INDEPENDENCE AND LIBERTY MO 7/12/2011

We spent today in Independence and Liberty MO.  First we toured the Visitors Center of our church.  It was so much fun to be with the senior couple that greeted us at the front door and the sister missionary that took us on a tour.  We were primarily interested in the history of the area.  She did a bang up job of teaching us all the events of this area.  She even added some information to what we already had studied and learned about on our own!

Then we walked across the street to this building. It is the temple and headquarters for The Church of Christ, another church that has historical ties to the area.  We went in and were greeted by wonderful people that shared their version of the local history and their doctrinal beliefs.  Interesting and very easy to listen to as they shared.

The tour included their chapel and their massive pipe organ.  There was a lady there practicing for a pipe organ recital.  She was quite good!

Looking up from where we sat in the chapel, we saw the insides of the spiral we saw on the outside of the building. 

Then we walked outside and across the other street to another church that has their history centered in this area too.  Wow!  This place was interesting, but our tour guide made it really difficult for Wayne to keep his promise not to speak and just listen and learn.  We learned a lot and even though the guy was very challenging and confrontational, Wayne smiled a lot, nodded his head and said, "That's very interesting." a lot.  Their church was called, The Church of Christ Of the Temple Lot.  Interesting, to say the least!

This is the beautiful 2 acre plot of land owned by The Church of Christ of the Temple.

One of the many plaques posted around and near the temple site by various historical societies and churches..

Then we drove to Liberty, had a really nice lunch at a deli there. Next we toured the Liberty Jail Visitors Center.

Here is the door that was on the jail when Joseph Smith and several others were jailed there on erroneous charges for many winter months.

This reconstruction of the jail was built on the jail's original foundation and constructed with the stones left from the rubble of the destroyed jail.

The missionary that served as our tour guide allowed us around the rear of the jail to see the consruction more closely.

The figures representing the prisoners were very life like.  We half expected them to stand up and share their story with us.

Well, here's the proof.  We were there!