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About the Author
Craig Tholson has been a student of truth ever since joining the Mormon Church in 1981. Born in Wyoming in 1956, Craig has lived numerous places west of the Missouri. Craig now resides in Aurora, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. Craig has eleven kids, a BS in physics, and loves to read everything from East to West.
Brief Autobiography of Craig Tholson
I was born in Gillette, Wyoming in 1956. I moved to Cheyenne with my parents, brother and sister in 1965. I grew in Cheyenne until 1975. Not much religion, but I was always looking up. We pretended to be Presbyterians. I'm still not sure what a Presbyterian is.
At age 18 I was on my own. I worked in trades for 7 years and owned two of my own small businesses during that time.
By 1981, I was converted to Mormonism, on my second marriage and had a vasectomy reversed. In 1982 I began my BS in physics at the University of Wyoming. In 1985 we moved to Northridge, California where I continued my physics degree. In 1986 we moved to Simi Valley, CA. I finished the degree in 1987 and began work at Hughes Aircraft Company in El Segundo, CA. After a year of working in LA, I wanted to move to Denver, and transferred with Hughes.
Eleven months after being baptized, my wife and I got temple recommends. I held a temple recommend for over ten consecutive years and attended hundreds of times in six different temples. I did my four generation temple work. I stress these things so that you will understand that the Church was everything to me.
I had read insatiably since joining the Church and encountered Mormon ENIGMA and gobs of Adam-God stuff in the late 1980's. By 1991 I had desk-top-published my own book entitled Adam-God. No one could be found to publish it so I sold my house sent the book off to Michigan, moved to Payson (south of Provo), sent a check from my house equity to pay for 1,000 copies of the book, lived in a motel in Provo during December 1991, moved into a house in Payson, and watched a semi unload two pallets of books in front of my house in Payson in January 1992.
Adam-God went over like a lead balloon. I looked up to the heavens and wondered if God knew what He was doing. The Mormon Church had rejected my struggle to bring clarity and revelation to a misunderstood subject shrouded in darkness.
My story of excommunication is a common one. People I had served and loved for years suddenly acted as if I was a convicted child molester. Directed by the spirit, I didn't even attend my court, knowing full well that the decision had already been made from our modern-day Mecca. In August 1992, my wife and I were excommunicated for "apostasy."
Months earlier the Church had began to persecute and ostracize us. I had just learned from a close friend that Fred Collier was about to re-establish the Church Of The First Born. On April 3, 1992 I went with some friends and family to Hanna, Utah and was rebaptized, seemingly by one with authority, Fred Collier. I was attracted to Fred Collier because he embraced more truth than the Mormons had even heard of. My wife was captivated with his religion and personality (mojo). Before I could say John Green Leaf Twittier, Fred was married to my wife. Her and I divorced shortly thereafter. I had to go through the valley and the shadow of leaving her & our five children with him. This was an incredible test for me and today I like to brag that I'm 51% over the pain. Actually, I am grateful today that I could have my gold refined a little. Wow! that hurt at the time. My wife has since left Fred and my relationship with her and my kids is great.
From Fred Collier, in 1992, I learned that Joseph taught reincarnation. Many pieces of scripture began falling into place not the least of which was that the "Gods" are coming back as men born of women. WOW! is all I could say to the spirit that grabbed me by the throat and said to write it down on paper. This was the largest paradigm shift I was privileged to experience thus far.
After leaving the Collier United Order (it wasn't that united) I moved back to Aurora, Colorado in 1993. I married again and Sue and I have two children together. I had five, she had four and we had two for a total of eleven kids. I immediately wrote the book, THE COMING OF THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. It was written in poverty and turmoil, and was my feeble attempt to integrate this new-found knowledge with scripture and help the world prepare for the coming of the Holy One of Israel, and his entourage. After I wrote the book, I began to see how incomplete it was. Now I think it is safe to say that I am still learning about all of what I wrote about and I don't know why I was so impatient to publish incomplete information. This is not a disclaimer, however. What was incomplete is the plethora of additional information which I have since run into, apocrypha (for example) & elsewhere.
After I wrote THE COMING OF THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL, Fred Collier began to spread rumors that I believed I was Jesus Christ and that I wrote the book to promote my latter-day ministry. Several people told me that he had said this so I don't mind debunking it now by saying that I make no such claim.
Today, I must look like a new age junkie. As it has come to me, I realize that we all have something to do with answering the prayers of one another. Since being ex'd in 1992, I have read hundreds of books (maybe two of them are sold in a Deseret Book Store). Many of my prayers over the last 20 years have been answered by the least likely books and people.
The unseen world has opened up more to me in the last ten years than can be explained. It started after I learned and wrote about Adam-God. As you are well-aware, Adam-God is old news. Many have had to resurrect the truth of what Joseph & Brigham taught; Adam-God is just one aspect of that game.
