Missouri is a beautiful state. It is very green and lush. Plants there really want to grow! It is quite different from the West, where we have to coax plants with water and fertilizer. There it rains enough to make all the green stuff feel good. Did you know there is a Mormon temple in Kansas City? It is the first temple in Missouri since the Saints were chased out of the state. Here it is, beautiful but closed for the Sabbath.
We visited Independence. Joseph Smith said it was the Garden of Eden. It is beautiful enough even now. The Church doesn't own much property there now, but there is a small lot set aside for a future temple; the one Christ will return to. It will require much more land than the Church now owns. The Community of Christ owns most of the property here and has a large building shaped like cork screw shell, located near the temple site. Church members are very friendly and cooperate with our Church quite readily. It was a pleasant visit.
We stopped at Richmond, than Carthage Jail, which has been restored to look like it did during Joseph's time. His long time in this jail, with a few companions, is known as his Gethsemane.
I realize more than ever that Joseph Smith gave everything to establish the Church; his name, his energy, his chance at earning a good living, his home, his own safety and peace, and finally his life. How can anyone believe, knowing this, that he was not sincere?!
We spent Sunday night at a vintage hotel called The Elms. It was built in the 1800s. Of course it has gone through some renovations. It was beautiful and full of character. It is located on expansive grounds, filled with trees and lots of grass. In the center is a large gazebo with a dance floor. How fun it must have been to hold dances there. Beyond, in the grass, fireflies lit up in happy spontaneity. I've never seen fireflies in the flesh. It is impossible not to smile at their flashes of light popping up between the blades of grass. Before we went to bed we gathered in the reception area for ghost stories. One of the employees had a whole collection of stories of ghostly events that happened through the years in the hotel. Hum. By the time he was through, we were all feeling a little edgy. But I slept all night anyhow.
Day 2, Monday: Far West, Missouri, was once a thriving town, establish by Mormons after being chased out of Independence. It was located in the northern county of Caldwell, set aside for the Mormons, as it was isolated from other settlers at the time. But persecutions followed, then Hauns Mill and Governor Bogg's Extermination Order. The Mormons had to leave the state. But they left behind a temple site in Far West. Perhaps some day there will be a temple there but now there is no other sign of a settlement; only beautiful green pastures and fields.
Davies County is the location of Adam-ondi-ahman, as Joseph Smith stated. It is a beautiful valley surrounded by wooded hills. Adam met with his righteous descendants here and it will one day be the location of another similar meeting. In one location, overlooking a grove of trees, sits a large stone called "Preacher's Rock". Joseph preached here at one time, and his voice could be heard throughout the grove of trees below. For some reason it has amazing acoustics. We tried it out and it is true! Layne and Bill try their hand at it.
Here we are with Trudy in the grove below Preacher's Rock.
Hannibal, home of Mark Twain, was on our route so we stopped there and toured the town where he lived. Mark Twain stuff was everywhere! The town reflects his stories. Flowing close by is the Mississippi River. His boyhood home was on display, including the fence that he white washed in real life and in his Mark Twain book. Here is Layne giving it a try.
Missouri is full of lush countryside but there is sense of economic hardship about it--a sort of depression. It seems not to be thriving as one would think in such a beautiful place.
Day 3, Tuesday: We rode to Nauvoo. What a lovely place it is. It holds reconstructed buildings and homes as the Saints had them and offer many reenactments of life in "old Nauvoo". The Nauvoo Temple is the definite highlight. It sits atop a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. Statues of Joseph and Hyrum on horseback sit in the foreground. It is a lovely place to be. Most of the tour group went through a session in the temple, but I didn't have my Recommend, so we walked to the home of one of our Mongolian missionary buddies, Jan Matlock. As it turns out it was her birthday, so being with her was an especially good thing.
We spent the evening on the temple grounds, watching the sunset and a full moon rise. It was so inspiring.
Day 4, Wednesday: We went to Carthage. It happened to be June 27th, and the 200th anniversary of The Martyrdom (and Audrey's birthday!). It is haunting to be in the space where the Smith brothers were killed. The door into their prison room still holds the bullet hole where the bullet that killed Hyrum passed. Seeing the window where Joseph fell after being shot was pretty dramatic too.
Day 5, Thursday: We spent much of the day in old Nauvoo, where I found some interesting information on my great-great grandmother, Lucy Walker. We toured HC Kimball's home, my great-great grandfather. It was lovely for its day and stands restored, mostly by one of his descendants. Here I am inside with a portrait of HC Kimball.
There is a lovely garden by the visitor's center in Nauvoo that features statues of women. Trudy and I walked among them, in the rain. Here is a photo of me with one of the statues.
This last day in Nauvoo was an overcast day, making it more pleasant...until the sky began to darken to almost twilight. We could hear the wind blowing in the tops of the trees. Then, before we knew it, the wind was whirling around us moving us to its will. We ran for cover just in time to miss the torrent of rain that poured out of the sky. It was amazing! Everything changed in just a few minutes.
Our bus rescued us and we headed for Iowa and more pioneer gathering places. The Mormons were kicked out of Nauvoo, again in the winter time. One of the places they stopped was a little place called Garden Grove. They stayed for a time there and a little farther to a place they called Mount Piscah. The Garden Grove folk treasure their Mormon roots and have an organization that seeks out building and burial sites and artifacts from the Mormon period. They were friendly and even provided us with dinner.
Day 6, Friday: We drove to Mt. Piscah, Iowa. It is located on a beautiful wooded rise that overlooks a green, fertile valley. It is about as beautiful a place as one could imagine. 10,000 acres of it is owned by a man named Bob Brown. Bob has spent money and time finding Mormon cabin sites and burial sites on his land. It does it all by "witching" with wire coat hangers re-bend to an "L" shape and held gently in his hands. The wires cross when there is a "disturbance in the soil", he says. He demonstrated it for us over and over again. Who can disbelieve? Now I want to try it in our back yard. Who knows what "disturbances" may be lurking just below the surface?
Bob took us on a wagon ride through the woods around his place, pulled by his huge tractor, all the while showing us locations for cabins and burial sites long disappeared. But I believe him. Here he is, telling us about some of his finds.
We saw several other sites, all inspiring and interesting. It was lots of fun even if we didn't get in much visiting time with Bill and Trudy. We were either touring or sleeping! Here is my effort at a selfie of Trudy and myself.
We returned home Saturday, tired but happy to be in our own space once again. And so grateful that it is not a crude, small cabin out in the woods!
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