Thanks to our tour director and his beautiful assistant!

Our tour leaders were John and Tricia, his daughter. They did a great job. Tricia organized and John filled our minds to the brim with historical information. Thanks for a job well done.

26 Jul - Thanks from Jerry (and Doris)

“Dear Friends: I wish to thank all of you for your kindness and service to Doris and myself. We will never forget all you have served us with such an outpouring of love and tenderness. Words cannot express the gratitude I feel. When we signed up for the tour, I was quite healthy. I never dreamed I would need help. Each of you came to our rescue with the baggage and wheeling Doris. Thank you for your loving concern for us. And thank all of you for making this truly a trip of a lifetime. Much love…

26 Jul - Independence, MO, LDS Visitors’ Center

Our last historical stop of the day was the LDS Visitors’ Center, which sits on 20 acres of the original 63 acres. When the Saints came to Missouri, Edward Partridge purchased 63 acres of land for the temple complex that was to be built in the New Jerusalem, which will be one of two centers of Christ’s kingdom during His Millennial Reign. Partridge purchased the land for $130, or about $2 an acre. Saints poured in because of revelation given to the Prophet Joseph and purchased lands around the temple site. Soon there were more than 1000 members in Independence. They were drawn to the rich farmland and bountiful resources in this land of promise. Some Saints settled in Clay County, where they were treated well.

In Jackson County, growth came faster than the Saints could build houses. Even though they helped each other, sometimes up to 10 families lived in a small log one-room cabin. Members were counseled to keep the commandments and live as good examples of children of God. The Colesville Saints came here after being deprived of their inheritance in Kirtland. Here, Joseph sealed them up (See D&C 57, 58, 59). Section 59 is given at Polly Knight’s funeral. The Knight family was especially faithful.

One new member of the Church in Independence was W.W. Phelps. He owned a printing establishment and was called by the Prophet to print the Book of Commandments. He also printed the Morning and Evening Star and wrote the hymn, “Now Let Us Rejoice.” We all know the story of the mobs destroying the printing press and shop and tarring and feathering W.W. Phelps and Edward Partridge. We also remember the children who saved pages from the manuscript of the Book of Commandments. Soon problems arose over religion and conflict about slavery (Missouri was a slave state and the Church was opposed to slavery), and mobs drove the Saints out of Jackson County (giving them as little as 15 minutes to gather their belongings). A book of grievances was compiled, part of which was presented to President Van Buren.

We ended this portion of the tour with a couple of videos. One was about the first Bishop’s Storehouse and the message, “Find and Feed those in need” (both temporally and spiritually). Another was President Hinckley speaking about the Church in more than160 nations. Four million copies of the Book of Mormon are printed each year in 77 languages. He spoke of the early Saints learning that Zion was not just a place, but a state of mind where the people had all things in common and there was no contention among them—that they learned to build Zion in their hearts. The missionary then spoke to us about how we can build Zion today. She was impressive in her ability to use appropriate scriptures at just the right times that helped her and us understand the concept of Zion.

We wandered around some of the other exhibits while we waited for the end of the tour. We heard Elder Uchdorf’s testimony of the living Christ and began listening to Elder Bednar’s testimony. We’ll have to look those up on the Church website: www.lds.org
Our last exhibit was a walk through “God’s plan for His Family,” an exhibit and video showing the importance of eternal families. It was very uplifting and a great way to end our tour of the visitors’ center and church history.

It might have been interesting to go on the walking tour of some of the homes and stores in the area; however, we had to catch our planes for home. After 11 days together, it’s time to get back to the real world. You know, the one where we have to make our own beds, change our own sheets, clean our own bathrooms, cook our own meals and clean up afterward, fill up our own cars and drive ourselves places, and generally get back to work. This trip has been uplifting, inspiring, informational, relaxing and hectic at the same time, and most especially, testimony building. Thanks to John, Tricia, and Henry for making it happen.