The Coming Of The Holy One Of Israel, however, is not historically founded in Mormonism, but I have written about the few things Joseph and others said about the mystery of Christ's coming.
People were praying to God for understanding the doctrine Brigham taught, so God used me to promulgate a new witness in the limited capacity of writing Adam-God. Nothing I wrote about in that book was new.
The mystery of Christ's return is quite another subject! I suppose you know by now that I believe most, if not all, of the gods & Gods are involved in incarnating to work from the inside-out. I will have my book online for you to read at my website in a couple of days if all goes well.
Currently, I am attempting to Astral Project, which is defined as leaving the physical body to explore the hidden world our five senses do not perceive. One of my favorite subjects to read up on now is ACIM (A Course In Miracles).
If any of you love me or hate me or have any juicy questions, bring them on!
Love, Craig Tholson
Adam-God went over like a lead balloon. I looked up to the heavens and wondered if God knew what He was doing. The Mormon Church had rejected my struggle to bring clarity and revelation to a misunderstood subject shrouded in darkness.
Ah. He must have failed to read all the material - produced by the church - on the subject.bcspace wrote:Ah. He must have failed to read all the material on the subject.Adam-God went over like a lead balloon. I looked up to the heavens and wondered if God knew what He was doing. The Mormon Church had rejected my struggle to bring clarity and revelation to a misunderstood subject shrouded in darkness.
The only problem: Brigham Young didn't use "Sr./Jr."bcspace wrote:1) It never was "Adam_God". It was Adam Sr./Jr.
Only it was preached by the lord's prophet from the pulpit - then printed in thousands for edification of the membership.bcspace wrote:2) Neither Adam Sr./Jr. or Adam-God is (or was) doctrine.
The bodies of Adam and Eve were pure and after the Celestial order until they partook of the forbidden fruit when their bodies were changed with the things of this world. (Brigham Young, Minutes of Meetings Held in Provo City, Sunday a.m. 8/25/1867)
Brother [Orson] Spencer endeavors to substantiate the position taken by President Young; Viz, that Adam came to this earth with a resurrected body, and became mortal by eating the fruits of the earth, which was earthy. (Journal of William Clayton, 10/3/1852)
President Young said that He came from another world & made this. Brought Eve with him, partook of the fruits of the earth, begat children & they were earthly & had mortal bodies & if we were faithful, we should become Gods as He was. (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, 9/17/1854)
[W]hen this work was made - our God who is Adam ... He by eating the mortal fruits of the Earth, it caused & produced mortal children or commenced the increase of men on the Earth which is the bodies for the Spirits to live in. (Brigham Young, John Pulsipher Papers, 37, Sunday 10/8/1854)
Adam and Eve were made of the dust of the Earth from which they came, they brought their bodies with them. They had lived, died and been resurrected before they came here and they came with immortal bodies, and had to partake of the fruits of this Earth in order to bring forth mortal bodies, or natural bodies, that their seed might be of the dust of this Earth as they were of the dust of the earth from which they came. (Brigham Young, Journal of Samuel W. Richards 2:215, 3/25/1855)
Now comes the morning of the new week in which mortality must begin, and your spiritual children must be introduced into mortality. Two must go before them and prepare the way for them. Whom will you send? Would you not say to [your] wife, "Come, Mother, let you and I lay aside our Celestial glory for a little season and eat of the elements of this new earth. that we may again become of the earth earthy, and thereby our offspring will be mortal, and thus we will begin the begetting of mortal bodies for these, our spiritual children; and when they have grown to maturity in their mortal estate, we will command them to multiply and replenish the earth. We have passed through earth life, death and the resurrection. We have power to lay aside this Celestial Glory and we have power to take it up again."
