New to the forum. Hi everyone. I've had this idea brewing around in my pretty little head for a few months now....I remember when as a TBM in the hinterlands (Ohio) it was part of the lifelong goals to make a trip to Mecca (SLC temple) and other historical sites. Now I find myself wanting to visit the REAL historical sites, not the fantasy morg versions that we were taught in seminary. So I am starting my list with the closest to my location now, which is the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Second on my list is Kinderhook, Illinois. That's all I have, so help me out here with places I can add to my list. I am in a position to make an occasional trip or stop off and I am really serious about this. I wonder if the old barn in Kirtland where the Fanny Alger dalliance took place is still standing? ;o)

I don't think you'll see much at Kinderhook.

Oh...I realize there might not be much at any of these places, even just the town placard will fill the bill. Hmmm...just thought I could get a photo at each one of the gravesites of Joseph Smith's teen brides. I just feel like a photo journey will help in the healing process, for me anyways, something as tangible as the lies.

"Oh...I realize there might not be much at any of these places, even just the town placard will fill the bill."

If you're that interested in this, maybe you could create phony historic markers for various sites/events and photoshop them in with the actual sites. For instance, "Near this site was the cornfield in which Joseph Smith, Jr., secretly wrote to Sarah Ann Whitney to meet him at night for an extra-marital tryst. Smith warned Sarah not to let his wife Emma see her."

Or, "In an upper room of this building, British convert Martha Brotherton swore that she was locked by Brigham Young while he tried to persuade her to become one of his plural wives."

Or, in western Missouri, a marker reading: "Near this site in 1838, Mormon church founder Joseph Smith Jr. stood before his congregation and proclaimed 'I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran [Koran] or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us -- ‘Joseph Smith or the Sword!’ ”

That is a great idea for a book! I could leave it front and center on the COFFEE table when the TBM parents visit. Could you imagine? Facial color would be nonexistent and excuses would be made to vacate the premises. Hilarious. Thanks!!

I'd call that a tour de farce.

:o)

LOL. Nice.

But seriously I do hope you get to visit Mountain Meadow.

My visit there in 2004 lent a feeling of emotional release from any guilt I had from being a descendant of two of the perps.

Happy trails!

I last visited mountain-meadows on Pioneer Day. There are 3 monuments now. One at the top of the hill one at the bottom of the hill and one down a dirt road to the burial site.
Here are videos of my visit.
http://exposingmormonism.com/mountain-meadows-massacre/

Great videos, I want a sip of what you're drinkin or maybe a few swigs. Phew, almost had a Blair Witch Project seizure! All kidding aside, they gave me a great perspective of what to expect both from the sites and your commentary. And I think it's great that you went on Pioneer Day. Thanks for posting!

I guess I have to declare myself guilty of doing this kind of trip once, so you're not too weird in wanting to try it out. Not that there's anything wrong with being "a weird people."

My wife, who was never Mormon, read "Who Really Wrote the Book of Mormon," and was fascinated by it. So...or I should perhaps say..it came to pass that we made a Doctor Philastus Hurlbut/Sidney Rigdon tour of sorts to Pittsburgh and Conneaut. Mind you we live in the mid-Atlantic region, so we didn't travel all the way from Utah or some such place to do this (we're not that crazy!)

We found the street intersection of the old Pittsburgh print shop where the Spaulding "Manuscript Found" was likely stolen by Sidney Rigdon. But mostly the trip was full of unrelated activity.

We went to the Andy Worhol museum in Pittsburgh, and took in great visits to covered bridges, wineries, and lake Erie in northeastern Ohio.

It was kind of a fun way to visit places that we might not have ordinarily visited. It was kind of a whimsical fun thing to do with a long weekend.

Oh yes, one of the things I have retained from Mormonism is my weirdness! I just moved from NE Ohio about a year ago and had forgotten that the places you mentioned existed in Mormon history. I lived close to the John Johnson Farm, actually attended girls camp there and of course, Kirtland and the Whitney store. Now I will have to make a list and dig around in the real historical facts for "the rest of the story". Thanks!

The Zelph mound isn't very far from Kinderhook.

