Church History Tour

I don't want to make any of you feel too badly, but I just happen to live in a VERY cool area! Someday when "the gathering" is taking place, you will all be very jealous that I am right here in the middle of the action! :) Honestly though, I just love church history and am so fascinated with the events that took place/will take place in Missouri. Today I had an amazing opportunity to go on a free tour of many of the church sites in my area, with an extremely knowledgeable guide, Brother Torvort (in the picture below on the left). Our ward rented a bus, which was filled to capacity, and Brother Torvort, who is so knowledgeable about the church history in our area that he takes General Authorities on tours when they visit, taught us interesting facts about the events while we drove. Our first stop was supposed to be the site of Zion's Camp and the spot where the Baptist Church stood, which the men of Zion's Camp fled to when the river overflowed and the mob was scared away. But instead, we got to witness the river overflowing today because of all the rain we've had, and we weren't able to get through on the road and go all the way to the spot. Brother Torvort compared the contention that was felt in Zion's Camp, which led to the sickness and death of many, to the "death" that occurs in marriages and wards when there is contention. Our next stop (I hate to go so fast through this narration, because I honestly learned so much today, but I would be on this computer all night if I tried to write down all the details) was to Richmond, MO and to the grave site of David Whitmer and other members of his family. Below is his gravestone.

The next stop in Richmond was this well-kept (church-owned) cemetery where Oliver Cowdery is buried. There is a monument to the 3 witnesses on the site (pictured below) which talks about Oliver's testimony, apostasy and later return to the church. It ends with the words "He died firm in the faith." On the way out of Richmond we drove past the site where the jail stood when Joseph Smith rebuked the guards for speaking so cruely. I love that story, so I thought I'd provide the details. This is how Parley P. Pratt, one of the other prisoners in the jail that day, recalled the events:

As we arose and commenced our march on the morning of the 3rd Nov., 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. Of this prophesy I testify in the name of the Lord, and though spoken in secret, its public fulfillment, and the miraculous escape of each one of us, is too notorious to need my testimony.
After our removal from Independence to Richmond, Ray county, and our being delivered to Gen. Clark, we were placed by that General in charge of Col. Sterling Price, now Governor of the State of Missouri, if I mistake not.
This said Col. Price placed us in a room without beds, chairs, or any other convenience, and chained seven of us all together, with a kind of trace chain, extending from one man’s ankle to another, and fastened round one ankle of each with a padlock. In this situation we were guarded night and day by about ten men at a time, who stood over us with loaded pistols in hand. At night we were all stretched on the floor in a row upon our backs, and tried to sleep, but the hard floor, the cold, and the inability to change our position because of our chains, and the noise of the guards effectually prevented sleep.
In one of those tedious nights we had lain as if in sleep, till the hour of midnight has passed, and our ears and hearts had been pained, while we had listened for hours to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies, and filthy language of our guards, Col. Price at their head, as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder, robbery, etc., which they had committed among the “Mormons,” while at Far West, and vicinity. They even boasted of defiling by force, wives, daughters, and virgins, and of shooting or dashing out the brains of men, women, and children.
I had listened till I became so disgusted, shocked, horrified, and so filled with the spirit of indignant justice, that I could scarcely refrain from rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards, but had said nothing to Joseph, or any one else, although I lay next to him and knew he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering, as near as I can recollect, the following words:
“SILENCE—Ye fiends of the infernal pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you, and command you to be still; I will not live another minute, and hear such language. Cease such talk, or you or I die THIS MINUTE.”
He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained, and without a weapon,--calm, unruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked down upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowed or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.
I have seen the ministers of justice, clothed in magisterial robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was suspended upon a breath, in the courts of England; I have witnessed a Congress in solemn session to give laws to nations; I have tried to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones, and crowns; and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms, but dignity and majesty have I seen but once, as it stood in chains at midnight, in a dungeon, in an obscure village of Missouri.

Our next stop was Far West. I have a new favorite church site (well, it at least is a tie with Liberty Jail and Temple Square). The spirit in this place is incredible. It literally felt like I was standing in a temple, because technically I was. The site was already dedicated and all four cornerstones were put in place by the early Saints. There is so much history here (again, so many stories I could tell). We were lucky enough to have among us a member of our ward who (I learned just today) was the project supervisor, in charge of beautifying this land and preparing it to be a site for visitors, back in 1968. This man, Harvey Evans, is pictured below, telling us some amazing stories about the history of the sacred ground we were standing on.


Below is a plaque which has Brother Evans name on the very bottom (Harvey G. Evans, Project Supervisor).

The monument at the head of the temple grounds at Far West, Missouri.
The whole temple site.

A nice brother in my ward told me I needed to have a picture of me on the site. He could tell that I was very touched by the Spirit. The tears were falling so quickly by the time I boarded the bus again. This was my first time visiting Far West and I was overcome with emotion.

This is one of the four cornerstones. It was the fourth one to be placed, and it represents the First Presidency. This is the exact spot where Brigham Young and many other apostles stood just before they left for their missions in England. That's a whole other amazing story because the Prophet Joseph had prophesied that they would leave from that spot on April 26th of the following year. By that date, however, the Saints had been driven out of Missouri, and they had to backtrack and sneak into Far West in the middle of the night. They stood on this spot and said a prayer together as they watched the sun start to rise, then left on their missions. Members of the church who had apostatized and were still living in Missouri were amazed the following morning when they realized that the prophesy had actually been fulfilled.

Our final stop on the tour was to Adam-Ondi-Ahman. This is a picture overlooking the valley. I learned a lot today about the things that happened here and the incredible things that will still happen here. How grateful I feel to live so close to this beatiful land. Brother Torvort reminded us to always strive to be worthy to participate in the marvelous gatherings that will occur here.

This is a picture of most of our group. What an awesome day. I feel so uplifted and grateful for my membership in the church and my proximity to the sites I visited today.