Doctrinal Quotes : Volume I: Adam - Masonry

By Brian Koralewski

A collection of the most interesting quotes from current and past Apostles & Prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the most interesting topics. A few quotes are from B.H. Roberts, Joseph Smith Sr., Martin Harris, David Whitmer, etc., and scholars and other qualified sources. This collection is valuable, but please note that most of the quotations are not official church doctrine. Official church doctrine can be determined if a statement was unanimously agreed on by the 1st Presidency of the Church. Most of the quotes here are simply personal opinions on non-basic doctrines, which were published privately by their respective authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 8, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257490219

Book preview

Doctrinal Quotes

volume 1

Adam - Masonry

compiled by Brian Koralewski

© 2010 Lulu Author. Brian Koralewski

All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-557-48100-2

eISBN: 978-1-25749-021-9

Preface to this Collection

Most of the quotes in this book are from current and past Apostles & Prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A few quotes are from B.H. Roberts, Joseph Smith Sr., Martin Harris, David Whitmer, scholars and other qualified sources.

This collection is valuable, but please note that most of the quotations are not official church doctrine.

Official church doctrine can be determined if a statement was unanimously agreed on by the 1st Presidency of the Church. Most of the quotes here are simply personal opinions on non-basic doctrines, which were published privately by their respective authors.

For key official doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please visit www.lds.org.

The quotes below were collected as a preface and guide to this book:

Joseph Smith, Journal and memoirs of Wandle Mace, 1809-1890, typewritten copy, Brigham Young University Library, p. 83., taken from Hyrum L. Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom, p.348.

Get into your lyceums, and investigate doctrine, he told the brethren, and if you run against a snag, I am here, I will help you off.

George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Vol. 8.

The Journal of Discourses deservedly ranks as one of the standard works of the Church, and every right-minded Saint will certainly welcome with joy every number (issue) as it comes forth.

Neal A. Maxwell, Moving in His Majesty and Power, p. 81

As with the doctrine of spiritual submissiveness and agency, we may come late in life to an appreciation of the ‘deep things’ of God (1 Corinthians 2:10). Deep, yes, but not because they are abstract or complex. Ironically, their mysteriousness lies in their simpleness. They are ‘plain,’ and we are surprised upon finally discovering their obviousness that their deepness actually reflects their pervasiveness. Like ever-present gravity, deep things are so obvious as to go unreflected upon; nevertheless, there are constant consequences. We have been looking ‘beyond the mark’ (Jacob 4:14) all the time, deliberately and strangely seeking instead for things we could not understand.

Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 191

…the best way to obtain truth and wisdom is not to ask it from books, but to go to God in prayer, and obtain divine teaching.

Joseph F. Smith, Conf. Report, Oct. 1916, p. 70

The Lord has called upon us to be a sober-minded people, not given to much laughter, frivolity and light-mindedness, but to consider thoughtfully and thoroughly the things of his kingdom that we may be prepared in all things to understand the glorious truths of the gospel, and be prepared for blessings to come.

Orson Pratt, James R. Clark, Messages of the First Presidency, 2:218-22

INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SAINTS From the Deseret News (From a tabernacle address by O. Pratt, as quoted in an article by the First Presidency) The great subject before me this morning is the words I have been repeating before you, and how they apply to myself. There have been a few things wherein I have done wrong—wherein I have disobeyed these instructions that are here laid down—wherein, no doubt, I have offended the Lord, and wherein I have, no doubt, grieved the feelings of my brethren; and inasmuch as I have done this, no doubt I have also brought at many times darkness upon my own mind… …Perhaps you may be desirous to know what they are. I will tell you. There are some points of doctrine which I have unfortunately thrown out before the people. At the time I expressed those views, I did most sincerely believe that they were in accordance with the word of God. I did most sincerely suppose that I was justifying the truth. But I have since learned from my brethren that some of the doctrines I had advanced in the Seer, at Washington, were incorrect. Naturally being of a stubborn disposition, and having a kind of a self-will about me, and moreover supposing really and sincerely that I did understand what true doctrine was in relation to those points, I did not feel to yield to the judgment of my brethren, but believed they were in error. Now, was this right? No, it was not. Why? Because the Priesthood is the highest and only legitimate authority in the Church in these matters…. …. You have made this confession, says one; and now we want to ask you a question on the subject. What do you believe concerning those points now? I will answer in the words of Paul: I know nothing of myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord." So far as revelation from the heavens is concerned, I have had none in relation to those points of doctrine…. …. What do I know about many things in relation to the celestial kingdom? Has the celestial kingdom been opened to my mind? No.

