Day 6: Saturday, June 11

Destination: Palmyra, NY

Sites Visited: Niagara falls (woo!) and the Peter Whitmer Farm

Niagara Falls was awesome, as you can probably imagine :) This is a spiritual experience blog, so i'm not gonna write about going to the falls, even though I don't really have much to say about it anyway, haha. I took about a thousand pictures though!

After wards we visited the Peter Whitmer Farm. This is where the church was organized... It all began from this very spot, on April 6, 1830. (I find that a funny coincidence.. April 6 is Jesus' Birthday..)

In my HTM for today's sites there was a paper about this farm. It basically listed all the events that happened in this very house. They are as follows:

-The translation of the BM was completed.

-Three witnesses received their witness of the plates.

-Official organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on April 6, 1830.

-The first sacrament was blessed and passed in this Dispensation.

-The first Priesthood ordinations were performed including Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery ordained as First and Second Elders of the Church.

-20 sections of D&C were received.

-The first 3 General Conferences were held.

This home has so much history to it! It's amazing. We gathered on the grass next to the house under this big tree, all 100 of us. We talked about how from this one spot, from this one little home, the Gospel and this Church has spread throughout the earth. We have almost 14 million members today... It's incredible. Just to think of how far this church has come blows my mind... Missionaries preach every day and convert people every day. 

One of the main leaders, who was talking to us, pointed his hand out and slowly moved it across the whole group, pointing to us all. As he pointed to us, he wanted us to say the mission of someone related to us, or someone close to us, or even our own mission we may have been called to. As they crossed me I said, "England, Coventry Mission" because that's where both of my parents served. I heard about every major country as he pointed at everyone in the group... It was so incredible, to sit there and realize how far this church has gone... We sat right where it began, and we said where it had continued to move to. It's been all over the world, and it's continuing. I can't wait to see how many members we have in 5 or ten years... I just want to see how far it goes. It's already gone so incredibly far... This Gospel has reached places that Joseph Smith had probably never even known about or heard of. I just can't wrap my mind around that...

The spirit was so strong with our group. We've known each other less than a week, and we already have the ability to quickly bring the spirit so strongly into a meeting together... "If this were the work of man, it would fail. But it is not the work of man, it is the work of God, and God does not fail." This church is true... The spirit we felt there and bore witness of was so real and strong, there's no way we could have denied it. And it only multiplied throughout the trip. 

Here's the Peter Whitmer Farm, where many historic things happened. This is where the church began, where it was organized, on April 6, 1830.

This was next to the above house ^ We all gathered here after and talked about how much the church has grown and how far it has gone from this one spot.

Here's the top half of what was written on the visitor's center next to the house. It was small writing so I split it into 2 pictures.

Bottom half...

Day 5: Friday, June 10

Destination: Buffalo, NY
Sites Visited: Kirtland Temple, Whitney Store, Morley Farm

It was weird going to the Kirtland Temple. It's the only temple built by our church that isn't owned by our church (correct me if i'm wrong...). It's owned by the RLDS church...
It was weird being there, because the spirit wasn't there... It didn't even feel like a temple. When we went there, a tour guide showed us a movie and gave us a tour and talked about the history of it and such, and I just felt weird the whole time. I didn't feel remotely the same feelings that I feel in a temple owned by our church.
It made me sad to know that one of our own temples wasn't even owned by us. The saints worked for so many years and sacrificed so much to build that temple, and now we don't even own it.

Overall, it just felt weird.