26 Jul - Independence, MO, Temple Lot

The Church of Christ Headquarters of Temple Lot are the caretakers of the temple lot. Here in 1929, the surveyor’s stone for the NE corner foundation stone and the SE corner stone were discovered. The temple measures 90 feet wide by 180 feet long, just a little smaller than the Nauvoo temple. The guide showed us a picture of the members outlining the temple lot. Granville Hedrick formed this church in 1852 from congregations in Bloomington, Ill, and in Indiana. He was named presiding elder and these members returned to Independence in the winter of 1866-67. In 1877, they purchased the 2 1/2 acres where the temple lot now stands. Revelation says that New Jerusalem will be built by the gather ing of the Saints, beginning at the Temple Lot. Thus, our interest in this site.

26 Jul - Independence, MO, Community of Christ Temple and Auditorium

A student from Grace University, housed on this site, guided us through the temple. We began in the Meditation Chapel, which contained paintings of the 8 sacraments (ordinances): baptism, confirmation, communion or Lord’s Supper (what we call the Sacrament), marriage (for time only), baby blessings, blessing the sick, evangelist’s (Patriarchal) blessing, and ordination to the priesthood (which women have been able to do since 1968). There was also a Japanese floral arrangement in 3 levels, symbolizing earth, humanity, and spirit dwelling together. The room looks out on a beautiful Japanese meditation garden donated by Independence’s sister city in Japan. The oil lamp for the daily prayer ceremony is also currently in the chapel due to renovation in the Sanctuary.

Our next stop was the Lobby, where we saw the flags from 50 nations where this church has congregations. They are aligned in order of chronology from the U.S. to Nigeria. There is a wooden cross with 360 pieces of wood of more than 100 varieties from the 50 nations. In the intersection of the two cross pieces is an olive branch in the shape of a dove, symbolizing peace in two different ways. Across the hall was the opening to the Sanctuary. We saw a beautifully etched glass window with a garden theme. The guide said it represented Joseph’s First Vision, where God spoke again to man.

We then passed a representation of the burning bush as we entered the Sanctuary through the Worshipper’s Path. This is an ascending path up to the worship area. It represents man’s ascending path to God and His descending path of communication to us. We passed several beautiful pieces of art, including “once was lost…now is found,” a depiction of the return of the prodigal son etched in black reflective granite (see yourself in the story as God accepts you back into His presence after you have sinned), a rough-hewn cross with a light casting the shadow of the cross across the path (we have to acknowledge Christ’s sacrifice for us), a tree of life (Revelations 22), and a reflecting pool entitled, “Whosoever dinks of the water that I shall give…will never thirst” (granite pool resembling a baptismal font and overflowing with God’s love for us).

The worship area is in the shape of a Nautilus seashell, spiraling upward and inward in degrees of discipleship. The tower is 195 feet tall and has a blinking light to warn incoming aircraft. The organ has 102 ranks and 5685 pipes, including outward protruding trumpet pipes. The room seats 1600, with about 1200 on the main floor. The auditorium across the street seats 5800 people and the organ is a little bigger. The sanctuary is not used for Sunday worship, only for individual worship and for special occasions where a large space is needed.

We left the worship area for the benediction or going forth hall. A wooden statue of Christ is at the top of the stairs. This statue is carved entirely out of one piece of wood, except for the hands. We then looked at a stained glass window, entitled “The Field Is White, Ready to Harvest.” (D&C 4, John 4:35) This showed sheaves of wheat both in the field and being harvested. This also symbolizes everyone’s need to be nourished in Christ. We passed by some pictures of this church’s leaders (first presidency, quorum of 12, presiding bishopric) before proceeding outside, where we stood on the world plaza (a map of the world is portrayed in the brickwork) and saw the bronze Doors of Peace with the child leading the lamb and the lion together. These doors are directly behind the wooden statue of Christ at the top of the stairs. The idea is to worship, then go forth through Christ to bring peace to the world. Our guide also pointed out the original stone church across the street where congregations have their Sunday worship services.

Some of our group visited the museum on the bottom floor of the temple. Here they saw the original door of the Liberty Jail and the manuscript of Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible, signed by him. The Community of Christ owns 40 of the original 63 acres purchased by Edward Partridge in 1831.