Have I gazed upon it in vision? No. Have I seen God sitting on his throne, surrounded by his holy angels? No. Have I knowledge of the laws and order and government and rule which regulate that kingdom? No. If the revelations seem to apparently convey this or that idea, still I may be entirely mistaken in regard to the meaning of those revelations. There is one thing I will assure you of—God will never reveal anything to me, or to any other man, which will come in contact with the views and revelations which he gives to the man who holds the keys. We never need expect such a thing. But, inquires one, have you not felt anxious that the Church should follow your ideas as laid down in the Seer? I have not. If I had, I should have preached them; I should have tried to reason with you to convince you of their apparent truth. I have always been anxious the Church should be governed by him who has the right to govern it, to receive revelations, and to give counsel for its guidance, through which correct doctrine comes and is unfolded to the children of men."

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 13:95

I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call scripture.

Harold B. Lee, The First Area General Conference for Germany, Austria, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, and Spain of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held in Munich Germany, August 24-26, 1973, with Reports and Discourses, p. 69 !

If anyone, regardless of his position in the Church were to advance a doctrine that is not substantiated by the standard Church works, meaning the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, you may know that his statement is merely his private opinion. The only one authorized to bring forth any new doctrine is the President of the Church, who, when he does, will declare it as revelation from God, and it will be so accepted by the Council of the Twelve and sustained by the body of the Church. And if any man speak a doctrine which contradicts what is in the standard Church works, you may know by that same token that it is false and you are not bound to accept it as truth

Harold B. Lee, Stand Ye In Holy Places, pp. 162-63

It is not to be thought that every word spoken by the General Authorities is inspired, or that they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost in everything they write. I don’t care what his position is, if he writes something or speaks something that goes beyond anything that you can find in the standard church works, unless that one be the prophet, seer, and revelator—please note that one exception— you may immediately say, Well, that is his own idea. And if he says something that contradicts what is found in the standard church works, you may know by that same token that it is false, regardless of the position of the man who says it. We can know or have the assurance that they are speaking under inspiration if we so live that we can have a witness that what they are speaking is the word of the Lord. There is only one safety, and that is that we shall live to have the witness to know. President Brigham Young said something to the effect that the greatest fear I have is that the people of this Church will accept what we say as the will of the Lord without first praying about it and getting the witness within their own hearts that what we say is the word of the Lord."

Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 278, see also DHC 5:265

Wednesday, Feb. 8.—This morning I read German and visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought that ‘a prophet is always a prophet;’ but I told them that a prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such.

Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary 2:324

God’s earthly kingdom is a school in which his saints learn the doctrines of salvation. Some members of the Church are being taught elementary courses; others are approaching graduation and can do independent research where the deep and hidden things are concerned. All must learn line upon line and precept upon precept. Alma said: It is given unto many to know the mysteries of God; nevertheless they are laid under a strict command that they shall not impart only according to the portion of his word which he doth grant unto the children of men, according to the heed and diligence which they give unto him. And therefore, he that will harden his heart, the same receiveth the lesser portion of the word; and he that will not harden his heart, to him is given the greater portion of the word, until it is given unto him to know the mysteries of God until he know them in full. (Alma 12:9-10.)

Brigham Young , Messages of the First Presidency, p. 232 Original Source: Millennial Star 27:659, 21 October 1865

(Speaking of Orson Pratt’s The Seer, which was published after Brigham Young asked Pratt to publish doctrinal pamphlets, but certain doctrines in those pamphlets, including The Seer, prompted this response.)

