PHOTO ESSAY

This place certainly has the most unique name of any in the Church History category. The name Adam-ondi-Ahman is likely a remnant of the Adamic tongue and apparently, in Adam and Eve’s day, was located in the mountains and must have been near the plains of Olaha Shinehah, “or the land where Adam dwelt

If you are looking for signs in this place there are plenty of them. You can’t really get lost. You’ll want to see everything there is to see here. More importantly, you’ll want to feel everything there is to feel here.

The light in the evening dapples through the many beautiful trees here, in fact, there is much light to be found in this place.

This is rich and verdant farmland seemingly out in the middle of nowhere in Northwestern Missouri.

It’s as if there are “islands of trees” and “rivers of grass” in this place. The land itself exudes peace and calm to one’s soul.

The valley overlook has some beautiful rocks where one can sit and also some plaques that explain some of the history on the area.

If one came here thinking that this was just a valley with planted fields, one would think it is a nice place and that’s about all. A unique thing about this significant site is that it has a three-fold history, 1) from the beginning of time when Adam gathered his posterity here, 2) a tie to the early days of the Church when Joseph Smith came here, and 3) a prophetic destiny when all the faithful shall gather here to meet with the great Jehovah Himself.

Wildlife is abundant in this peaceful place with many white-tailed deer, red and gray foxes, raccoons, opossum, cottontail rabbits (seen here) and muskrats. Birds are also plenteous including the Missouri State bluebird, the cardinal, the solitary vireo and the prothonotary warbler.

A walk to the valley floor always reveals many things, some of this world, some not. I’ve been leading tours to all the Church History sites for the past 20 years and few places on the entire trip (with the exception, perhaps, of The Sacred Grove, or the Carthage Jail) have greater impact on the participants than our visit to Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Evening falls and the colors change in hue and tone. I can’t help but start hearing a familiar tune in my head at this point: 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.2 I’ve always wondered how William W. Phelps knew so much about Adam-ondi-Ahman before the Prophet Joseph had even been here

Wildflowers grow in abundance in the valley and woods of Adam-ondi-Ahman.