Kansas City Missouri Temple

Temple #40

Kansas City, Missouri

October 24, 2015

 

     Another weekend, another temple! We loved how we were so close to so many other states we had never been to, and it made it easy to visit many new temples for us! 

     Texas had been fun so far, but things weren't working out with our job, and so we had a lot of decisions on our minds. We didn't want to move back home to Utah quite yet, but were worried about what to do with our lives at the time. This caused a little stressed and worrying, and so this weekend trip was much needed. 

 

     We first drove straight to Kansas City, driving through Tulsa Oklahoma and parts of Kansas to get there. We drove right through these cities so we could hurry and get to the temple. The weekend was short for all we had planned, so we had to hurry. 

 

     We got a picture in front of the temple while it was light, and then went to the Liberty Jail visitor center. Ivy had been to the area before when her family drove through a lot of Church history sites, yet this was my first time. 

      We got into the visitor center right as a tour was starting. We walked in, and the senior sister missionary began talking about the pioneers and Joseph Smith, and it felt as if she was speaking directly to us and our problems in life. The pioneers had struggled so much, and so did Joseph Smith, and yet the Lord was always there for them. We too felt the Lord's love that weekend a few times. 

     The Liberty Jail Visitor Center was humbling and spiritual. It was neat to see the jail rebuilt as it was. To imagine those men, including Joseph Smith, cramped in that jail for winter months without any cause, was terrible. It made us more grateful for what we had. We definitely felt the spirit there. 

 

      We then went to the Independence Visitor center. There happened to be some type of orchestra playing there, and we were sad we weren't going to be able to have a tour. Some sister missionaries saw us though and knew we wanted a tour. 

     One of the sister missionaries took us downstairs to the little visitor center. She reminded Ivy a lot of her cousin Lana by the way she acted, which was neat since Lana was at the time on a mission in Virginia. 

     She was a great sister missionary, and showed us around the displays. At one point she stopped, then shared with us a personal experience she had had where the Holy Ghost comforted her through some trials. Afterwards she said she had never shared that story before, yet she felt as if she needed to with us. 

     This story and her explanation of it made us teary eyed. It was exactly what we needed to hear. The pioneers were able to pick up their homes many times and leave to wherever the Lord needed them. This sister missionary was also comforted and aided in her life many times by the Lord. We knew that we could pick up our lives and our things and go wherever the Lord needed us. 

     We had a very wonderful and spiritual time at both visitor centers. We then went to a hotel, stayed the night, and the next morning went early to the temple. We did sealings, and felt the spirit strongly as we remembered our own marriage. 

     We also had the chance to go to the Kansas City Temple a few months later on our way home from Pennsylvania. It was neat to go through the temple again, and go to the visitor centers again. Coincidently enough, we ran into my grandpa's cousin and his wife at the Liberty Jail center where they were serving on a mission. It was fun to catch up with them. 

     The Kansas City Temple is a gorgeous one. I have wanted to go for a while because my background on my phone used to be the Kansas City Temple when I first got off my mission. It's beautiful with its two central spires. 

     One thing great about this temple is where it is built. When we were driving to it, it appeared before us on the freeway, shining brightly on a hill. It was beautiful, and we were so glad to have done it. It was neat to know that the pioneers had been there in the area, and the temple was long anticipated. The pioneers had hoped to build a temple close by in Independence, yet the Kansas City Temple was the next best place. 

     While going through the temple we noticed the intricate beauty of the wood. We later found out, months later, that the oak used for the temple was taken from Adam-Ondi-Ahman, another beautiful place. It was neat how the Church uses its resources and certain materials to build its buildings. 

     The Kansas City Temple was wonderful, and we were sad to leave. It was alright though because we headed next towards St. Louis, to do another Temple. 

     Kansas City was a fantastic place, but not because of amazing entertainment of a fun downtown, but because of the Church history that was there. The saints sacrificed so much for us, and I imagine that they now rejoice for the missionary work and everything else now that is going on where they once lived. The Kansas City Temple is a great tribute to the work they did in the area, and the visitor centers are a wonderful remembrance of the sacrifices that were made so we could enjoy the blessings of the Gospel!