Meeting Adam

February 27, 2012

Tonight we had our Senior Social & Devotional.  All of the Senior missionaries serving in the mission meet at the mission home for dinner and then a devotional.  Some couples drive for 4-5 hours, so they spend the night there at the mission home.  It is a fun time, a chance to get to know some of the missionaries that we don’t normally get to see.

For the devotional, a brother from the KC Stake, a former Stake President, and now serving as a Patriarch, spoke to us.  He was also “Adam” in the temple film. We are still trying to figure out which film he was in!  He talked about Adam-ondi-Ahman.  

He told us the story of Gram Doxey, a former Mission President in the Central States Mission.  In the 70’s, President Kimball asked him to return to Missouri and pray about what needed to be done there.  So they returned to Missouri, spent a month and visited every site, fasting and praying.  Their recommendation to President Kimball was that Adam-ondi-Ahman needed to be beautified.  He was later called to be Mission President over Adam-ondi-Ahman.

So the work began.  First the Thorny Locust trees were cleared out.  Trees were brought in from a nursery and planted.  One may notice groups of trees being of a similar height.   A large garage was built to store equipment and tools for “upkeep”.  They asked the state of MO to help with the project, they were happy to do so.  Especially when they found out the church wasn’t asking for money, just advise on how to return it to a more natural, indigenous state.  It is now an excellent example of the “natural” Missouri.

Most of North West Missouri is actually Adam-ondi-Ahman.  

Many “firsts” happened here . . . First parents, first birth, Cain slew Abel (first murder), Noahs Ark, Nephite history, and the future site of the Second Coming! 

A Brother Pixton sang Adam-ondi-Ahman, he played a guitar - it was beautiful!  This may not be the song he sang - but I think the words are so meaningful!

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 walked with God,

Above the pow’r 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 all Israel’s Canaan;

Her fame was known from east to west,

Her peace was great, and pure the rest

Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.

Hosanna 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-tondi-Ahman.

                    William W. Phelps

President Keyes spoke and asked the Senior couples to be a good example to the young missionaries.  He asked especially that we be kind to one another.

Elder Thacker, a senior missionary returning home, bore his testimony and told us what his stake president said he and his wife should expect while serving their mission

You will make eternal friends.

You will find the most humble people while serving the Lord.

And . . . Have Fun!

He said it happened!  Sounds like a good promise.