July 6-17th, I went on a Church History Tour with my mom. This was wonderful in many ways... I got to spend 11 uninterrupted days with my mom... 24 hours a day... I love my mom. We could've easily been sisters or best friends... but I'm good with being the daughter. (side note: most people thought we were sisters... good news for my mom...) I got to see many of the sights of the early history of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and strengthened my appreciation of these early pioneer saints. I got to spend 11 days in the Midwest and I still like humidity. Of course, we left the day the big heat wave started...
We started our tour in Newark, where we loaded up in a tour bus with about 35 other people. I thought I would be the youngest on the bus, but thankfully, the Jared and Erika Ward came in place of their grandparents. Everyone referred to them as the newly weds. Although it wasn't exactly the beginning, but because it was on the way to Palmyra, we stopped in Fayette, NY first. We visited the sight where the Priesthood was restored on the Susquehanna River. We also visited the Peter Whitmer Farm.
The next day we arrived in Palmyra, NY. We were able to attend the Palmyra temple first thing in the morning. It is a smaller temple, quite like the Spokane temple. Very pretty setting and a great way to start the day.
Palmyra is a small little town on the Erie Canal. Downtown is fairly historical and included the Grandin Press building, where the first copies of the Book of Mormon were printed, along with a few museums.
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| The Grandin Press |
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| Displayed copy of the original handwritten translation of the Book of Mormon |
That was an amazing thing to see the labor put into translating the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith received the gold or brass plates. He would sit in front of them, translating the words to Oliver Cowdery who would then write them. Joseph Smith's wife Emma and others would later testify that he would walk away from his work, return hours later and pick up right where he left off, never asking to have any of the manuscript read back to him. He was persecuted, beaten, chased and tormented but never gave up on the task the Lord had laid out before him. The Book of Mormon is the history of the inhabitants of this continent who lived from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. (Remember in the bible when Jesus said, "Other sheep I have..." These were some of the other sheep).
Late that afternoon, we were driven to the Smith Family Farm, where Joseph Smith lived when he began to question what church he should join. At the age of 14, there was much religious excitement in his area, with many churches proclaiming to be the right way. Joseph Smith wanted to join a church, but was unsure which one was really right. After reading in the Bible one evening, and coming across a passage in James 1:5, that says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.", Joseph decided to pray and ask God what church he should join. The next morning, he went to a grove of trees near his house and knelt down to pray.
In his own words, he said, "I saw a pillar of light, exactly above my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other -- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" Joseph was told to join none of the churches, but that the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ would be restored to the earth through him at a later time.
It was priceless to me to walk the paths Joseph and the Smith family walked in the 1820's. It makes the history and the stories easier to visualize and understand.
Because it was so close to where we were, the next part of the tour took us to Niagara Falls. It truly is a wonder of the world, with so much water rushing from so many directions. Later that afternoon, we arrived in Kirtland, Ohio. After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in Palmyra in 1836, the Church moved headquarters to Kirtland, Ohio, where over 1000 residents had already converted to the gospel.
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| Joseph Smith's Boyhood Home |
Late that afternoon, we were driven to the Smith Family Farm, where Joseph Smith lived when he began to question what church he should join. At the age of 14, there was much religious excitement in his area, with many churches proclaiming to be the right way. Joseph Smith wanted to join a church, but was unsure which one was really right. After reading in the Bible one evening, and coming across a passage in James 1:5, that says "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.", Joseph decided to pray and ask God what church he should join. The next morning, he went to a grove of trees near his house and knelt down to pray.
In his own words, he said, "I saw a pillar of light, exactly above my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me, I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other -- This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!" Joseph was told to join none of the churches, but that the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ would be restored to the earth through him at a later time.
It was priceless to me to walk the paths Joseph and the Smith family walked in the 1820's. It makes the history and the stories easier to visualize and understand.
The Saints sacrificed much to build this temple and hearing and reading their stories again is a marvel. They had so much faith and perserverance. They were blessed with such testimonies of the restored gospel.
I wish I knew how to put these pictures side by side... Oh well. The first is of the Newel K. Whitney store, where Joseph and Emma Smith stayed upon their arrival in Palmyra. The 2nd photo is from inside the store and the third, of a room above the store that was called "The School of The Prophets." This room was used for instruction prior to the building of the temple. In this room, the revelation now known as The Word of Wisdom was given to Joseph Smith. Upon hearing the revelation, the men in the room took their pipes and chewing tobacco and threw them in the fireplace. We also visited the John Johnson farm and saw the home of Eliza R. Snow.
Monday found us traveling to the Indian Mound Sites. A man named Bruce H. Porter joined us. Bro. Porter is a religious scholar who has done much research into the setting of the Book of Mormon. He has theorized that the Book of Mormon took place here in Mid-land America, based on passages from the Book of Mormon itself, quotes from the Prophet Joseph Smith, archeological evidence including the Indian mounds and the Hopewell culture and DNA evidence. He has written a book called Prophies and Promises of the Book of Mormon that detail his theories.
