A PROPOSED RECONCILIATION OF D&C 107:52-53 AND ETHER 3:15 The author's sister Verna in a letter written from Athens while she and her husband Paul were on a mission, asked a question about how one might reconcile D&C 107:52-53 with Ether 3:15. He doesn't know the answer, which isn't treated in any text or discourse he's ever run across, but has wondered himself and has come up with one of what might be called a "provisional understanding" (i.e. a non-doctrinal belief which keeps him going until he get better information). So here's a "provisional understanding which he shared with her, and which others may be interested in. It is not accepted doctrine and if preached undiscriminatingly could get somone in trouble because of past controvery over the so-called Adam God theory, but is worth pondering. When the author got home from his mission he worked for a time at ZCMI. He had an hour for supper between 5 and 6 pm. He was young and vigorous and felt he could economize by not buying sandwiches in the ZCMI basement snackbar (sometimes walked up to North Temple for a scrumptious burnt almond malted at the Paramount Dairy kitty-corner from the temple where there is now a parking lot). But the library was just a block away and open til 6 pm and generally he went there to read in the rare book room. he'd come home from his mission with a question (related, as you'll see) to Verna's, regarding Moses 5:9, which says, "And in that day the Holy Ghost fell upon Adam . . . saying: I am the Only Begotten of the Father from the beginning, henceforth, and forever ." Now he was acquainted with the doctrine of "investiture" by which an Angel, or other properly constituted Servant of the Lord can speak in His name. But this didn't seem to apply in this case. he knew about the First Adam, of the Heavens and Spiritual, and the Second Adam, of the Earth and Earthly. And he knew about the doctrine of "name titles", which means that as we work our way towards Exaltation we hold more and more advanced offices with titles which pertain to the office, not the individual holding it. And, of course, we all know about the controversy over what B.Y. may or may not have taught about Adam being our father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do. When he was working my way through the Journal of Discourses he ran across a sermon by Brigham Young which also said, "The earth was created by three distict characters, namely Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael, these forming a quorum . . . perfectly represented in the Deity as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost". Things suddenly fell in place and he had one of those enlightenments which he believe are personal revelations to which we're entitled to deepen our understanding of the scriptures and dispel the "mysteries". he've had four or five in my entire lifetime. This one, as have been all the others, was uplifting, spiritual, and edifying. He felt filled with light and knowledge. There was no stupor of thought about it. And he took it to be truth. He later had the opportunity to write a note (through mother) to Elder Joseph Fielding Smith in which he quoted the JD passage and asked a brief question. he got the note back with a curt "Brigham Young never said this" penned in the margin. Well, thirty-five years went by and Leonard Arrington, who was Church Historian, published a paper saying that while Historian he'd had occasion carefully to compare the shorthand notes of JD talks which were taken by three independent scribes and then compared and collated to create the JD. "And", said Arrington, "I found that while there were a rare few variations of the exact words taken down by the various amanuenses, I came across not a single significant alteration in doctrine between what was taken down in shorthand and what appears in the edited Journal of Discourses". So, whatever JFS penned in the margin of my question, the author is convinced that Brigham did say what he said. The B of M and D&C have been revised insignificantly, usually to improve the grammar. But the JD has never been changed in any respect since approval for its original printing. It is now available in photocopy and on disc and within the past few weeks he reviewed BY's words again on our BP's computer, and the words are still there as given and recorded a hundred and forty years ago. BY was noted for teaching only what he'd heard from JS. And he believe that when one properly understands what JS taught and BY repeated, there is no inconsistency nor heresy in what was said. And this quote provides the key to several scriptural difficulties, including Verna's. Who created the earth? Elohim, Jehovah, and Michael. We're taught that in the most sacred of places, the Holy Temples. The author has never heard of any other members of the Godhead, nor had the opportunity to vote to sustain anyone else in those positions. If there's been a change in the Godhead, it's been contrary to the Law of Common Consent. All three are Gods. Right? And who was Michael. We're taught that he was the first human being begotten on this earth. And by whom? By the Great Elohim who'd come to earth