Editing Adam–God doctrine (section)

=== Current position of the LDS Church ===
Eventually, the doctrine was publicly denounced as false by LDS Church leaders.<ref>Van Hale, "What About the Adam-God Theory?," Mormon Miscellaneous response series #3.</ref> In 1976, church president [[Spencer W. Kimball]] stated, "We denounce that theory and hope that everyone will be cautioned against this and other kinds of false doctrine."<ref>''Conference Report'', p. 115 (October 1–3, 1976).</ref><ref>Spencer W. Kimball, [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1976/11/our-own-liahona?lang=eng "Our Own Liahona,"] ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', November 1976, p. 77.</ref>

In 1980, apostle [[Bruce R. McConkie]] gave a speech elaborating upon the church's position towards the Adam–God theory:

<blockquote>There are those who believe or say they believe that Adam is our father and our god, that he is the father of our spirits and our bodies, and that he is the one we worship.

The devil keeps this heresy alive as a means of obtaining converts to cultism. It is contrary to the whole plan of salvation set forth in the scriptures, and anyone who has read the [[Book of Moses]], and anyone who has received the temple endowment and who yet believes the Adam–God theory does not deserve to be saved.* Those who are so ensnared reject the living prophet and close their ears to the apostles of their day. "We will follow those who went before." they say. And having so determined, they soon are ready to enter polygamous relationships that destroy their souls.

We worship the Father, in the name of the Son, by the power of the Holy Ghost; and Adam is their foremost servant, by whom the peopling of our planet was commenced.<ref>BYU Devotional, June 1, 1980. *This is what McConkie said in the audio recording of this sermon. The print version has subsequently been changed to "has no excuse whatever for being led astray by it." Compare PDF text with MP3 audio at 26:48:[http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=658].</ref></blockquote>

Later the same year, apostle [[Mark E. Petersen]] stated:

<blockquote>Adam was not our God, nor was he our Savior. But he was the humble servant of both in his status as an angel.

God had only one begotten son in the flesh. But Adam had many, including Cain and Abel and Seth. He lived nearly a thousand years. He could have had hundreds of children in that time.

Then how could it be said by anyone that he had "an only begotten" son? How could all of his other children be accounted for? Were they not all begotten in the flesh?

Were Cain and Abel and Seth and their brothers and sisters all orphans? Was any child ever begotten without a father? Adam was their father, and he had many sons. In no way whatever does he qualify as a father who had only one son in the flesh.

Yet God our Eternal Father had only one son in the flesh, who was Jesus Christ.

Then was Adam our God, or did God become Adam? Ridiculous!

Adam was neither God nor the Only Begotten Son of God. He was a child of God in the spirit as we all are (see Acts 17:29). Jesus was the firstborn in the spirit, and the only one born to God in the flesh.

If any of you have been confused by false teachers who come among us, if you have been assailed by advocates of erroneous doctrines, counsel with your priesthood leaders. They will not lead you astray, but will direct you into paths of truth and salvation.<ref>[[Mark E. Petersen]], [https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1980/11/adam-the-archangel?lang=eng "Adam, the Archangel"], ''[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]]'', November 1980.</ref></blockquote>