Kirtland Getaway

Last weekend we met up with Abe's old roommate and good friend, Steve, and his new wife, Rachel, in Kirtland, Ohio. Besides being a good half-way meeting point for us, Kirtland was also the early LDS Church headquarters(about 1831-1837). It's a sleepy place, now, but has wonderful historic preservations from the church's time there.


Me peeking into what used to be the church of the Disciples of Christ, a congregation led by Sidney Rigdon, a well-known preacher who converted to the LDS Church (any more noun clauses out there?). This building was actual built after Rigdon left the congregation. We sat outside while Steve's mother, who is an expert in early church history in Ohio, shared fabulous stories with us.


Isaac Morley farm. An idyllic piece of America's heartland. Isaac Morley was a relatively wealthy man, an early convert to the church who was soon asked to sell his farm and serve a mission. His story made me contemplate what faith means in my own life.


Kirtland temple. Plus blue piece of maintenance equipment. The RLDS Church, now called Community of Christ, owns the temple and conducts the tours there. They claim similar roots with the LDS Church, but basically followed a different line of leadership after Joseph Smith's martyrdom. The temple is a sacred place to both religions. It was odd to hear the same story of the church's early days told from a completely different, but still believing, perspective. A cause for more reflections on faith.


When Abe was an Eagle Scout in high school, his big Eagle project was to clean and restore the benches in a small grove outside of the Kirtland temple. This photo is only a reenactment.


We quickly strolled around the historic Kirtland village. This is Steve in peril at the saw mill. It must have been a slow day because we were approached by guides about 10 times asking us if we wouldn't like to watch the 24-minute movie at the visitor's center and take the guided tour.





Also at the historic Kirtland village. Attempted "American Gothic." So close, yet so far. Abe is holding the pitchfork in the wrong hand. He also looks too Asian. My head is at the perfect "slightly askance" angle, but turned the wrong direction. Oh, and I'm smiling.


This is my favorite picture. I call it "Erin finally figures out that the camera has a close up feature that focuses a close up image and blurs the background so she can take a nice picture of a bug." It's a cicada.