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| + | #REDIRECT [[Main Page]] |
| − | {{Resource Title|A FairMormon Response to Questions Asked in Swedish Fireside with Elder's Jensen and Turley}}
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| − | {{Swedish questions quick jump}}
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| − | {{parabreak}}
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| − | ==== ====
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| − | {{QuestionItem
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| − | |claim=Could I please ask you a short question?
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| − | *It’s about the Adam-God theory...I’ve heard answers to how Brigham might have thought about it, but my question is, how come it divided the church at the time?
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| − | *There was a lot of Apostles and leaders that didn’t agree to what Brigham had to say.
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| − | *What is church opinion on Adam-God out there in Utah?
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| − | *Why didn’t they clear it up...that Adam is not Heavenly Father?
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| − | |answer=
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| − | *'''Question: What is the Church's opinion of Adam-God?<br>Answer: Adam is not God our Father. The Church formally rejected that teaching.''' It is not entirely clear exactly how Brigham saw a harmony between all his own statements.
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | Adam-God. Again, complicated question...Bottom line, the Church position today is that while Michael was Adam, and as Adam was the father of the human race, and through the process of exaltation can become celestialized, Adam is not God our father.<br>
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| − | :::—Elder Turley's response to this question at the Sweden fireside.
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | *'''Question: Why did the Adam-God theory divide the Church at the time it was preached? Why would Apostles and leaders disagree with what Brigham was saying?'''
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| − | <blockquote>'''Answer: The Church has never taught that even the President of the Church is infallible.'''<br><br>
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| − | Brigham Young taught frequently that he was subject to error:
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | …it is not the place for any person to correct any person who is superior to them, but ask the Father in the name of Jesus to bind him up from speaking false principles. I have known many times I have preached wrong.
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| − | :::—Brigham Young, in Thomas Bullock minutes, 8 May 1854, Church Historical Department.
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | He later said:
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | Why do you not open the windows of heaven and get revelation for yourself? and not go whining around and saying, “do you not think that you may be mistaken? Can a Prophet or an Apostle be mistaken?” Do not ask me any such question, for I will acknowledge that all the time, but I do not acknowledge that I designedly lead this people astray one hair’s breadth from the truth, and I do not knowingly do a wrong, though I may commit many wrongs, and so may you. But I overlook your weaknesses, and I know by experience that the Saints lift their hearts to God that I may be led right. If I am thus borne off by your prayers and faith, with my own, and suffered to lead you wrong, it proves that your faith is vain. Do not worry.
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| − | :::—A Series of Instructions and Remarks by President Brigham Young at a Special Council, Tabernacle, March 22, 1858 (Salt Lake City, 1858), pamphlet in Frederick Kesler Collection, J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah.
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | President J. Rueben Clark said:
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | There have been rare occasions when even the President of the Church in his preaching and teaching has not been “moved upon by the Holy Ghost.” You will recall the Prophet Joseph declared that a prophet is not always a prophet….This has happened about matters of doctrine (usually of a highly speculative character) where a subsequent President of the Church and the people themselves have felt that in declaring the doctrine, the announcer was not “moved upon by the Holy Ghost.
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| − | How shall the Church know when these adventurous expeditions of the brethren into these highly speculative principles and doctrines meet the requirements of the statutes that the announcers thereof have been “moved upon by the Holy Ghost”? The Church will know by the testimony of the Holy Ghost in the body of the members, whether the brethren in voicing their views are “moved upon by the Holy Ghost”; and in due time that knowledge will be made manifest.
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| − | :::— J. Reuben Clark, “When Are the Writings or Sermons of Church Leaders Entitled to the Claim of Scripture,” address given to seminary and institute teachers, at BYU, on July 7, 1954, published in ''Church News'' (31 July 1954): 9–10.
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | * '''Novel Church doctrine must be endorsed by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.'''
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| − | Said Brigham Young:
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | In trying all matters of doctrine, to make a decision valid, it is necessary to obtain a unanimous voice, faith and decision. In the capacity of a Quorum, the three First Presidents must be one in their voice; the Twelve Apostles must be unanimous in their voice, to obtain a righteous decision upon any matter that may come before them, as you may read in the Doctrine and Covenants. Whenever you see these Quorums unanimous in their declaration, you may set it down as true. Let the Elders get together, being faithful and true; and when they agree upon any point, you may know that it is true.