with one of his wives and, acting in the role of Adam (name title: First Man, or Adam), begot both Adam and Eve, leaving them to carry on peopling the earth. The new (Second) Adam was sealed to his wife Eve by none other than the Heavenly Father and also was entitled to take upon himself the name title of Adam, being First Father of a new generation of men. And since all three were Beings of flesh and bone when they walked together in the Garden, the logical person to have sealed them was Elohim -- during one of his rare, and essential visits to the earth for the purpose of acting as First Adam. Now, at a later time, post-Garden, after (our) Adam had been instructed regarding the meaning of animal sacrifice and baptism by an Angel, a different being, the Holy Ghost, came saying "I am the Only Begotten of the Father" (Moses 5:9). It seemed logical, reasonable, and scriptural to take these words as spoken. The Angel (who might understandably have spoken by investiture had already departed). The person whom the scripture identifies as the HG was more evidently who he said he was: Michael-Adam's brother the God Jehovah, whom we are not coincidently taught was the God of the Old Testament. He was yet without body, and thus able to act as Messenger, Comforter, Revealer, and Mediator acting under the name title of Holy Ghost (or God the Spirit if you prefer) who showed Adam all that would occur till the end of the world so Adam could later instruct his children who gathered with him at Adam-ondi-Ahman as he approached the end of his life on earth. Adam then went to the Spirit World (where his righteous descendants had preceded him) to preside over them, as was his right as First Father and Third Member of the Godhead, until Jehovah/Jesus would again come in the Meridian of Time to release him and his posterity from Spirit Prison. It seems both logical and symetrical to me that in the Plan of Salvation it would be arranged for the Supreme Deity to remain in Heaven (with a few rare but essential visits to this Creation) to rule, while a second member of the Godhead would act as messenger and comforter, and the third preside, initially over his posterity on earth, and later over his posterity in the Spirit World. Now jumping ahead in time, we're taught that at the Last Day, Father Adam, or Michael, or the Ancient of Days, to give him three of his name titles, will "stand up" (be resurrected), the First becoming last, and the last First, and all the Heads of Dispensations will deliver their keys to him; He'll deliver them to Jehovah, and Jehovah to Elohim -- after which they'll be handed back in perpetuity as Michael's worthy descendants are invested as Priests, Kings, and Gods in the Eternities. The author reads this teaching of the Prophet as suggesting that Adam will be the last to be resurrected. If so, where has he been and why such a righteous patriarch last? Surely not because he has remained a prisoner so long after Christ's liberating visit. Christ went there to organize the spirits (more likely "reorganize"them), implying that Adam was released from his calling as presiding officer on the Other Side, where one of his worthy Patriarchal descendants was probably installed as his successor -- Enoch? Noah? Abraham? Moses? -- probably not Enoch or Noah who are said to be translated beings, and as such were never in Paradise). Who then would be more prepared and worthy to take on a new calling once released from spirit prison than Adam/Michael? And what might be a more appropriate calling after two thousand years in the Spirit World than that of resuming his position in the Godhead with the assignment of dealing with his later living descendants on this earth? And how could this calling be described? Why progressing up the ranks of name-titles by assuming service as Holy Ghost or Spirit of God, Messenger-Mediator-Comforter, a function earlier held by his Elder Brother Jehovah until his incarnation on earth just thirty-three years earlier. Without question, Adam is Michael, the Third Member of the Godhead. Without question he is our first earthly progenitor, and thus our Father. And, if my "provisional understanding" is correct, as today's Holy Ghost, he is the only member of the Godhead with whom we mortals have "to do", i.e. with whom we have direct dealings, as messenger, instructor, revelator, and comforter. The author is persuaded that this is all B.Y. said, or meant to say, when he asserted that "Adam is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do". All the controvery over the so-called Adam-God Theory is the result of misunderstanding by non-Mormons about the high and significant role of Adam in Mormon theology and by less-well-versed LDS who've tried to make more of what Brigham said than he ever actually said or intended. Remember, the rest of the world sees Adam as a great sinner, created of dust, and responsible for all mankinds' ills as fallen beings, not as one of the great pre-mortal Gods of Heaven, Co-creator of this earth, Creator of earthly tabernacles for the Great God's spirit children, and Ancient of Days who will help bring this Creation to its transformation into a new