Kirtland

6-18-13

This morning we woke up and got all ready. We waited just a bit because we had ended up parking next to a Camping World, and I was hoping they could change our oil. But they couldn’t fit us in. So I went out to check on the oil, transmission fluid, etc. I was dismayed to see that there was some coolant fluid under our car. I checked stuff and it all seemed okay. But as the engine ran I saw the coolant start to run as well. We were definitely leaking. This is bad.

So we all loaded up, and ran to Walmart. I bought some stop leak, some coolant, some stuff to treat oil (since I’ve never been able to change it), some stuff to treat transmission fluid and help stop leaks, and some stuff to help belts stop squealing. I put it all in. Then we prayed that the radiator would stop leaking, and we drove an hour to Kirtland, watching the temperature guage the whole way. It was okay.

 

 When we got there it looked like there was no leak. 

We went in and had the tours of the various places of Kirtland. The Whitney store is a place with so many important things that happened there. It is amazing to be there. I loved it. Joseph Smith did so many things there, along with his family. In one of the most important rooms, where revelations were received, the School of Prophets was held, and visions of the Savior were seen. Jacob and Sabrina were not behaving well and I was sad that Julianne wasn’t able to enjoy it the way she should because of them. But for the most part it was wonderful. 

The family at the Whitney store in Kirtland

The room at the Whitney store where much of the JST was done

The room where the School of the Prophets was held

 

We toured the Whitney home, which was also great. And the Johnson Inn. And the ashery and saw mill. These were all wonderful places and we really had an outstanding time. The mummies and papyri were in several of these places, so we did a little filming as well. I was able to do some searching on some of their computers to try to find some of the places where they had been. I didn’t find them all, but several of them I found some good clues to. The Riggs hotel, where they were first seen by the Prophet, I found nothing about. They were in the Frederick G. Williams home for a while, which was right by the temple. And they were in the Huntington home for a while, which was by the Morley farm. There and the Johnson Inn and the attic of the temple were all places where they were. It was great to track these down.

During all that Julianne got lunch ready, and we had a nice little lunch in the parking lot. I checked the engine again, and we are not leaking anything. I think we have had another little miracle. I said several prayers of gratitude. I think our motorhome is held together by caulk and prayers. I think our prayers have been answered so amazingly. We have been amazingly blessed. I am so grateful.

 From there we went to the Kirtland Temple. That was a great experience. I enjoyed it and the RLDS/Community of Christ church did a good job with the tour. They wouldn’t let us up to the top. I tried and tried, but it just didn’t work. We tried to have a little spiritual thought outside of the temple, but Jacob and Sabrina and to some degree the others were behaving so badly that we just couldn’t. I had to get after them and walk away for a while. Then I pulled Jacob aside for a while and then Sabrina. Finally we got to where we could do something a little nice there. 

The Kirtland Temple

The family at the door of the Kirtland Temple

Then we walked across the street to where the Prophet had a home for a while and talked about things there and did some filming. We also found some relatives’ graves in the cemetery.

At the Joseph Smith home in Kirtland

Then we drove to the Morley Farm and had a great time. I was surprised at how wonderful it was there and how much I felt the Spirit there. It was in a meeting there that the Prophet said that the church would fill the whole earth.

Today we saw many places that the Savior had been. We often felt the Spirit strongly, and I think it was a great, great experience for us.

The family at the Morley Farm

At the Morley Farm

We got to the hotel early. Tonight was a night they were hosting a dinner for folks. We ate, the kids swam, they watched tv a little, and we had a pleasant evening.

It is hard that our trip is getting close to over. It has been a great, great experience.

I checked the car again, still no leak. We are blessed.

Getting back into our ever ready motorhome at the Morley Farm