25 Jul - Banquet Banter

Our last meal at the Hometown Buffet in Blue Springs, MO, was delicious. There was plenty of food for everyone, including the vegetarians in the group. After we all filled our bellies to the brim, Frank introduced the program. The blog committee gave some directions for adding comments (just click on “post a comment” and follow the directions), printing the blog, etc. If you would like to send pictures to add to the blog, send them to pagardn@byu.net. Pat or Mike will upload them for all to see.

Jake and Katie’s children recited the Proclamation to the World on The Family. Well done! The sunshine committee gave out awards to everyone. Our tour SweeTarts were Doris and Jerry, while Janet H. was a Hot Tamale. The kids got Danish coins—Thanks, Eva. There were awards for Marvelous Marge (M&Ms), Carmello for patient Brenda, Nerd award to our computer geeks (Pat and Mike), Almond Joys to Tricia for her bubbly personality and Katie for beginning our days with joyful music, Jake made us Snicker, and many more. John then told us some more history of the tours, including a woman some of us met at Liberty Jail who he and his family helped to come back to activity in the Church, thanked us for being great, and bore his testimony. Eva then bore her testimony of the Church and the Prophet Joseph. She was grateful for this tour, which helped her gain a stronger testimony of Joseph.

25 Jul - Hotel Hullabaloo

We arrived at our hotel in a timely manner to check in for our last night’s stay and clean up for our final dinner together, except for one small snag. The hotel didn’t have enough rooms for us all and even though we were willing to double up so that we could stay together, 5 or 6 couples ended up spending the night at another hotel down the street. Henry wowed us again with his ability to get that bus in and out of those very tight parking lots.

To put it in perspective, Karin said, “We may be having a few problems, but they are nothing compared to what the early Saints went through.” Someone else added the following insight, “At least we don’t have to leave all our belongings and walk across the frozen ground and rivers with just the clothes on our backs, carrying our children and trying to stay warm.”

25 Jul - Liberty Jail

On the way to Liberty, we learned some fun facts:
An entire wreckage of a ship was discovered in the flood plains of the Missouri in this area and is on display in a local museum. One LDS boat, the Saluda, was sunk when the boiler blew up. Many were killed and wounded.
Pioneers used oats to filter the mud out of the water of the Missouri to use as drinking water.

When George Hinkle betrayed the brethren in Far West, the prophet gave comfort to them.
“Joseph Smith spoke to me and the other prisoners, in a low, but cheerful and confidential tone; said he: ‘Be of good cheer, brethren; the word of the Lord came to me last night that our lives should be given us, and that whatever we may suffer during this captivity, not one of our lives should be taken.’” (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 192)

The prophet and 5 other brethren arrived at the jail December 1, 1838. Lyman Littlefield said that the people were surprised that the prisoners looked like ordinary men. He befriended them while they were incarcerated and gave them supplies, paper, pens and ink, etc. During their time in the jail, their families and friends visited them. Emma visited Joseph. His son, Joseph III remembers visiting the jail when he was 6. He even spent one night with his father in the jail. Hyrum was in the jail with his brother. His wife, Mary Fielding Smith, brought their newborn son, Joseph F. Smith, to the jail so his father could give him a name and a blessing. Joseph Fielding Smith, son of Joseph F. and grandson of Hyrum, dedicated the site.

Others in the jail were Alexander McRae, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, and Sidney Rigdon. Sidney was so ill, he had to plead his case before the judge from a stretcher. The people had compassion on him and collected money for him to pay his fines. The men were in this jail for 4 months and 6 days. This was during the winter of 1838-39 when both the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers froze over. They were cold, but he Saints were also suffering and could not send them extra blankets because they had none. The jail walls were 4 feet thick and had 2 levels. Even the jailer on the top floor was locked in. Sometimes the prisoners were allowed on this top floor when visitors came.

During their time in the jail, they were cold and suffering. Worse yet, they didn’t know what was happening to the Saints and that weighed on everyone’s mind, especially the Prophet. He prayed for comfort and guidance and the Lord answered. Doctrine and Covenants sections 121, 122, and 123 contain these revelations. BH Roberts wrote that it was “more a temple than a prison, so long as the Prophet was there. It was a place of meditation and prayer…Joseph Smith sought God in this rude prison and found Him.”
They were allowed to escape on April 6, 1839. They then joined the Saints in Quincy.

