with the "Standard Works" and--truth be told--is taught and included in the standard works.

The term "standard works" which is currently generally understood as referring only to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, actually has no scriptural or official revelation that supports such a limited scope of application.

The modern "Brethren" are pulling a fast one. None of the four basic books of scriptures states that only those books constitute the "standard works", nor do any of those scriptures state that other sermons pronounced as revelation or inspiration by the prophet, etc. do not have equal footing. There is no mention of the "standard works" as a concept in the scriptures. You can only find it referenced in the non-scriptural introductory comments.

It's instructive to note that in the past, General Conference sermons among other things were referred to as part of the "standard works".

George Q. Cannon, a member of the First Presidency under Brigham Young famously said this about the Journal of Discourses:

"The Journal of Discourses deservedly ranks as one of the standard works of the Church, and every rightminded Saint will certainly welcome with joy every Number as it comes forth...".

President George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Preface, Volume 8.

Brigham Young as President and Prophet preached that Adam is God and is the only God to whom we pray and offer up our worship. He preached this in General Conference. His preaching of this doctrine is recorded in the Journal of Discourses and was counted among the "standard works".

Obviously, Brigham Young's authoritative pronouncements and teachings on this point were endorsed by the First Presidency as true doctrine. Obviously they was never disavowed by the Quorum of the Twelve at the time or any other body of priesthood that could even remotely be considered to have a right to contradict such teaching. No disavowal of a boldly, confidently and repeatedly taught doctrine, preached in front of the entire church and its leadership has to equal acceptance and endorsement by the then duly constituted government and leadership of the Church. (IOW, whispered dissents in back alleys don't count--can't count--as refutation or rejection.)

As a matter of basic logic, Brigham Young's pronouncements about Adam being our God are no less legitimate than anything pronounced by any subsequent First Presidency or anything that is contained in the four books that are currently referred to as the "standard works".

If it was true when it was endorsed by the Prophet, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve in Brigham Young's day, it has to be true now. If it was false at that time, then every subsequently constituted leadership body of the Church traces its authority back to a false prophet, false First Presidency and false Quorum of the Twelve.

So, in conclusion, my message to modern Mormons is this: Go ahead and preach that Adam is our God.

It's fun, it's educational and it will get you some attention. Plus, you are at least just as justified in preaching that Adam is God as Russell M. Nelson is in criticizing the use of the nickname "Mormon." (Actually, you would be even much more justified because Nelson is really flat-out contradicting 150 years worth of Church policy under all past Prophets, Presidents, First Presidencies and Quorums of Twelve.)

Where should mixed race couples go for their summary execution?

Book of Mormon. But it could be argued that execution has to be by javelin tossing (same as the method prescribed by President Young for adultery), so there's a potential loophole, if couples can avail themselves of javelin-avoidance training. And there's room for interpretation requiring that the executioner gets only one try and must throw from a sporting distance.

Haha. The idea that the Mormon Gerontocracy would give any of their subjects a sporting chance is hilarious. What would this be? The Olympics of Love perhaps?

Love this thread Wally.

Would the javelin have a special blessing?

Would there be laying of hands and olive oil for wounds that didn't hit the fatal mark?

Why am I laughing too much,?

interesting observation! All the blood and thunder stuff is in the JofD as well, so I guess mormons can start "cutting between the ears" all the people they don't like or who want to escape Salt Lake City. And then there was that pesky little time period called the civil war where both sides were suppose to be wrong or something.

If BY was only "speaking as a man" at conference in front of the entire church regarding Adam=God, doesn't it follow that all the conference speakers since that time were only speaking as men?

anything and everything Joseph Smith ever said, including all of his tales about finding the Book of Mormon, meeting the angel Moroni, getting his revelation on polygamy, translating the "Book of Abraham".... Just because he published his brain farts in book form doesn't make them any more or less valid than Brigham Young's bold and authoritatively stated pronouncements delivered to the entire church in General Conference and subsequently published in the church-approved Journal of Discourse.

Along those lines, it should be recalled that David Whitmer claimed that Joseph Smith once told him and the whole crew who went to Toronto to sell the Book of Mormon copyright that some revelations are from god, some from the mind of man and some from the devil, implying that even Joseph Smith couldn't tell which was which until things played out.

That should have been the end of Joseph Smith's career as a "prophet" right there. But I guess guys like Whitmer were already too invested in the project to make a big public stink about it.

But ... but ... but I don't want to be blood atoned !

So...just be happy that your small sacrifice will make good subject matter for a future conference talk by a General Authority. ;o)

I don't remember the source but remember discovering years ago when I was reading a lot of church history that Orson Pratt and Brigham used to have some heated arguments over the Adam/God teaching. Pratt did not agree with Young and it was well known that there was a divide between them over it.

It's called "Conflict in the Quorum"

Excerpt:

"At a meeting of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve in 1860, one of the church’s senior apostles, Elder Heber C. Kimball, complained that 'Brother Orson Pratt has withstood Joseph [Smith] and he has withstood Brother Brigham [Young] many times and he has done it tonight and it made my blood chill. It is not for you to lead [the prophet],' Kimball continued, 'but to be led by him. You have not the power to dictate but [only] to be dictated [to]'.”
====

Pratt was the exception that proved the rule. Everyone else fell in line and fell silent or, figuratively speaking (if not literally) cheered and applauded while Brigham Young taught the Adam-God doctrine. Brigham Young had the support of the First Presidency and virtually the entire Quorum of Twelve (except for Pratt). If anyone else was secretly supportive of Pratt, they are the ones I was thinking of when I wrote that "whispered dissents in back alleys don't count--can't count--as refutation or rejection."

"Continuing revelation" is a lot like the Ministry of Information in "1984." It's not to restore all that was lost, but to lose what was restored when it becomes embarrassing or counter to the current agenda.

The Church of What the Most Recent Dude in Charge Says About it

Whenever I hear someone try to de-emphasize any of the wondrous teachings that Brigham Young preached I'm reminded of how in the 21st century that Ricks College, Church College of Hawaii, Church's Salt Lake campus, and the Church's flagship university in Provo, Utah are not called RNU (for the holy prophet, seer, and revelator Russell Nelson) but BYU (for the greatly esteemed and forever beloved teacher, prophet, seer, and revelator of eternally unchangeable concrete doctrines). There is not a chance if Brother Brigham ever taught anything controversial that he'd be honored to have the Church's flagship brand named after him. Brother Brigham is the icon of doctrinal teaching. Only an anti-[long] person would ever try to say that any of his teachings about racial harmony, monogamy, or other topics are anything less than holy writ.