Sunday, October 7, 2012

LDS Church History Tour - Kirtland, Ohio

 We decided if this would be our last summer in the East Coast that we had better take advantage and make it out to all the church history locations and everywhere we want to go. The only problem is the sheer number of places we want to visit before leaving this beautiful place in the world. So we started with Kirtland, Ohio where the saints gathered to establish a community and build a temple. They made this little town a beautiful place and were able to build their precious temple. The saints loved living in Kirtland, but were eventually forced to leave and leave behind their precious temple, homes, farms and town that they had labored so diligently to build. But mobs and those who hated the Mormon's forced them out and took their possessions. The saints moved on, but not before leaving a lasting legacy in Kirtland.
 Newell K. Whitney was an early member of the church, eventually the first bishop for the church. His store became the first bishop's storehouse where the poor and needy in the church could come to receive needed food, seed and all necessities of life. Joseph and Emma Smith lived upstairs in this store for quite some time while they awaited building their own home.
 Whitney Home

 Mill and water wheel
 Pot ash factory

 Upper room of the Whitney Store where the School of the Prophets was held. 
 Bishops storehouse

 Kirtland temple



Historic cemetery where several of Ryan's ancestors are buried. 

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