Elder Maxwell wrote, “It wasn’t until the prophet was physically confined that his mind was fully liberated…The double walls, four feet thick, kept Joseph and his companions in, but they could not keep the spirit and revelation out.”

Remember the promise that was made to Joseph? The Lord fulfilled that promise and none of them lost their lives.

25 Jul - Richmond

Lunch
Most of us ate lunch at a lovely Mexican restaurant. John even gave away a Book of Mormon to one of our waiters. Bill got to wear a sombrero because we were celebrating his birthday early. He will be 80 in a few days.
Courthouse and statue of Alexander Donaphan
Alexander Donaphan was a lawyer and soldier in Missouri. He was a great friend of the Saints when they were in Missouri. He protected the Prophet in Far West.

Pioneer Cemetery
Oliver Cowdery is buried here in this cemetery. After being rebaptized by Orson Hyde in Winter Quarters, NE, Oliver traveled to Richmond, MO (about 300 miles) so his wife could say goodbye to her family (the Whitmers) before they went west. Unfortunately, Oliver got sick and died in Richmond. The Church erected a marker to the Three Witnesses Marker1911 and continues to maintain the property.

City Cemetery
When the Whitmer family left the Church, they settled in Richmond. David Whitmer’s Grave was moved to the newer City Cemetery. All three witnesses reaffirmed their testimonies of The Book of Mormon on their deathbeds.

Jail
The Prophet and several other members spent 3 weeks in the Richmond Jail. During this time, they were in a log house. The jailers were telling stories of the horrific things they had done to the Saints. Joseph had heard enough. Parley Pratt records that Joseph said, “Silence ye fiends of the eternal pit. Be silent or you or I die this instant.”

25 Jul - Far West Temple Site

We were able to enter the temple site to see the four cornerstones. The SE corner stone , the one with the most light, represents the First Presidency. Other corner stones represent the Melchezidek Priesthood, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and the Aaronic Priesthood. There is a monument to the revelations given here: D&C 115 where the name of the Church is changed to the current name; section 118 stating the Twelve will leave from here to go on a mission across the seas; and section 119 that institutes tithing. (Sections 115-120 were given in Far West.)

As we stood in that sacred place, it was difficult to think of what the early Saints suffered without having such respect, awe, and reverence for them and their sacrifices. Even though many left the Church here, as in Kirtland, those who remained faithful laid the foundation for a great work. Someone said, “I don’t know what I would have done under those circumstances.” Another answered, “You would have done what they did, either followed the Prophet or left the Church.” Hopefully, we all would have followed the Prophet.

25 Jul - Far West

This was the center of the Church for a little more than 200 days from March 14 to October 31, 1838. At its height, Far West and the surrounding towns had 10,000 people, along with schools, shops, etc. It is from here that the Prophet Joseph is betrayed and taken to Independence, then Richmond, and finally Liberty. Haun’s Mill is not far from here where many Saints were massacred. Even though we have inspiring stories of this time of Saints like Amanda Smith (getting revelation to rebuild her son’s hip), Joseph Smith said, “Up to this day God had given me wisdom to save the people who took counsel. None had ever been killed who abode by my counsel. At Haun’s Mill the brethren went contrary to my counsel; if they had not, their lives would have been spared.” (History of the Church, Volume 5, p. 137) On the other hand, John Butler left his home on the prophet’s counsel, and his life was spared.

Here at Far West, Sidney Rigdon spoke at a 4th of July Celebration. He said, “On the 4th of July [1838], Sidney Rigdon delivered his declaration of independence, which enraged the mob worse than ever, so that by fall the whole country was under arms. (Allen Stout, Journal) He spoke of the Gentile persecution and said the Saints would take it no longer. If the mobs persisted, there would be a war of extermination. “Rigdon’s motion was the main auxiliary that fanned into flame the burning wrath of the mobocratic portions of the Missourians.” (Jim Grant, BYU Studies 14, #41, p. 503) A few weeks later, Rigdon gave the Salt Sermon, emphasizing that those whose light no longer shone were good for nothing but to be trodden under foot of men. (D&C 101:39-41)

During a speech, lightning hit a tree and split it. Joseph told the people, “…so shall the nations of the earth be split in the last days.”

