Eighteen (1823)the Godhead—and turn him into Adam and Eve. The original script of the endowment
Joseph created has the endowment Narrator (whose voice should be the same actor who
plays Elohim) say:
Brethren and sisters, this is Michael, who helped form the earth. When he
awakens from the sleep, which (we) Elohim and Jehovah have caused to
come upon him, he will be known as Adam (and Eve), and having forgotten
all, will have become like a little child.^15The participants viewing the presentation of the endowment are told throughout the
endowment that Adam and Eve represent each of the participants individually. What they
never quite grasp is that Joseph was trying to tell them that they were also once as “Michael,”
a full member of the Godhead, consisting of “the Father,” “the Son,” and “the Holy Ghost.”
Joseph had learned that all of our experiences (from both our pre-mortal life and
mortal lives) are recorded and kept in “the kingdom of God within.”^16 He was taught that
when a person reflects and ponders on the “right,” humane thing to do in every situation, the
feeling that guides us correctly seems to always come from within. This occurs because we
were all once advanced human beings who were foundationalized by “Elohim.” Our
conscience was aligned by the experiences we had living around advanced humans (gods).^17
This and many other doctrines of “real truth” were radically misinterpreted by
Brigham Young. He introduced the idea that “Adam” was the god “Michael,” whom he
believed to be an actual person. Like all of Young’s doctrines, his Adam-God theory^18
further obscured the peoples’ true understanding of the “correct principles” Joseph tried
to teach them.
Awaiting Further Instruction
Understanding that no outside influence is responsible for our actions (either our
deeds or our thoughts), the seventeen-year-old Joseph was motivated to ponder continually
on what would be required of him next. Christ had told him, “concern not thyself with the
particulars of these things, for all shall be given you according to my command. ...Thou shalt receive
the keys of authority to do these things when thou hast been prepared to receive these things.”^19
Joseph knew that the true meaning behind the “keys of authority to do these things”^20 was
“to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the
heavens opened...to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn.”^21
Stated simply, Christ was telling Joseph to expect a visit from still another advanced human
who would give him further instruction, thus allowing him “to have the privilege of
receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened...to
commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn.
Three years had passed and Joseph still had not received the “further instruction”
that had been promised. Joseph began to suffer with each passing day—turning the fault for
delay inward, onto himself. Since his meeting with Christ, “the heavens” had not opened
again to receive a “commune” (communication) with another member of the “general
assembly.” The young man began to doubt his worthiness to perform what Christ had
asked him to do. It was on the night of September 21, 1823, that Joseph intensified his
quandary and lay awake wondering if he had proven himself incapable of fulfilling what