Come Come Ye Saints!

Thanks to my wonderful in-laws Jonner and I got to go on an LDS church history tour. We spent 8 days visiting the most important sites in our churches history. We went to Palmyra, NY and visited the Smith family farm and saw the Hill Cumorah pageant. We walked in the Sacred Grove and contemplated what happened there.
We traveled to Kirtland, OH and toured the first temple that was built in this dispensation and I was deeply moved by the Spirit that was there. We toured the Newel K. Whitney store and home and I felt such awe and respect for what the saints accomplished and then had to leave behind.

We traveled to Nauvoo, IL and I fell in love with it. The Nauvoo pageant was wonderful and it filled my heart with the deepest gratitude for the saints that I have ever experienced. The temple was magnificent and peaceful and I could hardly believe that the Saints built such a structure with minimal resources and simple tools.

I was deeply touched as we walked the trail of hope as we left Nauvoo, just has the saints had to do, and I wept for what they sacrificed in faith. We also went to Carthidge and sat in the room where the prophet Joseph was martyred and I was overcome with gratitude and love for brother Joseph. And I knew with everything that I am made of that he was and is a true prophet of God.

I am not sure how I can put into words the amazing experience that this trip was. It was probably the most profound spiritual week of my life. I have always known that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and that Joseph Smith is a prophet who restored the gospel in these latter days and I wasn't anticipating my testimony to grow in such great strides. But I was blessed to be able to walk where God and the Savior have walked. I stood in holy places and I have never been more sure that the gospel is true.