A Special 35th Year Anniversary Church History Tour

Scot & Maurine Proctor have been leading Church History Tours for the past 35 years. They know and love these places and know and love the Prophet Joseph Smith. This year’s tour will be Monday, September 14, 2026, to Monday, September 28, 2026. Below is a day-by-day illustrated itinerary of this very spiritual and wonderful journey. Come and enjoy reading about and seeing these places!

We know you have always wanted to see ALL the significant early Church History sites and now is the time! Many of you have been to Nauvoo or just to Palmyra, or perhaps to Kirtland—but now you will have the opportunity to see all these sacred sites in one sweeping, panoramic view. It makes ALL the difference in understanding the early history of the Restoration and the life of the Prophet Joseph.

We have been leading this ultimate Church History tour for the past thirty-five years! We know these places and the stories that bring them alive and we love to teach and share this amazing part of our sacred heritage. If you have ever thought about going on a Church History tour, this may very well be your year, and we would love to take you with us! One year a tour participant exclaimed: “This is not the ULTIMATE Church History Tour…It is the ONLY Church History Tour!”

We will be leading this year’s tour from September 14-28, 2026. It’s the perfect time of year for this incredible tour. You will return home the Monday before October General Conference.

WARNING: This is a life-changing experience!

Below is a thorough look at what we do. Read through the daily itinerary and then consider joining us. There are available spaces at this time, but the remaining spots will sell out, so please decide right away. Pricing and contact information are located at the end of the article or you can call right now for information or booking with our agent:
Sarah, at Morris Murdock Travel: 801-483-6473.

Please note:  If you would feel more comfortable, you can book the Ultimate Church History Tour with the Proctors immediately online yourself: PLEASE CLICK HERE.  When you get to that page, scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW and then set up your account and get it done.  As of today, there are 18 places left so please call immediately to make sure you can secure your place on this never-to-be-forgotten experience. This is one time we have room for parents who would like to bring all their adult children and spouses (this happens often)—as long as you don’t have more than eight married children!

Please read and enjoy the following detailed itinerary below.

Day 1- Monday, September 14, 2026

We all fly in from our various homes to Boston today and gather at the Embassy Suites, Boston Logan Airport. (Evening snacks included at the hotel). Tonight we will have a brief meeting where we get to meet each other for the first time. You will look around and, at first, think these are all new faces and strangers to you. That feeling won’t last for long as we quickly become like a traveling family.

Day 2 – Tuesday, September 15, 2026

You’ll love our visit to Old Ironsides. You may even want to buy an American Flag that you get to fly over this historic ship! The Proctors have one in their family!

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy Boston, walk part of the Freedom Trail including seeing the Old North Church, and see “Old Ironsides,” the oldest commissioned warship in the world still afloat (229 years old). A memorable lecture given at Harvard Square in Cambridge will ring in your ears throughout the trip and give you new perspectives on the founding of our country and the beginnings of the Restoration. We’ll get a feeling for the American Revolution and then let you have an enjoyable hour at Quincy Market for dinner where you’ll see the famous Faneuil Hall. Built in 1742, this building hosted pre-Revolutionary protests against the Sugar and Stamp Acts and boasted speakers George Washington, Samuel Adams and later abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Tonight we stay at the charming Colonial Inn in Concord, which dates to 1716 and weas used during the Revolutionary period by Concord Minutemen for storing arms and ammunition. It was once owned by Henry David Thoreau. (Meals: B,D)

Day 3 – Wednesday, September 16, 2026

You’ll feel the spirit of the Revolution as you gaze upon the Minute Man statue here in Lexington on the Green.

This morning we will relive the first moments of the Revolutionary War and see the place where the shot was fired that was “heard around the world”. We will travel along Battle Road, stopping at various points, and even see where Paul Revere was captured by the British.

There are few places where you will feel a deeper connection to the Revolutionary War than here at the Old North Bridge in Concord.

You will come to know Lexington and Concord including hearing a moving lecture at the Old North Bridge that will help you understand those events which brought about the Independence of this great nation and set the stage for the birthplace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. In the afternoon we will visit Louisa May Alcott’s home and see the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau and the Alcott’s are buried. Tonight we will have a meal together at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury—the oldest Inn in America—established in 1716! Here we will see one of New England’s most picturesque sites and perhaps her most famous mill.

We will stay again tonight at our beautiful and historic Colonial Inn. (Meals: B, D)

Day 4 – Thursday, September 17, 2026

This 38 1/2 foot monument commemorates the birthplace of Joseph Smith, the Prophet.

Very early this morning we head northward on our journey into beautiful New England and for our first major Church History stop in Sharon, Vermont. Fortunately, you will experience the journey up Dairy Hill in a bus (we don’t have to hike) where we will experience strong feelings of the Spirit at the birthplace of the prophet Joseph. We will eat our lunch together on the original property where the Smiths were living. We will visit the towns of Sharon, Turnbridge, and drive past the Smith stomping grounds of Norwich and West Lebanon. Here we will get a feel for the first twenty years of marriage of Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith, Sr.

This evening we will have dinner and stay in the quaint ski resort lodging of the Best Western Inn & Suites in Rutland, VT. Rutland is only 24 miles from where Oliver Cowdery was born! (Meals B, D)

Day 5 – Friday, September 18, 2026

Here we walk on sacred ground at the grave of Alvin Smith.

Leaving New England the scenery changes as we wind our way south and west to fertile fields and lovely lands in Western New York. We will enjoy stories of early church leaders of the church, where they came from and how they came to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will talk about what it was like for Lucy Mack Smith to make the arduous journey with eight young children more than 300 miles (without her husband) to Palmyra.

Tonight we will stay in the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport (near Rochester), New York (right near the old Erie Canal and not too far from Palmyra) and ready ourselves for a spiritual feast tomorrow. Dinner will be at your discretion at the amazing Wegmans Food Store & Deli (you will love Wegmans—we guarantee it). (Meals: B, D)

Day 6 – Saturday, September 19, 2026

You’ll feel the Spirit here at the farm of Joseph and Lucy Smith.

We will arise early to be at the Sacred Grove and experience this, one of the most significant holy places on the earth. For many this experience is the highlight of the whole trip. We will have our own, individual quiet time in the Grove. Afterwards, we will enjoy the Smith farm, tour the Smith frame House and the Smith Log Cabin (where the Angel Moroni visited the prophet). We will also visit the Hill Cumorah, Martin Harris Farm, the E.B. Grandin Printing Complex and the downtown village of Palmyra. Our little walk up the hill to the Smith Cemetery will touch you as we gather at the grave of Alvin Smith. This afternoon we may have the opportunity of attending a session at the Palmyra Temple (be sure you bring your own temple clothes—Sarah will let us know if the scheduling works).

Dinner will be at a local restaurant before we stay again at the Woodcliff Hotel tonight.
(Meals: B, D)

Day 7 – Sunday, September 20, 2026

You truly have to experience this newly restored (2015) Priesthood Restoration site. It is stunning.

Today is a VERY BIG day! This morning we head to Fayette where the Whitmers lived and the Church was legally organized on Tuesday, April 6, 1830. Twenty revelations for the Doctrine and Covenants were received here or near here. This is also the place where Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer received their special witnesses of the plates. We will attend sacrament meeting at the beautiful Fayette Ward then head south to Harmony, Pennsylvania to visit the beautiful Priesthood Restoration site. For some, this is considered the most beautiful of all the Church Historical sites. Here we will see the reconstructed homes of Joseph and Emma Smith, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale, and the section of woods where John the Baptist restored the priesthood. A good part of the Book of Mormon was translated here in Joseph and Emma’s Cabin (about 70%). We will walk along the banks of the Susquehanna River where the first baptisms were performed in this dispensation. This is such a memorable afternoon and early evening!