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| − | :::—Brigham Young, ''Journal of Discourses'' 9:91–92.
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | Brigham Young himself described a situation very much like that which occurred with his ideas about Adam-God:
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | How do you know that your humble servant is really, honestly, guiding and counseling you aright, and directing the affairs of the kingdom aright? . . . How do you know but I am teaching false doctrine? How do you know that I am not counseling you wrong? How do you know but I will lead you to destruction? . . . Live so that you can discern between the truth and error, between light and darkness, between the things of God and those not of God, for by the revelations of the Lord, and these alone, can you and I understand the things of God . . . But to return to my question to the Saints, "How are you going to know about the will and commands of heaven?" By the Spirit of revelation; that is the only way you can know. How do I know but what I am doing wrong? How do I know but what we will take a course for our utter ruin?. . . But how do you know that I may not yet do wrong? How do you know but I will bring in false doctrine and teach the people lies that they may be damned? . . . If I were to preach false doctrine here, it would not be an hour after the people got out, before it would begin to fly from one to another, and they would remark, "I do not quite like that! It does not look exactly right! What did Brother Brigham mean? That did not sound quite right, it was not exactly the thing!" All these observations would be made by the people, yes, even by the sisters. It would not sit well on the stomach, that is, on the spiritual stomach . . . It would not sit well on the mind . . . And I will defy any man to preach false doctrine without being detected; and we need not go to the Elders of Israel, the children who have been born in these mountains possess enough of the Spirit to detect it.
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| − | :::— Brigham Young, ''Journal of Discourses'' 14:204 (13 August 1871).
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | * Adam-God demonstrates that this system worked and works in the Church. The President of the Church is not infallible. The Lord protects the Church from the weaknesses of mortal leaders by requiring unanimity among councils of authorized servants. Each member of those councils has the duty to receive revelation for themselves: they are not to be "yes-men" who accept whatever the President of the Church proposes unless God reveals it to them as well.</blockquote>
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| − | *'''Question: Why didn't they clear up the confusion that Adam is not Heavenly Father back in Brigham Young's time?<br>Answer: The Church clarified its position in 1902.'''
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never formulated or adopted any theory concerning the subject treated upon by President Young as to Adam.<br>
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| − | :::—Charles W. Penrose, "Our Father Adam," ''Improvement Era'' (September 1902), 873. reprinted in Charles W. Penrose, "Our Father Adam," ''Millennial Star'' 64 no. 50 (11 December 1902), 785–790. (this paragraph from p. 789).
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | *'''Question: What did Brigham Young preach about Adam and God?<br>Answer: '''
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | Based on Brigham's remarks, and others he made in public and in private, it is apparent that Brigham Young believed that:<br><br>
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| − | *Adam was the father of the spirits of mankind, as well as being the first parent of our physical bodies.
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| − | *Adam and Eve came to this earth as resurrected, exalted personages.
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| − | *Adam and Eve fell and became mortal in order to create physical bodies for their spirit children.
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| − | *Adam was the spiritual and physical father of Jesus Christ.<br><br>
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| − | Brigham claimed to have received these beliefs by revelation, and, on at least three occasions, claimed that he learned it from Joseph Smith. While this doctrine was never canonized, Brigham expected other contemporary Church leaders to accept it, or at least not preach against it. (Orson Pratt did not believe it, and he and Brigham had a number of heated conversations on the subject. (The picture is complicated by the fact that Brigham said ''other'' things that are not entirely consistent with the formulation above. See, for example, JD xxxx.)
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | |extlink=http://www.fairlds.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2009_Brigham_Youngs_Teachings_On_Adam.pdf
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| − | |extsubject=Brigham Young’s Teachings on Adam
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| − | |extsummary=On the 9th of April 1852 President Brigham Young stepped up to the pulpit in the old
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| − | tabernacle on Temple Square and informed a group of Elders, who had gathered there for General Conference, that he was going to straighten them out on an issue which they had been debating about. The topic of disagreement centered upon who was the Father of Jesus Christ in the flesh—Elohim or the Holy Ghost. President Young surprised the people who were in attendance by announcing that it was neither one of them.
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| − | |extauthor=Matthew B. Brown
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| − | }}
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