Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Johnson Farm





Located in a beautiful, tranquil area amid rich farmland, rolling hills and wooded areas, the John Johnson Home stands as one of Ohio's unique historic landmarks.

John Johnson, a prosperous farmer and his wife Alice (known to all as Elsa), welcomed the young Latter-day Saint Prophet, Joseph Smith, into their home in 1831. While living at the home, Joseph received many divine revelations that are accepted as doctrine by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During the year that the Smith family stayed at the John Johnson Home, Ohio became the Church's Headquarters. Many people came from all over the United States to meet the Latter-day Saint Prophet.

Friendly tour guides provide interesting insights into the home's history as well as the important events that took place here.

While in the area, visit Historic Kirtland about 30 miles north of Hiram.

Kirtland Temple





An air of reverence about the Kirtland Temple touches member and friend of the church alike. This historical structure in the quaint, quiet village of Kirtland in the northeastern Ohio hills stands as a symbol of the sacrifice and the dedication of a small group of devoted Christians in the 1830's.

Located just east of Cleveland, the Kirtland Temple was the first temple in this dispensation. The Kirtland Temple symbolizes the eternal principle that human efforts can be directed by the will of God. Latter-day scripture contains some specific instruction about the building of the Temple. In obedience to this direction, the Latter Day Saints soon began construction of the building. They quarried sandstone from a nearby quarry and cut native timbers from the surrounding forests. When those first early missionaries returned home, they worked on the walls or at the quarries.

The Kirtland Temple is owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly know as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was built in 1833 and dedicated in 1836,and was one of the largest buildings in Northern Ohio. It is a combination of Greek, Georgian, Gothic, and Federalist architectural styles. The building has been designated a National Historical Landmark and has been recognized by The Architects Society of Ohio and The Ohio Historical Society.

The pulpits and the pews are among the distinctive features of the interior. Two sets of pulpits grace the main floor with another two sets on the second floor. The seats in the pew boxes are benches that can be shifted from the back to the front, thus making it possible for the congregation to face either the front or the rear pulpits.

The main floor of the Kirtland Temple was used for various services of worship, and the second floor was a school for the ministry. The third floor contained rooms for the "Kirtland High School," during the day and Church quorum meetings in the evening. The west third floor room was Joseph Smith, Jr.'s office.

Today the Kirtland Temple is open for tours through the year. The building is also used at various times for special services and classes.

Explore the Morley Farm



After touring Historic Kirtland, visit the Isaac Morley Farm—just one mile east of Kirtland.

The Isaac Morley farm became a gathering place for Church members who came to Kirtland. Joseph Smith lived at the farm for about six months, and many meetings were held in a nearby schoolhouse. Here Joseph administered church affairs and received many revelations. The fourth general conference of the Church, in which the first High Priests of the Church were ordained, was held at the farm. Visitors can take a guided tour of the grounds during summer months (May through October) and learn of the historical events that took place here.

Kirtland Flats




Visit the Kirtland Schoolhouse and learn of the simple nature of education in the early 1800s. The school house is a replica of the original built on this spot in 1819.

The Kirtland schoolhouse was a place of secular and spiritual education where the Saints responded to the commandment to receive "instruction in all things." Throughout the 1820s and 1830s, the elementary aged children from the neighborhood gathered here to learn reading, grammar, penmanship, and arithmetic—the very basics of education in the early nineteenth century.

In addition to serving as a school, this building played an important role in the public life as Kirtland's "town hall" and as a gathering place for various groups. The school also served as a place for the Saints to gather weekly to worship through prayer, devotional music, sermons, and partaking of the sacrament.








Nestled within the beauty of Historic Kirtland, the Kirtland Sawmill stands as one of the few functioning sawmills from the 1830s.

The Kirtland Sawmill was built by the Church to provide work for newly gathered Saints and to process lumber for the building up of Kirtland, including the construction of the temple. On land owned by Newel K. Whitney and through the expertise of Joel Hills Johnson, the sawmill was constructed in 1834 to "cut lumber for the Lord's house."

A typical day for those building the temple began at the sawmill with a prayer meeting seeking a blessing upon the day's labor. Those working on the Temple itself then walked up the hill while the six or so men laboring at the sawmill went to work.







Before the restoration of Kirtland as it was in Joseph Smith's time, one of the first things you would spot upon entering Kirtland was the Whitney Store, where the Word of Wisdom revelation was received. In fact the old highway used to go right next to this store.

Visit Newel K. Whitney's store, restored to its 1830 condition. Whitney's general store, established in 1826, was the first store in the Kirtland area.

Late in 1830, members of the newly organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were directed to gather to Ohio. The Prophet Joseph Smith and his wife Emma were among the first to travel to Kirtland, arriving at Newel K. Whitney's general store in early February 1831. The Whitneys, who were converts, welcomed the Smiths and opened their home to the Prophet and his wife.

Several months later, in December 1831, Newel K. Whitney was called as the second bishop of the Church. As bishop, he used part of his store to organize goods that were used to help the needy. He also allowed Joseph and Emma to live at the store and use a room as an office. While living at the store, Joseph received about 20 divine revelations that have since been included in the Doctrine and Covenants. A room in the store also housed the School of the Prophets, allowing leaders of the Church to study the gospel together.

While in the area, see the John Johnson Farm Home about 30 miles south of Kirtland.

Come Visit Kirtland & Start with the Visitors' Center






Come visit Historic Kirtland, a small settlement in northern Ohio, where members of The Churchhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gif of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered shortly after the Church was founded. Between 1831 and 1838 Joseph Smith and early members of the Church established Church headquarters in Kirtland, built a temple, and laid a foundation of strength for the future.

A discovery of Kirtland and the surrounding area begins at the Historic Kirtland Visitors' Center. A new film dramatizes the significant events that unfolded here during the 1830s. Guided tours of the historic village, including the Newel K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney Home, Newel K Whitney Store and John Johnson Inn, begin here. These tours will help visitors appreciate the history of Kirtland's faithful residents while the Church was headquartered here.

Other nearby historic sites include the *Kirtland Temple, the temple quarry, the Sidney Rigdon home, the Kirtland Temple cemetery, the Isaac Morely farm, the Hyrum Smith home, the Johnson home in Hiram, and Fairport Harbor.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Whitmer Farm



Here is the humble home where on 6 April 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally organized with six members. During a tour of the small home you can learn about the many other noteworthy events that occurred here.


Members of the Whitmer family did much to further the budding Church. They took in the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and his wife Emma for a period of time and allowed Joseph and Oliver Cowdery to work on the translation of the Book of Mormon in their home. Joseph also received revelations comprising 20 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants, and some of the first priesthood ordinances were performed in or near this home.

Grandin Bookstore


In this building, Joseph Smith, latter-day prophet and translator of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, met with E. B. Grandin to discuss printing the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon. The book, translated from gold plates, is a religious history of a group of people who lived on the American continents centuries ago. Among many things, they wrote of Christ's visit to the ancient Americas after His Resurrection.