More Kirtland Fun!

Day 2 started off with a breakfast of champions!

Our first stop was the Johnson Farm, about an hour from where we were staying. Joseph and Emma lived here for about a year and, while there, Joseph received 16 revelations that are now recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. He also worked on his inspired translation of the Bible.

We were the only ones on the tour and had a fabulous set of sister missionaries who guided us through the house.

This was the room where Joseph and Sidney Rigdon saw God the Father and Jesus Christ and learned of the different kingdoms of glory that people will inherit after they are resurrected. This vision is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 76.

One night, a group of men broke into this home and dragged Joseph from his bed. They forced him outside and carried him to a nearby meadow where they tarred and feathered him. The next day, after Emma had nursed his wounds and cleaned off the tar and feathers, Joseph delivered a sermon from these front steps where Noah and I are standing.

After the tour, Noah and I walked around for a few minutes, enjoying the absolutely beautiful weather and the gorgeous countryside.

We headed back into Kirtland for our next stop - the Morley Farm. Joseph and Emma lived here for a few months in 1831 and Joseph received 13 revelations here. We took a little hike up a trail to a place where, in a small schoolhouse, Joseph had prophesied to a group of men about the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While planning what things Noah and I could do while in Kirtland, I had come across the fact that one of our Presidents, James A. Garfield, had lived nearby. So, after lunch, Noah and I spent a few hours exploring his home and the visitors center there.

After watching a brief film about his life, we headed over to his home and, once again, were the only people on the tour. There have been additions made to the home since his death but about 80% of the furniture, decorations, and items are original. It was from his front porch that James Garfield greeted thousands of well-wishers during his presidential campaign.

I was fascinated by some of the pieces in the home.

His wife Lucretia and his children painted these stunning tiles that surround the fireplace.

An odd, ugly little piece that is original to the home.

Paintings of Lucretia...

and James.

The piece above Noah's head is the closest they could come to what had originally hung there. From the pictures they have, it was much larger and kinda medieval looking but they've never been able to find the original.

His library was quite extensive and it was so cool to check out all his old books.

Four years after Garfield's assassination, Lucretia and her family added the Memorial Library wing, setting the precedent for presidential libraries. It was such a beautiful room!

Stored inside a little back room was this wreath of flowers from his casket.

Garfield used to swing his legs over the side of this chair while he was working on stuff. I loved hearing that very human detail.

At one point our ranger guide pointed to a picture and started talking about the man in it, asking if we knew who it was because it was someone James Garfield admired.  I mentioned that it was Edwin Stanton, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War. With an amazed look on his face he told me that I was only the second person he's ever had on tour who knew who it was. (Patting myself on my back, ha ha.) The tour of the house was awesome and I feel like I learned so much about a president I don't know much about. Afterward, Noah and I wandered around looking at a few more of the buildings before heading back to the visitors center.

Another little visitor.

We finished up our visit by checking out the exhibits that showcase items from Garfield's youth, his service in the Civil War, his short time as president, the assassination, and his funeral.

We headed back to the hotel for a bit so Noah could rest and I could watch the USA womens soccer team play in the World Cup. Then it was off to see Aladdin, which was fabulous...

and then Red Robin for dinner where Noah delights in the bottomless root beer floats!

Kirtland with Noah

We timed our visit to Cincinnati so I could drive the kids up to Kirtland, Ohio for their Stake Youth Conference. While they spent three days touring church historical sights with our stake youth group, Noah and I did our own touring. After dropping Xander and Savannah off, our first stop was the Kirtland Temple.

We spent some time in the graveyard and found the final resting place of some of the early saints.

It was so amazing walking around this beautiful temple and thinking about the amazing things that had happened it. One thing I did notice, however, was the absence of a strong spirit inside the temple. Unfortunately the temple had been used as many other things once the saints left Kirtland, including a housing place for animals, and the spirit that once must have resided here is gone.  Still, it was wonderful to be there.

Next we headed to the church-owned Historic Kirtland Visitors Center.

On the tour we visited the Newel K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney home, where Joseph and Emma lived for a time, as well as the Newel K. Whitney store. While we were walking around the sister missionaries mentioned that a building across from the store had once been an ice cream store and a memory popped immediately into my head of my family visiting Kirtland way back when I was in college.  After touring the store I remembered that we had gotten ice cream, a memory that I had completely forgotten until she mentioned it!

The room where they held the School of the Prophets.

A little museum they had on sight that housed a bunch of original books and documents.

The last part of the tour included the saw mill and the ashery.

We had such a fun first afternoon/evening! Once back at the hotel we headed down to the pool for a bit before bed.