Later this evening we check into the Double Tree Inn in Binghamton for dinner and our overnight stay. Do not miss getting your free, freshly baked famous DoubleTree 2-ounce chocolate chip cookie as we arrive. These feature 30 chocolate chips (per cookie!), a hint of lemon juice, cinnamon and coconut and are absolutely delicious. DoubleTree has distributed more than 483 million of these to date and we want to do our part to keep that number high! (Meals: B, D)

Day 8 – Monday, September 21, 2026

Seventeen revelations were given in this upper room of the Newel K. Whitney Store here in Kirtland. 

Today we travel through some of the western regions of New York and review the missionary labors of Samuel Harrison Smith (the Prophet’s little brother) and Parley P. Pratt. The latter headed for Ohio where their labors would change the history of the Church because of the conversion of his very good friend, Sidney Rigdon. About midmorning we will make a stop in Corning, New York at the glass factory in route to Kirkland, Ohio. We reach Kirtland in the late afternoon and tour the Newell K. Whitney home and Store as well as see some of the other Kirtland sites. Be prepared for a spiritual feast at the Whitney Store.

Dinner will be at the “Olive Garden” before checking into our Hotel in Mentor (the natives do not say the “t”—it’s Menor!). (Meals: B, D)

Day 9 – Tuesday, September 22, 2026

During that glorious week of the Kirtland Temple dedication in 1836 the Lord visited this room as well as numerous angels, including Moses, Elias and Elijah. 

This morning Breakfast is provided at the hotel before we visit the Isaac and Lucy Morley Farm then tour the Kirtland Temple where The Lord Himself appeared as did Moses, Elias, Elijah, and numerous other angels. The script has changed a great deal since the Church purchased this historic temple March 5, 2024. You will love every minute of your time inside this sacred and holy place. We even get to go up into the third floor at the west end of the temple where Joseph had his office and saw a glorious vision of the celestial kingdom. After lunch we will travel on to the John and Elsa Johnson Farm in Hiram, Ohio where the vision of the three degrees of glory was received and at least 14 other revelations. Here the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon were mobbed, beaten and the Prophet tarred and feathered.

We travel to the heart of the Ohio Amish Country for an old-fashioned home style meal at the Dutch Valley Restaurant (eat light today because tonight, well, you can’t eat light). We stay tonight at the charming Carlisle Inn in Sugar Creek, a place where everyone begs us to stay longer! (Meals: B, D)

Day 10 – Wednesday, September 23, 2026

You will enjoy a buggy ride with the Amish. Holmes County Ohio boasts the largest population of Amish in the country.

This morning we will have the rare opportunity to spend more time with the Amish, touring their charming villages, seeing some of their local markets and talking to the people. You will love this experience and even have a chance to do some shopping! We will eat with one of our favorite Amish families in their home (don’t worry, they are all ready for large groups) and have another sumptuous meal together. We learn so much from the Amish.

Later this afternoon we will depart for the Cleveland airport for our flight to Kansas City. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Embassy Suites in Kansas City, Missouri. (Meals: B, D)

Day 11 – Thursday, September 24, 2026

The Liberty Jail beccame a temple-prison for the Prophet Joseph.

This morning we will visit Independence, Missouri. Here we will see the original temple lot, enjoy our own Latter-day Saint Visitors’ Center and see the original Jackson County Courthouse. We then head east to visit Richmond, Missouri where two of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon are buried. We then end our touring today in the Liberty Jail where the Prophet Joseph and his companions were imprisoned through the cold winter months of 1838/1839. Here we will feel the Spirit as we read the revelations and hear the voices of the past. We will also watch for the Kansas City Missouri Temple as we pass by it and see its beautiful setting in Clay County.

This evening we will have a wonderful meal either at the Cracker Barrel or a restaurant near our hotel. (Meals: B, D)

Day 12 – Friday, September 25, 2026

For many our visit to Adam-ondi-Ahman is the highlight of our tour.

We head for our morning teaching and meditational time at a very, very special place: Adam-ondi-Ahman! Here you will learn things you’ve never known and perhaps even feel things you have never felt. This is a very sacred place that dates to the beginning of recorded time. After a wonderful lunch on your own at a local Mexican Restaurant in Gallatin, we then visit the temple site at Far West and hear some powerful stories of faith and super faith here. We then make our way east along the approximate path the Saints were driven out of Missouri.

This evening we eat dinner in Hannibal at a local Chinese Restaurant where we have taken groups for many years. We then head the last hour and 25 minutes to Nauvoo! We will be staying at the Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites for the remaining three nights of our journey. (Meals: B, D)

Day 13 – Saturday, September 26, 2026

How can we ever forget that breathtaking announcement on April 4, 1999 that the Nauvoo Temple would be rebuilt?

This morning we step back in time and spend a glorious day touring the sites of Old Nauvoo—beginning with a session (either initiatory, sealing or endowment depending on availability and scheduling) in the stunning Nauvoo Temple. Today we’ll hear stories of the past and get a feel for “the City of Joseph”. We will see the moving Relief Society Gardens where thirteen monuments to women will touch your soul. We will tour Brigham Young’s home (recently renovated and redone), the Printing Complex, the Blacksmith Shop, the Seventies Hall, the Browning Gunsmith Shop and Home and as many other places as we can squeeze in—including the brand new Nauvoo Temple Visitors’ Center. You may receive a Nauvoo brick today as a souvenir from Nauvoo.

Tonight we will dine at the old Nauvoo Hotel (depending on their business situation–or some other nearby dining experience) with their wonderful all-you-can eat dinner buffet. Don’t miss their amazing cinnamon buns! (Meals: B, D)

Day 14 – Sunday, September 27, 2026

By the end of two weeks you will feel a deep love for Joseph and Hyrum.

We will attend the earliest Sacrament Meeting in the Nauvoo Ward and then tour more of Nauvoo. This afternoon we travel south and east to our final stop: The Carthage Jail. Here you will have one of the highlight experiences of the trip as we review the events of the Carthage Jail and talk about our feelings for Joseph and Hyrum. We end the tour with a group testimony meeting in Nauvoo at our hotel. (Meals: B, L)

Day 15 – Monday, September 28, 2026

We will have a wonderful Mississippi River boat ride/lunch cruise at Hannibal, Missour–Mark Twain’s home town.

As we say our farewells to Nauvoo this morning, we continue on to Mark Twain’s Hannibal on the Mississippi River where we’ll take a special luncheon cruise on a riverboat hosted by a charming family who really take pride in this experience and make you feel so welcome. You’ll delight in hearing the stories and folklore of this mighty river. Following this special lunch, we’ll immediately head to St. Louis with a brief stopover in Historic St. Charles, Missouri, the beginning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, May 14, 1804. It’s only a tease but you will love your approximately one hour of walking these 18^th and 19^th century streets and maybe get an ice cream cone (only homemade) at Kilwin’s.

Now we sadly head to our evening flights home (only about 15 minutes from St. Charles). Farewell dear friends! (B, L)

Tour Cost Per Person includes hotels, deluxe motor coach, flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Kansas City, Missouri, entrance fees, taxes & gratuities, luggage handling, daily breakfast and dinner, and a Mississippi Riverboat cruise.

Credit Card price:

• Double Occupancy $4,479 per person.
• Ask Sarah about Single or Triple occupancy pricing.

Round trip airfare from home cities is not included, but may be booked with the group or secured on an individual basis (you are welcome to use frequent flyer miles).