************************************************************************************

I have written in my journal of page of 'Things to Write About' and then I never wrote about them, haha. One of the bullet points was "Piano/Gospel Analogy" and then it has D&C 1:30 written next to it. If anybody knows what that means, please comment and tell me! Maybe it was talked about in a fireside or something..? But the scripture was good, so here it is:

"30: And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of the obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually-
31: For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance;
32: Nevertheless, he that repents and does the commandments of the Lord shall be forgiven."
~D&C 1:30-32


************************************************************************************

The Morley Farm was really cool :) We took like a 1 or 2 minute walk up this hill into some woods to find a small clearing. That's one of the 3 or 4 places that Heavenly Father has appeared on the earth since the church was restored. I could feel the spirit really strong there. We had about 5 minutes of silence where we just stood there and felt the spirit and thought to ourselves. I don't remember what I thought about... I think I decided to pray about a problem I was going through. I figured that was a good time since I had felt God's presence so strongly, and I knew he was there to listen when I needed him. We weren't there for very long because we had to move on to the next thing, so that's all that really happened there.

Painting in the Visitors Center of the Kirtland Temple

This is a scripture that was next the painting above. D&C 88:119

This was another painting in the Visitor's Center of Kirtland. Beautiful :)

Kirtland Temple

Day 4: Thursday, June 9

Destination: Kirtland, OH
Sites Visited: The John Johnson Home

Joseph Smith stood on this front door step and spoke to the members the morning after he was tarred and feathered.

Today was mostly a travel day, as were the first 2 days. As far as I remember we only visited one site today, and then we had a fireside type thing. We visited the John Johnson Farm, which is where a few big events happened; Joseph Smith was tarred and feathered, God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ appeared in the upstairs room (I think this was the house that happened in..? Correct me if i'm wrong.), and the day after Joseph was tarred and feathered, he preached on the front door step. 

There was a point on the trip where I couldn't feel the spirit, and I keep forgetting that this happened... It was the strongest i've ever felt Satan in my life... This tour is the most spiritual and amazing experience i've ever had, so naturally, Satan tried to ruin it for me. There were maybe 5 sites on the trip where I could not feel the spirit, so I didn't write anything in my journal about them. The Johnson Farm was one of them, unfortunately... It was so discouraging. We stood where God stood... People came out of the home crying, and I couldn't feel anything. It was hard... But for the most part, I felt the spirit about 90% of the trip.

But anyways, like I said, we stood where Heavenly Father stood. I want to go back there someday and try to feel more than I felt that day...

After we came out of the house, we sat in a group in front of the doorstep and pictured Joseph Smith standing there, speaking to all of us. Brother E. talked to us for a bit, and then we all stood close together and sang the medley, 'We'll Bring the World His Truth'. We kind of sang it to Joseph Smith. It was as if we were talking to him and promising him to bring the world his truth. It was really amazing... The spirit was really strong. It was the only time I had felt it that day, because I was really trying SO hard to feel it. I looked around, and the same kid I saw crying at Winter Quarters was sobbing again here, and I wanted to go over and put my arm around him again, but I didn't because it would have been awkward to walk over in front of everyone in the middle of the song... Plus we're technically not supposed to do that on HT o.O

He was feeling the spirit SO strong that he could hardly stand... I have NEVER in my life seen someone so filled with the spirit before. I have never seen someone so grateful for something that someone else sacrificed for them... I gained SO much respect for this guy in just 2 days. It's really incredible to be with so many kids who are so filled with the spirit. I loved being surrounded by them... I never wanted the tour to end, I just wanted to always be with these kids. It was the first time I had felt like I had more than one TRUE friend in a long time. It was so amazing...

So back to what I was saying about how Satan was trying to ruin my trip...

I did learn something very valuable with the experience of having Satan try to bring me down... Within a few days, I was back up again, feeling the spirit stronger than ever, and having those experiences I wanted to have. 

What I learned: NOTHING ON THIS EARTH IS STRONGER THAN THIS GOSPEL. No matter WHAT tries to bring it down or stop it from progressing, it will continue to be stronger and fill the earth. We CANNOT lose if we have the Lord on our side. We CANNOT lose with this Gospel in our lives. 

Having the spirit in my life easily pushes away Satan. He may find his way in once in a while like he did on the trip for a few days, but when I invite the spirit into my heart again, he's gone in a heartbeat. Nothing on this earth is stronger than this Gospel, or truer than this Church. 

