Ogden Kraut: Excerpt of Michael/Adam'

Ogden Kraut (1927-2002)

By Ogden W. Kraut, courtesy of Kevin Kraut

Much thanks are due to Kevin Kraut of Old Pioneer Press for allowing us to republish Ogden's works in this forum.

"It is the first principle of the Gospel to know for a certainty the character of God." - Joseph Smith

There seems to be no end to the mysteries surrounding the creation of mankind, this and other worlds, and even the creation and identity of God Himself. The Prophet Joseph Smith once said:

We never can comprehend the things of God and of heaven, but by revelation. We may spiritualize and express opinions to all eternity; but that is no authority. (TPJS, p. 292)

For this reason, we need to look to the words of the prophets as well as personal revelation to help in understanding many of these mysteries. Without spiritual guidance we tend to follow the customs, traditions, and teachings of the world–a world with very little spiritual understanding.

The purpose of this book is to help in answering such questions as: Who created the spirits and bodies of mortals on this earth? When, how and why did we come here? Who is the God of this earth? With the Gospel restoration in these last days came important information on these subjects.

Available within these pages are the history and teachings of what has become known as the Adam-God Doctrine, as it was recorded by early leaders of the LDS Church and then evolved to its current stage of denial.

Introduction: The Mysteries of Creation

Theologians, scientists, philosophers, in fact nearly all mortals, at some time, have wondered how mankind got on this earth. For many centuries various theories have been pro-pounded and discussed, but seldom have any of them carried the spirit of truth. Until the time of the Gospel Restoration in 1830, speculation and disputation had caused contention and division among religious sects and scientists alike. Most people still remember the famous “Monkey Trial” that was debated for several days in the courts–between Darwin’s theory and Biblical statements. Nothing was proved or resolved, and people remained in the same state of confusion as before.

With the restoration of the Gospel, the Lord said:

For I deign to reveal unto my church things which have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world, things that pertain to the dispensation of the fulness of times. (D & C. 124:41)

The great prophet, Joseph Smith, understood what the Lord was saying and he commented:

There are many things which belong to the powers of the Priesthood and the keys thereof, that have been kept hid from before the foundation of the world; they are hid from the wise and prudent to be revealed in the last times. (DHC 4:209-210)

The restoration has brought a flood of light upon many hidden and lost truths. However, many more remain, as the Prophet Joseph said he could divulge only a very few of the things which the Lord had revealed to him. Brigham Young said the Prophet left the Elders of Israel in the dark on many mysteries because they were unable to receive the knowledge that God wanted them to understand. Joseph revealed a few of these mysteries in one of his last and greatest addresses called “The King Follett Discourse.” Other information was revealed by him to a few trusted friends–at least once concerning some of the mysteries of creation and the Godhead, part of which was later made public by President Brigham Young.

Still, in the world today, there exist many theories about God, man and animals, and the creation of this earth. Some are interesting, some are humorous, and others are figments of an active imagination. Very few come even close to the truth. Consider the following possibilities and theories for the origin of man:

1. Some scientists say that man “evolved” from a little bug that came creeping up out of a swamp and gradually grew legs and arms and stood upright to become a man. Evolution is perhaps the most popular belief and is even taught as factual in public schools. However, science has never yet     produced the “missing link” in these evolutions. It is the wildest, unscientific speculation ever published under the title of fact.
2. The Bible presents a few short sentences about the beginning of man by saying he was scooped up like an adobe, some special breathings were blown into it, and suddenly man popped up out of the mud to become a real live mortal. This has been taken literally by some, but at best it is merely a figurative representation that Moses used for the rebellious children of Israel.
3. So, too, the Bible makes a strange statement about the creation of woman: that a rib was taken out of the man’s side and was used as a crucible for the beginning of females. By some mysterious power this rib was added to,  molded, and breathed on to miraculously become a woman. This is certainly an interesting story, but neither can it be taken literally–so the mystery continues. 
4. If God really did use mud and a rib for His method of propagation, it seems He would have continued to use such a method from then on. There would be no reason for adopting some other system. On the other hand, if propagation, as we see it in living things today, was the original method of introducing man to the earth, there would be no reason to use mud and a rib.
5. Some maintain a belief that a space ship came to this planet leaving some “garbage”, from which bacteria gradually evolved into all the living things on the earth.
6. Stories exist of how the embryos of man were hurled through space, perhaps in ice, and landed here to thaw and become mankind. 
7. Some postulate that a space vehicle landed here and left a small colony of beings to populate this globe.
8. A popular belief exists that God came upon the earth to have a son called Adam and a daughter, Eve, who were to carry on the work of creation by propagation. But it is impossible for an immortal being to produce mortal children.

These are just some of the assumptions and speculations, but none really reveals the mystery of man’s true beginning. To find the accurate account, we need to turn to the prophets of God who receive(d) revelation. Certainly for our dispensation the Prophet Joseph Smith and his successor, Brigham Young, should be the main prophets to look to for answers.

Even though the actual public announcement clarifying these mysteries came from Brigham Young, he undoubtedly learned the answers from Joseph Smith.

On April 9, 1852, Brigham Young delivered a sermon at a conference session in Salt Lake City. This discourse became the cause of more heated arguments, doctrinal controversy, and violent reaction from both member and non-member alike than any other oration ever delivered in the Church. Since then, Brigham Young has been the victim of more slander, ridicule, and derision than any other president of the Latter-day Saints. Such reactions and contempt were aroused when he taught the position of Adam to the human race. But, in spite of the furor against this Adam/God doctrine by those both in and out of the Church, many of the members acclaimed it to be one of the most important and disclosing revelations ever given to the Saints. In later years, some members would even be excommunicated for advocating it. The doctrine still stands as a classic in theological expose.

Because this doctrine is not incorporated into the Articles of Faith, nor is it now recognized as truth by the LDS Church, both the student of scripture and the lay member should, on his own, become acquainted with the history, the basis for, and the principles behind that doctrine–rather than just ignoring it or saying it never existed in the Church. History shows that it was publicly announced, published on two continents, advocated by members of the First Presidency and most Apostles, and even taught by many missionaries. For this reason it cannot be concealed, especially in light of the fact that so many opponents of the Church today continue to expose this doctrine in their attempts to discredit the validity of the LDS Church and the teachings of Brigham Young.

For more information on Ogden Kraut's writings, click here.

To visit Old Pioneer Press, click here.

You can reach us at fundamentalistmag@gmail.com.