Kirtland, Ohio Temple and Visitor Centers

Scott and I were finally leaving that horrible Lily of the Valley RV Park on July 10th, that was a terrible experience and heading to Sandusky.  I really wanted to stay in the eastern Ohio area but there were no RV parks available anywhere so we decided to head west and spend a few more days at Crystal Rock RV Park.  Before we left, we went to Kirtland, Ohio - only about an 15 minute drive from where we were and went to the sites there of the Kirtland Temple and Historic Village of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint and visitor center.  I had scoped out the location for RV parks on my way home from Cuyahoga Valley National Park and we had no problem finding a place...early in the morning.

Kirtland Village 1837

We parked at the Kirtland Village Visitor Center parking lot and did a bit of sightseeing at this location first.

Web Photo

This little village is full of the homes of early church settlers and the mill where the Kirtland Temple was milled.  We arrived before the visitor center was open so we took a little tour of the ground and enjoyed the sawmill.  Here is a great 4 minute VIDEO of the area and inside local important and historic homes.

Whitney Store

Newell K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney Home

Web Photo of Whitney Store and Home

Saw Mill Photos

Kirtland Schoolhouse.  This is a replica of the one built in 1819.
It was a school for children and also the town hall.
On Sunday during the 1830s the building was used for church meetings.

Site of Whitney and Gilbert Livery Stable across from Whitney Store.

Johnson Inn Resource Center.  This used to be the Johnson Inn and was reconstructed.

Once the visitor center was open, we first saw a movie about the Kirtland area in the visitor center and then started on a tour.  Scott had a meeting so I did the tour myself but they started at the mill and we had tickets to be on the Kirtland temple tour at 10 a.m. so we got a senior couple missionary, Elder and Sister McCombs, to take us through the Whitney Store before walking up the hill to the temple site.

The Newell K. Whitney Store is wonderful and decorated just as it would have been during the 1830s.

Shoes were make so either shoe could be work on either foot.

There is a book re-written of the actual supplies that were given recorded by the Whitneys, which I found interesting.

There was even a post office in the store.

Newell's office and storage area was in the adjacent room.  I loved the barn red wall color.

Upstairs of the store is a gem.  It contained a few rooms of interest and were the personal home of the Whitney's until they built their home across the street.  The first room is the translation room where part of the golden plates were translated.  Don't you love the old wide planked floors?

Our private guides - Elder and Sister McCombs

The next room was the bedroom where Joseph and Emma Smith occupied while they lived above the store for a time.

This next room was a storage room that was also a small bedroom for male visitors.

And, this room is the most precious.  It was the room of the School of the Prophets.  During the time of the School of the Prophets, Emma Smith would have to pick up the messes and scrub the floors (which were never clean) from pipes, chew spittle and such after the men left and she didn't care for it which led the Prophet, Joseph Smith to ponder on the matter and later inquired of the Lord concerning it.  Later, on February 27, 1833 Joseph Smith received revelation from the Lord on the Word of Wisdom which was recorded in the Doctrine & Covenants Section 89 stating in verses 1-9: The use of wine, strong drinks, tobacco, and hot drinks is proscribed; 10-17: Herbs, fruits, flesh and grain are ordained for the use of man and of animals; 18-21: Obedience to gospel law, including the Word of Wisdom, brings temporal and spiritual blessings.  Here is a link to an interesting article about the situation and a breakdown of the Word of Wisdom.

Joseph Smith cir. 1844

Emma Smith cir. 1844
After the death of Joseph Smith, her family said he never smiled with her eyes anymore.

Downstairs via the back stairs led us to the kitchen of the store where meals were prepared.

After our tour, we walked up the hill to the Kirtland Temple, which is owned by the Community of Christ - a splinter group of the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We passed the home of Sidney and Phoebe Ridgon.  Sidney was a witness to seeing the gold plates, which was later translated by Joseph Smith into the Book of Mormon, a second witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ and a history of the people who lived in the American Continent during the time of Christ and the Lord's visit to those people after his death.

We first saw the visitor center and watched a movie.  I found out a little later the photos were prohibited, but here's a few of what I did take.

These brown books are replicas of the original Book of Mormon from the first printing.

We watched a movie about the temple and then walked the garden toward the temple.

We went inside the temple but since no photos are allowed, I search for some to share.  All photos are web photos below. The first and second floors are similar in size and shape with curtains that could partition off sections of the room for separate rooms.  Pews benches were made to be turned to either side of the room depending on who was speaking.  No air conditioning is in the temple and during the dedication 1,200 people were packed in for services.  This is a historical photo by George Anderson and commentary he made in 1907.

KIRTLAND TEMPLE INTERIOR - George Anderson, 1907

KIRTLAND TEMPLE INTERIOR

George Anderson

The well-proportioned form of the Kirtland Temple interior is revealed in this photograph. The temple custodian allowed Anderson to produce several fine views of the interior. In the early 1930s, a federal government project surveyed early American religious meetinghouses in the Ohio region. The extensive report, originally published in 1936 by the Historical American Buildings Survey (HABS), evaluated the Kirtland Temple, concluding: “The workmanship, moldings, carvings, etc. show unusual skill of execution. Many motifs are used in the various parts, varying in outline, contour, and design, but blended harmoniously. This phase of the work indicated facility in adapting the design to meet varying conditions. . . . It is not probable that all of the workmen engaged on the building were skilled artisans, and yet the result is so harmonious as to raise the question if they may not have been inspired as were the builders of the cathedrals of old.”

Here are photos from the Kirtland Temple Website:

The First Floor - A House of Learning

The Second Floor - A House of Prayer

Third Floor - A House of Order

Here are a couple of YouTube videos to see the interior and history which are very interesting.

The Kirtland Temple - 5:16 video (music only)
Kirtland Temple - Road to Zion 3:04 video (vocal commentary)

Here's some interesting blueprints downloaded from the web as well.

What a wonderful opportunity and blessing to see some of the church history sites.  I think we'll have to make time to do a church history tour at some point while we're RVing.