I am so happy to be a part of this church... I love it more than ANYTHING in the world.

Day 3: Wednesday, June 8

Destination: Elkhart, IN

Sites visited: None, as far as I can remember.

Quote from HTM (Heritage Tours Manual): "Spirituality is not acquired suddenly. It is the consequence of a succession of right choices. It is the harvest of a righteous life." ~Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Today was mostly a travel day/catch up on reading day. I don't have much written in my journal, so sorry, this is a short post. Just for entertainment purposes, here's a picture of a funny shirt I saw at the 'Largest Truck-stop in the World'! :)

Day 2: Tuesday, June 7

This is Chimney Rock, a landmark the pioneers used as they traveled. 'Wee Granny' was buried near here.

Rebecca Winter's headstone.

Here's her original headstone, placed here by her husband.

This was placed here by this group later on, after she died.

Rebecca Winter's gravestone.

Here's the young couple... It made me cry so hard.

Behind the statue of the young parents burying their child, there was a branch, which our leaders talked about. It was very noticeable, because it was fairly big. We learned that it represented God and Angels pushing them along, and pushing them forward in their time of trial. Even though they couldn't necessarily see it, it was there, helping them.

Destination: Omaha, NE
Sites visited: Rebecca Winter's Grave, Winter Quarters/ Mormon Trail Visitor Center

The first place we stopped was at Rebecca Winter's grave. Rebecca Winters was a wife and mother who died on the trail. Hers is the only pioneer grave that we have identified. We have found many names, and many bodies along the trail, but hers is the only body we've found that has matched up with a name. Her original grave-stone was metal from the wheel of a handcart. They had carved her name into it. She was later given a headstone.
To me, it was significant that the only marked grave they have of 6,000 pioneers is a wife and mother... I don't know why that means so much to me. I just feel like one of my missions, my main goals in life is to be a mother, so I really had an instant love for Rebecca.

************************************************************************************

We talked about a 73 year old Scottish woman who died on the trail, near a landmark, Chimney Rock. They call her 'Wee Granny'. She went along the trail, knowing very well that she wouldn't make it to Zion, because of her age and condition... But she went anyway... She could have easily said, "Well, i'm too old, and i'd die out there, so go without me." She went anyway, because she had faith. She wanted to die with her faith and mind in the right place. She wanted to die knowing she was dying for her religion which she loved with all her heart, I'm sure... Her final words were, speaking to her son, "Tell John I died with my face towards Zion." That is just unbelievable to me that she went on the trail, knowing she would die.

************************************************************************************

We had a small testimony meeting on the bus, and I bore my testimony on the power of prayer, and how it's affected my life just in the last day. I told everyone how I get sick so much and that whole story, and how it'll be a miracle if I make it through this trip. Within the next couple days alone, I had about 10 people come up to me and sincerely ask me how I was feeling and just kind of checking up on me... It was the greatest feeling to know that so many people cared about me. I had a really hard time making and keeping friends during senior year, so it was really nice to have so many instant friends... That's what I loved most about this tour. All the clicks from high school disappeared. I saw a whole new side of everybody. But that's a tangent...
I told them all, in my testimony, about how God does care about our needs, and he does take care of us, even if it feels like he's not there sometimes. If we pray to him, and sincerely ask for help and guidance with the things we care about, he will give us an answer, and help us. Sometimes I feel stupid for praying for something like a stomach ache, or help with something small... But someone pointed out in their testimony that if something really truly matters to us, it matters to God. That was such a great eye opener for me. It made me so happy to realize that.  I know God is watching over me and taking care of me.

************************************************************************************

In just 2 days my testimony grew so much... I couldn't even really put on paper what I was feeling. I was just so full of the spirit, and so full of love. I just felt closer to God in so many ways, I knew he was there with him. I knew he had sent angels to encompass me and watch over me and help me. I could feel him with me through every minute of that trip.

