Neal A. Maxwell: Adam and Eve "from the beginning"

Today's LDS evolutionists say there is a solid line of transitional fossils connecting all major groups of vertebrate lineages from fish to humans, with modern humans appearing about 200,000 years ago. Scripture, on the other hand, says the first humans were Adam and Eve, placed on earth only about 6,000 years ago. This post adds one more apostle to the list of those who taught the latter view.

Neal A. Maxwell accepted the traditional biblical chronology. In the October 1993 general conference, he said, "We believe Adam and Eve were this planet’s first humans and first Christians. 'And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost. And thus all things were confirmed unto Adam, by an holy ordinance' (Moses 5:58–59)." (Ensign, Nov. 1993; emphasis in the original.)

Again in 2003, Neal A. Maxwell said, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ... in the unique position of knowing that there were different gospel dispensations. These dispensations began with Adam. One scripture says, “And thus the Gospel began to be preached, from the beginning, being declared by holy angels sent forth from the presence of God, and by his own voice, and by the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Moses 5:58)." (Ensign, Apr. 2003.)

Indeed, Adam and Eve were this planet's first humans and the gospel was preached to them from the beginning.