Liberty & Richmond

Monument to the Eight Witnesses

Day 3 was a FULL one! We started our day with going to see the Monument to the Eight Witnesses. This beautiful place is tucked away and I loved it. It was so peaceful and perfect. This monument honors the eight witnesses to the Book of Mormon. It’s in a small family cemetery just outside of Liberty on land that once belonged to Michael Arthur and is near the graves of Christian and Peter Whitmer (two of the witnesses). When the Whitmer family moved to Missouri, several of the family worked for Michael Arthur. Michael was a prominent member of the community and sympathetic to the members of the Church. His farm became a gathering place for many of the leaders and local meetings and conferences were held on his property. His farm was also the location where the first Missouri Stake Presidency was formed and where Zion’s Camp was officially disbanded.

Christian Whitmer died in 1835 and was buried on the farm and less than a year later, Peter died as well. They were buried next to one another. The monument not only remembers those that were witnesses to the Book of Mormon, but also to those who helped the Saints in Missouri. It was the perfect way to start the day.

Liberty Jail

We arrived at Liberty Jail right when it opened and it was a highlight for all of us. I read a book earlier this year about the Prophet’s experiences in Liberty Jail (not knowing we were going on this trip), and it was humbling and inspiring to be there. It was truly a refiner’s fire for the Prophet Joseph. Sarah asked an interesting question, “was it worth it?” She asked that question in the context of did what Joseph learn outweigh the hard that he went through. And while I don’t know, I like to think that the Prophet Joseph would say that it was. I don’t think he would want to go back to that place, but I think he came to know more about himself and his relationship with the Lord because of that experience.

There is so much tenderness in that place. So much for all of us to learn because of their experience. It was a highlight for all of us.

Mount Olivet Cemetery

Today was a day of a lot of cemeteries. But this one was a little more personal. Mark is a direct descendent of Joel Turnham, a Clay County judge that was part of Joseph’s experience in Missouri. From everything we have been able to read, he was sympathetic to Joseph and the members here. But it was also a dangerous position to be in, because his sympathies could bring danger to him and his family as well. It was a complicated time and I hope we can learn more about him.

Mark shared this with the missionaries at Liberty Jail. They immediately knew who Joel Turnham was and said Mark was the first descendent they had met of his and wanted to know more about how his family joined the Church. He also shared that what he had studied about Joel Turnham was what we have found as well.

While Joel Turnham did not die in Missouri (he later moved to Texas), we were able to find two other relatives of Mark’s in nearby Kearney in Clay County. Mark’s 3rd great grandfather, named Dr. Walter Lowrie Porterfield and David Titus Dunkin, Mark’s 4th great grandfather. This took a bit of detective work. Their names were misspelled on the register and we ended up doing a rubbing to confirm one of them. But it was neat moment and I am glad this family was able to be visited.

Also buried in this cemetery was Jesse James. I knew nothing about him but we learned he was a notorious outlaw of the wild west. Mostly the kids were shocked that there were bullets on his grave.

Hiram Page Gravesite

If you want to go REALLY off the beaten path, you go and visit the Hiram Page gravesite! Oh goodness, we went up, down, and all over Clay County! Hiram’s gravesite is just on the side of a gravel road, located on the property that his wife and sons onced owned. The Whitmer family moved to Missouri in 1832 and went through many of the difficulties that the Saints experienced there. He later distanced himself from the Church but never denied his testimony of the Book of Mormon.

Richmond Pioneer Cemetery

Richmond is a teeny tiny little town. But we enjoyed spending time in their beautiful park and pioneer cemetery. We ate lunch, the kids climbed trees, and we just enjoyed the quiet afternoon there. Here there is a monument to the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. It is also where Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer Sr., Mary, Whitmer, and Jacob Whitmer are buried.

The story of the cemetery itself is interesting. In 1878, a tornado came through the town and damaged much of the cemetery. Headstones were knocked over and the cemetery fell into disrepair. Later, with permission from the family, the Church came in and put the headstones back together the best they could in cement and also put a monument to honor those three witnesses. It is a very peaceful place.

Richmond Jail Site

A very quick stop was made to the Richmond Jail Site. Joseph and other Church leaders were imprisoned here for about a month before they were sentenced to Liberty Jail. This is where the Prophet scolded the guards for boasting about the violent crimes that had been committed.

The site itself it just a small, open grassy area. There is no building or anything and just a white picket fence surrounds it.

Statue of Alexander Doniphan

The more I learn about Alexander Doniphan, the more I want to learn! Right next to the Ray County Courthouse is a monument to honor him in Richmond. While he is known for many things, we remember him for how he defended members of the Church during the Missouri persecutions. An honorable man through and through.

Also, we were surprised to see while we were there, that one of the major donations was from a “Berning Family”. This is the side that Mark’s Missouri roots run through and made us curious if there are long lost relatives still in the area.

David Whitmer Homesite

This is yet another drive by kind of site. There is nothing there anymore other than a plaque on a building showing that it was the site of the home of David Whitmer. In 1838, David and his family moved from Far West to Richmond. There they stayed for many years and he built a home in this spot. Later, in that tornado that came through the area (that I mentioned earlier), the house was destroyed and later rebuilt. He operated a livery stable until he died in 1888. Although he broke ties with the Church, he continued to share his testimony of the Book of Mormon.

A Little BBQ Joint

After a day of church sightseeing, we made our way back to Liberty. We got some really good BBQ. It was definitely one of those places that doesn’t look great on the outside (in fact, they just remodeled an old car garage to be the restaurant), but it was TASTY! The boys loved the super spicy Kansas City BBQ sauce, and the car theme was a big hit for everyone.

We went back to the hotel and Mark and the kids went swimming at the pool and Lydie and I enjoyed a quiet evening in the room, snuggled up watching a movie. Another great day!