So just when I thought all the activities and events of the summer were over, Dallin and I take a rather quick, spontaneous road trip from New Jersey to Utah! (Between my trip with Jeff to the Oregon coast all the way to Utah and now this trip, I have literally driven across the entire US this summer!) Jeff and I have been looking at buying a new family vehicle for quite some time (and for various reasons). We have enjoyed purchasing vehicles in other locations and driving back to Utah. Frequently, we can find cars in better condition with lower miles and lower prices outside of Utah. Well...we found a Toyota Sequoia in New Jersey that was too good to pass up. Not only that, but I had been discussing with Jeff my concern about being able to take Dallin on a church history trip next summer because of the timing of his mission and other events that will most likely happen in June. When we found this car, it all seemed to fit - we could get a new car and take the church history trip we've taken with all the kids prior to their mission! From when we found the car to when we were on a plane was less than 3 days. It was a whirlwind getting everything in place, but it was worth it! Dallin and I had a blast! We were inspired and our faith was fortified. We recognized the immense sacrifices that had been made for us to enjoy this gospel in our day. We reflected on our own lives and wondered what sacrifices we are called to make. We not only understood better what occurred in those early years of the church, but we appreciated and were humbled by the faith of the early saints. In the downtimes in the car, we rocked out to music (much of which he had no clue that I knew! Silly boy thought I never listen to music) and laughed along with comedians. I treasured this week with Dallin. My mama heart is heavy thinking that he will most likely be on his mission this time next year. It is hard to send your kids away for 18 months - 2 years, but I know those years are a small sacrifice for the lessons that will be learned and the faith that will be developed...not only in his life but ours.
Well our trip started with a red-eye flight on Wednesday (Aug 8) night. The plane left SLC at midnight and landed at 6:00 a.m. in New Jersey. As we waited to board the plane, we got called up to the check-in desk. I was a little worried that they were going to bump us because they had stated the flight was overbooked and we were probably some of the last people to book the flight, but I was pleasantly surprised when they actually upgraded us to Economy Plus seating (which meant more leg room) for free! That was a first for me and it couldn't have happened on a better flight! I was a little worried about being comfortable enough to sleep on the flight since I knew we'd hit the ground running, but with the extra space, I was able to catch some Zzzz's.
After we landed, we had a little time to kill before the car dealership was open so we grabbed some breakfast at the airport and tried to find a comfortable place to relax. Finally, we headed to the dealership to get the car. I am so grateful for a husband who is extra thorough in his purchasing preparations because everything went smoothly and we were able to get out of there is a short amount of time. Once we hit the road, we quickly left NJ and headed into Pennsylvania. Our first church history site was the Priesthood Restoration site on the banks of the Susquehanna River. Except for Kirtland and Winters Quarters, I had already been to all the sites we visited and this has been one of my favorites. The whole site has changed since I last visited with Jeff about 5 years ago. Since that time, they have built a visitors center and re-built Joseph and Emma's home and Emma's parents' house on their original foundations. We took a tour through the visitors' center and both homes before we explored the cemetery when Joseph's firstborn son was buried (he died at birth) and the river where they were baptized. It was in this place that 70% of the Book of Mormon was translated. However, I think the most reverent part of our exploration occurred in the sugar maple grove up the hill from the houses. It was here that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey saw John the Baptist and the Aaronic priesthood was restored to them. I have to admit that there were moments when some of the stories of the appearance of angels or the translation of the Book of Mormon or other revelations from God seemed completely insane or too incredible, but it was in those moments that I felt the Spirit whisper to me that it was true. It was in those moments that I felt my heart soften and my head relinquish all the doubts. Why couldn't the Lord reveal himself to man? Why would the heavens be closed to his children now when they were open in biblical times? Isn't God a god of miracles? I am so grateful for those quiet moments of reflection in which I was able to consider and contemplate God's love for me and all his children. I am so thankful that He loves us enough to make sure we had prophets to lead and guide us back to Him. I don't know everything...and I'm glad I don't because where would that leave my faith? I think faith is stronger and more powerful than knowledge. It is good to know things, but it is better to have faith in moments of doubt...until that knowledge comes. I'm grateful to the early saints who believe without seeing; who trusted in the unknown; who followed even when common sense told them to stay. If they could believe and never deny the truth they knew during so much hardship, why shouldn't I?