Please call our agent, Sarah Wangsgard, at Morris Murdock Travel direct to her office at: 801-483-6473.

Please note again:  This tour will sell out; if you would like to go right online and book it yourself, PLEASE CLICK HERE.  When you get to that page, scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW and then set up your account and take care of it.

A deposit of $250.00 per person is necessary to hold space. Payment arrangements can be made with final payment due 60 days prior to the tour. Cancellation insurance is available and is always recommended.

Come Follow Me Podcast: The Martyrdom: a Day of Tears, Sections 135-136

Scot

Maurine and I lead a church history tour every year. We’ve done this for 30 years. We take our many participants through two days of Revolutionary War and the foundations of freedom. Then we go to Sharon, Vermont and begin Joseph Smith’s life chronologically and naturally we end the two weeks in the Carthage Jail. It’s an unbelievable experience. We always have a testimony meeting that last day after the emotional experience of the Carthage Jail. I’ll never forget one year, one of the brothers on the tour, who had been especially attentive throughout that two-week period, said emphatically in his testimony, while still on the Jail grounds, “I’m so angry. I’m just so angry!” Since we had never heard that as part of a testimony before and he gave a rather long pause, I cut in and asked aloud, “Why?” He said, “Because they killed him. They killed Joseph Smith. It was unjust. It was wrong. It was so wrong. I’m just so angry.” And that was his final testimony. And it stuck with me. Let’s explore the historical, emotional and passionate ending of Joseph and Hyrum Smith’s lives today.

Maurine

Welcome to Meridian Magazine’s Come Follow Me podcast. We are Scot and Maurine Proctor and we are delighted to be with you again today and share our witnesses and testimonies of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Will you share this podcast with your family and friends? It’s easy, just tell them to go to latterdaysaintmag.com/podcast or tell them to go to any of their favorite podcast platforms and just search for Meridian Magazine Come Follow Me.

And with the gift-giving season starting, will you put on your list the Come Follow Me Old Testament Calendar with its stunning photos of the ancient lands of the Old Testament. Not only does this calendar help you keep track of your Come Follow Me readings, it also is like a piece of artwork on the wall that changes monthly. If you have many friends that you want to remember with something meaningful, and you want to make your shopping easy, order many of these. It is flat rate shipping for as many as you order if you live in the United States. Buy your calendars at latterdaysaintmag.com/2026. That’s latterdaysaintmag.com/2026 And thank you for your support in this regard—this is one more way we help to pay for Meridian Magazine and this podcast.

Scot

It’s hard to believe that through all these podcasts this year, we are coming to the end of our studies of the Doctrine and Covenants, well, or the end of this year’s study of this sacred volume of scripture.  And that naturally leads us to the Carthage Jail. How can we possibly describe in 30 or 40 minutes all the events that led to the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith? It’s impossible. But we do take our people to the Carthage Jail. And when we’re there, we do give about a 20-30 minute lecture which is full of emotion and passion and power, as we bear our testimonies of the Prophet Joseph.

We hope that through these past 48 podcasts this year on the Doctrine and Covenants, that you have come to know that we know that this great work is true. We love the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We love the Prophet Joseph Smith, and his wife, Emma and his family. We love those early heroes of the restoration. We love Brigham Young and Mary Ann Angell. We love John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff and Parley P. Pratt and Eliza R. Snow and Mary Fielding Smith and Mercy Fielding Thompson. These are our friends and our heroes.

Maurine

And it makes us emotional to think of coming to the end of this year of study. But what are all the things that led to Joseph’s martyrdom in Carthage? There are so many things that go into this and most of the time people think that Joseph was brought to Carthage because of plural marriage. That just isn’t the case. It was hardly known publicly by that time, but among the apostates who participated in the conspiracy to kill Joseph, it certainly may have played a role, but it wasn’t the major role.

By this point, Joseph Smith had known for some time that his life was coming close to an end. He knew at least as early as March 1829 that the possibility of the martyrdom was there. In Doctrine and Covenants, Section Five, Verse 22, it says:

22 And that you be firm in keeping the commandments wherewith I have commanded you; and if you do this, behold I grant unto you eternal life, even if you should be slain. (Doctrine and Covenants 5:22)

So, this is 15-plus years before the martyrdom. I think Joseph always had a sense that he would have to seal his testimony with his blood. And to get some personal insight into Joseph. He had one fear about dying, and that is he did not want to be hanged.

Scot

I think each one of us has some particular way of dying that we would not like to face. I know for you Maurine, you would not like to be burned to death. And I have a particular aversion to drowning because I witnessed my own brother drown and that was a very traumatic experience for me. But I think all of us have some kind of fear, but Joseph’s fear was to be hanged. He just did not want to be hanged. We will keep that in mind.

For the last two years of Joseph’s life, from the spring of 1842 on until June of 1844. Joseph was revealing things as fast as he possibly could. I think he had a sense that he needed to download all of his knowledge, all of the revelations, everything that he knew, so that he would leave no pages unturned, and no i’s undotted and no t’s uncrossed. Of course, among those things, was the organization of the Relief Society on March 17 1842.

Maurine

This was critical, and by May the 4^th, 1842, just 48 days after the Relief Society was organized, Joseph revealed the temple endowment for the first time. By the spring of 1844, he was meeting with the Twelve in the red brick store in Nauvoo , and there he gave them instructions, and he gave them all the keys that had been given to him by all the angelic ministers who had come to him. He wanted to lay clearly and squarely upon the shoulders of the Twelve all of the keys so that he did not carry them alone. And if he were to be slain, which he would be in a matter of about two months, all the keys would be borne off by the Twelve apostles. So, this was critically important that these meetings took place, and we actually have a recording of Wilford Woodruff’s voice on a brand-new technology which used wax drums to record voices. This was near the end of his life and it is fantastic to listen to. The recording is more than 120 years old and is very crackly and hard to understand but it is very discernable.

Scot

And I think it is fantastic that we get to hear his actual voice that he gave us his eyewitness, in-person testimony of Joseph Smith in those meetings. Now, when I was growing up, I always liked to imitate sounds and voices. My brother, Kirk, was much better at voices, but my specialty was sounds. I have a variety of things that I can do. I’m not sure my ability to imitate sound is a great gift, but it does allow me to have perfect pitch and to hear and understand languages very quickly. When we’re on the church history tour and I’m speaking over a microphone or in our little headphones, I give that particular imitation of Wilford Woodruff and that recording and it goes something like this:

“I bear my testimony that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God to lay the foundation of His Church and Kingdom in the last dispensation and the fulness of time. The Prophet Joseph Smith laid down his life for the word of God. In all his testimony to us the power of God was visibly manifest in the Prophet Joseph.”

Joseph laid his hands upon each member of the Twelve at this time in April 1844 and gave each of them ALL of the keys that he held. He gave them the charge that they were to bear off the kingdom on their shoulders now or they would be damned.

Maurine

Now, the enemies of the church thought if they could kill Joseph, they would kill what was then called “Mormonism.” They would kill the progress of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints altogether. Nauvoo had become a bustling city in Western Illinois to rival Chicago in size. The people were industrious and they, the enemies of the Church had to shut the Saints down. And of course, they were very much wrong, but they pursued that Satan-inspired course anyway. A number of things happened in rapid succession, and one of the most notable was on Friday, June 7^th, 1844. A series of apostates got together, including most notably William Law, former counselor in the First Presidency, and his brother Wilson Law, Charles and Robert Foster and Francis and Chauncey Higbee—all of whom were disaffected from the Church and in full-blown apostasy—and they began a newspaper, the Nauvoo Expositor, in the heart of the city of Nauvoo.

