Chapter XL. Adam the Patriarchal God of the Earth

All Revelations from Jehovah to Earth come through him. Grand Council of the Ancient of Days. One comes Like unto the Son of Man. Jesus holds the Keys of the Universe.

Turning, for the moment, from the merely historical thread, let us listen to Joseph's expounding of the Patriarchal Order of the heavens and the earth. Says he :

"The priesthood was first given to Adam; he obtained the first presidency, and held the keys of it from generation to generation. He obtained it in the creation, before the world was formed, as in Genesis i, 20, 26, 28. He had dominion given him over every living creature. He is Michael the archangel, spoken of in the Scriptures. Then to Noah, who is Gabriel. He stands next in authority to Adam in the priesthood. He was called of God to this office, and was the father of all living in his day, and to him was given the dominion. These men held keys first on earth and then in heaven.

" The priesthood Is an everlasting principle, and existed with God from eternity, and will to eternity,

without beginning of days or end of years. The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the gospel is sent. When they are revealed from heaven it is by Adam's authority. Daniel vii., 7, speaks of the Ancient of Days. He means the oldest man, our father Adam, Michael. He will call his children together and hold a council with them, to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Aflam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, — that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, — but retains his standing as head of the human family." * * *

Years later Brigham Young sent the " proclamation to all the world " that " Adam is the Father and God of the whole human family." It startled the orthodoxy of some of the Elders more than it did the nations. But here, in this exposition of the Patriarchal Order of the Earth, we clearly see where Brigham got his authority. What more could he have possibly said, concerning Adam's Patriarchal Rule over the Earth, than Joseph says, when he declares that " the keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the gospel is sent. When they are revealed from heaven it is by Adam's authority. He is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council."

It is Adams grand council, called to prepare his children for the coming of the Son of Man, to whom, at his appearing, Adam delivers up the keys of the earth as a world, "but retains his standing as head [or God] of the human family."

The Christ of all holds "the keys of the universe ! " and Joseph has revealed him as Jesus. This is in effect what he declared elsewhere, that all the worlds of the universe were created, and will be saved, " by the very same Saviour of ours ! " And Father Adam stands to his world precisely in the same relation that each Patriarchal God stands to his, while Christ is the " Lord of All," holding the keys of the universe. With this may also be blended the following passages from Joseph's revelations upon Michael, embodied in the Doctrine and Covenants :

" And Michael, the seventh angel, even the archangel, shall gather together his armies, even the hosts of heaven. * * *

" But, behold, verily I say unto you, before the earth shall pass away, Michael, mine archangel, shall sound his trump, and then shall all the dead awake, for their graves shall be opened, and they shall come forth; yea, even all. * * *

" And the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and called him Michael, the Prince, the Archangel."

Here, then, we have Michael, or Adam, presented as the " Seventh Angel." He is new to the earth in the office-character of Omega. In the beginning he was the First Angel— the Alpha. Thus to his earth as Christ is to the universe. And it is thus that

the Ancient of Days will sit in the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times, which Joseph has opened with the keys which all the " Eliases " of former ages gave to him, not excepting the key which Michael gave.

For a full comprehension of Joseph's vision of the Grand Council of the Ancient of Days, we must present also the celestial scene from Daniel, to which he so often refers :

" I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool : his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him : thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him : the judgment was set, and the books were opened." * * *

Then the grander scene of a later period :

" I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought him near before him.

" And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him : his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."

The Kinor of Zion had come — come with the "clouds of heaven." And what are these clouds of

heaven but his celestial host? He had come, with the archangels of the universe, to reign with Adam and his elect a thousand years. But shall he not reign his Millennium over other worlds? Has not the Christ thus reigned ? Joseph says he is holding the keys of the universe, — an old, old universe, — when he presents himself to our Father Adam, as Lord of All, to spend with him a millennial period.