Joseph F. Smith and the Quiet Reformation: Removing Adam–God from the Endowment

Removal of Adam–God from the Endowment Ceremony

Joseph F. Smith, President (1901–1918)

While no direct quote from Smith as President explicitly addresses the endowment change, Apostle Charles W. Penrose, under Smith’s direction, stated in 1902: “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.”

—Improvement Era, Vol. 5, 1902, p. 873, cited in LDS Scripture Teachings, 2016

Sources: Secondary historical records; Wikipedia, Adam–God Doctrine; David John Buerger, The Mysteries of Godliness (1994), p. 142

Date: 1902 (Penrose statement); circa 1905 (endowment change)

Narrative Analysis

Under President Joseph F. Smith (1901–1918), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began distancing itself from Brigham Young’s speculative teachings, including the Adam–God doctrine. Historical records suggest that by around 1905, references to this doctrine were removed from the temple endowment ceremony, a significant shift from Young’s era when it was included in the “Lecture at the Veil” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50–51, April 9, 1852). This change, while not documented in a single, definitive Church announcement, reflects Smith’s broader effort to align Church practices with scriptural orthodoxy, as evidenced by Penrose’s 1902 statement under Smith’s leadership.

The Wikipedia article Adam–God Doctrine cites 1905 as the year of removal, drawing from secondary sources like David John Buerger’s The Mysteries of Godliness (1994), which notes that “by the early 20th century, under Joseph F. Smith, these references were gradually phased out” (p. 142). Buerger’s research, based on journals like L. John Nuttall’s and temple worker accounts, indicates that Adam–God elements—rooted in Young’s view of Adam as “our FATHER and our GOD” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50–51)—were part of the endowment’s instructional lecture until Smith’s reforms.

Gary James Bergera (Conflict in the Quorum, 2002) supports this, suggesting a 1904–1906 window, though no primary document ties the change precisely to 1905 (p. 178). Additional references include Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought (Vol. 20, No. 2, 1987, p. 53), which confirms the Lecture at the Veil’s elimination “in the early 20th century under Joseph F. Smith,” and FAIR (fairlatterdaysaints.org), noting that “by the early 1900s, the Church under Joseph F. Smith had moved away from including Adam–God in the endowment,” both corroborating Buerger’s timeline.

This shift was part of Smith’s broader temple revisions, including the removal of the oath of vengeance (1904–1906) and standardization of ceremonies across temples. The 1906 excommunication of Adam–God proponent Samuel O. Bennion (Improvement Era, 1906) and Smith’s 1912 endorsement of Penrose’s claim that Young’s sermon “only expressed his own views” (Journal of Thomas A. Clawson, pp. 69–70, April 8, 1912) underscore his intent to suppress the doctrine’s influence. Unlike Spencer W. Kimball’s explicit 1976 denunciation—“We denounce that theory” (Ensign, November 1976, p. 77)—Smith’s approach relied on administrative changes, signaling a quieter but firm rejection.

Wikipedia isn’t the sole reference; Buerger, Bergera, Dialogue, and FAIR provide scholarly and apologetic depth, though they rely on anecdotal evidence rather than a 1905-specific Church record. Primary sources like the Improvement Era and temple journals lack an exact date, suggesting the 1905 marker is an educated estimate within a broader 1902–1910 reform period. This gradual removal reflects Smith’s presidency balancing Young’s legacy with a return to scriptural foundations (see Doctrine & Covenants 27:11), setting the stage for later leaders to fully distance the Church from Adam–God.