“Some may think what I have said concerning Adam strange, but the period will come when the people will be willing to adopt Joseph Smith as their Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and God! but not the Father of their spirits, for that was our Father Adam.”
Exegetical Breakdown
“Some may think what I have said concerning Adam strange…”
Brigham Young acknowledges the controversial nature of his teachings about Adam. This sets a prophetic tone—what seems strange now will be accepted in a future day. The statement highlights resistance to doctrinal truths not yet spiritually discerned by the Saints.
“…but the period will come when the people will be willing to adopt Joseph Smith as their Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and God!”
Brigham points to Joseph Smith’s future exaltation—not for worship, but recognition. This echoes the scriptural promise that all faithful Saints may become gods through Christ.
D&C 132:20, Romans 8:17, John 10:34–36
“…but not the Father of their spirits, for that was our Father Adam.”
This is the key theological assertion: Adam is our Father—not just mortally, but spiritually. It supports the idea expressed in JD 1:50 and JD 6:275:4 that Adam stands in a divine role in the eternal round.
Hermeneutic Layers
Doctrinal Layer
This quote clarifies distinct divine roles: Joseph Smith may become a god through exaltation, but he is not the Father of our spirits. That title belongs to Adam in his divine calling.
Prophetic Progression
Brigham shows the Saints’ eventual readiness to accept difficult truths. This affirms the pattern of revelation unfolding as people are spiritually prepared, echoing principles taught by both Joseph Smith and the Savior.
Title-Based Theology
The phrase “our Father Adam” is both relational and positional. It continues the idea that “Adam” is a role fulfilled by divine beings—each Adam presiding over their own world and posterity.
Cross-Referencing Context
This statement reinforces core claims made in JD 14:111, where every person descended from Adam and Eve is called a child of God through them. The linkage between Adam as spirit father and Joseph as exalted prophet also reflects the structural roles defined in the priesthood hierarchy of eternity.