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Criticisms of Brigham Young

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• Brigham Young's Adam-God theory
• Brigham Young's personal beliefs
• Brigham Young and Joseph Smith's First Vision
• Brigham Young's involvement in Freemasonry
• Brigham Young and the Word of Wisdom
• Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims about Brigham Young and apostles not being witnesses of Christ
• Prosecution of the Mountain Meadows Massacre

Brigham Young's Adam-God theory

Summary: Brigham Young taught that Adam, the first man, was God the Father. Since this teaching runs counter to the story told in Genesis and commonly accepted by Christians, critics accuse Brigham of being a false prophet. Also, because modern Latter-day Saints do not believe Brigham's "Adam-God" teachings, critics accuse Mormons of either changing their teachings or rejecting teachings of prophets they find uncomfortable or unsupportable.

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• Question: What is the Adam-God Theory?
• Question: What is the history of Brigham Young's Adam-God Theory and why was it rejected by the Church?
• Stephen E. Robinson: "Yet another way in which anti-Mormon critics often misrepresent LDS doctrine is in the presentation of anomalies as though they were the doctrine of the Church"
• Matthew Brown (2009): "Brigham Young repeated these ideas and expounded upon them during the next 25 years. His viewpoints have been variously classified as doctrine, theory, paradox, heresy, speculation, and some of the mysteries"
• Question: If the Adam-God doctrine isn't true, how come D&C 27:11 calls Adam the Ancient of Days which is clearly a title for God in Daniel 7?
• Question: What attempts have been made to reconcile the Adam-God Theory with the doctrines of the Church?
• Question: Was the "Adam-God" theory ever taught as part of the temple endowment ceremony as something called "the lecture at the veil"?

Brigham Young's personal beliefs

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• Question: Was Brigham Young a "young earth creationist"?
• Question: Did Brigham Young believe that he would one day become president of the United States?
• Question: Why did Brigham Young say that women "have no right to meddle in the affairs of the Kingdom of God"?

Brigham Young and Joseph Smith's First Vision

Summary: It is claimed either that Brigham never taught about the First Vision, or that he taught that the Lord did not appear to Joseph. Both claims are false.

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• Question: What is Brigham Young claimed to have said that leads one to doubt that he denied the First Vision?
• Juncker (1994): "Unknown to many, the early church fathers often referred to Jesus as an Angel....in antiquity the word 'angel' meant 'messenger.'"
• Question:Is there anything wrong with early Church leaders using the term "angel" to refer to Jesus Christ?
• Question: Did Brigham Young confirm or expound on Joseph Smith’s first vision?
• Question: When and how often did Brigham Young refer to elements of Joseph Smith's First Vision in his discourses?
• Brigham Young (1861): "The Lord chose Joseph Smith, called upon him at fourteen years of age, gave him visions"
• Brigham Young (1855): "The Lord did not come with the armies of heaven...But He did send His angel to this same obscure person, Joseph Smith jun"
• Brigham Young (1867): "the Lord called upon Joseph he was but a boy—a child, only about fourteen years of age"

Brigham Young's involvement in Freemasonry

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• Question: Was Brigham Young a Mason?
• Question: Was Brigham Young a "33rd degree" Mason?

Brigham Young and the Word of Wisdom

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• Question: Did Brigham Young violate the Word of Wisdom by using snuff, tobacco, and tea?
• Question: Why did Brigham Young build a whiskey distillery in Utah?
• Question: Why did Brigham Young instruct members of the Church to grow tobacco in Utah?

Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims about Brigham Young and apostles not being witnesses of Christ

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• Apostles as personal witnesses of Christ
• Question: Did any nineteenth century leader after Joseph Smith report divine visions?
• Question: Did any twentieth century leader after Joseph Smith report divine visions?

Prosecution of the Mountain Meadows Massacre

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• Question: Did Brigham Young block prosecution of the individuals responsible for the Mountain Meadows Massacre?