To which she, a faithful Mother, will reply: "Yes, we will partake of the elements of this new earth. We will make this sacrifice for our spiritual children that they also may continue on in the law of everlasting progression and become like unto us, for as the Gods are, some may become." (Brigham Young, Journal of Wilford Woodruff, 1/27/1860)
When father Adam and mother Eve became mortal by eating of the fruits of this earth, they were then prepared to organize the mortal tabernacle and they were prepared to organize and form living spirits long before that. Now they are prepared to form mortal bodies for their spiritual children to dwell in. His former words and experiences Adam had forgotten a great deal of, but he once knew it all beforehand. (Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, 8/25/1867)
What, is it possible that the Father of Heights, the Father of our spirits, could reduce himself and come forth like a man? Yes, he was once a man like you and I are and was once on an earth like this, passed through the ordeal you and I pass through. He had his father and his mother and he has been exalted through his faithfulness, and he is become Lord of all. He is the God pertaining to this earth. He is our Father. He begot our spirits in the spirit world. They have come forth and our earthly parents have organized tabernacles for our spirits and here we are today. That is the way we came. (Brigham Young, The Essential Brigham Young, 138, 7/14/1861)
I have heard brother Brigham say that Adam is the Father of our Spirits, and he came here with his resurrected body, to fall for his own children; and I said to him, it leads to an endless number of falls, which leads to sorrow and death: that is revolting to my feelings, even if it were not sustained by revelation. (Orson Pratt, Minutes of the Meeting of the Council of the Twelve, 10:00 a.m. 4/5/1860)
Some years ago, I advanced a doctrine with regard to Adam being our Father and God. That will be a curse to many of the Elders of Israel, because of their folly with regard to it. They yet grovel in darkness - and will. It is one of the most glorious revelations [concerning] the economy of heaven, yet the world hold it [in] derision. (Brigham Young Papers, 10/8/1861)
How much unbelief exists in the minds of the Latter-day Saints in regard to one particular doctrine which I revealed to them, and which God revealed to me - namely that Adam is our father and God - I do not know, I do not inquire, I care nothing about it. (Brigham Young, Deseret News, 22:308, 6/18/1873)
Whether Adam is the personage that we should consider our heavenly Father, or not, is considerable of a mystery to a good many. I do not care for one moment how that is; it is no matter whether we are to consider Him our God, or whether His Father, or His Grandfather, for in either case we are of one species - of one family - and Jesus Christ is also of our species. (Brigham Young, JD 4:217-19, 2/8/1857)
He [Brigham Young] said that our God was Father Adam. He was the Father of the Savior Jesus Christ - Our God was no more or less than Adam, Michael the Archangel. (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, 2/19/1854)
Who was it that spoke from the heavens and said ―This is my beloved son hear ye him? Was it God the Father? It was. ... Who did beget [Jesus]? His Father, and his father is our God, and the Father of our spirits, and he is the framer of the body, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who is he? He is Father Adam; Michael; the Ancient of Days. (Brigham Young, Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, 2/19/1854)
Jesus Christ is the actual spirit and mortal son of Michael Adam God; that Michael Adam is the supreme god and father of the spirits of our mortal world. (Brigham Young, Millennial Star 17:195-96, 3/31/1855)
Michael came down with his wife, & began to people it. Michael had his body from the dust of the planet he was begotten on, he obeyed his Lord, was faithful and obedient, died and was resurrected, he did not resurrect himself [from that earth where he lived]. ... Adam's descent was to organize people & redeem a world, by his wife he peopled it by his first born he redeems (Brigham Young, Journal of the Southern Indian Mission, 87- 89, Friday 10/6/1854)
In January 1877, shortly after the lower portion of the St. George Temple was dedicated, President Brigham Young in following up in the Endowments, became convinced that it was necessary to have the formula of the Endowments written, and he gave direction to have the same put in writing.
Shortly afterwards he explained what the Lecture at the Veil should portray, and for this purpose appointed a day when he would personally deliver the Lecture at the Veil. Elders J. D. D. T. McAllister and L. John Nuttall prepared writing material, and as the President spoke they took down his words. Elder Nuttall put the same into form and the writing was submitted to President Young on the same evening at his office in residence at St. George. He there made such changes as he deemed proper, and when he finally passed upon it said: This is the Lecture at the Veil to be observed in the Temple.
A copy of the lecture is kept at the St. George Temple, in which President Young refers to Adam in his creation and etc. (L. John Nuttall Papers, Letter Press Book No. 4, p. 290).
with Bro W. Woodruff engaged in writing the lecture for the Endowments to be read to Prest Young. spent the eving at Prest Young‘s house (Journal of L. John Nuttall, 2/10/1877)
We have heard a great deal about Adam and Eve. how they were formed &c some think he was made like an adobe and the Lord breathed into him the breath of life. for we read "from dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return" Well he was made of the dust of the earth but not of this earth. he was made just the same way you and I are made but on another earth. Adam was an immortal being when he came. On this earth he had lived on an earth similar to ours he had received the Priesthood and the Keys thereof. and had been faithful in all things and gained his resurrection and his exaltation and was crowned with glory immortality and eternal lives and was numbered with the Gods for such he became through his faithfulness. and had begotten all the spirit that was to come to this earth. and Eve our common Mother who is the mother of all living bore those spirits in the celestial world.
