As you study the Doctrine and Covenants in Come, Follow Me this year, you can deepen your understanding by exploring the stories and viewing photos of places where sacred events occurred. This is one in a series of articles about key Church history sites.
Several historic Church history sites in Missouri have been preserved by the Church for visitors to enjoy either in person or virtually.
Independence Visitors’ Center
The Independence Visitors’ Center is located in Independence, Missouri. In 1831 the Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that Independence, in Jackson County, Missouri, would become a “city of Zion,” a gathering place for Saints, and a location for a future temple. Latter-day Saints gathered in Independence, began to establish a new community, and prepared to build temples, but their actions and their large population concerned settlers who had arrived there previously. Some of those settlers drove the Saints out of the county in 1833.
In August 1831, Sidney Rigdon dedicated Jackson County as a place of gathering for the Latter-day Saints, and Joseph Smith dedicated a temple site in Independence. By July 1833, between 1,000 and 2,000 members of the Church lived in Jackson County. Dissension among Church members and contention with others in the area led to violent attacks and the expulsion of the Saints from the region later that year.
Today, the Independence Visitors’ Center includes exhibits about the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missouri and about Heavenly Father’s eternal plan for His children.
See the page Independence Visitors’ Center for schedule, more information, and photos.
Liberty Jail
Liberty Jail, located in Liberty, Missouri, is a reconstruction of a jail where the Prophet Joseph Smith received divine revelations of comfort in March 1839. The reconstructed jail is housed within a Latter-day Saint visitors’ center that interprets these revelations about the persecutions and sufferings of the Saints and the peace promised to those who endure in faith.
The reconstructed Liberty Jail is presented as a cutaway, providing a view inside. A brief audio presentation tells the story of the jail. On December 1, 1838, the Prophet Joseph Smith and five other men were falsely accused of treason and imprisoned in the original Liberty Jail. One of those men, Sidney Rigdon, was released from the jail in early February 1839. The others—Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Lyman Wight, Caleb Baldwin, and Alexander McRae—remained there until early April 1839. For Joseph Smith and his imprisoned companions, Liberty Jail was a place of intense suffering and glorious revelation.
In Liberty Jail, Joseph Smith and his companions endured many trials, not the least of which was the knowledge that their family members and friends were enduring intense persecution throughout western Missouri. Toward the end of their confinement, Joseph prayed to God for understanding and deliverance. He received a revelation that he sent in a letter to the Saints. Portions of that letter are now recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 121, 122, and 123. President Joseph Fielding Smith dedicated the recreated jail and the surrounding visitors’ center on September 15, 1963.
See the page Liberty Jail for schedule, more information, and photos.
Hawn’s Mill
In 1838, 17 Latter-day Saints were killed by vigilantes at Hawn’s Mill, a frontier settlement located in Caldwell County, Missouri. Today, Hawn’s Mill, located several miles northwest of Braymer, Missouri, is a peaceful commemorative landscape with trees and Shoal Creek on one side of a large, open field and farmland on the other.
Joseph and Emma Smith lived in this home for one year. While they were there, Joseph received 16 revelations that are now recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. He also worked on his inspired translation of the Bible.
See the Hawn’s Mill page for the address and photos.
Far West Temple Site
The Far West Temple Site, located several miles northwest of Kingston, Missouri, is where Latter-day Saints began to build a temple in July 1838. Serving as the Church headquarters for a short time, Far West, in Caldwell County, Missouri, was also the location where the Lord revealed the full name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and established the law of tithing.
Although the Far West Temple Site does not house a temple, it exhibits the original four cornerstones, showing the place where members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once planned to build a temple. The Far West Temple Site includes a small fenced area with monuments about events that occurred there. Farmland surrounds the site.
See the Far West Temple Site page for the address and photos.
Adam-ondi-Ahman
Originally called Spring Hill, Adam-ondi-Ahman was a short-lived 1838 Latter-day Saint settlement located in Daviess County, Missouri. Today, Adam-ondi-Ahman, located a few miles southeast of Jameson, Missouri, is a place of beauty and quiet contemplation. The site is maintained by the Church with beautiful landscapes and trails.
Spring Hill was named Adam-ondi-Ahman by the Prophet Joseph Smith, as indicated by the Lord in revelation (see Doctrine and Covenants 116). Five weeks later, on June 28, 1838, the third stake of Zion was organized there. An 1835 revelation identified the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman as the place where Adam blessed his posterity after leaving the Garden of Eden (see Doctrine and Covenants 107:53–57).
See the Adam-ondi-Ahman page for the address and photos.
Learn more about the Church’s historic sites at history.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Related articles:
- “What to Expect When You Visit the Church’s Historic Sites in Missouri“
- “A Guide to Historic Sites of the Latter-day Restoration” published by the Church News.
The post A Visitor’s Guide to Church History Sites in Missouri first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.
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