On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again...(Think Willie Nelson)
Well we left Goodland, Kansas bright and early this morning and slowly made our way to Independence, Missouri. On the way we were surrounded on both sides by vast fields, very few houses and an occasional oil derrick. The countryside actually resembled many of Elder Busath's favorite old cowboy shows :)
Just a few fun facts I learned about Kansas:
*The weather is very unpredictable. According to the natives we talked to, it was 85 degrees here yesterday and today it is 43 degrees with strong winds and a chance of rain or snow, brrr.
*The State flower is the Sunflower-I never actually saw one, but I've heard they are beautiful.
*There are special toll roads beginning just outside of Topeka. You drive through a toll booth, receive a ticket automatically and proceed to your destination. The interesting thing about the toll road is that restaurants are placed right smack dab in the middle of the road between the incoming and out going traffic to prevent you from exiting the toll road.
*Did you know that Hardee's Restaurant is the same as Carl Jr.?
*There are two Kansas City's. One in Kansas and one in Missouri.
*The State Motto is: "To the stars through difficulty"-I really like that!
We CAN do hard things, with the Lord's help!
As you can see Lambie is nowhere to be found. She was actually all bundled up to keep warm from the cold and fell asleep. But seriously the sign is in the middle of the freeway! I had to beg Elder Busath to slow down just for a minute so I could take the picture. He was not too happy to say the least. Once a highway patrolman, always a highway patrolman. Stopping in the middle of a busy freeway to take a silly picture was not on the top of his list of smart things to do.
We made it safely to Independence, Missouri late Saturday afternoon and took some time to see the Visitor's Center. For those of you interested in LDS Church history it is located on a portion of the original temple "Block" purchased by Bishop Edward Partridge in 1831.
This is a view of the original Independence Temple site from the front steps of the Visitor's Center. On the right is the Community of Christ Church's Tabernacle (Once a part of the Reorganized or Reformed Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), on the left is their Temple. But in the middle, right behind the center lamp post and between the two red lines, is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Temple Lot. The Community of Christ Church currently owns the property. I am told that relationship between the two churches is cordial and the Visitor's Center actually encourages people to see the artifacts that the Community of Christ Church has on display.
The Temple Lot.
One of many beautiful homes in Liberty, Missouri.
Oh before I forget an interesting thing happened to us while waiting at a red light in Liberty. A man in a car slowed and stopped in the lane right beside us. He rolled his window down, and asked where in California we were from. We smiled and answered Sacramento. To that he raised his fist and punched the air overhead with enthusiasm. "I'm originally from San Diego and just wanted to stop and say welcome". The hospitality here is amazing.
The historic Liberty Jail was a sacred place to visit.
It was here that the Prophet Joseph Smith, along with four others spent the bitter winter of 1838-1839. They were unjustly charged for treason and incarcerated in this miserable forgotten place where they could not even stand upright, suffering in severe cold weather while their families were being forced to leave Missouri. Although they were later "allowed" to escape 4 plus months later, it was a very difficult time for the Prophet, a refiners fire, where he was tried and later blessed to receive the revelations now found in the Doctrine and Covenant's Section 121 through 123.
"Decisions determine destiny!" We are free to choose what we are, and what we become, but we are not always free to choose the consequences of our choices (Gerald Lund, The Guardian).
I am so grateful that the Prophet Joseph Smith had such faith and trust in the Lord during that very difficult time so that the gospel could be restored and the Book of Mormon be made available for our day!
The Kansas City Missouri Temple. The second LDS Temple in Missouri and the 137th worldwide.
I really can't think of a better way to end our day here in Missouri than to visit the House of the Lord.
Stay tuned
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