Our Church History tour as a family

Our church history tour began by flying into New York and visiting the childhood home of Joseph Smith.  Then we made our way down to Kirtland Ohio and onto Nauvoo Illinois and then flew home from Kansas City Missouri.  We saw so many awesome sites! What an incredible journey!!!

The Sacred Grove is where Joseph Smith as a young boy of 14 prayed to know which church to join.  God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him in these woods.  Jesus Christ restored his true gospel on the earth through Joseph Smith.  This is a sacred place.  It was so  amazing to walk through this special place with our kids.  

We visited the Hill Cumorah where Joseph was shown where the Gold Plates had been hidden.  Through the power of God, he was able to translate what was written on the ancient record into the Book of Mormon.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ.  We believe in the Book of Mormon and the Bible to be holy scriptures.  

Monument at the top of the Hill Cumorah. 

The room and the table that Joseph Smith used as his office while he lived at the Newel K Whitney home.

Nicole couldn't get enough of those wonderful sister missionaries that we saw in all the places we visited!  Her and Lauren got pictures with each of them.  This is the John Johnson farm where Joseph Smith lived with his wife and children for a few months with the Johnsons.  He would preach from these back steps to people travelling through the town.  At age 17 Lorenzo Snow would stop and listen in his carriage.  He joined the church and was 5th Prophet of the church and is our great great great Grandpa.

Seeing fire flies for the first time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The performing missionaries in Nauvoo.  My kids loved them!!!! 

We have a living Prophet on the earth today.  We love and support President Thomas S. Monson!

We love and support the twelve apostles.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints is set up just like Jesus Christs church when he was on the earth with Prophets and Apostles.

The beautiful Nauvoo temple that was built in 1846 by the early members.  It was destroyed after the saints were forced to leave and it was rebuilt in 2002.

The most amazing experience for us to be in the temple with our older three kids.

Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed before the Nauvoo temple was completed.  This is a statue across from the temple to remember all they sacrificed for what they knew to be true.

Carthage jail where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were shot and killed by an angry mob.

The bullet hole that still remains in the door that killed Hyrum.

Joseph Smith died at age 38.  He died defending what he knew to be true.   This is the window that Joseph fell out of after he was shot.  I am so grateful for Joseph Smith.  

The Church was organized n 1830 with six members.  Today there are almost 16 million members worldwide and the gospel is being spread to the world by 85,000 missionaries who serve for 2 years spreading the word of God! I know this is God's work. To feel the special spirit in all these sacred places that we visited was incredible and life changing for our family. 

One of the most peaceful places on earth!  Adam-Ondi-Ahman


This is a beautiful video about the life of the Prophet Joseph.