“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him. He helped to make and organize this world. 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.”
Exegetical Breakdown
“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden…”
This establishes Adam’s entry into Eden not as a birth or formation from dust, but as a voluntary descent. He comes into the garden as a pre-existent being, already glorified.
“…he came into it with a celestial body…”
Adam is described as possessing a celestial body—meaning he had already received exaltation prior to Eden. This affirms that the Fall was a lawful condescension, not a punishment.
“…and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him.”
Eve is not formed second, nor is she an afterthought—she is brought as a wife and eternal companion. This affirms celestial marriage, divine plurality, and cooperative descent. The phrase “one of his wives” also supports the doctrine of plural marriage among exalted beings.
“He helped to make and organize this world.”
Adam is not simply a mortal participant but one of the divine organizers of the world, in harmony with other scriptural accounts of noble spirits participating in creation.
“He is Michael, the Archangel, the Ancient of Days!”
This aligns scriptural roles—Michael, Adam, and the Ancient of Days—into a single divine identity. It affirms that Adam continues in priestly service across dispensations, including the final judgment and resurrection.
“He is our Father and our God, and the only God with whom we have to do.”
This is the central doctrinal claim. Brigham Young asserts that Adam is not only our mortal progenitor, but also our spiritual father—standing in a divine role. “The only God with whom we have to do” refers to the specific stewardship God who organized this world and began the mortal process for His posterity.
Hermeneutic Layers
Doctrinal Layer
This discourse teaches that Adam, as an exalted being, was sent to earth to begin the process of mortality for his spirit children. He did so alongside Eve, his eternal wife. Their celestial status precedes the Fall, which is a chosen descent.
Priestly and Symbolic Roles
Adam is not merely historical; he is eschatological. As Michael and the Ancient of Days, he plays a role at both the beginning and end of the mortal round. He bridges celestial organization, the Edenic Fall, and future judgment.
Cross-References
This statement forms a doctrinal triad with JD 6:275:4 and JD 14:111, each layering a different aspect of Adam’s identity—as organizer, progenitor, gatekeeper, and God.