Last night in scripture study, we read Moses chapter 3. In the description of Eden, the verses mention it's proximity to the Euphrates river. My oldest son asked, "Dad, I learned in seminary that Eden and Adam-ondi-Ahman are in Missouri. Why does Moses say it's near the Euphrates?"
I replied, "Well, I don't know for sure. Maybe when the all of the continents were together in Pangea, Eden and the Euphrates were much closer together. That's just speculation, so let's see what we can find out."
I've done a bit of research this morning, and I'm learning that this is a pretty big anti-Mormon issue as well.
So, my most excellent colleagues, do you have any resources that will help answer that question?
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The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
I've read something on that at some time but can't remember where. I'll have to do some searching. How did Moses know it was near the Euphrates? I don't think it was by personal sight but by vision and he may have assumed the river was the Euphrates.
We have historical precedent as one possible explanation for this um, precedent.
When a people emmigrate from an area, they often name their cities and geographical features after similar geographical features from their homeland, as well as political leaders from their homeland. Hence, New York (formerly New Amsterdam), Maryland, Georgia, Nephi, Bountiful...
It seems plausible that the descendents of Adam, upon arriving in the 'new' Euphrates river valley, named the river after the Euphrates from the land of their fathers.
I always understood Bok's explanation to be the most plausible. That there was a river called Euphrates in Adam's time, and when the Noah-ites arrived in the areas of UR they named the rivers there after the lands they knew in Adam's time... They may not have even been aware of how far they'd traveled, due to the flood. Dunno...
Much of the flood is difficult to take literally for most folk...
--Ray
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I'm not slow; I'm special. (Don't take it personally, everyone finds me offensive. Yet somehow I manage to live with myself.)
I do take it literally, though. There is nothing in the Bible account to indicate that it was allegory. I don't understand how all those animals fit on the boat, but then again, I'm ready to acknowledge that I don't know everything. Maybe the Lord created a large pocket dimension in the Ark so that the animals would fit, but told Noah not to record that part so that we could have a trial of faith.
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If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animated contest of freedom, go from us in peace. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
The Bible is not our sole source of scripture as Latter-day Saints.
Does the Bible contain the fulness of the gospel? Many people think so, but I think we are safe in saying that from the time of Joseph Smith, we know that many plain and precious things were lost.
Perhaps the context that in antedeluvian times, another mighty river was named Euphrates as opposed to the postdeluvian times river we have known as the Euphrates over the past several thousand years.
If you think about it, decendants of Noah could have very well named the modern Euphrates for some of the same reasons Pharoah set up Egypt... according to the Pearl of Great Price, we learn that this kingdom was set up to imitate the priesthood because for whatever reason, the people there were not entitled to the priesthood. Happens all the time when you have folks try to imitate the truth with a counterfeit. Maybe the modern day Euphrates name was the result of another group working on a counterfeit basis... after all, what sprang up there? Babylon.
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It seems to me the only thing you've learned is that Caesar is a "salad dressing dude."
I liked how the Simpson's returned the title and lyrics to it's original intent. Give the Granny on the pipe organ some O2, folks. It's time for I. Ron Butterfly:
In the Garden of Eden, honey...
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The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life. - Julie Beck
When you look at the footnotes in the Book of Moses you see the explanation that the names of the rivers around the Garden of Eden were also applied to the rivers in mesopotamia.
Adam Ondi Ahman is where Adam blessed his posterity, and Jesus Christ will come before the Second Coming. It probably is relatively near to the location of the Garden of Eden.
As to the flood, I don't know exactly what is supposed to be taken literally (just like many other parts in the Old Testament), however that doesn't mean that I don't think it didn't happen, or that Noah wasn't a prophet. It's one of the things that I am looking forward to learning about when all things are revealed.
When you look at the footnotes in the Book of Moses you see the explanation that the names of the rivers around the Garden of Eden were also applied to the rivers in mesopotamia.
Adam Ondi Ahman is where Adam blessed his posterity, and Jesus Christ will come before the Second Coming. It probably is relatively near to the location of the Garden of Eden.
As to the flood, I don't know exactly what is supposed to be taken literally (just like many other parts in the Old Testament), however that doesn't mean that I don't think it didn't happen, or that Noah wasn't a prophet. It's one of the things that I am looking forward to learning about when all things are revealed.
Whoa.....That's Deep TP. I'm having a hard time concentrating right now due to the Tomacolatte, Iron Butterfly, and the psychodelic lights.
How do I know? It was the address of my Mission home in 1970-72, right in between the Independence Visitors Center and the Independence Ward Building and about 600' from the Temple Lot cornerstone.
Is that close enough? Note, this is not to be confused with Adam-ondi-Ahman.