That first issue was over 12,500 words, most of which were lying and slanderous, charging Joseph with a series of abominations. The apostate board hoped to whip up hatred toward the prophet as they charged him with deceptive practices, whoredoms and pretended celestial marriage, false doctrines, evil doings, and political power mongering in his bid for President of the United States.

The apostates who published the Nauvoo Expositor hoped to political and socially destroy Joseph Smith by exposing him to public outrage and legal jeopardy. Their newspaper was desiged to strip him of credibility, portray him as a religious tyrant and ignite statewide fury—especially by denouncing plural marriage, condemning the Nauvoo courts, attacking the Council of Fifty, and accusing Joseph of abusing civil and ecclesiastical authority.  In short, the Expositor was created as a deliberate instrument to break Joseph’s political influence, destroy his prophetic authority, and set in motion events that would lead to his arrest and downfall.

 

Scot

Now, Joseph was the mayor of Nauvoo at this time. So, on Saturday, June 8 and Monday, June 10, Joseph gathered the city council together to discuss this nuisance in the city limits. They spent hours in those two days of meetings  deliberating what to do. In their Nauvoo city charter, there was a directive that said that if there was a nuisance inside the city limits, and that nuisance was dangerous to the safety of the community or of its citizens, that that nuisance could be removed.

Remember, these very Saints had experienced the violence in Missouri and Ohio and, with tensions now escalating in Nauvoo, the council members were concerned about the Expositor’s potential to incite further violence against both the Saints and the owners of the press. “Additionally, in the honor culture of 19th-century America, men were expected to respond to public attacks on their character, a social norm that made it difficult to let offenses pass.

With the sanction of the city council, Joseph Smith ordered a marshal, with the assistance of the Nauvoo Legion, to destroy the printing press. On Monday evening, June 10, the marshal and his posse of approximately 100 men removed the press, scattered the type, and burned the remaining copies of the newspaper.

The Nauvoo City Council had reason to believe their actions were legal. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits government interference with the press, applied only to the federal government, not state and local governments, until after the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868.” (Article, Nauvoo Expositor, Church of Jesus Christ website: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/nauvoo-expositor?lang=eng)

Maurine

Many legal scholars have concluded that the Nauvoo City Council acted legally to destroy copies of the newspaper but may have exceeded its authority by destroying the press itself.

Now the destruction of the Expositor fanned the flames of controversy and would not pass without answer. In neighboring Warsaw, Illinois, just about 17 miles to the south, a leading anti-Mormon newspaper editor named Thomas Sharp seized this opportunity to rally and mobilize Hancock County citizens against the Saints. Mr. Sharp had always had a chip on his shoulder since the beleaguered Latter-day Saints arrived on the eastern shores of the Mississippi River and they would not take advantage of his offers to sell them large tracts of land in and around Warsaw. His newspaper published this call to action on Wednesday, June 12:

“War and extermination is inevitable! Citizens ARISE, ONE and ALL!!!—Can you stand by, and suffer such INFERNAL DEVILS! TO ROB men of their property and RIGHTS, without avenging them. We have not time for comment, every man will make his own. LET IT BE MADE WITH POWDER AND BALL!!!” (Warsaw Signal, June 12, 1844, p. 2)

One note here, Scot. I think it’s fascinating that Joseph Smith was a candidate for President of the United States at this time and he sent ten of the Twelve apostles out on missions, campaigning for him and proselyting, but mainly, I think Joseph was getting them out of the way so they, too, would not be harmed or killed.

Scot 

At this crucial and fever-pitched juncture, Illinois Governor Thomas Ford stepped in to try to prevent a civil war. He reviewed the Nauvoo City charter and the city council’s justifications for putting this newspaper to an end. He decided to charge Joseph and Hyrum on a charge of inciting a riot and said they needed to stand trial at Carthage, the county seat for Hancock County and claimed by some to be “the only safe place in Hancock County for Joseph Smith.” Governor Ford gave Joseph his sacred word of honor and personal promise that he would assure Joseph’s safety.

Joseph could see what all this was leading to. So, while legal preparations were being made, Joseph was making his own plans. Joseph said, “The way is open. It is clear to my mind what to do. All they want is Hyrum and myself…We will cross the river tonight and go away to the west.” (History of the Church, 6: 545-46) Joseph had prophesied years before that “the Saints would continue to suffer much affliction…and some of you will live to go and assist in making settlements and build cities and see the Saints become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky Mountains.” (Ibid, 5:85)

On Monday, June 17, an affidavit was signed by Stephen Markam, a faithful, trusted friend and bodyguard of the Prophet Joseph, that mobs were gathering from Warsaw and potentially from Missouri to imminently launch an all-out attack on Nauvoo.

Maurine

On Tuesday, June 18, Joseph issued this official statement as mayor of Nauvoo:

From the newspapers around us, and the current reports as brought in from the surrounding country, I have good reason to fear that a mob is organizing to come upon this city, and plunder and destroy said city, as well as murder the citizens; and by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor, and to preserve the city and the lives of the citizens, I do hereby declare the said city, within the limits of its incorporation, under martial law. The officers, therefore, of the Nauvoo Legion, the police as well as all others, will strictly see that no persons or property pass in or out of the city without due orders.

On June 20, Robert Foster wrote to John Proctor, one of your relatives, Scot, the following:  “There are thousands of armed men ready now and thousands more coming from Missouri and the country around.” (Ibid, 6:520)

Later that evening Joseph said to a number of friends present: “I advised my brother Hyrum to take his family on the next steamboat and go to Cincinnati. Hyrum replied, “Joseph, I can’t leave you.” Whereupon I said to the company present, “I wish I could get Hyrum out of the way, so that he may live to avenge my blood, and I will stay with you and see it out.” (Ibid, 6:520)

As many of you know, Hyrum was not only the Patriarch of the Church at that time, but he had been ordained on January 25, 1841 as Assistant President of the Church, a position only truly held by Hyrum and Oliver Cowdery before him.

Scot

That’s right. Biographer Edward Tullidge gives us some interesting insight here:

Concerning the statement in the text about the Prophet’s desire to have Hyrum live, and the purpose of it, Tullidege recorded it this way: “I want Hyrum to live to lead the Church, but he is determined not to leave me” (Tullidge, p. 491)…[T]here is evidence in addition to his statement that the Prophet did desire Hyrum Smith to succeed him in the presidency of the Church, and even “ordained” him to take that place. At the October conference following the martyrdom of the two brothers, President Brigham Young said: “Did Joseph ordain any man to take his place? He did. Who was it? It was Hyrum. But Hyrum fell a martyr before Joseph did” (Times and Seasons Vol. 5, page 683; see also History of the Church, 6:546, footnote 2)

With all of this going on, during the late evening of Saturday, June 22, Hyrum determined to never leave Joseph’s side, Joseph and Hyrum made their way to the river. Aaron Johnson lived a few hundred yards to the west of Joseph and Emma, right on the Mississippi River bank, and he loaned the brethren a leaky skiff to row across the river to the island near the Iowa side. Ever Joseph’s loyal friend, Porter Rockwell took the oars and Willard Richards, a member of the Twelve and secretary/scribe to Joseph, volunteered to come with them.

Maurine

During that very night when they were hiding out on that island and were making plans to go to the west, messages were being sent across the river by rowboat such as, “Joseph. Don’t leave us now.”  “Joseph, you are a coward for leaving.” “Joseph, why would you leave us at this most critical hour?”

