One of the most memorable stop along the way was here in Kirtland Ohio for two reasons... one was the temple and the history behind it as well as the historic Kirtland and two...because I had a prayer answered here... a selfish prayer that I never thought I would happen...- Amy and Leon were in charge of this place on our trip, they gathered all the information so they could tell us as we went.. lucky for them there were sister missionaries to do all the explaining so they got to enjoy it too:)
Providing an excellent orientation to historic Kirtland, the spacious visitors’ center was built as a replica of a ten-thousand-square-foot, two-story gristmill. The center displays photographs and paintings of early Kirtland, and a newly produced film, which is shown in the 120-seat theater, transports visitors back to the wintry February of 1831 when the Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife, Emma, arrived in Kirtland from Fayette, New York. The story of earlier missionaries called to the Lamanites and their stop in Kirtland on the way to the Missouri frontier, as well as the subsequent challenges and triumphs of the Saints in building a temple, are told through the experiences of the Newel K. Whitney family. After stepping out of the theater, visitors see a beautiful panoramic window that provides an overview of the restored buildings of historic Kirtland.
John Johnson Inn (rebuilt)
Newel K Whitney Home
Newel K. Whitney home, where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife, Emma, stayed in early 1831. This house is the original it has just been restored. I was surprised to see how small it was and to hear how many people it housed.
grateful for a washer now?
Where all of the seasonings were hung for cooking.
This was so sweet to see for me just having a baby. It seems they got a long fine with something like this back then and now people spend millions on a baby room.....
I was shocked to see no electrical cord.. haha just kidding everyone...
Where the fine dining was kept and displayed.
Newel K Whitney Store
The Newel K. Whitney store. In 1988 the Church received a presidential historic preservation award for the restoration of the building and presentation of its 1830 contents. This village store and post office played a significant part in the Restoration and growth of the Church in the 1830s. The store itself was located on the left side of the lower floor. Levi Hancock remodeled the building in 1832 to include living quarters for the Prophet Joseph and his family, as well as a room for a school and an office for translation work on the Bible. These rooms can be seen on the upper floor from the outside. The large room on the southeast corner served as the translation room, with the school of the prophets room behind, directly to the north, and a private bedroom on the northwest corner. Joseph and his family lived here from 1832 to 1834. I don't quite remember the purpose of the cellar.....
I know these are not original items but it was so neat to see:)
The shoes back then seemed so tiny and narrow... and uncomfortable.
Sunday Best
The actual doors Joseph Smith would walk through daily
and the handle he touched... Im not sure why this is so important, well maybe not important, but the thought of it is very cool that you are in the same spot.
Original flooring.
Sawmill (rebuilt)
Ashery (rebuilt)
The darker bricks were original
an original melting pot if you will....
Leon and Amy, they are so fun.
my little baby was so great the whole trip!
This river used to be full of water and was used daily by the saints for multiple uses, one of them being baptisms.
I add this picture last because if the memory it created for me... here it goes... not to mention that this was the school room spent studying scriptures and teaching them, it was the place where I all the sudden was overcome with emotion as I looked down at my finger and realized I had lost my wedding ring. We stayed at a best western not too far from where were and I had zero recollection of where it would be. I instantly started crying... everyone in the room was looking at me because they thought I was crying because of something spiritual, but I was not. After all that had happened here and the whole journey we had been on learning how the saints lived in such crazy circumstances, I was crying over losing diamonds... I felt like a schmuck but I instantly said a prayer, I then felt so selfish... the ring did not mean I was not married anymore, or that my marriage was any less important to heavenly father.... I was praying that I would find my worldly diamond ring... I stepped out of the room and then instantly remembered that I HAD in fact left it on the night stand at the hotel- although it SURELY would not be there because NOBODY is honest enough to turn in a ring worth 4 or 5 thousand dollars... I assumed the worst... Mandy the pessimist. I had a thought to call the hotel and just ask if they had cleaned that room and they had, im surprised that the guy understood me because I was crying like a baby. I remembering asking him if someone had turned something in...trying to not give out too much information because what if they had and then HE would take it... ugh. He said yes and asked me to describe what that something was... the housekeeper has turned in my ring to the front desk and they had sealed it in an envelope and put it in the safe. What a humbling experience for me that was. It helped me to see the good in people more than I see the negative, and to know that no matter how big or small the prayer, or if you consider it selfish or not... we all need help sometimes and that day Heavenly father answered my prayer. He knew what my wedding ring meant to me, NOT just the diamonds.. and there was someone out there honest, well multiple people) were honest and turned it in. I felt so good and I wanted to meet her but she had one home for the day. I decided to leave her a little gift behind with a note expressing all my gratitude and appreciation that day to her and gave her my testimony:) I was blessed that day...by a perfect stranger who is a housekeeper for best western. Thank you to her.
