After the Mormons were driven from Kirtland Ohio they arrived in and started to settle Far West Missouri in April of 1838. It was while there that Oliver Cowdrey was excommunicated from the church on several charges. David Whitmer was also called before the council and was excommunicated for not keeping the Word of Wisdom, neglecting to attend meetings, neglecting the duties of his calling,…and signing himself as President of the Church…” (It is said he used tobacco but it is not likely that this had great bearing upon the severance for many who remained in full fellowship used tobacco).
On May 18th 1838 Joseph Smith left Far West. In his own words“…for the purpose of visiting the north country, and laying off a stake of Zion; making locations, and laying claim to lands to facilitate the gathering of the Saints… We traveled to the mouth of Honey Creek, which is a tributary of Grand River, where we camped for the night.”
Saturday, 19th. “This morning we struck our tents and formed a line of march, crossing Grand River at the mouth of Honey Creek and Nelson’s Ferry.
Grand River
is a large, beautiful deep and rapid stream, during the high waters of Spring, and will undoubtedly admit of navigation by steamboat and other water craft. At the mouth of Honey Creek is a good landing. We pursued our course up the river mostly through timber, for about eighteen miles, when we arrived at Colonel Lyman Wight’s home. He lives at the foot of
Tower Hill
(a name I gave the place in consequence of the remains of an old Nephite altar or tower that stood there), where we camped for the Sabbath.”
“In the afternoon I went up the river about half a mile to Wight’s Ferry,…for the purpose of selecting and laying claim to a city plat near said ferry in Daviess County…which the brethren called "Spring Hill" but by the mouth of the Lord it was named Adam-ondi-Ahman,because, said He, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the Prophet.”
Sunday, 20th. “This day was spent by our company principally at Adam-ondi-Ahman; but near the close of the day, we struck our tents, and traveled about six miles north and encamped for the night…”
Monday, 21st. “In the evening, I called a council of the brethren, to know whether it was wisdom to go immediately into the north country, or tarry here and hereabouts, to secure land on Grand River, etc. The brethren spoke their minds freely on the subject, when I stated to the council that I felt impressed to tarry and secure all the land near by, that is not secured between this and Far West, especially on Grand River, and between this and Far West.”
Tuesday, 22nd. President Rigdon went east with a company, and selected some of the best locations in the county,…Following awhile the course of the company, I returned to camp…and thence west to obtain some game to supply our necessities…We returned without game.
Wednesday, 23rd. We all traveled east, locating lands, to secure a claim, on Grove Creek, and near the city of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Saturday, 26th. The company surveyed lands on the other side of the river opposite Adam-ondi-Ahman.
Monday, June 4th. I left Far West with President Rigdon, my brother Hyrum and others for Adam-ondi-Ahman, and stayed at Brother Moses Daily’s over night; and on the morning of the 5th , went to Colonel Lyman Wight’s in the rain. We continued surveying, building houses, day after day for many days, until the surveyor had completed the city plat.
Monday, June 16th. My uncle, John Smith, and family, with six other families, arrived in Far West, all in good health and spirits. I counseled them to settle at Adam-ondi-Ahman.
On June 28, 1838 a conference was held…” for the purpose of organizing this Stake of Zion, called Adam-ondi-Ahman. John Smith was made Stake President.
Adam-ondi-Ahman is located immediately on the north side of Grand river , in Daviess County, Missouri, about twenty five miles north of Far West. It is situated on an elevated spot of ground, which renders the place as healthful as any part of the United States, and overlooking the river and country round about, it is certainly a beautiful location. Perhaps the following more detailed description of Adam-ondi-Ahman, as also the allusion to at least one stirring event which occurred there in the past, may not be without interest: Adam-ondi-Ahman, or “Diahman,” as it is familiarly known to the Saints, is located on the north bank of the Grand River. It is situated, in fact, in a sharp bend on that stream. The river comes sweeping down from the northwest and here makes a sudden turn and runs in a meandering course to the northeast for some two or three miles, when it as suddenly makes another bend and flows again southeast. Grand River is a stream that has worn a deep channel for itself, and left its banks precipitous; but at “Diahman” that is only true of the south bank. The stream as it rushes from the northwest, strikes the high prairie land which at this point contains beds of limestone, and not being able to cut its way through, it veered off to the northeast, and left that height of land standing like palisades which rise very abruptly from the stream to a height of from fifty to seventy-five feet. The summit of these bluffs is the common level of the high rolling prairie, extending off in the direction of Far West. The bluffs on the north bank recede some distance from the stream, so that the river bottom at this point widens out to a small valley The bluffs on the north bank of the river are by no means as steep at those on the south, and are covered with a light growth of timber. A ridge runs out from the main line of the bluffs into the river bottom some two or three hundred yards, approaching the stream at the point where the bend of the river is made. The termination of the bluff is quite abrupt, and overlooks a considerable portion of the river bottom. On the brow of the bluff stood the old stone altar* and near the foot of it was the house of Lyman Wight. When the altar was first discovered, according to those who visited it frequently, it was about sixteen feet long, by nine or ten feet wide, having it greatest extent north and south. The height of the altar at each end was some two and a half feet, gradually rising higher to the center, which was between four and five feet high--the whole surface being crowning. Such was the altar at “Diahman” when the Prophet’s party visited it. Now, however, it is thrown down and nothing but a mound of crumbling stones mixed with soil, and a few reddish boulders mark the spot which is doubtless rich in historic events. It was at this altar, according to the testimony of Joseph Smith, that the patriarchs associated with Adam and his company, assembled to worship their God. Here their evening and morning prayer ascended to heaven with the smoke of the burning sacrifice, prophetic and symbolic of the greater sacrifice than yet to be, and here angels instructed them in heavenly truths.
North of the ridge on which the ruins of the altar were found, and running parallel with it, is another ridge, separated from the first by a depression varying in width from fifty to a hundred yards. This small valley with the larger one through which flows Grand River, is the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman. Three years previous to the death of Adam, declares one of the Prophet Joseph’s revelations, the Patriarchs Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, and Methuselah, together with all their righteous posterity, were assembled in this valley we have described, and their common father, Adam, gave them his last blessing. And even as he blessed them, the heavens were opened, and the Lord appeared, and in the presence of God, the children or Adam arose and blessed him, and called him
(Adam) Michael, the Prince, the Archangel. The Lord also blessed Adam, saying: “I have set thee to be the head--a multitude of nations shall come of thee, and thou art a prince over them for ever.” So great was the influence of the double blessing upon Adam, that, though bowed down with age, under the outpouring of the spirit of God, he predicted what should befall his posterity to their latest generation. Such is one of the greatest events which occurred on this old historic land of Adam-ondi-Ahman. (History of the Church vol. 3, pg. 34-40).
Here again we find another reference to the “Adam-God Doctrine” taught by Joseph Smith but denied by the LDS Church.
Question---How does this location narrated above by Joseph Smith, match any description given in the Old Testament, Book of Genesis, regarding events recorded there?
Joseph Smith made a drastic mistake by making such a statement. There is absolutely no evidence. The Old Testament was written by Jews, from the events in the Garden of Eden to the end of the New Testament, all took place in the Middle East, not in America.
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Footnotes
*How did Adam’s altar survive the worldwide flood when nothing else did?
