Mormon missionaries are reluctant to discuss the emberrasing sermon given by the LDS's second Prophet, Brigham Young, on April 9th, 1852. Just what exactly did the 'Prophet' say at this particular date? What was the sermon he gave to the Mormon faithful? Did Brigham Young really solemnly declare, define, and pronounce that Adam is God Almighty? Let's see from his own words, straight out of the LDS's very own Journal of Discourses.
Excerpts from the Sermon [taken from Journal of Discourses 1:50-51]
"One thing has remained a mystery in this kingdom up to this day..."
"Our God and Father in heaven, is a being of tabernacle, or, in other words, He has a body..."
"I will tell you how it is."
"Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his celestial wives, with him...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. Every man upon the earth, professing Christians or non-professing, must hear it, and will know it sooner or later."
"When the Virgin Mary concieved the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost. And who is the Father? He is the first of the human family..."
"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. Now let all who may hear these doctrines, pause before they make light of them, or treat them with indifference, for they will prove their salvation or damnation."
What does the LDS Church teach now concerning Adam-God?
Not surprisingly, when Young died, the Adam-God doctrine was quietly swept under the carpet, hopefully to be forgotten. Unfortunatly for Mormonism, the doctrine has not stayed dead, and continues to haunt them to this very day. Seeing that Christians everywhere were exposing this, among other fantastic doctrinal claims by Mormonism, the LDS had no choice but to face the music. In recent times they've tried to re-interpret 'Prophet' Brigham's words by saying something along these lines: "Brigham Young didn't really mean Adam is God. He was just showing that Adam is a god, since we all become gods when we reach exaltation."
This in itself is erroneos according to biblical and orthodox Christianity: men do not become gods! Isaiah, a true Prophet, openly declared that "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no god formed, neither shall there be after me." (Is. 43:10) God says there were no other gods before Him, and there certainly will not be any gods after Him! He alone is God, the "First and Last." The Mormon doctrine of 'exaltation to godhood' is not to be covered here, but suffice it to say it is unorthodox, a lie Satan told Eve way back in Eden. Today, Mormons are eating of the same forbidden fruit.
Continuing with the LDS denial of the Adam-God sermon, President J.F Smith (not to be confused with Joseph Smith the founder), in his book 'Doctrines of Salvation', condemned Brigham Young's message by saying "in all probability the sermon was erroneously transcribed!" (1:96) In 'Seven Deadly Heresies', given in 1980, Apostle Bruce McConkie stated that "anyone who has recieved the temple endowment and who yet believes the Adam-God theory does not deserve to be saved."
Notice how McConkie labeled the sermon as simply a "theory." Was Young just theorizing in his sermon? Not likely, considering he ended the sermon by stating that people's salvation were on the line if they denounce his words as false! This leads us to ask: are Mormons who don't believe that Adam is God eternally damned?
We don't have the answer to that one, and neither do the Mormons! Thus, they insist that Young was misunderstood, some going so far as to say he was simply joking! This does not sit well with us. Therefore in our attempt to expose the truth, we have provided you with explicit documentation proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that Brigham Young taught Adam is our eternal God. The point being: 1) Not only was Brigham a false prophet, but 2) either he is damned because he believed the doctrine, or all Mormons are damned because they do not accept the doctrine. If Brigham is damned, then there is a break in the Succession of the Mormon Prophets, and the 'restored church' of Jesus Christ has once again fallen into apostasy. The same can be said for the modern day 'Prophets' who do not adhere to the infamous 1852discourse.
What do the archives of the LDS Church say?
In an early official publication of the LDS Church, the 'Millenial Star', had this to say:
"The above sentiment appeared in Star No. 48, a little to the surprise of some of its readers: and while the sentiment may have appeared blasphemous to the Ignorant; it has no doubt given rise to some serious reflections with the more candid and comprehensive mind...Adam is really God! And why not?" (Millenial Star, Vol.15, p.801)
On page 825 of the same issue, it read that "Adam is the God and Father of the human family, and persons are perhaps in fear and great trouble of mind, lest they have to acknowledge him as such in some future day."
In Volume 17, page 195, of the Millenial Star, it disturbingly reads that "every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is the God of the whole earth. Then will the words of the Prophet Brigham Young, when speaking of Adam, be fully realized - 'He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do.'"
Volume 16, p 534, of the Millenial Star, read, "Concerning the item of doctrine alluded to by Elder Caffall and others...that Adam is our Father and God, I have to say do not trouble yourselves...If, as Elder Caffall remarked, there are those who are waiting at the door of the Church for the objection to be removed, tell such, the Prophet and Apostle Brigham Young has declared it, and that it is the word of the Lord."