Celestial World of glass and fire. The author has written a paper on this called Adam-God Revisited . His wife expects him to be thrown out of the Church if it ever sees the light of day. But he has confidence that the Brethren can withstand a little righteous enlightenment on the subject. And if not, he's enough friends among the Authorities that he thinks they'll give him time to repent. Anyway, now we have the background to turn to Verna's question. D&C  107:53 is talking about an earlier meeting between Adam and his righteous posterity at Adam-ondi-Ahman -- a foreshadowing of the one mentioned above which will take place at the End of Time. After identifying him in verse 54 as Michael (he's here called Archangel, but irrespective of the arguments in this paper, we know that he is in fact the third member of the Godhead), we read in verse 55 "And the Lord administered comfort unto Adam". Which member of the Godhead is the "Lord" spoken of here? Verna made a case that it was Jehovah. But nothing in the scripture insists on this. The earlier citation of Moses 6 contains the words, "I am the Only Begotten of the Father". Nothing of like kind is said here. The author finds it far more symmetrical and logical to believe that this was the Lord God of Heaven, Elohim, in one of his rare visits to this creation, administering personally to his son Adam. In evidence: A) We know that Elohim will preside at the great meeting at Adam-ondi-Ahman at the Last Day. And it would seems reasonable that He would arrange to be present as the human family said "goodbye" to their earthly progenitor and started down the long roadway of history. B) It was Elohim who begot Adam (and Eve) in the Garden and walked and talked with them there at the beginning of their life. Why would it not be worth a Father's time to come to praise His son and companion in the Council of Gods, now fulfilling the role of Adam, first man in a new world, for a job well done (simultaneously preparing Adam's righteous posterity for the drought of the long Dispensations and periodic apostacies ahead). Such a visit would also appear necessary to instruct Adam personally with respect to his challenges and duties as he passed to the Other Side to preside there, keeping his posterity in righteous hope of the distant Redeemer? If this reading is correct, and the author is persuaded it is, Jehovah, who'd acted only as unembodied Holy Spirit (God of the Old Testament) until his Incarnation, spoke truly to Mahonri Moriancumr in Ether 3:15 when he says, "And never have I showed myself unto man . . . for never has man believed in me as thou dost". There's a remaining question which may occur to the reader. What about the Holy Ghost during Christ's lifetime, when he was an embodied man, Elohim a Being of flesh and bone in Heaven, and Michael a disembodied spirit presiding in the Spirit World? There is nothing in the New Testament or parallel B of M times which indicates that there was a Holy Ghost operating in this world during this brief thirty-three years. We're explicitly told by JS that when the dove appeared at Christ's baptism, it was not the Holy Ghost, but the sign of the Holy Ghost, a symbol which had been prearranged before the Foundations of the Earth. Why prearranged? Presumably because it was known that Jehovah would be here in person with authority to command both heaven and earth (as in the miracle of water and wine, the loaves and fishes, the healing of the blind, and the raising of Lazarus), Elohim would be needed in Heaven, Adam was required in the Spirit World, and there was no additional member of the Godhead available (or necessary) to fill this role during this brief moment of time. Lending support to this view, Jesus said during his lifetime, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world" (John 9:5), implying that no other light was available or necessary. At the very end of his mission, when he knew the situation was changing and he'd no longer be present on the earth, he told his apostles " . . .it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart I will send him unto you" (John 16:7). And why could the Comforter not come? Because if the HG is indeed Michael, he was still in Spirit Prison. This is further confirmation of the author's understanding that there was no one filling the role of HG during Christ's life on earth. It will be remembered further that the HG did not in fact arrive till Pentecost, fifty days after Christ ascended, not to Heaven, we're told, but to the Spirit World to organize the righteous and open the gates of salvation. It apparently took that long for Michael to prepare for his new calling (a Mission President's seminar?) Well, there's the author's heresy on Adam God, the distinction between First Adam and Second Adam, the Holy Ghost as name title, and a contribution towards reconciling what Brigham Young actually said with reasonable scriptural reading. If one accepts this, one need lose no sleep over the assertion of the ill-informed that Brigham was teaching his own brand of nonsense. And it leaves no conflict between what the Lord said in the D&C and what he said to the Brother of Jared.