We do not wish incorrect and unsound doctrines to be handed down to posterity under the sanction of great names, to be received and valued by future generations as authentic and reliable, creating labor and difficulties for our successors to perform and contend with, which we ought not to transmit to them. The interests of posterity are, to a certain extent in our hands. Errors in history and in doctrine, if left uncorrected by us who are conversant with the events, and who are in a position to judge of the truth or falsity of the doctrines, would go to our children as though we had sanctioned and endorsed them. Such a construction could be put upon our silence respecting them, and would tend to perplex and mislead posterity, and make the labor of correction an exceedingly difficult one for them. We know what sanctity there is always attached to the writing of men who have passed away, especially to the writings of Apostles, when none of their contemporaries are left, and we, therefore, feel the necessity of being watchful on these points. Personal feelings and friendships and associations ought to sink into comparative insignificance, and have no weight in view of consequences so momentous to the people and kingdom of God as these.

Brigham Young, the First Presidency and the Quorum of Twelve, Messages of the First Presidency, p. 239

(A proclamation speaking against some of the doctrines published in The Seer and The Star, as well as several other tracts—all by Orson Pratt.)

It ought to have been known, years ago, by every person in the Church—for ample teachings have been given on the point—that no member of the Church has the right to publish any doctrines, as the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, without first submitting them for examination and approval to the First Presidency and the Twelve. There is but one man upon the earth, at one time, who holds the keys to receive commandments and revelations for the Church, and who has the authority to write doctrines by way of commandment unto the Church. And any man who so far forgets the order instituted by the Lord as to write and publish what may be termed new doctrines, without consulting with the First Presidency of the Church respecting them, places himself in a false position, and exposes himself to the power of darkness by violating his Priesthood. While upon this subject, we wish to warn all the Elders of the Church, and to have it clearly understood by the members, that, in the future, whoever publishes any new doctrines without first taking this course, will be liable to lose his Priesthood.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 3:203-04

It makes no difference what is written or what anyone has said, if what has been said is in conflict with what the Lord has revealed, we can set it aside. My words, and the teachings of any other member of the Church, high or low, if they do not square with the revelations, we need not accept them. Let us have this matter clear. We have accepted the four standard works as the measuring yardsticks, or balances, by which we measure every man’s doctrine. You cannot accept the books written by the authorities of the Church as standards in doctrine, only insofar as they accord with the revealed word in the standard works. Every man who writes is responsible, not the Church, for what he writes. If Joseph Fielding Smith writes something which is out of harmony with the revelations, then every member of the Church is duty-bound to reject it. If he writes that which is in perfect harmony with the revealed word of the Lord, then it should be accepted.

(Joseph Smith), History of the Church 2:198-99

After prayer by President Joseph Smith, Jun., he said, if we heard patiently, he could lay before the council an item which would be of importance. He had for himself, learned a fact by experience, which, on recollection, always gave him deep sorrow. It is a fact, if I now had in my possession, every decision which had been had upon important items of doctrine and duties since the commencement of this work, I would not part with them for any sum of money; but we have neglected to take minutes of such things, thinking, perhaps, that they would never benefit us afterwards; which, if we had them now, would decide almost every point of doctrine which might be agitated. But this has been neglected, and now we cannot bear record to the Church and to the world, of the great and glorious manifestations which have been made to us with that degree of power and authority we otherwise could, if we now had these things to publish abroad. Since the Twelve are now chosen, I wish to tell them a course which they may pursue, and be benefited thereafter, in a point of light of which they are not now aware. If they will, every time they assemble, appoint a person to preside over them during the meeting, and one or more to keep a record of their proceedings, and on the decision of every question or item, be it what it may, let such decision be written, and such decision will forever remain upon record, and appear an item of covenant or doctrine. An item thus decided may appear, at the time, of little or no worth, but should it be published, and one of you lay hands on it after, you will find it of infinite worth, not only to your brethren, but it will be a feast to your own souls. Here is another important item. If you assemble from time to time, and proceed to discuss important questions, and pass decisions upon the same, and fail to note them down, by and by you will be driven to straits from which you will not be able to extricate yourselves, because you may be in a situation not to bring your faith to bear with sufficient perfection or power to obtain the desired information; or, perhaps, for neglecting to write these things when God had revealed them, not esteeming them of sufficient worth, the Spirit may withdraw and God may be angry; and there is, or was, a vast knowledge, of infinite importance, which is now lost. What was the cause of this? It came in consequence of slothfulness, or a neglect to appoint a man to occupy a few moments in writing all these decisions. Here let me prophesy. The time will come, when, if you neglect to do this thing, you will fall by the hands of unrighteous men. Were you to be brought before the authorities, and be accused of any crime or misdemeanor, and be as innocent as the angels of God, unless you can prove yourselves to have been somewhere else, your enemies will prevail against you; but if you can bring twelve men to testify that you were in a certain place, at that time, you will escape their hand. Now, if you will be careful to keep minutes of these things, as I have said, it will be one of the most important records ever seen; for all such decisions will ever after remain as items of doctrine and covenants.

