Adam; Michael; Michael the Archangel; the Ancient of Days

Adam is the earthly name of the personage of spirit in the pre-earthly existence who was known as Michael. He is also known by the title Michael the Archangel and the Ancient of Days.

Adam was a member of the Council of the Gods in the pre-earthly existence. He was chosen and foreordained to be the first physical man upon this earth, and thus became the father of all mankind in the sense that all others since Adam and Eve are their descendants.

Adam is one of the greatest men who has ever lived on the earth; because of his faithfulness, he will rule as a god in the hereafter. This Latter-day Saint belief is in sharp contrast to the creeds of many churches which state that Adam is depraved and "next to the devil."

Adam has appeared on the earth in this dispensation (D&C 128:20) and will appear again at Adam-ondi-Ahman when all the keys of the priesthood that have ever been placed upon the earth will be returned to him so he can return them to Jesus Christ, whose right it is to rule upon the earth. This great event will take place shortly before the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Selected Quotations

"Michael, who is Adam, holds the keys of salvation for the human family, under the direction and counsel of Jesus Christ, who is the Holy One of Zion. [See 78:15-16.] Adam will, when the earth is cleansed and purified and becomes a celestial globe, preside over the children of men, who are of his posterity. He is Adam, 'the prince, the arch-angel.' In the eternities before this earth was formed he was the archangel. He became Adam when he came to this earth to be the father of the human family. (D&C 107:54-57.)

"The Prophet Joseph Smith said of Adam: 'Commencing with Adam, who was the first man, who is spoken of in Daniel as the "Ancient of Days," or in the other words, the first and oldest of all, the great progenitor of whom it is said in another place is Michael. . . . Adam holds the keys of all the dispensations of the fulness of times, i.e. the dispensations of all times have been and will be revealed through him from the beginning.' (TPJS, pp. 167-68.)" (Joseph Fielding Smith, CHMR 1:310.)

"In the 107th Section, the Lord speaks of Adam as 'Michael, the Prince, the Archangel,' and says that he shall be a prince over the nations forever. We may with perfect propriety call him prince, the ancient of days, or even God in the meaning of the words of Christ, which I have just quoted: [D&C 78:16] but we do not worship him, we worship the same God that he worshipped." (Anthon H. Lund, CR, Oct.1902, p.81.)

"Adam, at this meeting, was sustained as Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. Michael means, 'Who is as God.' Adam was created in the image, after the likeness of God, and the name expresses this wonderful fact. Prince is a title. Jesus, the Son of God, is the Prince of Peace. Adam, Son of God, is also a prince. That title was, later, given to each of the twelve heads of the tribes of Israel (Num. 1:16), who were to the people of the Old Covenant what the Twelve Apostles were, and are, to the Church of Christ. The Apostles are princes in the kingdom of God, and Adam was sustained as Michael, the Prince.

"Archangel . . . denotes an office. As one of the archangels, or chief messengers, of God, Adam has a special work to perform in connection with the divine plan of salvation. In Daniel 10:13-21 he is represented as having special charge of the Hebrew nation, and in Dan. 12:1 it is said that he will 'stand up' for that nation, for its deliverance, at the time of the end. In Jude 9 he is said to have disputed with Satan about the body of Moses, and in Rev. 12 he is represented as being at war with the adversary." (Smith and Sjodahl, DCC, p. 706.)

"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 regard him as the primal parent of our race." (First Presidency, IE, November 1909, pp. 75-81.)

Scriptural References: D&C 27:11; 107:41-56; 116:1; 128:18-21; Dan. 7:9-13; 10:13-21; 12:1.