Nov 4 th-10th

This week started with our day to serve at the Kountze Lutheran church Pantry.  We have served 4 times there at the Monday food bank, either handing out goods or being a greeter. You get a great feeling inside when you serve and help people.

We had the opportunity to be trained by the Church Historian, Elder LeGrand Curtis. It is always great when one of the General Authorities is here to train us.

Saturday morning we traveled to Kansas City Kansas. We had never been there and it was not far from our hotel. We headed back to Independence Visitors Center. A beautiful building and a wonderful visitors center.  We learned the history of the area. The Church of Christ has their temple across the street. 






Kansas city Temple

Independence Visitor Center
Independence Visitor Center
 Independence Visitors Center


Leaving Independence we headed to Liberty Jail. The missionaries are very knowledgeable and friendly. They told us the History of Missouri and the jail. The jail makes you think of the trials those leaders went through. 





 Liberty Jail
 Emma fleeing Missouri 
river froze for them to cross!
 Joseph Smith Liberty Jail


Leaving Liberty we headed for Far West, Missouri.  It is a little distance from Liberty and on the way we were passing through Clay County and saw a sign for Jessie James farm. Getting off the road we found the Museum but we thought that it was a high price so we took a picture and left. 

Far West , Missouri is a small park where the site of the Temple was to be built there. The corner stones are preserved in the site. From there we headed to Adam-ondi-Ahman.


Far West Temple Site


A wonderful drive to  Adam-ondi-Ahman to a beautiful place Recalled in the Hymn 

This earth was once a garden place,
 With all her glories common, 
And men did live a holy race, 
And worship Jesus face to face, 
In Adam-ondi-Ahman. 
We read that Enoch walk'd with God, 
Above the power of mammon, 
While Zion spread herself abroad, 
And Saints and angels sung aloud, 
In Adam-ondi-Ahman. 
Her land was good and greatly blest,
 Beyond old Israel's Canaan;
 Her fame was known from east to west, 
AHer peace was great, and pure the rest
 Of Adam-ondi-Ahman.
 Hosannah to such days to come -- 
The Savior's second coming, 
When all the earth in glorious bloom,
 Affords the Saints a holy home, 
Like Adam-ondi-Ahman.






Adam-Ondi-Ahman

What a beautiful, peaceful place. No one was there except us and to walk and see the expanse of the valley and to think about what happened there when Adam gave his descendents a final blessing. And to think of the brethren who were there when Joseph recalled the events of Adam's time.

 Independence Visitors Center
 Kansas City Temple
 Jessie James Farm


From there we went to a small Amish community of Jamesport Missousi. A small town to the North of Adam-ondi-Ahman

We feel as did Elias S. Woodruff, in On October 1938 Conference address, stated:

"I sometimes wish that every member of the Church could have the privilege of going to Liberty, and Richmond, Far West, Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Haun's Mill, on their way east or west, as they come through the Central States Mission, for the impression that it gives them, for the increase in their faith and their reverence for the work that has been performed in this Church by its founders and leaders. One cannot stand upon the hill overlooking the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman without being very deeply impressed with the sacredness of the place". Elias S. Woodruff, Conference Report, October 1938, p. 73.

Similarly, in a 1967 Conference address Alvin R. Dyer reported:

"I have been privileged to feel the nearness of President McKay's spirit. I have felt the majesty of his soul as we stood in the valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman, observing in the short distance a place there known as Spring Hill, referred to in Section 116 of the Doctrine and Covenants as the place where Adam, Michael, or the "Ancient of Days," in accordance with the prophecy of Daniel, shall in the due time of the Lord visit the earth for an important reason, and while there hearing President McKay utter quietly, "This is a most holy place." Alvin R. Dyer, Conference Report, October 1967, p. 41.


We spent A wonderful day in the state of Missouri and the Historic sites of the early days of this great church. What a glorious time we have had here on this Mission!!


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