Church History Tour

You will depart this morning for Rochester, New York. Plan to arrive at the hotel before 7:00 pm as dinner is included at the hotel in the evening. Following dinner you will have a chance to get to know the group and tour director at our meet & greet. Meals : Dinner. Hotel: Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester/Victor

Today we will spend a full day seeing the sites in Palmyra. Our stops include the Sacred Grove, the Smith Family Farm, the rebuilt log home where Moroni’s visits took place, the Hill Cumorah, the Grandin Press (where the Book of Mormon was first published), the Martin Harris Farm, the Palmyra Cemetery, and the exterior of the Palmyra Temple. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner at the hotel. Hotel: Hampton Inn and Suites Rochester/Victor

We will travel to Fayette where we will visit the Peter Whitmer farm. Here in Fayette, the Church was officially organized in the home of Peter Whitmer. It was also here the Three Witnesses saw and angel and the plates. Next we will travel to Harmony, PA and the Susquehanna River. Much of the translation of the Book of Mormon took place here. Also, this is where the Priesthood was restored and Joseph and Oliver were baptized. The sites include Joseph and Emma’s home, and the Isaac Hale home. On our way back to the hotel we will stop at Colesville, NY. Time permitting, we may visit the restored home of Joseph Knight. Hyrum Smith was the branch president of one of the church’s first branches here in Colesville. We will then return to hotel in the evening for dinner.

We check out and head toward Kirtland. Depending on the 2023 schedule, we may be able to attend sacrament meeting at a local ward before heading to our first destination, Niagara Falls, the oldest state park in the USA. We will board the Maid of the Mist boat which passes directly in front of the falls and enters Horseshoe Basin. This is a fun activity you don’t want to miss! After free time for lunch and shopping we travel to Kirtland, OH. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner. Hotel : TBA

Today we will visit sites in the Kirtland area. The morning will begin with a visit to the Kirtland temple. It was here that the Savior appeared to Joseph and Oliver. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared and restored the Keys of the Priesthood associated with the temple ordinances. We will visit the historic village of Kirtland, where we will see the LDS Visitor’s Center, the Newell K. Whitney home (where Joseph and Emma lived) and the Newell K. Whitney store (which included the School of the Prophets and where many revelations, including the Word of Wisdom were received). We will also see the reconstructed Kirtland Schoolhouse, the Kirtland Ashery, and a reconstructed water-powered sawmill. Following some free time for lunch, we will visit the Morley Farm where a home was built for Joseph when he moved to Ohio. In the late afternoon, we will also visit the Johnson Farm, where much opposition came to Joseph and where the Church periodical The Evening and Morning Star was published. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner. Mary Yoders Amish Kitchen: TBA

This morning we will transfer to the Cleveland airport for an early flight to Kansas City. Upon arrival, we will have a bus waiting for us to take us to Independence, where we will visit the LDS Visitors Center near the temple site in Jackson County. We will also visit the Liberty Jail where the Prophet Joseph spent several months while the Saints suffered severe persecution in Missouri. Meals : Breakfast, Lunch: Golden Corral: Hotel: Comfort Suites Independence

As we travel to Nauvoo we will visit the historic site of Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Farr West where the name of the church was revealed. After arriving in Nauvoo we will visit the Joseph Smith homestead; the grave sites of Joseph, Emma, and Hyrum; the Mansion House; and the Red Brick Store. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner: Picnic in Nauvoo: Hotel: TBA

Our day begins with an optional temple session at the Nauvoo Temple, based on the temple schedule. We will have some free time to browse through the many restored homes and buildings in Old Nauvoo, including the homes of Brigham Young, John Taylor, Heber C Kimball, Lucy Mack Smith and the Jonathan Browning Gun Shop. This afternoon we will travel the old road to Carthage to view a production of the Life of the Prophet Joseph Smith at the Visitor’s Center. Next, we will tour the jail itself where the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hyrum were martyred. Meals : Breakfast, Dinner at Hotel Nauvoo. Hotel : TBA

We will check out of our hotels this morning and have a farewell lunch before we depart for the airport. Meals : Breakfast, Lunch