​Rolling Reunion - Caring for a shared heritage!

Written by Gwyn Beer
Canada West Mission Centre Co-President

Last week Brenda Senga wrote about a wonderful time at the Kirtland Visitor Centre that included both a wonderful meal while gazing at the temple and a Communion Meal in the temple.
 
Community of Christ owns Kirtland Temple but we are not the only ones caring for the sacred spaces that we hold in our history hearts!  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are also the caretakers of our sacred spaces.  I had the pleasure of being conducted through some of these sacred spaces by Elder and Sister Barrow.  They were my site guides twice.  We went to Palmyra NY to tour the Smith Family home site where I first met Elder and Sister Barrow. They guided us through the Smith family home painting a picture of a young man in touch with God and a family that supported him. We were then given time to enter the Sacred Grove.  We went on to the Grandin Print Shop where the first printing of the Book of Mormon was done. We stopped at the Hill Cumorah, some climbed the hill and others took time to stretch and then back on the bus.
 
We returned to Kirtland and visited the temple and then toured the Joseph and Emma Smith home which is a block away from the temple with the cemetery in the middle.  This was my second encounter with Elder and Sister Barrow!  What a blessing for me!  This couple had raised 4 sons and were now spending 18 months volunteering at the sacred sites from our combined heritage.  They were away from their home and children and grandchildren but so positive about their experience volunteering.  They Thanked Me for caring for the Kirtland temple and Nauvoo! 
 
Next stop: Nauvoo Illinois!   The bus rolled up to the visitor’s centre in Nauvoo where we had the opportunity to stretch and go to the washroom.  We were given a box lunch to take back on the bus and as we ate our box lunch, we drove the streets of Nauvoo.  Seeing the Mansion house, the original small home of Joseph and Emma that was added on to for family and friends.  The burial site of Joseph, Emma and Hyrum Smith and all the Stories that accompanied this place!  We stopped and shopped at the Red Brick Store. 
 
Coming up next week...
The last stop on the Rolling Reunion,  thanks for getting on the bus with us!