1. TOWER HILL ALTAR SITE. The Tower Hill Altar Site is a short two-minute, 560-foot walk on a path to the west of the parking lot on Tower Hill. Like the site of the Nauvoo Temple, the sacred Altar Site at Adam-ondi-Ahman is on a hill located at the bend of a river—in this case, the Grand River.

Tower Hill is part of a hilly area containing many springs. Church leaders called the area Spring Hill until Joseph Smith renamed it Adam-ondi-Ahman, as recorded in the shortest revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants, dated May 19, 1838:

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, or the Ancient of Days shall sit. (D&C 116)

The unusual name Adam-ondi-Ahman means “The place where Adam dwelt” or “The valley of God in which Adam blessed his children” (ABH 28; CHC 1:421; JD 18:342-43). Adam means “man” in Hebrew, and Ahman means “God” in the pure language, said Orson Pratt (JD 2:342). In Egyptian religion Ahman (spelled Amen, Amun, or Amon) means “hidden,” “the king of the gods,” or the “Universal God of all Egyptian Gods” (ERB 129). Pharaohs of Egypt used the name Amen in their own names: Tutankhamen, Amenophis, and Amenhotep. Ondi means “in the presence of,” “at,” “by,” or “around.”

Tower Hill, like a huge altar itself, rises from the floodplain with the Grant River not far from its base. From the Lyman Wight Cabin No. 1 Site, where Joseph Smith stayed during his first visit to Diahman, the Prophet saw a pyramid-shaped hill 500 feet to the east, possibly reminding him of other sacred mounts such as Mt. Sinai, Mt. Nebo, Mt. Zion, the Mount of Transfiguration, the Mount of Olives, and the Hill Cumorah.

When the Prophet went to the top of the hill, he gave it the name Tower Hill “in consequence of the remains of an old Nephitish altar and Tower” located there (PoJS 2:244; SBJS May 19; HC 3:35). Adam-ondi-Ahman has been a sacred site since the days of Father Adam. Lorenzo D. Barnes, a resident of Diahman, called it “a holy city even one of the Stakes of Zion” (JLDB). The site is sacred for at least five reasons:

1. It was the cradle of civilization, where mortal family life began, and it was the home of Adam and Eve, where Adam began to till the earth and rear a family (Genesis 3:23-24; Moses 5:1-2).

2. It was Adma’s home. Because of Adam’s role, with stature and power second only to Christ, he sat in the council of the gods in planning and creating (Abraham 3:22-24); as Michael, he led the righteous in the war in heaven (Revelation 12:7-9); he brought mortality and death to men on earth as part of the gospel plan (2 Nephi 2:22-25); under Christ, he is the head of all gospel dispensations (HC 4:2-7-12); and he restored keys to Joseph Smith (D&C 128:21).

3. It is where the fullness of the gospel was first taught to men (Moses 5:57-59).

4. It is where Adam offered sacrifices and an angel appeared (Moses 5:5-8).

5. It is where Adam gave his last blessing to his posterity (D&C 107:53-57).