Kirtland, Ohio was a place of peace and revelation, where the early saints saw many miracles from heaven and were given the opportunity to live the law of consecration before they were once again driven from their homes. It's a special place to visit and with the recent announcement of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints purchasing the Kirtland Temple, I figured this would be a perfect time to blog about our experience and the many historical places to see in Kirtland, Ohio.
Our experience visiting the temple was slightly different than what you'll expect now as it was owned by the Community of Christ at the time and had a cost to visit. It is now free of charge. We were blessed to have had an amazing tour guide that took us through all the levels and rooms in the temple, letting us know the history and what took place in each area. We were able to sit in the office of Joseph Smith and hear of the vision he had of his brother Alvin and the revelation received regarding the saving ordinances for the dead found in D&C 137. It is also where he prepared for and received the heavenly inspired prayer for the dedication of the temple found in D&C 109.
After the dedication, the Savior Himself appeared in the Kirtland Temple and accepted it as His house as found in D&C 110: 1-8. Other significant events happened here, including the visitations of Moses, Elias, and Elijah. Moses bringing the keys of the gathering of Israel, Elias brought the renewal of the Abrahamic Covenant, and Elijah brought the keys of the sealing powers of Heaven. You can learn more about the Kirtland Temple, it's dedication, and further history here.
On one side of the Kirtland Temple, you'll find an old cemetery and on the other side of the cemetery, you'll find the home of Joseph and Emma Smith.
This home had been dedicated shortly before we arrived and had been open for visitors for only a short week. I was thrilled with the opportunity to visit the home and visualize what their lives were like during this time. Joseph and Emma found joy in this home and were able to view the construction of the temple from the front windows. Directly behind their home, you can also see the foundation of the home built for Joseph's parents, Joseph Smith Sr and his wife, Lucy Mack Smith.
Not far from the Smith home, you'll find Historic Kirtland. While taking a tour, you'll explore the Newel K. Whitney store, the Whitney
home, the Johnson Inn, and a sawmill and ashery that were used to help fund and build the Kirtland Temple. The N.K. Whitney Store was one of our favorite places to visit in Kirtland.
Joseph Smith completed a good portion of the translation of the Bible in the upper rooms of the store. The School of the Prophets was also held in a small room upstairs where many received heavenly visitations and where we received the Word of Wisdom found in D&C 89. You can learn more about the School of the Prophets here.
While taking a tour through the ashery, we learned the process of making what is called "potash" which was sold and provided money for the building of the temple. You can visit this website to learn more about the ashery and sawmill used during this time period.
A little less than a mile down the road, you'll find a peaceful area where Isaac and Lucy Morley owned a farm. They had built a log schoolhouse on their land for their children and those children nearby who wished to learn along side them. It was in this schoolhouse where missionaries were called to Missouri, the first high priests were called and many spiritual manifestations took place. The schoolhouse is no longer there but you'll be able to view a plaque as well as take a nice and short walk to where the schoolhouse may have been.
We saw a fun creature while we were visiting and our kids were thrilled with the find. We also viewed a few deer in the area which is always a bonus to any trip.
If you are planning on a trip to Kirtland, I highly suggest making the 45 minute drive to the Historic Johnson home in Hiram, Ohio. It was another highlight of our trip and has a lot of historical significance in the life of the prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph and Emma lived with the Johnson's for about a year. Joseph received 16 of the revelations found in the Doctrine and Covenants, most well known is found in section 76 regarding the kingdoms of glory.
This is also where they were living when a mob tore Joseph from the bed he was laying in, with their ill son, dragged him a distance away and began to tar and feather him. Emma stayed up late into the evening, cleaning the tar and feathers from his skin. Joseph arose and gave a sermon the next day.
One thing I loved about this home, were the vibrant colors. Elsa Johnson loved colors and that love showed in each room of their home. Historians have been able to restore the home to what it would have looked like by stripping it down to the base layer and matching the colors and designs shown. It's a beautiful area and I highly recommend the visit!
If you'd like to know more about these sites, the hours, and how long to expect to be in each location, you can visit this site.
Our family loves road trips and all the fun things you can do along the way. An app that I have found to be extremely helpful is called Roadtrippers. It provides all sorts of sites to see, places to stay, and adventures to be had along the way. It will give you directions, allows you to see how long the drive is from each stop, you can also input your car information and it will provide you with an estimate on how much your gas will cost. You can visit their website using my link here. They have a free version to test it out. If you'd like to use more of the app, you can receive $5 off using this code: BTR5QTP
Happy journeys!