Young not only taught this doctrine over the pulpit at the 1852 and. The church has historically affirmed the need for god s plan of salvation through jesus christ was necessitated by and in response to human sin. The adamgod doctrine and the persistence of polygamy jstor. Intro to adamgod doctrine part 3 of 8 gospel tangents. Perhaps no doctrine taught throughout the history of the church has caused as much controversy and as much confusion as the socalled adamgod theory.
How much unbelief exists in the minds of the latterday saints in regard to one particular doctrine which i revealed to them, and which god revealed to me namely that adam is our father and god i. Kimball taught, exaltation means godhood, creatorship. The adamgod doctrine pdf, by david john buerger from dialogue, volume 15, number 1, spring 1982. Brigham young had already explained this point, even within his first announcement of the adam god doctrine. Jesus, our elder brother, was begotten in the flesh by the same character that was in the garden of eden, and who is our father in heaven. The adamgod theory has long been a staple of antimormon writers bent on discrediting brigham young and a source of concern for latterday saints with a. For over 100 years the leadership of the mormon church have attempted to cover up this embarassing doctrine and have repeatedly denied that brigham young second president of the mormon church ever taught the adam god doctrine.
Orson and brigham had a big dispute over adamgod doctrine, and brigham supported it and orson did not. Mormonisms second and longest serving prophet, brigham young, publicly taught that adam is god. Beliefs and doctrines of the new testament church the true teachings and doctrines of jesus christ and his apostles as revealed in the holy bible the nature of god the god family god the hebrew word is elohim, a plural noun inherently meaning more than oneis a holy family of intelligent beings, composed of spirit. Mormonism and doctrinerepudiated conceptsadamgod theory. First, mere men and women cannot fully understand or define god.
The adam god doctrine teaches that adam is the father of both the spirits and physical bodies of all humans born on earth, including jesus. The three angels found lilith in a cave bearing children but lilith refused to come back to the garden. Teachings of the doctrine of eternal livesinsert by me jan 2009. President brigham young taught what is now known as adamgod theory. He taught that adam is our father and our god, and the only god with whom we have to do. Certainly no doctrine within the church has been more misunderstood by its members. I didnt hear about the teaching of adams polygamous wives, but thats for some other time.
Adamgod in a nutshell the doctrine as taught by brigham young in his own words introduction some have thought that president young was a great pioneer, colonizer and statesman but as a theologian or doctrinal authority, he was inadequate. A second is that adam is god the father, the father of our spirits. Everyone has an idea of who god, but here i will show you the true god. One might define sin as any failure to conform to the moral law of god in act, attitude, or nature. My purpose is not to debate, but to seek the truth. The scriptures teach us that man is not an accident or the result of some mindless process, but the creative work of the eternal god. Regardless of which approach the reader prefers to accept, the churchs official position on adamgod is clear. The adamgod doctrine or adamgod theory was a theological idea taught in mid19th. Scholarly literature dealing with the adam god doctrine has been limited to rodney turners master of arts thesis, the position of adam in latterday saint scripture and theology, department of religion, brigham young university, august 1953. Adam s sin, committed by eating of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, carried with it permanent pollution or depraved human nature to all his descendants.
Views concerning god there are many varied views concerning the existence of god, and what kind of god exists. This didnt used to be a hot topic, but in modern history several things have happened to bring this issue to the forefront. This socalled adam god theory is false and contrary to the whole body of revealed truth. These are the questions to be answered from the bible in this lesson. Kimball had openly denounced the adam god doctrine and claimed this doctrine was only alleged. Adamgod doctrine explained general discussions mormon. The reasons for doing so it that it is opinion, original research, and seeks to editorialize and draw conclusions that are not in evidence. Do mormons believe that adam is god byu physics and. Buerger, david john 1982, the adamgod doctrine pdf, dialogue. Agnosticism it is impossible to know whether or not there is a god. This site is dedicated to the doctrine and the book the adam god revelation, the first of two volumes in a set called the journal of references. The adamgod doctrine was a natural outgrowth of the doctrine of a plurality of gods.