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| Emma's parents' house |
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| Here is where Joseph would have sat to start copying some of the characters from the plates to try to start to translate. The box on the table was a replica of how he would have hid the plates and approximately how much the box would have weighed. Dallin got to heft the box. |
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| Joseph's and Emma's first home. |
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| The kitchen table where Joseph would have sat to work on the translation with Oliver Cowdrey. |
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| Their room with a crib that never got to see a baby in it. |
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| Their first boy's gave. |
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| From the cemetery, you can see the church/visitor's center. |
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| A small stream in the Sugar Maple grove where John the Baptist appeared to Joseph and Oliver. |
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| The river where Joseph and Oliver were baptized. |
Our next stop was the Peter Whitmer farm. Joseph sought refuge to complete the translation of the Book of Mormon at this location after enduring persecution at his home on the Susquehanna. It was here that the 3 witnesses saw the golden plates, and it was here that the first meeting of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. The home we visited was a recreation of what would have been typical of the time using materials from the time period. Even though the home was not original, the property was.
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| A replica of what the room could have looked like the day the church was organized. |
By this time, our day was consumed and we headed to our hotel just outside of Palmyra, NY. The following morning (Friday, Aug 10) we woke up early to head to the temple in Palmyra. I couldn't think of a better way to start our day than in a house dedicated to the Lord. I was able to read about Joseph Smith's first vision while I reverently witnessed the covenants being made in the temple.
After we finished in the temple, we headed to the Smith Farm to tour additional homes before entering the Sacred Grove where God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. The first home we entered was the small log cabin the Smith family originally built before building a much bigger house a few yards away. It was in this log cabin that Joseph was contemplating James 1:5 and decided to pray to know which of all the churches was true. It was also here that the angel Moroni appeared to Joseph after he received the First Vision and instructed him regarding the Book of Mormon. The home wasn't original but it was built on the original foundation according to the records that were written by the Smith family. The second home was where Joseph and Emma first lived after they were married and where Joseph brought the golden plates (from which the Book of Mormon was translated) after he received them. We also saw the cooper's shed and the thrashing barn that were on the property and typified the work the Smith family had to do to earn a living. Finally, the tour ended and we were allowed to enter the Sacred Grove. The reverence felt in the grove was undeniable. Dallin and I split up when we entered the grove to allow each of us some time for solitary reflection. I wish I could say that I knew how prayer worked, but I know how I feel when I pray. I know I have a Father in Heaven who wants to hear from his little girl and only wants the best for her. Even when my desires go unanswered, I know He listens.
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| The Smith's first home. |
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| The family room/kitchen where Joseph was taught the Bible and most likey read James 1:5 that inspired his prayer. |
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| This is the loft where Joseph would have been sleeping the night the angel Moroni first appeared to him. |
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| The Smith's larger home that their oldest son, Alvin, helped construct. |
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| Joseph hid the plates under those bricks. |
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| The cooper's barn (Joseph Smith Sr. was a cooper by trade) where Joseph also hid the plates. |
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| The Sacred Grove |
Once we spent some time in the grove, we moved on to our next stop - the Hill Cumorah. It was here that the Moroni (the last prophet of the Book of Mormon) hid the golden plates until Joseph Smith received them to translate the Book of Mormon. It is actually a pretty high hill in an area of mostly flat farms. I can only imagine what Joseph felt when he saw the plates and finally obtained them to translate.
Finally we hit our last stop in Palmyra - the Grandin Publishing building. It was here (in the exact building) that the Book of Mormon was first published. It was an act of faith to get it published because many publishers wanted nothing to do with the "golden bible", but Mr. Grandin was persuaded and 5,000 copies were printed. Martin Harris, an early member, helped with the publishing costs, which ultimately led to the sale of his property, but he was one of those saints that had faith in the gospel, regardless of the price.
