It is true that the people of modern times have the benefit of the attainments of their predecessors. The men of masterly minds, who planned and studied and wrote, have left their work for those who follow. But even in this respect, and so far as merely human knowledge is concerned, how much greater the advantages of the men of that olden time! They had among them for hundreds of years him who was formed in God's image, whom the Creator Himself pronounced "good"--the man whom God had instructed in all the wisdom pertaining to the material world. Adam had learned from the Creator the history of creation; he himself witnessed the events of nine centuries; and he imparted his knowledge to his descendants. The antediluvians were without books, they had no written records; but with their great physical and mental vigor, they had strong memories, able to grasp and to retain that which was communicated to them, and in turn to transmit it unimpaired to their posterity. And for hundreds of years there were seven generations living upon the earth contemporaneously, having the opportunity of consulting together and profiting each by the knowledge and experience of all.

Det er sandt, at vor tids mennesker kan drage fordel af det, deres forgængere har opnået. Højtbegavede mænd, som har studeret, arbejdet og skrevet, har efterladt deres værker til eftertiden. Men selv i denne henseende og så vidt den blot menneskelige kundskab angår, havde tidligere tiders mennesker store fordele. I hundreder af år færdedes de sammen med ham, der var dannet i Guds billede, og som levede, da Skaberen sagde, at alt var "såre godt"; den mand, som Gud selv havde undervist i al den visdom, der hørte til den materielle verden. Adam havde hørt skabelsesberetningen af Skaberen selv; han var vidne til ni hundrede års begivenheder og gav sin viden videre til sine efterkommere. Før syndfloden havde man ingen bøger og ingen optegnelser; men tillige med deres store fysiske og åndelige kraft havde menneskene en god hukommelse. De kunne fatte og huske, hvad der blev meddelt dem, og give det uforandret videre til deres efterkommere. Og i flere hundrede år levede der syv slægtled på jorden samtidig, så de kunne rådspørge hinanden og drage nytte af hinandens kundskab og erfaring.