DiscussMormonism.com

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.

William Phelps

I've visited Adam-ondi-Ahman. I went several years ago when I was still LDS, and found it uninspiring. I couldn't imagine that unkempt plot of land in Missouri was once the Garden of Eden. For a while I tried to make Eden fit geographically in Missouri, and somehow square it with the location described in the Bible, but the mental gymnastics were tiresome and unconvincing. I'm not a very good gymnast of any sort, I guess.

As a Mormon, I heard stories about how Jesus would return first to Adam-ondi-Ahman to meet with certain privileged Saints before He made His presence known to the rest of the world. I also knew plenty of Mormons who thought they'd one day be asked to travel, by foot, to Missouri. It all seems so bizarre to me now!

How do Mormon apologists justify the belief that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri?

Adam-ondi-Ahman. It's so unbelievable. I can't believe I ever believed it.

KA

Edited to correct my shameful misspelling of Adam-ondi-Ahman!

KimberlyAnn wrote:Adam-ondi-Ahaman. It's so unbelievable. I can't believe I ever believed it.

KA

You better believe it!

Adam-ondi-ahman is the land right outside the garden, not the garden itself.

Hi KA...

As a Mormon, I heard stories about how Jesus would return first to Adam-ondi-Ahaman to meet with certain privileged Saints before He made His presence known to the rest of the world. I also knew plenty of Mormons who thought they'd one day be asked to travel, by foot, to Missouri. It all seems so bizarre to me now!

Yes, I heard them too. Seems the last days return to Missouri story, is one of those teachings/doctrines/beliefs that is fading away. Although in my last ward there was a family who was preparing for the trek.

How do Mormon apologists justify the belief that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri?

I have never heard a good apologetic response. This is one of those doctrines that can't be relegated to "just opinion" since it is clearly in scripture and definitely taught. I think it is one of those beliefs that are resigned to the list of... "we will know in the next life," or something like this.

This belief is one that I could never fit into my brain, regardless of how hard I tried. It just so doesn't make any sort of sense whatsoever, IMHO. ;-)

~dancer~

truth dancer wrote:Hi KA...

As a Mormon, I heard stories about how Jesus would return first to Adam-ondi-Ahaman to meet with certain privileged Saints before He made His presence known to the rest of the world. I also knew plenty of Mormons who thought they'd one day be asked to travel, by foot, to Missouri. It all seems so bizarre to me now!

Yes, I heard them too. Seems the last days return to Missouri story, is one of those teachings/doctrines/beliefs that is fading away. Although in my last ward there was a family who was preparing for the trek.

How do Mormon apologists justify the belief that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri?

I have never heard a good apologetic response. This is one of those doctrines that can't be relegated to "just opinion" since it is clearly in scripture and definitely taught. I think it is one of those beliefs that are resigned to the list of... "we will know in the next life," or something like this.

This belief is one that I could never fit into my brain, regardless of how hard I tried. It just so doesn't make any sort of sense whatsoever, IMHO. ;-)

~dancer~

We don't justify the belief. It simply is. It is as likely to be there as anywhere else.

I thought Zion was missouri and the garden of Eden was fictional as in, in the kingdom of heaven sorta thing.

KimberlyAnn wrote:How do Mormon apologists justify the belief that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri?

I'm not sure. Let's just hope that your Oklahoma Sooners beat Missouri this weekend so those apologists will have even less ammo for this claim.

silentkid wrote:

KimberlyAnn wrote:How do Mormon apologists justify the belief that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri?

I'm not sure. Let's just hope that your Oklahoma Sooners beat Missouri this weekend so those apologists will have even less ammo for this claim.

No, no, no! I'd much rather see a Missouri/WV national championship game, than an Ohio St./WV game.

I grew up in the area and have been there countless times. Not recently, though. Has the church put anything there at all? There used to not be anything there spirit-promoting, even as a believer. Just the same as standing in any other area of Missouri. There were rampant rumors that there was an underground bunker set up for Jesus. Doesn't seem very awe-insipring either to think of Jesus sleeping and having to use the restroom just like the rest of us. Anyway.

My gr-gr-gr-gr-gr Grandfather was a high roller in the early church and started his own sect because he refused to believe Zion was Utah. He was the person who dedicated the temple plot which is now surrounded by three busy streets in Independence, MO. He said - no way! Joseph Smith said Jesus was coming right here and here I'm staying. He didn't say Jack about Utah.

MishMagnet wrote: There were rampant rumors that there was an underground bunker set up for Jesus.

So that's the real purpose of the church vault! Maybe Jesus came back a long time ago, and the Mormons put him in the Super Secret Vault along with the Three Nephites!

As for the location of the Garden of Eden, Mormons claim to believe both the Bible and modern revelation. Here's what the KJV has to say about the location of Eden:

Genesis 2: 10-14

2:10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads.

2:11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;

2:12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

2:13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia.

2:14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

That description seems at odds with the modern Mormon revelation that the Garden of Eden is in Missouri. Can those verses be reconciled with Joseph Smith's revelation? If not, which one is correct? Joseph Smith or the Bible?

Are there no Adam-ondi-Ahaman apologetics?

KA