************************************************************************************

In the evening we went to the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery, which I think is the same as Winter Quarters? I got confused with places... Sorry if i'm wrong or get mixed up, that'll probably happen a lot on this blog.

I totally lost it at this site... There was a big statue of a young couple burying their child on the way to Zion. I didn't start crying or really feeling anything until I started walking around and looking at graves. I saw a grave that said 'Baby Banks' on it, and that's when I totally lost it. That poor family had lost a tiny baby, and the name of the baby wasn't even known, they couldn't even put it on the grave... At the base of the big statue there were lists of names of people who had died here, and how old they were. I saw a few that said one or two years old, and I pictured my little nephew, who is 3 1/2... They were younger than him. I can't picture myself as a parent having enough faith to put my children in those conditions, knowing you'd probably lose them, but knowing still that you'd see them again. I don't think I could do that... then I saw a name that said '1 day' next to it, and I just started sobbing. I could not do that... Be the mother of a child who would die a day later, because you took them in those terrible conditions.
But they must have had such faith, to look forward and know that even though their children were physically gone, the were never really gone. They could go to Zion and be sealed together as a family, forever. I can't believe the strength they had to move on, while their family was dying...

There was a guy who was looking at the statue, just crying his eyes out... I was sobbing too, and we were the only ones crying, so I went and sat by him even though I didn't even know him. I put my arm around him and told him I had seen a name that had '1 day' written next to it, and that's why I was crying so hard. He kept saying, "I would never be able to do that." and I silently agreed with him. We just cried and cried...

I was just completely overwhelmed. I could not even imagine the circumstances they dealt with... I couldn't wrap my mind around it.

These scriptures came to mind as I was there:
D&C 63:47-48, which reads, "He that is faithful and endureth shall overcome the world. He that sendeth up treasures unto the land of Zion shall receive an inheritance in this world, and his works shall follow him, and also a reward in the world to come."
D&C 121:7-9 (one of my very favorite scriptures), "My son, peace be unto thy soul. Thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. They friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands." That one makes me want to cry every time...

I wish I could have come to them and read them these scriptures over and over to make the journey a little easier...

************************************************************************************

As you can probably tell, this was an incredibly emotional day. In 24 hours, I gained an incredible amount of respect for the pioneers, and I will be forever grateful for their sacrifice...

Day 1: Monday, June 6

Starting Point: American Fork High School
Destination: Scottsbluff, NE
Sites Visited: Martin's Cove (Pioneer Site)

(BM = Book of Mormon)

Today we started by setting goals to start off the trip. We had the goal to read the entire BM on the trip, and that meant we had to keep up with reading 28 pages a day, which I kept up with for about 3 days... We only had about 5 people finish the whole book by the end of the tour, as far as I know! It was kind of hard, mostly because we didn't have enough time to read. But I still got a lot out of what I did read, and that's all that matters to me. I'm glad I took my time and got things out of it, rather than speeding through it and not getting anything out of it.

So basically at this point I had a problem with the blog... It wasn't saving automatically like it normally does, so it didn't save anything I typed but that first paragraph. I had like 4 very long paragraphs typed out, and right as I click publish, an error appeared and it all disappeared... So now I have to type it again. :( That took me like a half hour to type out... Gotta start over :(

Sigh, ok once again... for me at least. You're all reading this for  the first time. I guess this isn't so bad, cause I went into WAY too much detail, so the post was SUPER long, so maybe this time I can condense it while still getting my feelings across.

