The belief that the Garden of Eden was located in what is now the state of Missouri is a distinctive doctrine found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This understanding is rooted in modern revelation and the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared that Adam and Eve dwelt in the region of present-day Jackson County after their expulsion from the Garden. The doctrine situates the earliest events of human history within the framework of the latter-day gathering of Zion, reinforcing the idea that the divine work of salvation began and will ultimately be completed in the same sacred land.

Joseph Smith first identified Missouri as the land of Adam-ondi-Ahman in 1838. A revelation received through him states, “Spring Hill is named by the Lord Adam-ondi-Ahman, because, said he, it is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people” (Doctrine & Covenants 116:1). This declaration establishes the area as a site of deep historical and eschatological significance. The name itself suggests that it was a gathering place for Adam’s posterity and a location of profound sacred events which scripture gives us some detail about (Doctrine & Covenants 107:53–56). There, it tells us that Adam and his posterity gathered in the valley of Adam Ondi Ahman and that Adam blessed his posterity there. The Prophet further taught that after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden, they resided in this land and offered sacrifices to the Lord, as recorded in Moses 5:4-5. The Lord’s command for Adam to offer sacrifice was an essential element of the gospel from the beginning, prefiguring the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Statements that we have about the Garden of Eden being in Missouri otherwise come from other 19th century leaders of the Church. 

The location of the Garden of Eden is not explicitly identified in the Bible, though descriptions in Genesis provide hints about its geographical features. The scriptural account speaks of a river that “went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads” (Genesis 2:10). These rivers—the Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, and Euphrates—have been traditionally associated with regions in the ancient Near East, but their exact locations remain uncertain. The Church teaches, through modern revelation, that the Garden was in North America, and that after Adam and Eve’s expulsion, they dwelt in a place known as Adam-ondi-Ahman, located in present-day Daviess County, Missouri. This doctrine reorients traditional assumptions about the setting of sacred history, aligning it with the Church’s broader understanding of America’s role in the latter-day restoration of the gospel.

This understanding differs significantly from traditional Christian interpretations, which generally place the Garden of Eden in the region of Mesopotamia. While many scholars attempt to correlate the rivers of Eden with known geographical landmarks in the Middle East, the Church’s belief is based on modern revelation rather than historical speculation. Unlike other religious traditions that view Eden as an inaccessible paradise of the past, the Church’s doctrine affirms that Eden’s location is both knowable and central to the future gathering of God’s people.

This belief provides unique spiritual and theological insights. It underscores the idea that America is not only a land of promise but also the setting of the earliest covenantal relationships between God and His children. It reinforces the sacred nature of the land where Zion will be established and where Adam will return in preparation for the Second Coming. It also invites reflection on the continuity of God’s dealings with humanity, suggesting that the work of salvation follows a divinely orchestrated pattern from the beginning of time to its ultimate fulfillment.

Some have naturally wondered how the Garden of Eden could have been in Missouri and then how all the other prophets could have ended up in the Old World. A number of explanations were laid out by FAIR: 

1.Some have conceptualized the earth as having only one land mass (e.g., Pangaea) even into historical time, which was only separated in the days of Peleg (Genesis 10꞉25). Though there are differing interpretations for this doctrine. Some have more exegetical/historical accuracy than others.

2.Those who accept a universal Noachian flood simply see Noah floating from a New World site to Ararat in the Old.

3.Those who accept a "limited flood" theory see a similar process occurring whereby Noah traveled down rivers or from sea coasts with the flood's arrival. (This would, in effect, be a reversal of the Book of Mormon's Old World to New World migrations).

4.Since there is evidence for human migration over the Siberia-Alaska land bridge from Old to New World, some have postulated travel in the opposite direction.

5.It has been suggested that the Lord gave a second site the name of Adam-ondi-Ahman in the Americas, while the original site was located elsewhere, in the Old World (see discussion above). In this model, early Church leaders assumed that there was only one Adam-ondi-Ahman, when there were (in fact) two.

6.Some have seen the concept of Eden as a symbolic idea which acted to "sacralize" the Americas for a new gospel dispensation, without having reference to actual geographic realities. Early members then made this concept more literal than intended.

7.Some see Eden as a place which was always "separate" from the fallen world around it, and so regard questions about the present "location" of Eden as non-sensical.

8.Many, perhaps most, members consider the matter of relatively little importance, and have no strong feelings about the issue at all.²²⁵

The doctrine that the Garden of Eden was located in Missouri is not merely an assertion about geography; it is a testament to the overarching plan of God. It affirms that sacred history is directly connected to the present and future work of the Lord. This belief elevates the land as a place of divine purpose, where the first parents of humanity walked with God and where, in the last days, the righteous will once again assemble to prepare for the reign of Jesus Christ. The doctrine offers a perspective that ties together the ancient past and the prophesied future, giving members of the Church a profound sense of connection to both their spiritual heritage and their prophetic destiny.