On Sunday, June 23 a sheriff’s posse arrived in Nauvoo to arrest Joseph, but they could not find him.

On the island, “Joseph said to [Porter] Rockwell [his most trusted bodyguard], “What shall I do?” Rockwell replied, “You are the oldest and ought to know best; and as you make your bed, I will lie with you.” Joseph then turned to Hyrum, who was talking with [Reynolds] Cahoon, and said, “Brother Hyrum, you are the oldest, what shall we do?” Hyrum said, “Let us go back and give ourselves up, and see the thing out.” After studying a few moments, Joseph said, “If you go back, I will go with you, but we shall be butchered.” Hyrum said, “No, no; let us go back and put our trust in God, and we shall not be harmed. The Lord is in it. If we live or have to die, we will be reconciled to our fate.” (History of the Church, 6:549-50) Joseph said to Hyram, if my life is of no worth to my friends, it is of no worth to me.” They then made the fateful decision to return to Nauvoo and give themselves up to “the law.”

Scot

Now, even though Joseph and Hyrum were the only ones under arrest, many of the other brethren went with them to Carthage, including Willard Richards, and John Taylor, with Steven Markham, Dan Jones, John Fullmer and Cyrus Wheelock coming thereafter.  At 6:30 AM on Monday, June 24, Joseph said goodbye to his family. Both Joseph and Emma wept as he departed. They had been through this kind of thing together many times before. Joseph stopped by the temple construction site, where the temple was about nine feet above the ground, looked out over the beautiful city and that view of the horseshoe bend of the river and said, “This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens; little do they know the trials that await them.”

When they were 4 miles outside of Nauvoo, they were stopped and word had come from the Governor to ask Joseph to return to Nauvoo and give orders to have the Nauvoo Legion give up all their state arms. At this point, the Nauvoo Legion may have numbered upwards of 5,000. To put this in perspective, the standing army of the United States at that time was only 8,573 men. This was a formidable force in Nauvoo and the governor was trying to avert an all-out war—and—more importantly for him, to make the way easier for the murder of the Prophet and his brother.

Joseph returned and gave orders for the Legion to disarm, which they did. Joseph was able to say farewell to his family one last time. He hugged four-months pregnant Emma and their four other children. They had now lost six of their children. Emma said to Joseph through her tears, “You will return, won’t you Joseph?” He could not answer her. As he got up on his horse she held his leg and said, “YOU WILL RETURN, won’t you Joseph?” Both began to weep—and Joseph turned his face towards Carthage.

Maurine

As they were heading towards Carthage on the 26 1/2 mile journey from Nauvoo, Joseph stopped at one point, and he looked out over a beautiful parcel of land and fields. And the men said, “Come, why are we waiting here? Let’s be going on.” And Joseph said, “”If some of you had got such a farm and knew you would not see it any more, you would want to take a good look at it for the last time.” (Ibid, 6:558)

As they continued on, Joseph said ““I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning. I have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward all men. If they take my life I shall die an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the ground for vengeance, and it shall be said of me ‘He was murdered in cold blood!’ ” We sometimes speculate that he may have intimated: “I am going like THE lamb to the slaughter.” Either way, he truly was going to be slaughtered and he knew it. They finally arrived at Carthage just before midnight, and over fourteen hundred Illinois militia had gathered there, drinking and brawling a good portion of the day as they awaited for the arrival of their prey.

Now the charge of causing a riot would allow for bail and many of the brethren were charged with this for a total bail of $7,500. The money was gathered quickly. Then, on Tuesday, June 25, the diabolical apostate, Wilson Law, was able to get the charge for Joseph and Hyrum changed to treason. This offense did not allow for bail and was punishable by hanging. Joseph did not like this at all.

Scot

Now Joseph, Hyrum, Willard Richards and John Taylor, the latter two the only members of the Twelve in Nauvoo, were in the jail together. A few others came to be with them, Stephen Markham, John Fullmer, Cyrus Wheelock and Dan Jones.

Both Joseph and Hyrum bore a faithful testimony to the Latter-day work, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, and prophesied of the triumph of the Gospel over all the earth, exhorting the brethren present to faithfulness and persevering diligence in proclaiming the Gospel, building up the Temple, and performing all the duties connected with our holy religion. (Ibid, 6:610)

During that last night, Wednesday, June 26 into Thursday, June 27, the brethren had been moved to the jailer’s bedroom in the southeast corner upstairs of the building. The jailer, knowing these were not dangerous or guilty men, thought they would be safer upstairs above the ground and away from close visual examination from the outside.

Late that evening Joseph said, “I would like to see my family again,” and “I would to God that I could preach to the Saints in Nauvoo once more.”

Dan Jones and John Fullmer lay next to Joseph Smith on the floor of the bedroom. Joseph whispered to Dan, “Are you afraid to die?” Dan said, “Has that time come, think you? Engaged in such a cause I do not think that death would have many terrors.” Joseph replied, “You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the mission appointed you  before you die.” (Ibid, 6: 601)

Maurine

Dan Jones left the jail the next morning to seek legal counsel for Joseph for the trial coming on Saturday. As he went through the south door of the jail to exit, he passed Frank Worrell, the head of the Carthage Greys. Worrell said, “We have had too much trouble to bring old Joe here to let him ever escape alive, and unless you want to die with him you better leave before sundown…you’ll see that I can prophesy better than Old Joe.” (Letter from Dan Jones to Thomas Bullock, January 20, 1855, as quoted in “The Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith,” BYU Studies, Winter 1984, p. 102)

Dan Jones was never allowed back in the jail. It saved his life. He was even chased by a mob with balls flying all around him but he was never hit. He did go on to fill many missions to Wales and brought many thousands of his fellow Welsh into the Church.

Joseph was writing letters that morning, seeking help and sending his final farewell to Emma:

June 27, 1844. 8:20 AM.

… Dear Emma, I am very much resigned to my lot, knowing I am justified, and have done the best that could be done. Give my love to the children and all my friends, Mr. Brewer, and all who inquire after me; and as for treason, I know that I have not committed any, and they cannot prove anything of the kind, so you need not have any fears that anything can happen to us on that account. May God bless you all. Amen.” (History of the Church, 6:605)

Scot

Governor Ford had visited the brothers in the jail that day and reassured them of his commitment and promise of their safety. Of course, he was in on the conspiracy. Of course, he knew what was about to happen that very day. He left with his own men and headed for Nauvoo so that he could be out of the way of the violence.

The jailer suggested they might want to move into the dungeon for safety. Joseph asked Willard Richards if he would go with him into the dungeon. Willard responded:

“Brother Joseph you did not ask me to cross the river with you—you did not ask me to come to Carthage—you did not ask me to come to jail with you—and do you think I would forsake you now? But I will tell you what I will do; if you are condemned to be hung for treason, I will be hung in your stead, and you shall go free.” Joseph said “You cannot.” The doctor replied, “I will.” (Ibid, 6:616) Willard knew of Joseph’s fear of hanging and was willing to be hanged in his place. That is so tender.

Now that day, had worn on and the men were feeling rather depressed. It was very hot in the jail. The windows were open. Joseph and Hyrum and Willard and John were the only ones left in the jail. Joseph said, Brother John, sing for me that new hymn that’s been circulating in Nauvoo, the new hymn that was Joseph’s favorite, A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief. And so, John Taylor with his beautiful British tenor voice, sang all seven verses of  that hymn. At the end of that Joseph said, Oh, brother, John, sing it for us again. John said, “I don’t feel much like singing.” Hyrum said, “Start singing and you’ll feel like singing.” And so he did. He sang all seven verses again, and this really buoyed the spirits of Joseph and Hyrum and I’m sure Willard Richards as well and even John Taylor.