So we visited Martin's Cove, one of the places the pioneers crossed through. We looked out in the distance and saw the landmarks they used as they crossed the plains. It was incredible how far they had to walk... I kept thinking of how physically hard it was for these people to have to cross this many states, this much land, in the dead of winter. They definitely had and incredible amount of faith.
The main thing that kept coming to my mind as we talked about this site was, I hope with all my heart that I was one of the angels pushing them along. We always hear stories about how the pioneers felt and saw angels helping them across the plains... I really, REALLY hope that was me. I have a feeling it was... I hope I made their journey a little easier, and their burdens a little lighter. As I thought about this, I remembered one of my favorite scriptures, Psalms 34:7, which talks about how angels encompass us in our time of need (or at least that's how I interpreted it.) Those angels in my life are them, the pioneers.
I know i've had help from angels in my life, and i'm sure those angels are my ancestors, maybe even the ones that crossed the plains. I think that maybe they're returning the favor.
I am so grateful for the things they sacrificed for this gospel and for their posterity, me. I can't even wrap my mind around what they went through. It's so amazing to me that they'd willingly sacrifice their lives for this church. They had incredible faith.
We talked about how when we see them again, we'll fall to their feet and thank them for all the physical hardships they went through for us and for the church. But what we forget is, our generation deals with trials just as hard, but they are more mental and emotional. Our leaders said they will fall to our feet, and thank us for being strong for the next generation. They will thank us for bringing others to the church that they so strongly believe in.
I am so grateful for my ancestors who crossed the plains...

***********************************************************************************

The night before HT, I slept about 4 hours... I fell asleep around 1:30 because I had stayed up saying goodbye to one of my closest friends who was leaving on a mission a few days later. I had to be at AFHS at 6am...
If you know me personally at all, you'll know my history of stomach problems and getting sick easily. Long story short, my sisters and mom and I all have very sensitive and annoying stomachs. We all have our own personal and unique stomach problems. When I started getting really sick all the time around the age of 16, I was unsure of how to deal with it. For almost 2 years I was just sick every single day, mostly in the mornings and during school. But the last few months i've been figuring out how to deal with it. If I take certain medication, sleep well, eat well, and exercise, I do pretty good, and I can manage. But if I sleep less than like 7 1/2 hours, I am so sick the whole day... So back to the beginning then, when I said I only slept 4 hours that night... You can imagine how scared I was to go on a 3 week bus tour with a bunch of people I either barely knew or didn't know at all. Nobody knew what I was dealing with. Nobody knew how to help me. I didn't want to burden anyone with my problem, so I didn't really talk about it to more than a few people. But the first day of the tour... I was SO sick. I was actually planning how I was gonna get home, because I knew I wouldn't last 3 weeks.
I was so scared... I didn't know what to do. I figured i'd just wait it out a few days and see how things went.
I prayed so hard, the entire day... I prayed i'd feel well. But I knew in my heart that I wasn't going to just get a 'free blessing'. I had to do something to earn it...
I prayed and sort of made a 'deal' with God. I asked him to keep me healthy and feeling well, if I tried my hardest to get all I could out of this tour. I prayed so hard... I promised that i'd read as far as I could in the BM and bear my testimony almost every day and share my experiences with others and really try my best to get everything I can out of this tour.

Every moment that I invited the spirit in that day, by reading my scriptures or sharing my testimony, I wasn't sick. It was an incredible manifestation to me of the power of prayer. Never had I had a prayer answered so quickly or to that extent... It was incredible. I saw God's hand in my life for 3 straight weeks. It was constantly there... The spirit hardly ever left me. I got into a habit of constantly inviting it in. Not being sick was a great motivation to invite the spirit, haha...

When I woke up the next morning, I felt amazing. I wasn't sick at all... I felt perfect, I was so happy :)

Introduction :)

My name is Marci, and this is my Heritage Tours Blog.

I went on a LDS church tour, called Heritage Tours, where about a hundred graduated seniors get in 2 huge buses and travel across the united states, visiting just about every church site there is. It's an incredible and unique experience that I want to share with as many people as I can. But I don't have the time or the energy to tell so many individual people about this incredible experience, so I am making this blog. I'm hoping to touch the lives of many with my experiences...

These are my thoughts, feelings, and experiences... Enjoy :)