Maybe something from Adam-ondi-Ahman. A couple rocks on the ground you could say was from that Adamic-Nephite "altar." The awesome site of the always-future secret pre-millennial gathering of millions!

The place in the mountains (Wyoming? not sure) where the Willie & Martin handcart companies damn near froze while BY was fiddling around.

A (Photoshopped) city on a close-up of the moon. That's the Quaker settlement, don't you know.

"The place in the mountains (Wyoming? not sure) where the Willie & Martin handcart companies damn near froze while BY was fiddling around."

It is called Martin's cove and is a church run site today. The book "Devils Gate" tells about this story. It is recommended by Will Bagley (#1 western Historian and Author of Blood of the Prophets)

Yes...here we are in 2016 and Adam ondi Ahman hasn't happened. I hope I don't get struck down by lightening for collecting souvenirs....or maybe disemboweled even.

make sure to visit Gilgal gardens in Salt Lake.

Gilgal is great it is a half block from trolley square.

What's Gilgal Gardens? Not sure I have heard of that one?

http://gilgalgarden.org/

The Joseph Smith sphinx is a must see.

That is just eccentric and plain weird. Someone was sampling the psychedelics methinks. That place goes on the list!!

Take a piss in the Sesquahana river.

Flick a booger at the Kirtland temple.

Fill up on Psyllium husk fiber and go to a temple waiting room and drop the biggest Duce and leave it.

Like a scavenger hunt

LOL! Now you're putting all kinds of bad thoughts in my head. All that time wasted at some of the sites and I just sat there in stunned awe at the magnificence of it all. Perfectly wasted opportunities down the drain.

You might find Kane Penn. interesting. There's a big old church there that Colonel Kane is buried in front of. The church was mormon owned last time I was there, and was a museum and also used by the 8 mormons who lived there for a branch meeting house.

It was interesting, and a place that very few mormons know about.

That's really taxing my brain for memories from seminary. I'll have to look that one up.

Mountain-meadows is tops on the list. you could also visit the site of the Bear River massacre by Preston ID, or the site of the Gunnison Massacre by Delta UT.

In SLC visit Gilgal and Fort Douglas (originally built to keep the Mormons in line).

If you are ever in the KC area visit Independence MO and tour the C of C temple and historical sites.

'

Hill Cumorah in upstate NY. Do try to get there during annual pageant.

Great suggestions. Some I have heard of and some I haven't. Thanks!

Great idea! Its like the tour of the "rest of the story". A few years ago, I went to the site where the Battle of Crooked River took place. It was basically the event that got the Mo's kicked out of Missouri and culminated with the famous extermination order. Two of my ancestors took part, one went to Liberty Jail with JS and was later released, the other was injured and got away. The one who got away later took part in burning the wagon trains of Johnson's army. Were my ancestors freedom fighters or terrorists?

Anyway, its on private land but we were able to get really close to where it happened.

Edit to add info in case you want to find this site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Crooked_River

John Hamer an ExMo now CoC guy drew the map and did some of the research on this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/2016 02:42PM by onendagus.

Yes...it's like the dark side, yin and yang and all of that gobbledygook. I just think it would be great fun and I could be all kinds of disrespectful - to a limit of course and look at these places with opened eyes instead of with glittery blinders on. Thanks for the suggestions and the link...I'll check it out.

I read Tour de France. Methinks you would enjoy that more.

LOL...probably.

Sacred Grove
Susquehanna River
John Johnson home, near Kirtland
Temple Lot, Independence
Haun's Mill, Missouri
Carthage Jail

I've been to Sacred Grove, Susquehanna River, John Johnson Home and Carthage Jail. Never to Temple Lot or Haun's Mill. More places to consider. I'll have to look into those and think up some truthful commentary to go along with my pics. Thanks.

How about the road where David Patten claims he saw big foot (Cain)?

Or the place where Martin Harris said Jesus appeared to him in the form of a deer?

And what about a look at the treasure laden caves under the Hill Cumorah?

And of course, the very barn where Joseph and Fanny had their roll in the hay?

The possibilities are endless...

I'm going to have to bring along my hat and my seerstone to these places. I'm going to need some revelation to really sort it all out ;o)