After visiting some of these sites and hearing his lectures, I tend to agree with him. I must make it clear that regardless of where the Book of Mormon took place, the book itself is scripture, written by prophets, for our day. But the archelogical evidence, done by non-Mormon people, points very clearly to a culture like that of the Book of Mormon people. In fact, the archeologists agree that the Hopewell culture, as they call it, was centered on very strong religious principles and including building large forts by throwing up piles of dirt as tall as a man and then lining those piles with "pickets of timber".
From the mound sites in Ohio (we actually visited Cahokia on our last day) we traveled to Carthage, Illinois, to visit the jail where the prophet Joseph Smith was martyred. Again, we stepped out of the line of the history of the Church, but it was on the way to Nauvoo.
My impression here were that of solemnity and sadness. What had this man done to deserve such treatment? he was wrongfully imprisoned and left unprotected as a mob of men entered the jail and opened fire, both through the door and fom the outside, through a window. And yet, the Lord's work did not end. The martyrdom of Joseph Smith did not stop the Church from progressing. This was not Joseph's church. He was simply a man, chosen by the Lord to restore the gospel and the that gospel continues to roll forth....
Nauvoo was the next stop on our tour. We spent Monday evening and all day on Tuesday here. So much restoration has been done, making this a wonderful destination for families. The shows were wonderful, including the Nauvoo pageant, the stories shared in each restored home or business were insightful and entertaining. We also got to attend a session in the Nauvoo temple. I have never been in a temple as exquisite and beautiful as the Nauvoo temple.
The next stop on our tour was Mt. Pisquah, a recovery area along the Mormon trail. This is now a large farm, owned by a non-LDS man (Can't remember his name) that truly values the work and dedication of the pioneers. He has found evidence of cabins, graves, mills, etc. on and around his property.
Monday found us traveling to the Indian Mound Sites. A man named Bruce H. Porter joined us. Bro. Porter is a religious scholar who has done much research into the setting of the Book of Mormon. He has theorized that the Book of Mormon took place here in Mid-land America, based on passages from the Book of Mormon itself, quotes from the Prophet Joseph Smith, archeological evidence including the Indian mounds and the Hopewell culture and DNA evidence. He has written a book called Prophies and Promises of the Book of Mormon that detail his theories.
After visiting some of these sites and hearing his lectures, I tend to agree with him. I must make it clear that regardless of where the Book of Mormon took place, the book itself is scripture, written by prophets, for our day. But the archelogical evidence, done by non-Mormon people, points very clearly to a culture like that of the Book of Mormon people. In fact, the archeologists agree that the Hopewell culture, as they call it, was centered on very strong religious principles and including building large forts by throwing up piles of dirt as tall as a man and then lining those piles with "pickets of timber".
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| Indian Mounds in Ohio |
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| Part of a fort, with the banks of earth pile up 6-7 feet high. Evidence shows that pickets of timber were set in the banks of earth. This bank runs nearly 2 miles in legnth. Imagine the work.... |
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| Finally, the Cahokia Mound in Cahokia, Illinois. This is part of a series of mounds, this one being the largest and believed to be part of a great city on the Mississippi river. (google Cahokia for more info.) |
My impression here were that of solemnity and sadness. What had this man done to deserve such treatment? he was wrongfully imprisoned and left unprotected as a mob of men entered the jail and opened fire, both through the door and fom the outside, through a window. And yet, the Lord's work did not end. The martyrdom of Joseph Smith did not stop the Church from progressing. This was not Joseph's church. He was simply a man, chosen by the Lord to restore the gospel and the that gospel continues to roll forth....
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| The original door of the room where Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, John Taylor and Willard Richards were hiding in the Carthage jail. The jail keeper, knowing there was a mob gathering, thought the men would be safer in his private office upstairs and so moved them from the cell to this room. You can see the bullet holes, one by the knob and one in the upper panel. |
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| Looking through the bullet hole in the door to the window where Joseph Smith fell after he was shot from the front and the back. |
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| Mom and I at the Carthage jail. |
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| When the Saints were forced to abandon Nauvoo, they crossed the Mississippi river here, lining up for for miles, waiting for the ferry to take them across. The story was told of John Taylor, apostle and later Prophet of the Church, who waited to cross with his wife and young son. The boy (about age 2) was inconsolable. After they crossed the river, the boy finally told them why he was so sad. Apparantly all he wanted was his small rocking horse. So risking running into the mobs, John Taylor rode his horse back across the river, snuck into his home, got the rocking horse and tied it to the back of his horse and took it to his son. That rocking horse is now on display in the John Taylor home in Nauvoo. |
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| View from Mt. Pisquah |
Winter Quarters, Nebraska, near Omaha. The visitor's center there was filled with our Pioneer Heritage, including an example of a cabin that would have been built there for the Pioneers to stay in on their trek west. These cabins could sleep up to 12 people. We were able to see the Winter Quarter's temple, but did not do a session there.
By Friday, we made our way to Independence, MO, again out of order for Mormon history, but how it was done. The Saints went from Kirtland Oh, to the Independence area to escape persecution. However, it wasn't long before mobs of Missourians drove them from there to Nauvoo. Finally, after Joseph's death in Carthage, the Saints were driven from their homes again and headed west, settling in the Salt Lake area.
There is more to write of this trip, but I will go ahead and post this now. Hopefully I will be able to complete this in the near future....
There is more to write of this trip, but I will go ahead and post this now. Hopefully I will be able to complete this in the near future....
