Will he become a god in heaven?

This whole fiasco comes from one misquoted Brigham Young statement found in the Journal of Discourses (a 26 volume collection containing discourses of some of the early leaders of the Church). I’ll quote it for you so you can see exactly what I’m talking about:

“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body…. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! About whom holy men have written and spoken—HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do.”
-Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, pg. 50

So that’s the quote, Ken. What many “anti’s” have said regarding this passage is that Mormons believe Adam is God the Father. Absurd, right? Yes, it is. These nay-sayers don’t bother quoting anything else Brigham Young intentionally, or out of ignorance. And honestly, how many average people will go out and read a 26 volume series to put everything in context? Here is the very next paragraph following this last statement:

“It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael….”

Here, in the very next verse Brigham identifies these individuals as separate. –Meaning that Heavenly Father and Michael/Adam were not the same being. President Young was not dumb. -Through his leadership most of the western states were settled and developed.
President Young is simply saying that Adam is the Father of our race, he has become a God (I discuss this topic here: Do Mormons teach that we can become gods?), and he is whom we will be familiar with instead of those from other of God the Father’s creations (we believe Heavenly Father has created many other worlds besides ours).

To summarize: Adam (or Michael) is not Eloheim. Eloheim is God, our Heavenly Father. Adam is the father of the human race, not our spirits, and has become a God.

Best Wishes,
Rusty
truthisrestored.blogspot.com