Maurine

But now, it was just past five o’clock on Thursday, June 27 1844, as a mob of between 150 and 200 men started towards the jail. Their faces were painted black as if they could disguise themselves so that they would not be known, but they were known of God. Some of them were apostates from the Church and had once sat in sweet counsel with the Prophet himself. Worrell and his Carthage Greys put up no resistance. They fired some shots up into the air, and then many of the mob ran up the stairs and the slaughter began.

The first shot that was fired was to destroy the latch on the door that was already not working. Joseph and Hyrum braced themselves against the door pushing with all their might to hold it shut. The second shot that was fired came right through the door and struck Hyrum in the left bridge of the nose near his left eye. He was also hit in the chest and again in the throat and in his leg. He fell back and cried, “I am a dead man.” Joseph cried out, “Oh, my dear brother Hyrum!” Now, remember, Hyrum was the assistant president of the Church and if he would have died second, he would have been, according to their understanding, the president of the Church for a few seconds.

Scot

Willard Richards and John Taylor were on either side of the Smiths with hickory canes or what Willard Richards called his rascal beater. And there they thought they could beat the rifles barrels down as best they could and parry them off.  As John Taylor was trying to parry the rifles, he could see that this was not helping enough. And so. John went towards the window directly across the room from the door, and there, I think he was trying to make an escape through the window or see if that was possible and draw fire away from Joseph. As he got to the window, he was hit once in the wrist and then again, this time in the chest as he was in the window. This ball hit and pulverized his pocket watch and the force of that ball hitting him knocked him back into the room. He was hit again in the thigh, which, as he reported, dropped him like a bird that had been shot. While on the floor, he was hit again in the hip and took a chunk out the size of a man’s hand and blew blood all over the eastern wall of the jail. In that condition, he rolled under the bed to try to escape further injury.

Maurine

Now at this point, the most interesting thing happens. Joseph turned calmly. I think that says a lot about Joseph. He knew of course what was going to happen but in the midst of all this, he turned calmly. How could that possibly be? That is astounding. He went for the window, perhaps to draw fire away from Willard Richards. Of course, the balls were flying around in every direction, and hitting everywhere but Joseph came to the window. And he was hit once from behind in the back once in the shoulder blade, and once in the front in the sternum and once in the chest on the right side. And as he fell through the window, or leaped, he cried out, “Oh, Lord, my God!” This was a clarion call for help to any who were of the Masonic order. There were many Masons in the mob and obviously they broke their covenants that day.  Joseph fell the 15 ½ feet to the ground. A cry went out, “He’s leaped the window!” The mob hurried out of the landing and down the stairs.  Willard Richards looked out the window and saw him as his eyes closed, and he saw his beloved prophet for the last time on this earth. The mob fired on Joseph and shot him in a brutal manner many times after he was dead.

Willard Richards was trying to escape at this point or go out of the room and as he began to leave the room he heard Brother Taylor say, “Take me with you.” He carried Brother Taylor and brought him into the dungeon and covered him with a straw mattress. He said, ‘Brother John, I want you to live so that you can tell the world what happened here.” You have to understand, Willard Richards was the largest target in the jail. He weighed 300 pounds. But Joseph had told him two years before “the time would come when the balls would fly around him like hail, and he should see his friends fall on the right side and on the left, but that there should not be a hole in his garment.” (Ibid, 6:619) Miraculously, Willard Richards was spared with only his earlobe grazed by a ball.

Scot

At this point, right as the mob came back up the stairs and they were looking around the jailer’s bedroom for the others so they can kill the witnesses, a lone horseman came riding into town at breakneck speed crying at the top of his lungs, “The Mormons are coming! The Mormons are coming.” And we know from the Smith family records that this was Joseph and Hyrum’s brother, Samuel Harrison Smith! He had ridden the 26 ½  miles from Nauvoo to Carthage and had out ridden the mob, but during that chase, he had received an injury in his side and he said to his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, “I have a dreadful distress in my side ever since I was chased by the mob.” Thirty-three days later, Samuel Harrison Smith died as well.

With Samuel’s warning, the mob scattered. It was not true, however, as the Saints would not seek revenge. A note was sent to Nauvoo from Elder Richards, “Joseph and Hyrum are dead. Taylor wounded…I am well. Our guard was forced, as we believe, by a band of Missourians from 100 to 200. The job was done in an instant, and the party fled towards Nauvoo…the citizens are afraid of the Mormons attacking them. I promise them no!” (Ibid, 6:621-622)

Maurine

John Taylor wrote:  “I felt a dull, lonely, sickening sensation at the news. When I reflected that our noble chieftain, the Prophet of the living God, had fallen, and that I had seen his brother in the cold embrace of death, it seemed as though there was a void or vacuum in the great field of human existence to me, and a dark gloomy chasm in the kingdom, and that we were left alone. Oh, how lonely was the feeling! How cold, barren and desolate! In the midst of difficulties he was always the first in motion; in critical positions his counsel was always sought. As our Prophet he approached our God, and obtained for us his will; but now our Prophet, our counselor, our general, our leader, was gone, and amid the fiery ordeal that we then had to pass through, we were left alone without his aid, and as our future guide for things spiritual or temporal, and for all things pertaining to this world, or the next, he had spoken for the last time on earth.” (See John Taylor, Martyrdom Account, pp. 48–53, Joseph Smith Papers)

Now you think about this from the perspective of a mother, from this precious Lucy Mack Smith. By the time Samuel died a few weeks later, she had lost seven of her eight sons. She had lost her husband. She had lost three daughters-in-law. She had lost three sons-in-law, and she had lost 15 grandchildren! Her heart was truly broken.

Scot

Lucy recorded: “After the corpses were washed and dressed in their burial clothes, we were allowed to see them. I had for a long time braced every nerve, roused every energy of my soul, and called upon God to strengthen me, but when I entered the room and saw my murdered sons extended both at once before my eyes and heard the sobs and groans of my family and the cries of “Father! Husband! Brothers!” from the lips of their wives, children, brothers, and sisters, it was too much; I sank back, crying to the Lord in the agony of my soul, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken this family!” A voice replied, “I have taken them to myself, that they might have rest.” Emma was carried back to her room almost in a state of insensibility…

“Oh! at the moment how my mind flew through every scene of sorrow and distress which we had passed, together, in which they had shown the innocence and sympathy which filled their guileless hearts. As I looked upon their peaceful, smiling countenances, I seemed almost to hear them say, “Mother, weep not for us, we have overcome the world by love; we carried to them the gospel, that their souls might be saved; they slew us for our testimony, and thus placed us beyond their power; their ascendancy is for a moment, ours is an eternal triumph.”

“I then thought upon the promise which I had received in Missouri, that in five years Joseph should have power over all his enemies. The time had elapsed and the promise was fulfilled.”

Maurine

We testify with every fiber of our beings that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. We testify that He did indeed see God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ in the grove. We testify that Joseph was the instrument that brought forth the Book of Mormon and through whom the holy priesthoods were restored to the earth. We testify that the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been brought back to the earth and that we have a living Prophet today, even Russell M. Nelson. We testify that this great book of Doctrine and Covenants is true. We blessed beyond measure to live in these latter days.

Scot

That’s all for today. We’ve loved being with you. Next week we will talk about the last sections in the Doctrine and Covenants, Sections 137 and 138, with the lesson, “The Vision of the Redemption of the Dead.” Thanks to Jenny Oaks Baker for the music and to Michaela Proctor Hutchins for producing this show. Have a wonderful week and see you next time.

“Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” Performed by Jenny Oaks Baker. Used with permission © 2003 Shadow Mountain Records

 

 

 

 

Join the Proctors for the Ultimate Church History Tour–Summer 2020

We know you have always wanted to see ALL the significant early Church History sites and now is the time! Many of you have been to Nauvoo or just to Palmyra, or perhaps to Kirtland—but now you will have the opportunity to see all these sacred sites in one sweeping, panoramic view. PLUS, with 2020 being the last year the Hill Cumorah Pageant will be performed, this will be the only summer we will do this signature tour.

We have been leading this ultimate Church History tour for the past twenty-eight years! We know these places and the stories that bring them alive and we love to teach and share this amazing part of our sacred heritage. If you have ever thought about going on a Church History tour, this may very well be your year and we would love to take you with us! One tour participant last year exclaimed: “This is not the ULTIMATE Church History Tour…It is the ONLY Church History Tour!”

We will be leading this year’s tour from July 6 – July 20, 2020.

Please be aware: This is a life-changing experience!

Below is a thorough look at what we do. Read through the daily itinerary and then consider joining us. Available spaces will sell fast, so please decide right away. Pricing and contact information are located at the end of the article or you can call right now for information from our agent:  Sarah, at Morris Murdock Travel: 801-483-6473 or call Wendy at 801-483-5285.

Please note:  This tour is selling out fast, so if you would like to just book it immediately online yourself, PLEASE CLICK HERE.  When you get to that page, scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW and then set up your account and get it done.  Half the tour has already been sold (from last year’s wait list), so please call immediately to make sure you can secure your place on this never-to-be-forgotten experience. We will create a new waiting list for all who desire to come and don’t get booked in time.  Please read the itinerary carefully below.

Day 1- Monday, July 6, 2020

We all fly in from our various homes to Boston today and gather at the Embassy Suites, Boston Logan Airport. (Evening snacks included at the hotel).

Day 2 – Tuesday, July 7, 2020

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy Boston, walk part of the Freedom Trail, and see “Old Ironsides” and the Old North Church. A memorable lecture given at Harvard Square in Cambridge will ring in your ears throughout the trip. We’ll get a feeling for the American Revolution and then let you have an enjoyable hour at Quincy Market for dinner where you’ll see the famous Faneuil Hall. Tonight we stay at the Colonial Inn in Concord, one of the oldest Inn’s in American (dates to 1716) and once owned by Henry David Thoreau. (Meals: B,D)

Day 3 – Wednesday, July 8, 2020

This morning we will relive the first moments of the Revolutionary War and see the place where the shot was fired that was “heard around the world”. We will travel along Battle Road, stopping at various points, and even see where Paul Revere was captured by the British. You will come to know Lexington and Concord, and understand those events which brought about the Independence of this great nation and set the stage for the birthplace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. In the afternoon we will visit Louisa May Alcott’s home and see the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and the Alcott’s are buried. Tonight we will have a meal together at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury—the oldest Inn in America. Here we will see one of New England’s most picturesque sites and perhaps her most famous mill. We will stay again tonight at the Colonial Inn. (Meals: B, D)

Day 4 – Thursday, July 9, 2020

Very early this morning we leave for Sharon, Vermont and up Dairy Hill where we will experience strong feelings of the Spirit at the birthplace of the prophet Joseph. We will visit the towns of Sharon, Turnbridge, and drive past the Smith stomping grounds of Norwich and West Lebanon. Here we will get a feel for the first twenty years of marriage of Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith, Sr. This evening we will have dinner and stay in the quaint and charming Best Western Inn & Suites in Rutland, VT. (Meals B, D)

Day 5 – Friday, July 10, 2020

Leaving New England the scenery changes as we wind our way south and west to fertile fields and lovely lands of Western New York. We will enjoy stories of early church leaders of the church, where they came from and how they came to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Tonight we will stay in the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport (near Rochester), New York (right near the old Erie Canal and not too far from Palmyra) and ready ourselves for a spiritual feast tomorrow. Dinner will be at your discretion with a cash stipend at the amazing Wegmans Food Store & Deli (you will love Wegmans). Our little walk up the hill to the Smith Cemetery will touch you as we gather at the grave of Alvin Smith. Tonight we will witness one of the last performances of the renowned Hill Cumorah Pageant. (Meals: B, D)

Day 6 – Saturday, July 11, 2020

We will arise early and be at the Sacred Grove by 8:00 AM. For many this experience is the highlight of the whole trip. We will have our own, individual quiet time in the Grove. Afterwards, we will enjoy the Smith farm, tour the Smith frame House and the Smith Log Cabin (where the Angel Moroni visited the prophet). We will also visit the Hill Cumorah, Martin Harris Farm, the E.B. Grandin Printing Complex and the downtown village of Palmyra. This afternoon we will have the opportunity of attending a session at the Palmyra Temple (be sure you bring your own temple clothes). Dinner will be at a local restaurant before we stay again at the Woodcliff Hotel tonight. (Meals: B, D)

Day 7 – Sunday, July 12, 2020

Today is a VERY BIG day! This morning we head to Fayette where the Whitmers lived and the Church was legally organized on Tuesday, April 6, 1830. Twenty revelations for the Doctrine and Covenants were received here or near here. This is also the place where Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer received their special witnesses of the plates. We will attend sacrament meeting at the beautiful Fayette Ward then head south to Harmony, Pennsylvania to visit the beautiful Priesthood Restoration site. Here we will see the reconstructed homes of Joseph and Emma Smith, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale, and the section of woods where John the Baptist restored the priesthood. A good part of the Book of Mormon was translated here in Joseph and Emma’s Cabin. We will walk along the banks of the Susquehanna River where the first baptisms were performed in this dispensation. Later this evening we check into the Double Tree Inn in Binghamton for dinner and our overnight stay. (Meals: B, D)

Day 8 – Monday, July 13, 2020

Today we travel through some of the western regions of New York and review the missionary labors of Samuel Smith and Parley P. Pratt. The latter headed for Ohio where their labors would change the history of the Church because of the conversion of his very good friend, Sidney Rigdon. About midmorning we will make a stop in Corning, New York at the glass factory en route to Kirkland, Ohio. We reach Kirtland in the late afternoon and tour the Newell K. Whitney home and Store as well as see some of the other Kirkland sites. Be prepared for a spiritual feast at the Whitney Store. Dinner will be at the “Olive Garden” before checking into the very charming and lovely Best Western Lawnfield Inn & Suites in Mentor, Ohio. (Meals: B, D)

Day 9 – Tuesday, July 14, 2020

This morning breakfast is provided at the hotel before we visit the Morley Farm then tour the Kirkland Temple where The Lord Himself appeared as did Moses, Elias, Elijah, and numerous other angels. After lunch we will travel on to the Johnson farm in Hiram, Ohio where the vision of the three degrees of glory was received. Here the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon were mobbed, beaten and the Prophet tarred and feathered. This afternoon we travel to the heart of the Ohio Amish Country for an old-fashioned home style meal at the Dutch Valley Restaurant. We stay tonight at the charming Carlisle Inn in Sugar Creek. (Meals: B, D)

Day 10 – Wednesday, July 15, 2020

This morning we’ll enjoy the beauty of the simple life of the Amish. We’ll start on the back roads to the Hershberger Bakery and Farmers Market for a sensory overload of baked goods, jams & jellies and locally made crafts! We continue then to Heini’s Cheese Factory to sample over 80 varieties of locally made cheeses before our horse & buggy ride to the house tour at the Yoder Farm. We’ll see two houses, one similar to how the Amish lived when they first came to America, and a modern day home featuring Amish girls baking and canning in the kitchen! Afterwards we’ll get to indulge in all the goodness you’ve witnessed with our traditional Amish lunch. One of the best meals on tour!