One Mr. Joseph Lee Robinson wrote in his journal, "Oct 6th attend Conference, a very interesting Conference, for at this meeting President Brigham Young said thus, that Adam and Eve, ware the names of the first man and woman of every Earth that was ever organized, and that Adam and Eve were the natural father and mother of every spirit that comes to this planet...consequently we are brothers and sisters, and that Adam was God our Eternal Father...I believed every word...Orson Pratt told me he not believe it...I felt very sorry to hear professor Orson Pratt say that, I feared lest he should apostetize..." (Journal of Joseph Lee Robinson, Microfilm copy in LDS Genealogical Library)
Damning still, is the record from "The Minutes of the School of the Prophets", 1868-71, Provo, Utah, on page 38 of the typed copy found at the Utah State Historical Society, which reveals, "The doctrine preached by Prest 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...Orson Pratt has also told the Prest that he does not believe it - this is not the way to act - we should not suffer ourselves to entertain one doubt - we are not accountable on points of Doctrine if the President makes a statement it is not our prerogative to dispute it."
As we've seen, the early Mormons and authoritative sources clearly promulagted the Adam-God doctrine just as their 'Prophet' taught it. And certainly not taught out of oppinion either, for as we now hear the 'mighty Prophet', this old liar, in his own words:
"How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-Day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which is revealed to them, and which God revealed to me - namely, that Adam is our father and God..." (Sermon delivered on June 8, 1873, Deseret News Weekly, June 18, 1873)
On January 2, 1870, Young declared, defined, and pronounced that "I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture" (Journal of Discourses 13:95), and repeated the same statement in October of the very same year, as recorded in Journal of Disourses 13:264.
In an old 1856 LDS hymnal, "We Believe In Our God", the words echoe Young's 'divine revelation:'
We believe in our God the great Prince of His race
The Archangel Michael, the Ancient of Days
Our own Father Adam, earth's Lord, as is plain
Who'll counsel and fight for his children again
We believe in His Son, Jesus Christ... (Sacred Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Liverpool, 1856, p 375)
According to author David John Buerger,
"Adam was the father of the spirits of mankind in addition to being the first procreator of mankind's physical bodies; that Adam came to this earth as a resurrected and exalted being; that he 'fell' to a mortal state of existence in order to procreate mortal bodies; and that Adam was the spiritual and physical father of Jesus Christ." (Dialogue, Vol.15, No.1, p.45)
"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. President Young taught this for over 20 years, claiming it was from the Lord, only to have later Mormon Prophet Spencer W. Kimball declare this false doctrine." (Buerger, Source)
"Apostle" Bruce McConkie gives the admission which many Mormons today wouldn't dare:
"Yes, President Young did teach that Adam was the father of our spirits, and all the related things that the cultists ascribe to him. This [i.e., Brigham Young's teaching on Adam], however, is not true. He expressed views that are out of harmony with the gospel. But, be it known, Brigham Young also taught accurately and correctly, the status and position of Adam in the eternal scheme of things. What I am saying is, that Brigham Young, contradicted Brigham Young, and the issue becomes one of which Brigham Young we will believe. The answer is we will believe the expressions that accord with the teachings in the Standard Works." (Bruce R. McConkie's letter to Eugene England, p. 6)
What does orthodox Christianity say concerning Adam-God?
In the first place, the plurality of gods is strictly addressed and revealed as a lie through the Prophet Isaiah. Elohim asked Israel, "Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God, I know not any" (Is. 44:8); He declared unceasingly, "I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me" (Is. 45:5); to which men reply, "Surely God...there is none else, there is no God. Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior" (Is. 45:14,15); and again He stresses, "I am the Lord, and there is none else" (Is. 45:18).
