Our time in Kirtland was remarkable.
We started our Sunday activities with a visit to the Kirtland Stone Quarry from which the Kirtland Temple and some other public buildings were constructed. You can see the drill marks. There was also evidence of recent flooding as the area had been under severe weather warnings for the last couple of days.
Our green Cavallo bus was always a welcome sight.
We visited the old Kirtland Cemetery and saw many notable graves. This gravestone was placed by the Smith family in memory of so many of their family members who died here.
The front part of this home is where Joseph and Emma Smith eventually lived in Kirtland. We attended Sacrament Meeting in a ward in Kirtland.
We had a wonderful tour of the Kirtland Temple under the direction of a member of the Community of Christ (former RLDS Church) who grew up in Kirtland. Their museum and visitor's center is well kept under the joint help of the various churches in the area--especially the LDS and the Community of Christ.
The name on the Kirtland Temple indicates the name the Church was using in 1834 before the revelation of what the correct name should be.
We had a wonderful tour of the temple from the upper floors to the main floor. I was amazed at how light it was. There were even interior windows so that light could come in from the stairwells. No pictures were allowed inside the temple. A special event was the opportunity to sing "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning." I was the accompanist and it was sung with passion and enthusiasm.
John, Kathryn Ann, Karen and Richard
The next stop was the John Johnson Farm. The Church owns the land around the farm and leases it to farmers to keep it in production and to provide a buffer zone for special church sites. This is the barn
The back view of the large home. The Johnsons hosted many people in their home.
It is beautifully appointed. It has been continuously lived in and it was possible to scrape away the old layers of paint to get the original colors.
There were even rooms just for spinning and weaving.
Johnsons gave Joseph and Emma the bedroom on the main floor next to the front door so they could receive guests and come and go with some privacy. It was through the door that the mob came and grabbed Joseph and took him to the field adjacent to the house (see picture below with the church in the back ground) and tarred and feathered him. It was from the effects of this atrocity that the little Murdock twin, who had been adopted by the Smiths, died,
Monday morning found us at Historic Kirtland Village. It was a major project for the Church to celebrate the bicentennial of Ohio in 2003. It was so important that the town even allowed them to reroute the road so that people could walk between the various venues in safety.
This is the visitors' center. I was thrilled to find information about the Eleazer King family on the Whitlock line who actually live in Kirtland. Now we know that we had ancestors who lived in Kirtland, Missouri, Nauvoo, and the earliest settlers in Utah.
The rebuilt school house.
A painting showing the construction of the Kirtland Temple.
The Chagrin River which was the site of many baptism in the early days. It has been shored up against flooding which was a blessing for times such as these days when there was a lot of flooding.
The Newell K. Whitney Store is nationally recognized as being authentic in its supplies for the time period. Whitney kept detailed records and I found records of Eleazer King buying boots there for $2.50.
The entire building is fascinating and the missionaries do a wonderful job of telling the stories.
This is the room where the revelation on the Word of Wisdom was given. The table is the actual table that was used at the time.
Note the careful workmanship of the table leg.
This is a replica of the bed where Joseph and Emma slept with a trundle bed for their little ones.
Looking up the street to other reconstructed buildings.
The reconstructed homes were fascinating showing what life was like.
This is a beautiful picture of the Savior appearing the Joseph and Oliver in the Kirtland Temple. It was especially meaningful because we had just been in the temple and the background details of the picture were accurate.
Following the storm damage they are replacing the walkways.
There are places to sit and enjoy the ambiance.
This is the entry way to the sawmill.
After seeing all the trees in Ohio and the Northeast I could appreciate the need for a sawmill.
Nothing was wasted. The unusuable scraps of wood were burned and ashes were brought to the ashery to be processed into potash which was sold at very good prices for the manufacture of glass, soap, lye, etc. After the Saints left Ohio, the prices dropped significantly but it was an excellent "cash crop" while they lived there.
Steps in the production of potash. Primary firing
Second firing
Boiling to reduce the volume and extract the chemicals
Kirtland will always have a very special place in our hearts. It was the headquarters of the Church for 8 years and the place of organization for most of the quorums of the church, as well as the first temple. Many of the key revelations were received here and the appearances of heavenly messengers were frequent.
Leaving Kirtland we went to Middleton to the home of an Amish family. They don't use electricity but they do use propane for heating and cooking. Here is one of their buggies.
They prepared a delicious meal for us--everything homemade! Before we left, the mother asked us to sing "I Am a Child of God" for her. Her neices were among those who were killed in the shooting in the Amish school and the song means a lot to her and her family.
I loved their flowers.
Clothes handing outside on the line were frequently seen in this part of Ohio.
The horse was in the stall next to the wagon.
We also stopped at an old country store near the crossroads of several roads.
It was amazing all the things they had in that store and a fun way to end our tour. It was like walking back into the 1940's or 1950's. From there we were taken to the Cleveland airport and flew back to Utah. It was a wonderful trip. We enjoyed our guide, our bus driver, the people on the tour and especially having Karen and Richard to share it with us. We had nice accommodations wherever we went and people are good wherever you go. We are so appreciative for the privilege of living in America and for having the blessings of membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