Adam

Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 168

These angels are under the direction of Michael or Adam, who acts under the direction of the Lord.

Jeffrey R. Holland, Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon, p.205 – 206

Part of the natural world Adam and Eve entered included the addition to their bodies of blood-a corruptible ingredient-in what had been to that point an uncorrupted body of bloodless flesh and bone.

President Charles W. Penrose, Improvement Era 1912, Vol. XV. September 1912 No. 11, Editor’s Table. Peculiar Questions Briefly Answered.

(From a published reply to questions from a letter, received by the office of the First Presidency of the Church, from Australia, evidently by persons who desired to provoke controversy.)

"Question 3: Do you believe that Adam had more wives than one, either in this world or in the spiritual world?

Answer: We do not know of any wife of Adam excepting Mother Eve."

President Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 3:319

"Though we have it in history that our father Adam was made of the dust of this earth, and that he knew nothing about his God previous to being made here, yet it is not so; and when we learn the truth we shall see and understand that he helped to make this world, and was the chief manager in that operation.

He was the person who brought the animals and the seeds from other planets to this world, and brought a wife with him and stayed here. You may read and believe what you please as to what is found written in the Bible. Adam was made from the dust of an earth, but not from the dust of this earth. He was made as you and I are made, and no person was ever made upon any other principle."

President Joseph F. Smith, stake conference, Maricopa Stake, December 7, 1913. (Deseret Evening News, December 27, 1913, Sec. III, p. 7. Also Deseret News: Church Section, September 19, 1936, pp. 2, 8.) Taken from Hyrum L. Andrus, Doctrinal Commentary on the Pearl of Great Price, p.179

The Son, Jesus Christ, grew and developed into manhood the same as you or I, as likewise did God, His Father grow and develop to the Supreme Being that He now is. Man was born of woman; Christ the Savior, was born of woman and God, the Father, was born of woman. Adam, our earthly parent, was also born of woman into this world, the same as Jesus and you and I.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 4 vols., 2:, p.5 – 6

We know that when Adam was placed on the earth it was pronounced good, and he, as well as the earth, was not subject to death. There was no curse on the earth. There was no blood in his body, but he had a spiritual body until it was changed by the fall. A spiritual body is one which is not quickened by blood, but by spirit. Before the fall Adam had a physical, tangible body of flesh and bones, but it was not quickened by blood. The partaking of the forbidden fruit caused blood to exist in his body and thus the seeds of mortality were sown and his body then became temporal, or mortal, subject to the vicissitudes of mortal change. The Lord created all things upon this earth physically and immortal, or free from the seeds of death. The fall of Adam brought the change upon the earth and all things upon its face partook of the conditions imposed upon Adam in the fall. (2 Nephi 2:22.)

Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 4:81. See also 1:180-81; John A. Widtsoe, Gospel Interpretations, pp. 77-78; Bruce R. McConkie, New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 91.

Just why the Lord would say to Adam that he forbade him to partake of the fruit of that tree is not made clear in the Bible account, but in the original as it comes to us in the Book of Moses it is made definitely clear. It is that the Lord said to Adam that if he wished to remain as he was in the garden, then he was not to eat the fruit, but if he desired to eat it and partake of death he was at liberty to do so. So really it was not in the true sense a transgression of a divine commandment. Adam made the wise decision, in fact the only decision he could make.

