Our very first stop on the 7th was to the Independence LDS Visitor Center. You can see that it was a beautiful clear day (albeit a little chilly). We were the only tourists there at the time. A lovely Sister Missionary escorted us through the Center and it was a totally spiritual experience. This Center was recently rennovated. We sat in the front of the Christus statue and listened to the narrative. At the conclusion the Sister Missionary, from behind us, starting singing a sacrament hymn. She had a beautiful soprano voice. What a feeling!
We visited the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church)Temple across the street. Although they have a goodly number of neat artifacts from the Smith family, there was a totally different feel to this "upside down ice cream cone" edifice. Pat and I walked around for quite awhile trying to find someone to tell us where we could find the museum.
The Temple Lot. Literally. This 2 1/2 acre lot is owned by the Church of Christ. Joseph Smith dedicated this lot in August 1831 (see D&C 57:2-3. All I can say is a lot will change in this area in the future. Right now there is a lot of religions (and the associated confusion).
This is the original Flournoy home where Edward Partridge purchased the Temple Lot acreage (63 acres) for the Church for $130 in December 1831.
Jackson Co first courthouse and oldest building owned by the Church. (note: the fire hydrant was there in 1827.)
Liberty is located 13 miles north of Independence. For what it's worth, Jesse James masterminded the first successful daylight bank robbery in Liberty. The Church has a great visitor center there. Once again we were the only customers for the most part and received great attention. We really enjoyed spending a lot of time going to craft store and visiting with the town people. We had some interesting conversations with folks when the learned where we were from and that we were LDS. I will say that everyone we met were very friendly and neighborly. We had a great lunch at Corbin Mill, an old flour and feed mill so I felt right at home.
It was incredible to see the conditions that the Prophet Joseph and the others had to live. (example very little ventilation from the 4 ft walls and the ceiling was less than 6 ft high. All but one of the prisoners was 6 feet or taller, with Alexander McRae being 6' 6". But this Center was a very spiritual one and reminded you as it said in the presentation that "what could have been a time of despair became a season of faith."
This is the gravesite in Liberty of General Alexander Doniphan. He was a real friend to the Mormons. Joseph Smith named one of his sons after him.
In front of General Doniphan's statue in front of the Richmond, MO courthouse, but that area will be for another day.