Finally, we left Palmyra and headed west. Our next stop was a fun one. We visited the massive Niagara Falls! There had been a lot of rain in the area recently, which contributed to the extra force of the falls and the river dumping into them. It was incredible. We could see the mist of the falls from miles away. When we got there, we walked along the river until we reached the Maid of the Mist. We took the little ferry up to the falls for a closer and wetter look before deciding to head back to the car and cross over to the Canadian side. Over there, we drove along the falls to get a different view. We saw a full rainbow over the plummeting water. It was breathtaking...and slightly scary to see such a force of nature. Before leaving Canada, we had dinner at a little Mexican food restaurant because why not have Mexican food in Canada? Finally, Dallin drove us back over the border (because he wanted to drive in a foreign country) and on to our hotel near Kirtland, Ohio for that night.
The next day (Saturday, Aug 11) we visited the church history sites at Kirtland, Ohio. Kirtland was the second longest place that the church headquarters was held. It was the first major gathering point for the saints and the first place that they constructed a temple. Many of the sites, including the temple, were actually original and had simply been refurbished. There is something sacred about entering into places (e.g., homes, stores, groves, etc.) where the honorable, brave, faithful men and women of the early church walked. We heard stories of these individuals that increased our own faith. We visited the historic Kirtland with the Newell K. Whitney store as well as their home and a few other buildings (e.g., sawmill, ashery). Afterward, we went to the Isaac Morely farm where Joseph and Emma lived for a period of time. It was here that she gave birth to and lost her twins. It was here that Joseph received 13 revelations and prophesied that the church would fill north and south America and that it would fill the world. Finally, we visited the Kirtland temple. This was the first site we went to that was not owned by the church, but rather the Community of Christ church that splintered off following the prophet Joseph's death. The temple is not like our temples today, but there was still a spirit of reverence as we toured the sacred building. In this holy house, the prophet Joseph was again visited by angelic messengers who restored priesthood keys for the salvation of God's children today. My favorite part of the tour was being able to sing the hymn, The Spirit of God, in the room where it was sung so many years ago as the temple was dedicated.
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| The room where the School of the Prophets was held. |
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| The Whitney home |
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| The mill |
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| The ashery |
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| The mill (up front) and the ashery (in the back). |
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| The trail up to where the school house used to be. |
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| A tree that was most likely there when the early saints where in Kirtland. |
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| Kirtland Temple |
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| They highly discouraged pictures inside the temple so the ones you see are the ones I snuck pictures of. |
From Kirtland, we headed towards our next hotel. Along the way, we stopped at Notre Dame to check out the campus and have dinner at Legends Cafe right outside the football stadium. We even walked over to the famous "Touchdown Jesus" mural.
Sunday (Aug 12), we left Ohio and headed to Illinois. (In all, we drove approximately 3,000 miles on this trip and hit 11 states!) Our first stop was Carthage Jail, where the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, were murdered. I know I keep saying it, but there is a certain reverence about the locations we visit. This place was no different. There was a solemn feeling as the missionaries described the events that occurred in this jail. We sat quietly as we contemplated all that Joseph (and Hyrum) sacrificed to bring us the truth. Tears came to my eyes as I looked at the bullet hole in the door that fatally shot Hyrum. Sorrow encompassed me as a peered out the window at the well where Joseph fell to his death after being shot twice in the back. Why would a man sacrifice all that he had, even his own life, for something that was not true? He wouldn't.
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| The original door with the bullet hole from the bullet that killed Hyrum still there. |
After taking a few pictures (Dallin's favorite activity of the trip), we headed about 20 minutes north to Nauvoo. We didn't have much time there since most of the replicated homes/businesses were closing at 5:00 p.m., but we hit a few so as to maximize our time. Monday (August 13) we returned to Nauvoo and visited all the homes/businesses. We started our day with another trip to the temple. I think this is the best way to start a day. It put us in the right frame of mind to listen not only to what we learned from the missionaries, but what the Spirit was willing to teach us.
The rest of the day we spent exploring all the houses/businesses that we didn't hit the day before. Dallin loved learning about the pioneer trades, especially blacksmith, tinsmith, gunsmith, and coopering. I am fascinated by the talent and commitment these people had. I lament that these trades are largely forgotten. I wish I had spent more time learning certain "forgotten" skills with my grandparents before they passed. It was also really interesting to learn about some of the early saints that lived in Nauvoo and what they individually contributed to the building up of God's kingdom on earth. I know we live in different times. I know they just felt their lives were normal because they didn't know any different, but I am absolutely in awe of them. We were luckily able to hit all the sites before they closed for the evening.
