Visiting the farms July 15, 2016

We checked out of our hotel a day early this morning. We had seen so many of the sights yesterday and we decided after sightseeing that we would be an hour away and rather than backtrack we might as well travel a little further on our way. Besides, the hotel we were staying in was not great. We won't stay in Red Roof Inns anymore. We have not had good luck with them on this trip.

We started the day by going out to the Isaac Morley farm. We got there just before 9 and waited til 9 to get out of the car. When we walked over to where the tours start, there was a sign that said tours started at 10. We decided to walk up the trail indicated that went into a grove of trees on a hill. When we got a ways up the hill, there was an area with benches where the tour obviously goes. So we sat down and enjoyed watching the squirrels and listening to the birds sing. It was extremely peaceful. We have had so many choice opportunities to feel the spirit and this was one of them.   

One of the black squirrels we watched

When it got to be about 9:40, we could see through the trees that the missionaries pull into the property.  A few minutes later we headed down the trail to have a tour. There we were joined by a bus load of youth who were on a youth conference from Virginia. They were very well behaved and the missionaries told us the history of the Isaac Morley farm. There are none of the buildings still present on the farm.  They were log cabins built without footings or foundation and they did not stand the test of time. At the fourth general conference of he church which was held in the schoolhouse on this farm, Heavenly Father and the Savior appeared. This makes it one of the four places in Kirtland where they both appeared together to Joseph Smith and others with him. The other places were the Newell K. Whitney store in the upper room, the Kirtland temple, and the John Johnson home.

They also told us a story of a young girl, I think she was 10, who borrowed Isaac Morley's copy of The Nook of Mormon. She ended up being one of the young girls who saved the Book of Commandments manuscript from the mob. 

When we left the Morley farm, we went to the quarry where the saints got the stone for the temple.

Can you see the drill marks on the stone.  They were made by pounding in thin wedges that split the stones.

We then drove about an hour away to the John Johnson farm.  On this farm, the home was there and had been restored. We got to where the tour started and a missionary came out to give us our tour. His name was Elder Wheeler. (My maiden name). We couldn't establish a connection family wise, but it was pretty cool to have the name connection.  He loved to tell stories and it was a delight to feel the spirit as he shared the special experiences that happened n that home. 

The John Johnson home

The side view of the John Johnson home.

After leaving the Johnson farm we headed west. The landscape gradually changed as we drove. We are now driving through farmland and not so many trees on long the side of the road. The sky was gorgeous as we drove this afternoon so we snapped a quick shot as we drove down the road. 

We almost made it across Ohio. We are staying tonight in Lima, Ohio. Tomorrow we will be back on our planned schedule.