Bruce R. McConkie, Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p.189

The Lord’s commentary about the Creation also says: Out of the ground I, the Lord God, formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; . . . and they were also living souls; for I, God, breathed into them the breath of life (Moses 3:19). It also says, speaking figuratively, that Eve was formed from Adam’s rib. And in that primeval day, when neither death nor the probationary experiences of mortality had entered the world, they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. (See Moses 3:21-25.) As to the Fall itself we are told that the Lord planted the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden (Moses 3:9). To Adam and Eve the command came: Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Moses 3:16-17). Again, the account is speaking figuratively. What is meant by partaking of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil is that our first parents complied with whatever laws were involved so that their bodies would change from their state of paradisiacal immortality to a state of natural mortality.

Elder Mark E. Petersen, Adam, the Archangel, Ensign (CR), November 1980, p.16

"Who will lead the defending armies of the Lord? None other than Michael himself, whose position as archangel qualifies him to be the captain of the Lords host. Is he not the chief of the angels? Then should he not lead them into battle against Lucifer? As the archangel he continues to serve the interests of the Lord with respect to this earth. His ultimate exaltation, of course, is fully assured, but it must await the completion of his work here. Seven angels are to sound trumpets to announce a series of events to precede the Second Coming of the Savior. Michael will be the seventh of those angels.

Says the scripture: And Michael, the seventh angel, even the archangel and please note here how the Lord still identifies him strictly as an angel, for that is his status and now I repeat this scripture:

‘And Michael, the seventh angel, even the archangel, shall gather together his armies, even the hosts of heaven. And then cometh the battle of the great God; and the devil and his armies shall be cast away into their own place.’ (D&C 88:112, 114;)

Then can anyone honestly mistake the identity of Adam, or Michael? Even after the thousand years of the Millennium are over he will still retain his status as an angel the archangel and a resurrected man.

In the year 1842 the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke of Michael, or Adam, who visited him. Joseph identified him as an angel even then the archangel and said, The voice of Michael, the archangel; and of diverse [other] angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time (D&C 128:21). He thus listed Michael, or Adam, with the other angels.

So, in 1842 Michael, or Adam, was still an angel and will continue to be so through the final winding up scene of this earth."

President Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 2:7

You believe Adam was made of the dust of this earth. This I do not believe, though it is supposed that it is so written in the Bible; but it is not, to my understanding. You can write that information to the States, if you please– that I have publicly declared that I do not believe that portion of the Bible as the Christian world do. I never did, and I never want to. What is the reason I do not? Because I have come to understanding, and banished from my mind all the baby stories my mother taught me when I was a child.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed., p.209

Those natural elements that make up the physical earth are sometimes referred to in the scriptures as dust. Thus Adam was created from the dust of the ground meaning that the physical body which he received was created from the elements of the earth. (Gen. 2:7; Moses 3:7; Abra. 5:7; D&C 77:12.) Similarly all men are created from the dust of the earth; that is, the elements organized into a mortal body are assembled together through the birth process. (Moses 6:69.)

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 4:218

"Things were first created spiritually; the Father actually begat the spirits, and they were brought forth and lived with Him. Then He commenced the work of creating earthly tabernacles, precisely as He had been created in this flesh himself, by partaking of the course material that was organized and composed this earth, until His system was charged with it, consequently the tabernacles of His children were organized from the coarse materials of this earth.

When the time came that His first-born, the Savior, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Savior was begotten by the Father of His spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me."

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed., p.84

All men were first born in pre-existence as the literal spirit offspring of God our Heavenly Father. This birth constituted the beginning of the human ego as a conscious identity. By the ordained procreative process our exalted and immortal Father begat his spirit progeny in pre-existence. All men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity," President Joseph F. Smith and his associates in the First Presidency declared. (Improvement Era, vol. 13, pp. 75-81.)

