Throughout his presidency, JFS continued to refine and sharpen the framework for doctrinal elaboration he had developed as early as the 1880s, placing heavier emphasis in the importance of the words of the living prophet. One example will stand for many we could examine. In 1902, JFS read a book by church member Solomon Stephens entitled The Philosophy of the Earth and of Man. In the books, Stephens promoted, among other things, Brigham Young’s teachings about Adam being the father of Jesus Christ—and therefore God. Known as the Adam-God doctrine, the concept had never gained much traction among church members, and JFS had already rejected it outright. Stephens went a step further than Young had, arguing that Adam was both Christ and God.

JFS wrote to Stephens, accusing him of taking statements from both Young and Joseph Smith out of context to make his speculative case. More important than JFS’s specific response to Stephen’s theological opinions, however, was that he set forth the sources of what constituted official church doctrine even more clearly than he had done in the past: the things taught “in sacred and holy places” (meaning the temple endowment), the “utterances of the earthly founder of our faith, the great prophet, seer and revelator to whom Jesus Christ . . . made known the truth for the guidance of his people,” and those things “contained within the lids of the books recognized and accepted by us as doctrinal standards of the church.” Everything, JFS continued, had to be measured against these sources, and “while any things may be true that are not in these books, the fact remains that what is not in them and has not been accepted in General conference, is not Church doctrine and should not be taught.” As for any potential “new” ideas, JFS insisted that such things would come “through the proper channel, His mouth-piece to the church”-meaning, of course, the church president—rather than through “lesser authorities.” Doctrinal speculation, he continued, has “nothing to do with [the] present duties of [other] Latter-day Saints.” In response to a different theological question from Lillie Golsan, JFS categorically proclaimed that “not even a revelation from God should be taught to this people until it has first been approved by the presiding authority—the one through whom the Lord makes known his will.” No idea, teaching, or revelation “however true,” can be “inculcated until proper permission is given.”