We started Sunday morning with breakfast and then going to the local ward for sacrament. It was a nice program with lots of families in the ward. I wondered how many ward members there were and how many people were visiting. No one talked to us, so I kind of wondered if they get lots of visitors so the local ward members don't bother talking with new people.
After church we drove around to try and find the church that Lloyd went to when he worked in Liberty for nine months. We couldn't find it, but it was fun to try.
We then went back to the hotel and got changed before driving to Adam-ondi-Ahman. It was about an hour away from out hotel. The drive was nice and as we got closer, we saw a sign for homemade Dutch pies. So, we followed the sign to see if we could get some pie. We finally found the place, but it was closed for Sunday. We did get to see a man driving a horse and small buggy, so that was exciting. We had just saw a sign to look out for horse and buggies, and then we saw one. Fascinating way to live.
With no pie available we drove back towards Adam-ondi-Ahman. We started off going left towards a lookout point. It was a very pretty open field with trees on the outside of the field. They also had a bathroom and a trail that went down to the lookout spot. We then went to the other side and saw the rest of the property.
After we got out of the van a couple more cars came and parked by us. A lady got out of the car (with Utah plates) and she said that she lived nearby and was going to be doing a tour of Adam-ondi-Ahman and we were welcome to join. I said yes, and then she asked where we were from. I said Utah, and she said that the other couple was from Utah as well. It turns out it was a man from Tony's parents ward who used to be their Bishop and Stake President and we went to school with their kids and my partner from DFCU married their son. Such a small world.
So, we went on the tour with them and a few other people. Another from Utah and three locals from the same ward as the sister giving the tour. She said it was her unofficial calling to give tours, since the church doesn't have any official missionaries giving tours at Adam-ondi-Ahman. They do have missionaries serving there, but they mainly just take care of the property.
It was beautiful there. Lot of open farmlands with trees all around. She said that the church leases out the land to nearby farmers. She also said that every seven or so years the land floods and they can't farm on it that year, but the church doesn't charge the farmers to use the land on those years.
Joseph Smith got a revelation that after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden (which they think was in Independence, Missouri), they came to Adma-ondi-Ahman and built an altar. The record show that they found altars on the property during Joseph Smith's time, but we are unsure if any of them are still standing after many different people have owned the land and developed different parts of the land over the years.
Some early saints came and started living in this area. The locals were worried that too many Mormons would come and have an over-whelming vote. There was even a fight at the voting location that ended up causing a lot of problems and started the Mormon war which eventually led to the governor making an order to evict or kill the Mormon saints because they were the enemies.
We were able to see the foundation of house that Lyman Wight built for his family. The church has since planted a large grove of Walnut trees and you can stand on top of the hill and speak down and the people below can hear.
She told us about the revelations that Christ himself will come to Adam-ondi-Ahman in the second coming and will gather his past and current prophets and leaders. The prophesy said that all worthy members of the church will be in attendance. We believe that this means it will be broadcasted into stakes and possibly temples so that the millions of members from all around the world will be able to be in attendance. What an amazing place to go and visit. It really is just thousands of acres of land with farms and trees and hills, but it is so much more.
This land was dedicated to have a temple on it during Joseph Smith's time. It is sacred and almost feels like you're in the temple. I never realized that this land had such history and has so many plans for the future. It was such a neat experience to go around with this guide who knew so much about the history and this land. It was an amazing blessing that we were able to get there just in time to go on the tour and to be there with Brother Nieder. I know that it wasn't a coincidence that we got there when we did. We were meant to be in on that tour. God is good and we are very blessed people.
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