Kansas City Trip/ Church History

August 2010 on the week of our Anniversary (Aug 19th), Brian had a business trip planned to go to Kansas City. He decided that we would go together for our anniversary and spend a few days going to church history sites. It was an awesome experience.

We traveled from Kansas City, MO to Independence, MO and Liberty Jail, then the next day we took a trip to Far West, Adam Ondi Aman, Haun's Mill, stayed two nights in Nauvoo, and then went on to Carthage and back to Kansas City. It was a lot to see but was such a neat experience.

Below are a FEW of my favorite pictures: (I think I took over 500)

We saw quite a few of these signs, good thing because the next two pictures explain why they were placed before the bridge.

This is Carthage Jail.

I can't explain the feelings that I felt here. Joseph Smith, Jr. was a man of God. The things he had to endure were horrible, but his faith never failed him.

This is the land that has been dedicated for the temple in Independence, MO.

I found this quite interesting that the LDS church doesn't own this land, but yet nothing has been done with it, yet things are built all around it.

It tells me that the Lord has his hands in all things.

This is the site dedicated for the Far West Temple along with the cornerstones.

Adam-Ondi-Ahman

This is one of the places that I have always wanted to see.

I was quite suprised at the lack of information you can get here.

There is a lot of history/future events that will take place here. They found the remnants of a Nephite alter here.

This is mostly what you see at Adam-Ondi-Ahman

And if you wander around you find a lot of this type of stuff.

This is an actual Mill stone from Haun's Mill

It is placed as a memorial in a park.

On our way we noticed a sign that said we could visit the Home Town of Mark Twain, so we took a small detour to visit. It was neat.

This picture is a little blurry because it was very hard to get. You can't tell but there was a lot of "stuff" in the way of the view. Brian was able to snap this one shot before it was too late.

The Mississippi River was HUGE. I never imagined a river to be as large as it was.

It was night before we made it to Nauvoo, so this was our first glimple of the Nauvoo Temple.

BEAUTIFUL!

And every bit as BEAUTIFUL during the day!

I loved hearing about the Nauvoo Temple, we went through a session and then they gave us a "tour" of the inside. It is built exactly as it was originally built. I love this picture because eventhough we have progressed with electricity and such, they still hung these lantern style lights to replicate the originals.

You can't see the door on the far right inside the third arch, but that is where you enter.

I love that you actually walk up the stairs and enter into the front of the temple.

This is a monument placed down by the river crossing where the pioneers crossed. Having been to Martin's Cove early that year, it was a neat place to visit and to know more of it's people's history.

This is the place where they started onto the River to cross.

This board was behind the statue. It lists all of the pioneers that crossed the River.

This is an ancestor of Brian's that we learned quite a bit about. Lars Madsen made it to Devil's Gate and that is where he died taking care of the animals.

After we left Nauvoo, we drove to Carthage Jail.

This picture was in the visitor's center there.

I guess I never realized that the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum didn't get to see the temple finished. This picture tells a lot about their Carthage journey. They were going to Carthage to settle a legal matter, and knew they'd not return.

I just LOVED these two pictures of the Smith brother's.

I didn't know until the presentation given in the jail that the mob had come with the intent to kill both the Smith brother's. They felt that if one lived the church would still go on, little did they know....

This is a picture of the side of the jail. The structure to the right was added on later.

The window in the upper left is the window the Prophet fell out of.

This is a monument just outside the jail.

I feel like it represents the fact that they still live and will never be forgotten.

This was the lower room that they were "jailed" in. The jail keeper felt that they weren't safe downstairs and so he moved them upstairs to keep them safer.

These are the stairs going up, the ones the mobsers charged up.

This was the upper jail room where they drug John Taylor after he was shot.

The man who ran the jail was kind to the Prophet and instead of being in the "jail cell" he allowed them to be in this bedroom instead.

The holes you see in this door are the ones shot by the mobs. The one in the middle is the one that took Hyrum's life.

(If you notice the notched out look of the one by the latch, when they went to restore the door they found this piece in a toolbox in the basement.)

These are the grave markers for the Prophet Joseph, Hyrum and Emma Smith.

They are in Nauvoo.

Seeing these Church History sites was such a wonderful experience. Even looking at these pictures a year later brings back such strong feelings. I LOVE the Prophet Joseph Smith. I have a testimony of his life and his mission in bringing about the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. He endured so many trials yet had such strong faith. He is a true example of enduring through trials so that we can return to our Heavenly Father.