Several battles were fought here. Apostle David W. Patten died at the Battle of Crooked River. Mobs overran the town and raped women and girls. They killed animals, as well as men, women and children. Bro. Dibble is injured and receives a blessing. He then throws up cloth, blood, and the bullets. Many miracles happened during this time. Emma has the manuscripts of the scriptures sewn into her skirts and she carries them all the way to Nauvoo. Alexander Hale Smith and Joseph F. Smith are born in Far West.

25 Jul - Jamesport

We stopped here for about an hour in this Amish town for some shopping at the flea market and in the local shops. It was their summer celebration, and Charlie joined in with the local musicians. The Amish came to this town in 1953 and are the largest settlement in Missouri. There are about 150 families living and farming here. The Old Order Amish are direct descendants of the Mennonite Anabaptist, formed during the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland. Joseph Amman founded this sect in the1600’s by as a group of believers who strictly adhere to Biblical law. The first group emigrated from Europe to America in the 1720’s, seeking religious tolerance and good farmland. Today there are 19 Amish settlements in the U.S. and Canada.

25 Jul - Adam-ondi-Ahman

Our first stop of the day was the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, meaning the “place of God where Adam dwelt.” Joseph told the brethren that the Garden of Eden was in Jackson County. After Adam and Eve were driven out of Eden, they settled in this valley. Joseph also said that Cain killed Abel in Far West. Several prophecies have been given about this place. Remnants of Adam’s altar and a Nephite altar have been found here. John told us a way to remember the heads of dispensation: Adam Eats Nuts and Many Christmas Sweets. This stands for Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Christ, and Smith (Joseph).

There was a good-sized town on this site with 200 homes and a temple site dedicated by Brigham Young. The 3rd stake of the Church was organized here. Adam-ondi-Ahman is located in Davies county, one of two counties set aside for the Mormons. Alexander Donaphan was primarily responsible for accomplishing this. Doctrine and
Covenants 27 and 116 refer to this place. The Saints came up the Mississippi to the Missouri and up the Grand Rivers to Wight’s Ferry, located near here. Gallatin is the county seat where the riots broke out when the Saints went to vote. John Butler defends himself first, and this event is one that sparks the Missouri wars.

Elder Maxwell said, “The valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman will ring again—this tie with the sounds of dispensational reunion, as it glows with gathering! Those of Enoch’s utterly unique city will greet those of the New Zion with holy embraces and holy kisses amid the sounds of sweet sobbing! The hills shall tremble at the presence of the lost tribes, and hearts, as well as ice, will melt, as they come filled with songs of everlasting joy.” (CR, Oct. 1986)

Elder McConkie wrote, “All that happened at Adam-ondi-Ahman in those early days was but a type and a shadow, a similitude, if you will of what shall happen at the same blessed place in the last days when Adam and Christ and the residue of men who are righteous assemble again in solemn worship.” (The Millennial Messiah, p. 580)

Today the Church owns 3500 acres or about 6 square miles. For a meeting, our engineer says about 10 million people could be seated comfortably. Darlene writes, “Hosanna to such days to come, The Savior’s second coming. When all the earth in glorious bloom Affords the Saints a holy home, Like Adam-ondi-Ahman. (Hymn No. 49) Oh! What we have to look forward to. May we strive to endure all that life brings and be valiant in following Him.”

24 Jul - Mark Twain Cave

After lunch, we went up the mountain for our tour of the Mark Twain Cave. Our guide walked us through a portion of the cave and told us the history of the cave and some great stories. Supposedly Jesse James hid out there; his signature and a date located in the cave. The date was near the time of a train robbery in the area. The cave served as a laboratory for a local doctor, Joseph McDowell, years ago and today is one of the national defense locations. During the cold war, food and supplies were stored in the cave. It is a perfect 52 degrees and is good for keeping things in good shape. Some of the formations we saw were Grand Avenue, the alligator, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, and Aladin’s Palace.

“No man knew the cave; that was an impossible thing. Most of the young men knew a portion of it and it was not customary to venture beyond the known portion. Tom Sawyer knew as much of the cave as anyone” (from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain)