Kirtland

I'm sure in the next few years that I live in Cleveland we will be visiting Kirtland, it is only about 15 minutes from our new house! It is really a neat place, and the church has done an amazing job restoring it.  It has changed a lot since I was there about 10 years ago! We had a great little missionary couple take us on our tour, and it was there last day on their mission! So, here are a few photos....

The saw mill and ashery. The church used these for building the temple,

after the temple was complete, they sold the goods and made a profit, much of which was given to the church welfare program. 

More of the saw mill and ashery, which was powered by the water wheel...

This is an amazing little room.  When I was on my church history tour just out of high school, we visited this room and I remember feeling a very special spirit here.  As soon as I walked in this room again, that same incredible feeling came back, it was a feeling that instantly came to my mind and made me remember the last time I was here.  

This is the school of the prophets.

In this very room, several men saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, they were witnesses to the Book of the Mormon and wrote their experiences of what they saw and felt in this room.  

This is a little sign that I just loved.  Kirtland is such a pretty little town, nestled between rolling hills, and in the summer is SO green and lush.  It is an amazing historical site for our church and really was a place where the early Saints had to have faith, trust, and perseverance through their trials while in Ohio. 

This is the Newel K. Whitney Store.  Newel Whitney was the first bishop of the church, and was a very large part of church history.  He was an incredible man and friend of the prophet Joseph Smith.  He gave of goods, traded people food for their home grown goods, and started the welfare program of the church. The Whitney's were generous with their time, food, and even their own home while the church was rapidly growing in OH. Upstairs in the store is the School of the Prophets.

Kirtland was a very special place to visit, we were so happy to be able to go on Easter Sunday.  I am excited to go back and show these special places to Will, let him run around on the beautiful grounds and feel the special, holy spirit that is there.  The early Saints were so faithful and endured many hardships for the gospel, I'm so grateful to them and their strong wills! 

If you are not a member of our faith and want to know more about Kirtland or our beliefs, go HERE: www.mormon.org