Warning:
This post is over 10 years old. I don't always update old posts with new information, so some of this information may be out of date. Opinions expressed in these older posts may not reflect my current position or understanding.
I’ve been lazy/busy, so I didn’t write this up last night as I should have. Yesterday morning I left Kansas to drive home, and on the way I visited 3 more meaningful sites: Far West, Adam-ondi-Ahman, and Nauvoo.
Far West
I drove first to Far West, which is in the middle of nowhere. I was the only person there and it was dead silent, except for the wind. The site at Far West is simply a fenced-in area where the cornerstones were laid for a temple by the Saints in 1838. Everything else that was there has since been destroyed. The Spirit is strong there. It’s on top of a hill, so as I gazed out over the countryside in all directions I was overcome with emotion, imagining the early Saints settling the area, thousands of them, so anxious to build Zion and putting up with so much hardship because of their faith.
Adam-ondi-Ahman
This was the highlight of my entire weekend (yes, I’m including Monday). Adam-ondi-Ahman is about half an hour north of Far West. I’ve been there once before but I don’t really remember any of it; I was too young. Anyway, I spent about 1.5 hours there walking around Tower Hill just thinking about the changes I need to make in my life and what the future may hold. I’m not going to explain here, but if you know anything about the prophecies concerning the Valley of Adam-ondi-Ahman then you can imagine how neat it is to be there. It was incredible.
Nauvoo
I spent way longer than I had planned in Adam-ondi-Ahman, so when I got to Nauvoo it was dark and everything was closed. Sadness. It’s ok though, because it was still great to be there. I drove around a bit which was overwhelmingly nostalgic since I basically grew up there (1995-2001). It’s much smaller than I ever remember! It was so surreal. I also got this pic:
It was a great way to end my trip. I’m so glad I chose to go. It gave me the opportunity to be alone with my thoughts and to sort things out, ponder, reflect, all that good stuff while being in those places and feeling the Spirit almost constantly.
I feel as though it gave me the spiritual boost I needed to go through with some of the difficult decisions I’ve had to face since I’ve been back regarding my living arrangements and the environments I put myself in.
Hopefully 3-4 months from now I will be out of the state. Either in Kansas, Utah, or Idaho.