And when this earth was organized by Elohim. Jehovah & Michael who is Adam our common Father. Adam & Eve had the privilege to continue the work of Progression. consequently came to this earth and commenced the great work of forming tabernacles for those spirits to dwell in. and when Adam and those that assisted him had completed this Kingdom our earth he came to it. And slept and forgot all and became like an Infant child…
... Adam & Eve when they were placed on this earth were immortal beings with flesh, bones and sinews. but upon partaking of the fruits of the earth while in the garden and cultivating the ground their bodies became changed from immortal to mortal beings with the blood coursing through their veins as the action of life …
... Father Adam's oldest son (Jesus the Savior) who is the heir of the family is Father Adams first begotten in the spirit World. who according to the flesh is the only begotten as it is written. (In his divinity he having gone back into the spirit World. and come in the spirit [glory] to Mary and she conceived for when Adam and Eve got through with their Work in this earth. they did not lay their bodies down in the dust, but returned to the spirit World from whence they came. (The Lecture at the Veil, Journal of L. John Nuttall, Tuesday 2/7/1877)
When father Adam and mother Eve became mortal by eating of the fruits of this earth, they were then prepared to organize the mortal tabernacle and they were prepared to organize and form living spirits long before that. Now they are prepared to form mortal bodies for their spiritual children to dwell in. His former words and experiences Adam had forgotten a great deal of, but he once knew it all beforehand. (Brigham Young, Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, 8/25/1867)
Adam will have to go there, and he cannot do without Eve; he must have Eve to commence the work of generation, and they will go into the garden, and continue to eat and drink of the fruits of the corporeal world, until this grosser matter is diffused sufficiently through their celestial bodies to enable them, according to the established laws, to produce mortal tabernacles for their spiritual children. (Brigham Young, JD 6:274-75, 8/28/1852)
Adam planted the Garden of Eden, and he with his wife Eve partook of the fruit of this Earth, until their systems were charged with the nature of the Earth, and then they could beget bodies for their spiritual children. If the spirit does not enter into the embryo man that is forming in the womb of the woman, the result will be false conception; a living, intelligent being cannot be produced. Adam and Eve begat the first mortal bodies on this Earth, and from that commencement every spirit that was begotten in eternity for this Earth will enter bodies thus prepared for them here, until the winding up scene, and that will not be until the last of these spirits enters an earthly tabernacle. (Manuscript Addresses of Brigham Young, Sunday 10/8/1854)
Some of his [Orson Pratt's] doctrines as contained in the Seer were being discussed. Brother Pratt also thought that Adam was made of the dust of the earth. Could not believe that Adam was our God or the Father of Jesus Christ. [notice the back-and-forth conversation here] President Young said that He came from another world & made this. Brought Eve with him, partook of the fruits of the earth, begat children & they were earthly & had mortal bodies & if we were faithful, we should become Gods as He was. He told Brother Pratt to lay aside his Philosophical reasoning and get revelation from God to govern him and enlighten his mind more and it would be a great blessing to him to lay aside his books and go into the canyons as some of the rest of us was doing and it would be better for him. He said his philosophy injured him in a measure (Journal of Wilford Woodruff, 9/17/1854)
Attended conference, a very interesting conference, for at this meeting President Brigham Young said thus: That Adam and Eve were the names of the first man and woman of every earth that was ever organized and that Adam and Eve were the natural Father and Mother of every spirit that comes to this planet, or that receives tabernacles on this planet, consequently we are brothers and sisters, and that Adam was God, our Eternal Father. This as Brother Heber remarked, was letting the cat out of the bag, and it came to pass, I believed every word, for I remembered saying to the Brethren at a meeting of High Priests in Nauvoo, while I was speaking to them under the influence of the spirit, I remarked thus, that our Father Adam had many wives, and that Eve was only one of them, and that she was our mother, and that she was the mother of the inhabitants of this earth, and I believe that also, but behold yea there were some that did not believe these sayings of the Prophet Brigham, even our beloved Brother Orson Pratt told me he did not believe it. He said he could prove by the scriptures it was not correct. I felt very sorry to hear Professor Orson Pratt say that. I feared lest he should apostatize, but I prayed for him that he might endure to the end, for I knew verily that it was possible that great men might fall. (Joseph Lee Robinson Diary, Oct. 8, 1854)
In regard to Adam being our Father and our God, I have not published it, although I frankly say, I have no confidence in it, although advanced by bro. Kimball in the stand, and afterwards approved by bro. Brigham. (Orson Pratt, Minutes of Meeting at Historian's Office, 4/4/1860)
One [revelation] says Adam was formed out of the Earth, and the Lord put in his spirit; and another that he came with his body, flesh and bones, thus there are two contrary revelations - in the garden it is said, that a voice said to Adam, in the meridian of time, I will send my only begotten son Jesus Christ. then how can that man and Adam both be the Father of Jesus Christ? …
I have heard brother Brigham say that Adam is the Father of our Spirits, and he came here with his resurrected body, to fall for his own children; and I said to him, it leads to an endless number of falls, which leads to sorrow and death: that is revolting to my feelings, even if it were not sustained by revelation. (Orson Pratt, Minutes of the Meeting of the Council of the Twelve, 10:00 a.m. 4/5/1860)