True, as Joseph Smith taught, man is a self-existent being, for the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and had no beginning. (Teachings, pp. 352-354.) That is to say the bodies of Deity’s spirit children were created from the existing spirit element just as the spirit bodies of the progeny of future exalted beings will be organized from the same substance."

Joseph Smith, Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings, edited by Larry E. Dahl and Donald Q. Cannon

I had an invitation to attend a wedding at Brother Hyrum Smith’s in the evening; also to solemnize the matrimonial ceremony between Newel Knight and Lydia Goldthwaite. My wife accompanied me. On our arrival a considerable company had collected. The bridegroom and bride came in, and took their seats, which gave me to understand that they were ready. After prayers, I requested them to rise, and join hands. I then remarked that marriage was an institution of heaven, instituted in the Garden of Eden; that it was necessary it should be solemnized by the authority of the everlasting Priesthood.

Bruce R. McConkie, Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p.201

God, meaning the Father, created Adam and Eve in his own image, male and female created he them (Moses 2:27). The woman was given to the man in eternal marriage, for there was no death. They were commanded not to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it became pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make her wise, as the figurative language has it, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and also gave unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened."

….. And so Adam fell as fall he must. But he fell by breaking a lesser law-an infinitely lesser law-so that he too, having thereby transgressed, would become subject to sin and need a Redeemer and be privileged to work out his own salvation, even as would be the case with all those upon whom the effects of his fall would come.

Bruce R. McConkie, Sermons and Writings of Bruce R. McConkie, p.199

For those whose limited spiritual understanding precludes a recitation of all the facts, the revealed account, in figurative language, speaks of Eve being created from Adam’s rib (Moses 3:21-25). A more express scripture, however, speaks of Adam, who was the son of God, with whom God, himself, conversed" (Moses 6:22).

In a formal doctrinal pronouncement, the First Presidency of the Church (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund) said that All who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner, and that the first of our race, began life as … the human germ or embryo that became a man (see Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 17).

Christ is universally attested in the scriptures to be the Only Begotten. At this point, as we consider the creation of Adam, and lest there by any misunderstanding, we must remember that Adam was created in immortality, but that Christ came to earth as a mortal; thus our Lord is the Only Begotten in the flesh, meaning into this mortal sphere of existence. Adam came to earth to dwell in immortality until the Fall changed his status to that of mortality. Those who have ears to hear will understand these things. All of us, however, must know and believe that when Adam and Eve were placed in the Garden of Eden, there was no death. They were immortal. Unless some change occurred they would live forever, retaining all the bloom and beauty and the freshness of youth. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, and our early Brethren preached many sermons on this."

Joseph Fielding Smith, Man: His Origin and Destiny, pp. 276-277

…does it not appear to you that it is a foolish and ridiculous notion that when God created this earth he had to begin with a speck of protoplasm, and take millions of years, if not billions, to bring conditions to pass by which his sons and daughters might obtain bodies made in his image? Why not the shorter route and transplant them from another earth as we are taught in the scriptures?

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 7:285-286

"Shall I say that the seeds of vegetables were planted here by the Characters that framed and built this world-that the seeds of every plant composing the vegetable kingdom were brought from another world? This would be news to many of you. Who brought them here? It matters little to us whether it was John, James, William, Adam, or Bartholomew who brought them; but it was some Being who had power to frame this earth with its seas, valleys, mountains, and rivers and cause it to teem with vegetable and animal life.

Here let me state to all philosophers of every class upon the earth, When you tell me that father Adam was made as we make adobies from the earth, you tell me what I deem an idle tale. When you tell me that the beasts of the field were produced in that manner, you are speaking idle words devoid of meaning. There is no such thing in all the eternities where the Gods dwell. Mankind are here because they are offspring of parents who were first brought here from another planet, and power was given them to propagate their species, and they are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth."

President Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 11:123

God has made His children like Himself to stand erect, and has endowed them with intelligence and power and dominion over all His works, and given them the same attributes which He himself possesses. He created man, as we create our children; for there is no other process of creation in heaven, on the earth, in the earth, or under the earth, or in all the eternities, that is, that were, or that ever will be. As the Apostle Paul has expressed it, For in Him we live, and move, and have our being. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art or man’s device. There exist fixed laws and regulations by which the elements are fashioned to fulfill their destiny in all the varied kingdoms and orders of creation, and this process of creation is from everlasting to everlasting.

Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 63

In the ultimate and final sense of the word, the Father is the Creator of all things. That he used the Son and others to perform many of the creative acts, delegating to them his creative powers, does not make these others creators in their own right, independent of him. He is the source of all creative power, and he simply chooses others to act for him in many of his creative enterprises. But there are two creative events that are his and his alone. First, he is the Father of all spirits, Christ’s included; none were fathered or created by anyone else. Second, he is the Creator of the physical body of man. Though Jehovah and Michael and many of the noble and great ones played their assigned roles in the various creative events, yet when it came time to place man on earth, the Lord God himself performed the creative acts. I, God, created man in mine own image, in the image of mine Only Begotten created I him; male and female created I them. (Moses 2:27.)

Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 2:70-1

The Prophet Joseph taught that marriage was an institution of heaven, instituted in the Garden of Eden; [and] that it is necessary it should be solemnized by the authority of the everlasting priesthood."

Marriage as established in the beginning was an eternal covenant. The first man and the first woman were not married until death should part them, for at that time death had not come into the world. The ceremony on that occasion was performed by the Eternal Father himself whose work endures forever. It is the will of the Lord that all marriages should be of like character, and in becoming one flesh the man and the woman are to continue in the married status, according to the Lord’s plan, throughout all eternity as well as in this mortal life.

Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation 1:92-4

MEANING OF REPLENISH. Adam was commanded to multiply and replenish the earth. Some have supposed this meant to fill up the earth again, but this is not so. The original Hebrew word appears many times in the Old Testament; only once is it translated replenish."

It is a translation from the Hebrew word male pronounced malay. It is the same Hebrew word which is translated fill in the first chapter of Genesis, verse 22, in reference to the multiplying of fish of the sea and fowl of the air and the beasts of the field. This same Hebrew word is translated more than a score of times in other parts of the Bible and always as fill, or make full, never as replenish.

The Hebrew Lexicon defines the word as follows: male intrans, to be or become full, to be fulfilled or completed. Why this word was translated replenish in the one case, but fill or make full in reference to fish, fowl and beasts and in a score of other places, I do not know.

In the Catholic Bible, it is translated, fill. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply so as to fill the earth and subdue it.

In the Smith and Goodspeed translation it reads: Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.

In Farrer Fenton’s (English) translation, it reads: God then gave them his blessing; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply so as to fill the earth, and subdue it.

Even in the English unabridged dictionary, one meaning of replenish is to make full."

Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 9:41, also in Encyclopedia of Joseph Smith’s Teachings, edited by Larry E. Dahl and Donald Q. Cannon

This brings to my mind the vision that Joseph Smith had, when he saw Adam open the gate of the Celestial City and admit the people one by one. He then saw Father Adam conduct them to the throne one by one, when they were crowned Kings and Priests of God. I merely bring this up to impress upon your mind the principles of order, but it will nevertheless apply to every member of the Church.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 248-55

The First Presidency of the Church (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund), in November, 1909, issued a formal pronouncement under the title, The Origin of Man, in which, as they expressed it, is set forth the position held by the Church" upon the subject of evolution. After explaining the scriptural passages relative to the creation and pre-existence, this document concludes:

"Adam, our great progenitor, `the first man,’ was, like Christ, a preexistent spirit, and like Christ, he took upon him an appropriate body, the body of a man, and so became a `living soul.’ The doctrine of the pre-existence, revealed so plainly, particularly in latter-days, pours a wonderful flood of light upon the otherwise mysterious problem of man’s origin. It shows that man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal body to undergo an experience in mortality. It teaches that all men existed in the spirit before any man existed in the flesh, and that all who have inhabited the earth since Adam have taken bodies and become souls in like manner.

"It is held by some that Adam was not the first man upon this earth, and that the original human being was a development from lower orders of the animal creation. These, however, are the theories of men. The word of the Lord declares that Adam was `the first man of all men’ (Moses 1:34), and we are therefore in duty bound to