The Law of Witnesses: Affirmations of the Adam–God Doctrine in Early Latter-day Saint History

Scripture teaches that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). Likewise, the Doctrine and Covenants affirms that truth is established “by the prayer of faith, and by the voice of the Spirit; and by the voice of two or three witnesses” (D&C 6:28). Applying this law to the Adam–God doctrine reveals a surprisingly robust body of support—spanning Presidents of the Church, Apostles, close associates of Joseph Smith, and faithful women who bore public testimony.

Presidential Witnesses

President Brigham Young, who led the Church from 1847 to 1877, repeatedly declared as doctrine that Adam is “our Father and our God.” In his April 9, 1852 sermon, he taught:

“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 is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! … HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do.”
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 50–51)

President Wilford Woodruff, who succeeded Young, recorded numerous firsthand accounts confirming that President Young taught this doctrine consistently and clearly. In 1889, as President of the Church, he wrote:

“President Young said … Adam made this world and suffered himself to take a body and subject himself to sin. … This is a doctrine which I firmly believe.”
(Waiting for the World’s End, p. 290)

These were not offhanded remarks. Woodruff’s journals include dozens of references to Adam–God teachings and reflect his own belief in their truth and prophetic origin.

Apostolic Witnesses

Elder Heber C. Kimball, a close associate of Joseph and Brigham, echoed the doctrine in unmistakable terms:

“The God and Father of Jesus Christ was Adam.”
(Journal of Heber C. Kimball, 20:17, March 11, 1857)

Elder Wilford Woodruff, before his presidency, recorded in 1852:

“President Brigham Young taught that Adam was the father of Jesus and the only God to us.”
(Wilford Woodruff Journal, April 9, 1852)

Elder Orson Pratt, known for his opposition, eventually accepted the doctrine by 1873, bearing testimony alongside President Young without recorded dissent during that General Conference period.

Elder Orson F. Whitney testified that the doctrine originated with the Prophet Joseph Smith:

“It was Joseph Smith who taught that Adam is our Father and our God.”
(Paraphrased from Orson F. Whitney, 1841 missionary letter, cited in multiple secondary sources)

This 1841 affirmation predates Brigham Young’s public sermons, offering a vital early link to Joseph.

Sister Witnesses

Eliza R. Snow, plural wife to both Joseph and Brigham, affirmed:

“When Brigham Young proclaimed to the nations that Adam was our Father and God, and Eve, his partner, the Mother of a world—both in a mortal and celestial sense—he made the most important revelation ever oracled to the race since the days of Adam himself.”
(Women of Mormondom, p. 196)

She also wrote:

“Adam is our Father and God. He is the God of the earth. … the father of our elder brother, Jesus Christ.”
(Women of Mormondom, p. 179)

These statements were not metaphorical. They reflected spiritual certainty born of temple experience and prophetic intimacy.

Other women, such as Mary Isabella Horne, also sustained Brigham’s teachings during this period and spoke publicly of their truth, though most records of female testimony were preserved secondhand or in journals.

A Sufficient and Diversified Witness

When viewed collectively, the law of witnesses is not only met but exceeded. At least five distinct categories of early Church leaders and close insiders bore testimony:

1. President Brigham Young – declarative, prophetic, revelatory.

2. President Wilford Woodruff – sustaining, journal-confirmed.

3. Elders Heber C. Kimball, Orson F. Whitney, and others – doctrinal and personal witness.

4. Apostles who overcame initial doubt, like Elder Orson Pratt.

5. Faithful women, especially Eliza R. Snow – doctrinally articulate and spiritually bold.

Additionally, early hymn texts, Millennial Star editorials, and School of the Prophets records all sustain the doctrine, providing institutional as well as individual support.

Conclusion

The Adam–God doctrine is historically affirmed by multiple prophetic voices. It meets the standard of witness required by scripture and doctrine. That it has not been canonized does not negate its revelatory origins—it simply places it in the category of truths not yet fully received by the body of the Church.

In the end, the testimonies remain. And according to the Lord’s own law.