Church History Trip

We went on a trip three weeks ago to Palmyra, Kirtland, and Nauvoo with Mom, Dad, and Grandma. What a great time. We also got to see where Matthew and Summer live. I had a conference at UIUC, so that was part of the excuse to get out there.

I'm so glad Lydia got to spend time with her great-grandmother, and the other way around. They really enjoyed each other. I enjoyed the time with Grandma as well. She sure is fun to talk to, and she's very smart. More so than I expected.

It was neat to see these places that I have heard about in the D&C. The sacred grove was nice and peaceful. I just liked to imaging Joseph Smith's sincerity as he went to get away from everyone else and pray to God. As I was there I tried to imaging myself in the situation of just needing some solitude.

I also enjoyed going in the Kirtland Temple and seeing the Nauvoo Temple (it was conference weekend, so it wasn't open). Also, in the old homes in Kirtland and in the John Johnson farm (about 30 miles form Kirtland) and really appreciated the sacrifices that people went through. It was easy for me to imagine people feeling comfortable in their homes and lifestyles and then being told to sacrifice it all. It was also startling to realize how much Joseph Smith and Emma personally sacrificed for the work, often not having a place to call home.

Nauvoo was great. With the temple rebuilt you could see it from the village and really feel like you're back in time. We walked down Parley Street and went to see several homes, including Brigham Young's home.

Lydia was pretty well behaved on the trip, but she got tired of it all by the end. Then Larisa and Lydia stayed in Colorado with Natasha and Nic for four days and let me catch up in school.