Adam's Revelation Concerning Sacrificial Symbolism
Published October 21, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
During a Birmingham Conference meeting, Elder George F. Richards recounted the historical event of an angel of the Lord appearing to Adam. Adam was sacrificing animals but did not fully understand the reason, only knowing it was by command. The angel instructed Adam that the sacrifice was in similitude of the future atoning sacrifice of the Son of God in the meridian of time.
According to the Book of Moses, which details the revelation received by Adam, the angel appeared to Adam only after he had been offering sacrifices for many days in accordance with the Lord's prior command. The angel clarified that the sacrifice was to be performed in the name of the Son of God and instructed Adam that he should repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore.
In Their Own Words
“And after many days an angel of the Lord appeared unto Adam, saying: Why dost thou offer sacrifices unto the Lord? And Adam said unto him: I know not, save the Lord commanded me. And then the angel spake, saying: This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore. — The Book of Moses, 5:6-8”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), Vol. 79, No. 47 (1917). https://archive.org/details/millennialstar7947eng (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): Aaron P. Schade and Matthew L. Bowen, "Moses 5: The Family of Adam and Eve and the Law of Sacrifice," in The Book of Moses: from the Ancient of Days to the Latter Days (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2020), 213‒28. https://rsc.byu.edu/book-moses/moses-5-family-adam-eve-law-sacrifice
Filed under
Related Miracles
Similar miracle types and stories from the 1820s.
Miracle of the Week
One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.