In the second place, John 4:24 explicitly says "God is Spirit." Pnuema ho Theos. 'Pneuma', the Greek word translated "spirit", literally means a breath of wind, a gust of air, a spirit. God, therefore, does not have a body of flesh and bone as tangible as man's. He does not have a body as Adam had a body. We are told blatantly by Christ Himself in the Gospel of Luke that "a spirit [pneuma] does not have flesh and bone as ye see me have." Throughout Christian Tradition we have kept strong to the Scriptural concept of Almighty God: the Fathers of the Church, the Saints, the Theologians, and so on, have never described God as being an exalted man, one of many gods, least of all a god named Adam. What we the Church have taught since the time of the Apostles is that God is one God: 'Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord!' (Deut. 6:4). The Hebrew word for 'one' is 'echod', meaning 'composite unity', yet still heavily implying monotheism, as any orthodox Jew would tell you. God is indeed a composite unity to us because He is One God in Three Divine Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains it thus:
242 Following this apostolic tradition, the Church confessed at the first ecumenical council at Nicaea (325AD) that the Son is 'consubstantial' with the Father, that is, one only God with him...'the only-begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, consubstantial [one in being with] with the Father.' [empasis mine]
253 The Trinity is One. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the 'consubstantial Trinity.' The divine persons do not share the one divinity among themselves but each of them is God whole and entire: 'The Father is that which the Son is, the Son is that which the Father is, the Father and the Son that which the Holy Spirit is, i.e., by nature one God.'
254 The divine persons are really distinct from one another. 'God is one but not solitary.' 'Father,' 'Son,' and 'Holy Spirit', are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: 'He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son.'
What is stated implicitly in Scripture concerning the Holy Trinity, Church Tradition has explained explicitly, that is, in greater detail for us to understand more fully what the New Testament writers were saying concerning this subject. That said, it is absolutly impossible for any Christian to believe that Adam is God Almighty, Father of Jesus Christ, and Creator of all.
In the Bible, Adam is simply the first man, a perfect man, who fell from grace because he chose to disobey God by allowing his wife, Eve, to take of the forbidden fruit. With the Fall came sin, and Adam, the perfect man, became imperfect, stained with his own fault, his sin, which has been spiritually inherited by each and every one of us human beings. Adam committed spiritual suicide by allowing Eve to eat the fruit, and did more damage as he himself willingly ate of it as well. As a result, we are all in need of a Savior, who is Christ, and because of the Precious Blood He poured out on Calvary, we may enter God's grace by turning from our sins, calling out to Him in faith, and confessing Him with our mouth and our actions to all who may see. With the aplliance of the Blood of Christ that washes our sins (through repentance), we are clean, and through faith we are justified by grace.
That said, as Christians we are in perfect harmony with Christian orthodoxy to believe the Adam-God doctrine. Yes, full, complete, perfect harmony. Of course, there is a slight difference...the Adam we believe to be our God is not the same Adam which Brigham Young hailed as God. Our Adam is Jesus Christ, the 'new Adam', as Scripture calls Him, and He is indeed our Lord and God. Through the first man, Adam, death and sin entered the world. Through Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, symbolically labled as 'the second Adam', life and redemption came into the world to free us from that sin and spiritual death.
Where does this leave Mormonism?
Seeing as how 'Prophet' Brigham Young taught a doctrine, supposedly revealed by God Himself, that has contradicted explicitly all the previous revelations of God (found in Scripture, and translated most accurately), we may safely reject Young as a false prophet, a liar, a pawn of Satan in his scheme to devour as many souls as he possibly can. What we have uncovered is but a single thread of a complex tapestry woven by lies, occultism, the doctrine of the demons, and simple human rebellion from the God of Christian orthodoxy. This demonic quilt disguises itself as simply 'another Christian church', but in reality is one of the most dangerous soul-devouring cults this planet has ever seen. It is a revolting monster that ever since its dark beginnings has reared its head against Christianity, denouncing it as "abominable, the Devil's Church", and declaring that one day they will triumph over all Christendom and establish the 'true' religion of Jesus Christ so that all will believe. Headed by prophets who worship men as gods, and followed by victims with "burnings in their bosoms" for the 'true' Gospel of Christ. The exalted man-god of Mormonism is none other than Satan himself, giving himself the appearance of God. Brigham Young knows now that Adam isn't really God, he also knows the Mormon Church is not really a church, and he furthermore knows that all who abide by Mormon doctrine will never see the Celestial Kindom, nor will they ever greet Heavenly Father, but instead they will greet their father 'who is the devil', who tickles mens' ears with power, godhood, and even sex, to drive them away from the Truth.
Prayer for the Lost
Almighty God our Father, we ask You to set free those who are ensnared by the Devil's lies. Rebuke him, we humbly pray, even as St. Michael declared, and draw all the precious Mormons into Your Divine Light, to know Your true one and only Son, Jesus Christ, Our Pascal Sacrifice and Lord. Open the minds, eyes, ears, and hearts of Mormons everywhere, that they may see the darkness around them, and show them mercy we pray when they come to You. We pray this in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
St. Michael, pray for us.
END
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