June 26-July 2, 2023
Another great travel week! It has been such fun to spend time with my sister Nola and her husband Dan. We are in Topeka, Kansas today with my brother Pat and sister-in-law Donna.
We have taken hundreds of pictures and gathered too much info so I'll try to summarize our stops and keep it brief.
Kirtland, Ohio:
The Kirtland Temple was the first temple completed and dedicated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was abandoned when the Saints were driven out of Kirtland and is now owned by the Community of Christ Church.
Ohio historical marker outside the temple
Community of Christ marker
The Whitney store, where Joseph and Emma resided for a time. The School of the Prophets met in an upstairs room until the temple was completed. The revelation on the Word of Wisdom was received in that room, as well as other revelations and instructions.
The Whitney home
We made a quick stop for lunch and to see the Notre Dame football stadium. The stadium seats 80,795 fans.
Nauvoo, Illinois:
The original Nauvoo Temple opened in 1846. It was abandoned, vandalized and fell into ruins.
The picture on this plaque is the only one the Church has of the West Grove and original temple lot.
The current temple was dedicated in 2002
We arrived in Carthage around 10:00 am and began the tour of the jail.
In the courtyard - notice how clean it is
Rear of the jailhouse. The criminal jail is on the 2nd story between the upper and lower windows.
The criminal jail is at the rear of the building; no windows
The window Joseph Smith fell out of after being shot by the mob
We were in the front bedroom (with the above window) when the tornado alerts came on everyone's cell phones. It quickly changed from a "watch" to a "warning". The senior missionaries leading the tour weren't sure where they should take us so they made some calls and it was determined we should move back into the criminal jail. The solid stone walls with no windows would offer the best protection.
A busload of 50 youth from Dallas joined us
It was crowded and hot in the jail. We could hear thunder and the wind outside. The youth soon became restless so the young sister missionaries suggested we sing Primary songs.
Not sure how long we were in the jail - it seemed like a very long time - probably about an hour before the storm was downgraded to a severe thunderstorm. I was crammed into a corner and finally had to leave the room before claustrophobia overcame me. I sat downstairs by a window for the last few minutes.
The same courtyard after the storm
The calm after the storm; on our drive back to Nauvoo
Back to Nauvoo:
We encountered several detours trying to drive back to Nauvoo. Many downed trees and branches, downed power lines and outages. We learned today the the tornado actually touched down in Nauvoo. The entire area was out of power so we missed seeing several buildings in Nauvoo. These are photos I took in the Smith Family cemetery.
The graves of Joseph, Emma and Hyrum
"Joseph Smith's Last Ride"
On June 24, 1844, Joseph and Hyrum Smith set out for Carthage accompanied by John Taylor, Willard Richards and others to answer false charges. They left Nauvoo traveling a road that ran directly from Nauvoo to Carthage, a distance of 16 miles. It was the last journey that Joseph and Hyrum would ever make. While being housed in an upstairs room of the Carthage jail, a band of men stormed the jail with guns blazing and ruthlessly martyred the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum.
"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; But I am calm as a summer's morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me - he was murdered in cold blood." - Joseph Smith, Jr.
Hannibal, Missouri:
A quick, fun spot to spend a couple hours. Hannibal is all about Mark Twain. His wisdom is on every street corner.
Cute fire hydrants
We toured Samuel Clemens's boyhood home, his father's law office, Becky Thatcher's home and the Wood Pharmacy, who took the Clemens family in when they became destitute.
The boyhood home and the famous whitewash fence
I liked this display, encouraging us to write our personal history
I got to check another item off my bucket list. The last time we were close to The Missouri Star Quilt Company was during Covid and everything was closed.
I wasn't extra impressed, but I wandered through a few stores and caressed all the fabric. That will keep me going for awhile.
Flea Market, somewhere in Kansas:
We made an unexpected potty stop at a flea market. Donna found a framed picture she thought Dan would like. He bought it on the spot - it will go home to Montana with him and find a place of honor on a wall in their home.
Dan is an ardent baseball fan; Roger Maris is his hero
Adam-ondi-Ahman, Missouri:
For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is holy ground, because of its past, its future, and its present. The following is information from one of the plaques: "According to scripture revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, Adam and his posterity gathered here. The Lord appeared to them, administering comfort to Adam and speaking of Adam's leadership among all nations. In the future, Jesus Christ will return to this place as part of His Second Coming. Today, Latter-day Saints and others find Adam-ondi-Ahman to be a place of refuge. They come here to enjoy the peace it provides and to contemplate its past and future."
Pat & Donna, John & Karen, Dan & Nola
Independence, Missouri;
We enjoyed a lovely tour of the visitor center
Community of Christ temple across the street
Liberty, Missouri:
Liberty Jail is another favorite site of mine. There is a special spirit there. Joseph and the other brethren were truly protected there, even though they endured much hardship and discomfort.
Front door of the jail
Our church history tour has come to a close. We feel very blessed to have visited these sites again and be reminded of our heritage. John and I both have pioneer ancestors who endured some of the hardships and persecutions inflicted upon the Saints. We are grateful for their courage, their faith and tenacity so that we could be blessed with the gospel all our life. The sites are all interesting history but it isn't so much the events or where they took place that touches our hearts; it is the sacred feelings we felt as we experienced them.
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