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| Council of the 70 building. My third great grandfather was a member and most likely helped build the original building. |
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| One of Dallin's favorite businesses to visit - the gun shop. |
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| The blacksmith shop was another favorite. |
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| The Brickyard |
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| Learning how to make rope. |
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| We took an oxen ride. |
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| Baby oxen |
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| The Trail of Hope...where the saints walked to get to the Mississippi river to leave Nauvoo. |
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| Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma's graves |
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| The Grove where meetings were held. It happened to be my 4th great grandmother's birthday that day. She was married to Joseph Smith's uncle. I bought a little pastry and sang happy birthday to commemorate the day. |
The next day (Tuesday, August 14) we moved on to Missouri. Our first stop was Adam Ondi Ahman. This is where it was revealed to the prophet Joseph Smith that Adam and Eve resided after their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. It is a beautiful valley, mostly filled with farms.
Next stop was Far West. The saints had tried to settle here prior to the extermination order in Missouri. They even placed four cornerstones for the temple they hoped to build there. That is all that is left of their time in this place.
Finally, we made our way to Liberty Jail. Joseph was imprisoned here (with 5 other men) from December 1838 to April 1839. The conditions which they had to endure were horrendous; yet, from their suffering, Joseph received some of the most empowering and uplifting revelations. Our guide pointed out that often times when we pray for relief the Lord does not change our circumstances but rather adjusts our focus. How true that is!
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| A copy of the Extermination Order from Gov. Boggs of Missouri and a copy of the order to rescind the original order. |
From Missouri, we headed north to Omaha, Nebraska. This was another place I had yet to see - Winters Quarters. Since we were making good time, we decided to head straight to the Mormon Handcart Trail Visitors Center to end our day. Much of what we saw in the visitors' center again depicted the life of the Saints during their trek west. It was at this location that they stopped to weather out the winter season before the final push to Utah. At this point in their journey, they had exhausted much of their resources and needed to replenish food supplies as well as seek shelter from the winter weather. Many saints again suffered sickness and death because of the conditions, but they remained faithful and were ultimately led to a land that they could worship without the constant onslaught of mobs and persecutions. Because much of the houses and buildings constructed at the site were made of cottonwood, there aren't any orginal structures left. In fact, the only thing left from the saints during that time period was a headstone that marked the grave of a mother and her two young children. The visitors center actually sits across the street from the gravesite of many of these early saints. Unfortunately, the grave markers are no longer there, but there are records of who was buried there and where. It was a solemn way to end our day.
By Wednesday (August 15), Dallin and I were simply ready to get home. However, we made one final stop before leaving the Winters Quarters area. We drove back over the river into Iowa to what was once known as Kanesville. It was here that the early saints built a tabernacle to use as a meeting place. The original tabernacle no longer exists, but a replica was built to commemorate the events that took place there. It was there that Brigham Young was sustained as the new prophet exactly 3 and a half years after Joseph Smith's death. It was also here that Oliver Cowdrey (who had been excommunicated in Missouri for embezzling funds) came back to the church and was re-baptized. So much history. So many people. So much faith!
The next day and a half were spent driving home through Nebraska, Wyoming then on to Utah. I never knew that sitting in a car for so long could be so exhausting! We were excited to finally get home, but the trip was well worth it! I have an increased understanding of church history and an exponential increase in appreciation for the sacrifice of those early saints that have allowed the gospel of Jesus Christ to be back on the earth today.
Next stop was Far West. The saints had tried to settle here prior to the extermination order in Missouri. They even placed four cornerstones for the temple they hoped to build there. That is all that is left of their time in this place.
Finally, we made our way to Liberty Jail. Joseph was imprisoned here (with 5 other men) from December 1838 to April 1839. The conditions which they had to endure were horrendous; yet, from their suffering, Joseph received some of the most empowering and uplifting revelations. Our guide pointed out that often times when we pray for relief the Lord does not change our circumstances but rather adjusts our focus. How true that is!
