Adam-ondi-Ahman
Bruce
R. McConkie
Adam
was the first man of all men; Ahman is one of the names by which God
was known to Adam. Adam-ondi-Ahman, a name carried over from the pure
Adamic language into English, is one for which we have not been given
a revealed, literal translation. As near as we can judge — and
this view comes down from the early brethren who associated with the
Prophet Joseph Smith, who was the first one to use the name in this
dispensation — Adam-ondi-Ahman means the place or land of God
where Adam dwelt.
Apparently
the area included was a large one; at least, the revelations speak of
the land, the valley, and the mountains of Adam-ondi-Ahman. They tell
us that Christ himself "established the foundations of
Adam-ondi-Ahman" (D. & C. 78:15-16), and that it included
the place now known as Spring Hill, Daviess County, Missouri. (D. &
C. 116.)
Far
West, Missouri, also appears to be included in the land of
Adam-ondi-Ahman. On April 17, 1838, the Lord commanded his saints to
assemble at Far West, which place, he said, was holy ground; and
there they were to build a city. (D. & C. 115.) By July 8 of that
year, William Marks and Newel K. Whitney had not left their temporal
concerns in Kirtland, Ohio, and were not assembling with the saints
coming to Zion. In rebuking them the Lord said this: "Is there
not room enough on the mountains of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and on the
plains of Olaha Shinehah, or the land where Adam dwelt, that you
should covet that which is but the drop, and neglect the more weighty
matters? Therefore, come up hither unto the land of my people, even
Zion."
William
Marks was told that he was to "preside in the midst of my people
in the city of Far West," and Newel K. Whitney was told to "come
up to the land of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and be a bishop unto my people."
(D. & C. 117.)
The
early brethren of this dispensation taught that the Garden of Eden
was located in what is known to us as the land of Zion, an area for
which Jackson County, Missouri, is the center place. In our popular
Latter-day Saint hymn which begins, "Glorious things are sung of
Zion, Enoch's city seen of old," we find William W. Phelps
preserving the doctrine that "In Adam-ondi-Ahman, Zion rose
where Eden was." And in another hymn, written by the same author
in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith, we find these expressions;
This
earth was once a garden place,
With
all her glories common,
And
men did live a holy race,
And
worship Jesus face to face,
In
Adam-ondi-Ahman.
We
read that Enoch walk'd with God,
Above
the power of mammon,
While
Zion spread herself abroad,
And
Saints and angels sang aloud,
In
Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Her
land was good and greatly blest,
Beyond
old Israel's Canaan;
Her
fame was known from east to west,
Her
peace was great, and pure the rest
Of
Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Hosannah
to such days to come —
The
Savior's second coming,
When
all the earth in glorious bloom,
Affords
the Saints a holy home,
Like
Adam-ondi-Ahman.
One
of the greatest spiritual gatherings of all the ages took place in
the Valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman some 5,000 years ago, and another
gathering — of even greater importance relative to this earth's
destiny — is soon to take place in that same location. Our
revelations recite: "Three years previous to the death of Adam,
he called Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and
Methuselah who were all high priests with the residue of his
posterity who were righteous, into the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman and
there bestowed upon them his last blessing.
"And
the Lord appeared unto them, and they rose up and blessed Adam, and
called him Michael, the prince, the archangel. And the Lord
administered comfort unto Adam, and said unto him: I have set thee to
be at the head; a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou
art a prince over them forever. And Adam stood up in the midst of the
congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being
full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his
posterity unto the latest generation." (D. & C. 107:53-56.)
At
that great gathering Adam offered sacrifices on an altar built for
the purpose. A remnant of that very altar remained on the spot down
through the ages. On May 19, 1838, Joseph Smith and a number of his
associates stood on the remainder of the pile of stones at a place
called Spring Hill, Daviess County, Missouri. There the Prophet
taught them that Adam again would visit in the Valley of
Adam-ondi-Ahman, holding a great council as a prelude to the great
and dreadful day of the Lord. (Mediation and Atonement pp. 69-70.) At
this council, all who have held keys of authority will give an
accounting of their stewardship to Adam. Christ will then come,
receive back the keys, and thus take one of the final steps
preparatory to reigning personally upon the earth. (Dan. 7:9-14;
Teachings, p. 157.)
Bruce
R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1958, 1966