Kirtland, Ohio

August 23, 2008: We drove north from Pittsburgh to Kirtland, Ohio, close to Lake Erie. Kirtland was home to early Latter Day Saints from 1831 to 1838. In 2003 the LDS Church developed, restored and rebuilt some of the historical sites in and around Kirtland. They have done a great job with the restoration...but they have not done a great job publicizing their efforts. Nauvoo, Illinois gets lots of attention, but Kirtland is wonderful; it deserves more publicity. There is a great visitor center...lots of full time missionaries, especially young sister missionaries, to guide visitors through the sites.

I think we forget what happened in Kirtland...and I was not in touch with the context of the place. Less than a year after organizing the Church in New York state in 1830, Joseph Smith announced that the Lord had instructed him that the Saints should move to Kirtland. Kirtland was pretty much on the frontier in those days. Sidney Rigdon was a popular Cambellite (Baptist) minister in Kirtland. He had been preaching about the need for revelation from God and a restoration of the primitive church. When four LDS missionaries arrived in Kirtland, Sidney recognized one as his friend Parley P Pratt. He invited them to preach to his congregation. Sidney and almost his entire congregation were converted and baptized. Newell K. Whitney and his wife were among those new members. Shortly thereafter Joseph and Emma Smith arrived. 1,500 new Saints moved into Kirtland, severely straining the capacity of the community. Newell K. Whitney was one of the stallwarts who helped the new Church survive and thrive in Kirtland. We visited his store. It was built in 1826 and still stands today...now well restored.

Our son Jeff thought that the Whitney store was the highlight of the Kirtland experience. There was a special spirit about the place. Joseph and Emma had lived above the store for at least a year. Much of what we regard as revelation contained in the Doctrine & Covenants was received in that building. What we know as the School of the Prophets was held in one small room in that building. It was there that Joseph instructed his brethren in Church organization and their Priesthood responsibilities. In that room they studied the scriptures, learned Hebrew, Greek and other languages...studied the sciences, etc. I recalled from Joseph's personal writings a note which said simply..."Met with the brethren...taught them about the universe." That was astounding to me at the time. And this was a young unschooled farm boy. I'm convinced that Joseph was taught and instructed from on high.

We also visited the Kirtland Temple, which was the site of many significant Pentecostal type spiritual experiences for the early Saints. It was completed with much faith and great sacrifice, in 1836, when Joseph Smith was 30 years old. How remarkable is that? The Temple is an incredible structure, still in use today by the Community of Christ, formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The majority of the Saints had gathered to Missouri by 1838. Most of the 2,000 Saints in Kirtland joined the 15,000 in Missouri that year. Martin Harris, who was a witness to the Book of Mormon, was one who chose to stay behind. Many years later he moved out to Utah. He is buried in Clarkston, just north of our home in Logan.

While talking with the sister missionaries, Kathie asked if by chance they knew a Sister Redd. Surprisingly they did. Myrna Redd is a good friend from our Ward in Logan. Her late husband Frank was our Bishop... I was his counselor. After Frank's passing Myrna volunteered to serve another mission. We were not sure which mission she was in...it was just a good guess on Kathie's part. (OK...I stand corrected...Kathie has a great memory) We attempted to call Myrna, but could not get past the mission office answering machine. It was actually their day off.

Monday, August 25, 2008: Kathie connected with Myrna this morning and had a long chat. Myrna confirmed the special spirit which exists in the Whitney store. Apparently new missionaries are taken to Kirtland by the Mission President. Each is allowed to spend some private time in the upper room which was the School of the Prophets. There they are encouraged to pray and dedicate their mission to the Lord. Myrna also said that at the end of their missions, missionaries are invited to return to that room in private to report their missionary experience to the Lord. So it is still considered a very special spiritual place. Jeff was very perceptive.