The adamgod doctrine and the persistence of polygamy 71 statements fit. One doctrine is that adam is the god of this earth. Adam told god that lilith had left and god sent three angels, senoi, sansenoi, and sammangelof, to retrieve her. Concerning the item of doctrine alluded to by elder caffall and others, viz. Young for a few years back, wherein he says that adam is our god the god we worship that most of the people believe this some believe it because the president says so others because they can find testimony in the book of mormon and the book of doctrine and covenants. Next came the creation of the heavens and the earth. Nobles once told a methodist priest, after hearing him describe his god, that the god they worshipped was the mormons devil a being without a body, whereas our god has a body, parts, and passions. He made adam the rightful sovereign over all the works of his hands. The adam god doctrine, in various forms, however, is still accepted by many postutahmigration period latter day saint splinter organizations. The sbc convention states that we do not inherit the sinful nature of adam but only his death. Systematizing the robust theology that has undergirded dr.
While not a doctrine believed by most lds people today, there can be no doubt that brigham young believed and taught that adam was god the father, the god of this earth, and the father of jesus in the flesh. After god had created all other creatures, he formed the first man adam from the dust of the ground, breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and he became a living being. Adam and god the eternal father are one and the same person. A study in biblical cosmology 3 a brief history of biblical cosmology one of the very interesting areas of biblical studies is creation. The second christian foundation block i will explain is the bibles teaching on the doctrine of god. By bill mckeever on april 9, 1852, brigham young, the second president of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds, rose to the pulpit of the salt lake tabernacle and announced, it is my intention to preach several discourses this evening, but how many i do not know. Attached is a pdf file containing some scanned images, giving us another explanation of this doctrine. A third is that adam is the literal father of jesus christ.
Why is the doctrine of the imputation of adam s sin important. I assume that this remains an uncontroversial doctrine. If true, then three of the earliest mormon prophets believed that adam is god. Brigham young never declared the adamgod theory to be revelation of any kind. Brigham young claims to have been taught the doctrine. The doctrine and covenants teaches that adam was the first man to receive the keys of the priesthood, which priesthood continueth in the church of god in all generations, and is without beginning of days or end of years. He lost the whole moral image of god righteousness and true holiness. And brigham young drew upon another section of the doctrine and covenants to justify. Some have objected to the adam god doctrine, but it is true that reminds me that brother joseph b.
The adam god doctrine explained correctly lds mormon. Brigham said he learned this doctrine from joseph smith. Changing world, the adam god doctrine chapter 8 changing world, not created of the dust of this earth. The churchs official position is that adamgod is not the doctrine of the church.
It will also address more insight into this valuable and related topics, which help to explain why we and all things exist. The doctrine of satan the temptation of adam and eve 4. Jesus, therefore, would be the son of adam michael if the adam god doctrine be true. And i also believe that even back to orson pratt it was disputed. Brief declaration and vindication of the doctrine of the trinity pdf pdf by john owen. It negates the essential features of the whole plan of salvation, belittles god, makes a mockery of the atonement of his son, and postulates the utterly absurd. Adamgod teachings, among critics and latterday saints alike. The lord blessed adam and eve with intelligence such as he had not given to any other creature. Look at the relationship between god and man before the fall. Brigham youngs teachings on adam learning about latterday. The adam god historical subterfuge today we sit down with corbin volluz and discuss the nuts and bolts of the adam god doctrine. Although this doctrine was not publicly taught until 1852, adam was held in.
I believe, and will discuss my reasons below, that young did teach the first adam god doctrine in a context i. Why is the doctrine of the imputation of adams sin. We talk about what brigham taught, how widely it was taught and implemented, how leaders and apologists have attempted to explain it, and how leaders have attempted to make it disappear. He and his wife, eve, had become gods by living a mortal life, becoming resurrected, and receiving their exaltation. Within a few minutes of starting to read this noname authored book, the author himself emailed it to me at the same. We believe in the full inspiration of the word of god. Adamgod was eventually incorporated into the teaching of some 20th century polygamous breakoff sects, who consider it a doctrine whose absence in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints is proof that the church is in apostasy. I can certainly explain that it is not official lds doctrine.