Later this afternoon we will depart for the Cleveland airport for our flight to Kansas City. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Embassy Suites in Kansas City, MO. (Meals: B, D)

Day 11 – Thursday, July 16, 2020

This morning we will visit Independence, Missouri. Here we will see the original temple lot, tour the Community of Christ (RLDS) temple (time permitting), enjoy the LDS visitor’s center and see the Jackson County Courthouse. We then head north to the Liberty Jail where the Prophet and his companions were imprisoned through the cold winter months of 1838/1839. Here we will feel the Spirit as we read the revelations and hear the voices of the past. Time permitting we will make a brief photo stop at the Kansas City Missouri Temple. This evening we will have a wonderful meal at the Cracker Barrel. (Meals: B, D)

Day 12 – Friday, July 17, 2020

We head for our morning teaching time and meditational time at a very, very special place: Adam-ondi-Ahman! We then visit the Temple site at Far West before heading east along the approximate path the Saints were driven out of Missouri. We will be staying at the Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites for the remaining nights of our journey. (Meals: B, D)

Day 13 – Saturday, July 18, 2020

This morning we step back in time and spend a glorious day touring the sites of Old Nauvoo—beginning with our own special early-morning session in the stunning Nauvoo Temple. We’ll hear stories of the past and get a feel for “the City of Joseph”. We will see the moving Relief Society Gardens where thirteen monuments to women will touch your soul. We will tour Brigham Young’s home, the Printing Complex, the Blacksmith Shop, the Seventies Hall, the Browning Gunsmith Shop and Home and as many other places as we can squeeze in. You may receive a Nauvoo brick and a special prairie diamond as authentic souvenirs. Tonight we will dine at the old Nauvoo Hotel with their wonderful all-you-can eat dinner buffet. Don’t miss their amazing cinnamon buns! (Meals: B, D)

Day 14 – Sunday, July 19, 2020

We will attend the early Sacrament Meeting in the Nauvoo Ward, and then tour more of Nauvoo. This afternoon we travel south and east to our final stop, the Carthage Jail. Here you will have one of the highlight experiences of the trip as we review the events of the Carthage Jail, and talk about our feelings for Joseph and Hyrum. We end the tour with a testimony meeting in Nauvoo. (Meals: B, L)

Day 15 – Monday, July 20, 2020

As we say our farewells to Nauvoo this morning, we continue on to Mark Twain’s Hannibal on the Mississippi River where we’ll take a special luncheon cruise on a riverboat. You’ll delight in hearing the stories and folklore of the River. Following lunch, we’ll immediately drive to St. Louis for our evening flights home. (B, L)

Tour Cost Per Person includes hotels, deluxe motor coach, flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Kansas City, Missouri, entrance fees, taxes & gratuities, luggage handling, daily breakfast and dinner, and a Mississippi Riverboat cruise.

Credit Card price:

• Double Occupancy $3099.00 per person.
• Triple Occupancy $2899.00 per person.
• Single Occupancy $4369.00.
• Ask about our Single Share Roommate Option
• $100 Cash Discount for final payment paid by personal check or bank ACH draft

Round trip airfare from home cities is not included, but may be booked with the group or secured on an individual basis (you are welcome to use frequent flyer miles).

Please call our agent, Sarah Wangsgard, at Morris Murdock Travel direct to her office at: 801-483-6473.

Please note again:  This tour will sell out fast; if you would like to go right online and book it yourself, PLEASE CLICK HERE.  When you get to that page, scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW and then set up your account and get it done.  We will create a waiting list for all who desire to come and didn’t get booked in time.

A deposit of $250.00 per person is necessary to hold space. Payment arrangements can be made with final payment due 60 days prior to the tour. Cancellation insurance is available and is always recommended.

Travel with Scot and Maurine Proctor to the Most Exciting Places in the World

We hear this question from everyone these days: “Is it safe to travel, I mean, with COVID and everything?” We answer with this: “We do everything in our power to be safe, whether COVID is on the earth or not. We always have.” Maurine and I have adventure in us. I spent two years really “growing up” in the Middle East (in Ankara, Turkiye) and my parents knighted me with the title: Citizen of the World. I have cherished that title and all that goes with it. Maurine and I love to teach, we love to be with you, and we want to explore this entire planet.

We have led tours for 30 years and we will keep leading them for years to come. We visit the Holy Land every year (at least twice when conditions have allowed). We lead the Ultimate Church History Tour every year in the fall. We try to pick other fascinating places to go, to explore, to relish, to love. We cannot resist the British Isles and Europe. We have done Norway, the Baltic Capitals, the Mediterranean many times, Central America, the Panama Canal and South America. We have ventured into most of the continents (including Antarctica) and we plan to do much more.

Below you will find a list of our upcoming tours.  PLEASE NOTE: There is always a chance you can come on a specific tour, even if it indicates it is SOLD OUT. Some people, for unforeseen reasons, will cancel. It happens. If you see a travel experience you are really interested in, at least call our agents and get on the waiting lists of your choice. The main number to call our agents at Morris Murdock Escorted Tours is: 800-809-9910.

This year (2022) we will be doing the following tours (all of which are listed below):

1) Holy Land Tour, April 6-19, 2022
2) Discover Egypt as Never Before, April 19-27, 2022 (call 800-809-9910 for details)
3) Holy Land Tour, April 27-May 10, 2022
4) Viking River Full Charter Danube Cruise from Prague to Budapest and Including the Passion Play in Oberammergau. May 19-30, 2022
5) Best of Bavaria including the Passion Play in Oberammergau. June 11-18, 2022
6) British Isles Church History and Literary Tour, June 21-July 2, 2022
7) Heart of Russia River Cruise, The Golden Circle, Moscow and St. Petersburg, August 19-September 2, 2022
8) Ultimate Church History Tour, October 3-17, 2022
9) Holy Land in the Fall, October 29-November 9, 2022

Looking ahead to 2023 and 2024 we will be doing Norway, Iceland and Greenland (in one amazing trip, August 26-September 9, 2023). 14 days. 14 ports of call. One magical trip. You can call our agents at Morris Murdock Escorted Tours and have your choice of cabins at this early stage. Also in 2023 we will be doing a river cruise down the upper Amazon (Peru) with an add-on trip to Machu Picchu! We are also in the midst of arranging an unprecedented extensive tour following Lehi’s Trail from Jerusalem to the Arabian Sea and for the first time through Saudi Arabia (which has graciously opened to tourism now). Lehi’s Trail will be either in 2023 or 2024. Call to get on the waiting list. In 2024 we have plans to do a land-based extensive tour of Scot’s second homeland: Turkiye! We will also be visiting the Mekong Delta including the countries of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. It may even be in 2024 that we will do the Trans Siberian Railway from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg–through 7 time zones! We will also be doing the African Safari of a lifetime in May or June of 2024 including being witness to the great Wildebeest Migration and the incredible Masai Mara National Reserve.

Come experience this incredible world with us! We can’t wait to be with you!

Ultimate Holy Land Tour 1

April 6-19, 2022

Our Holy Land tours are unique, and you may not have seen them offered before, because in addition to seeing all the inspirational and historic sites you would want to see on a visit to the Holy Land, we are taking you to some places we find fun and unforgettable–places that most tour groups don’t get to go. After so much time in the Holy Land, we found some things we think are “not-to-be-missed” that most miss. There are some spaces that have opened up on this tour so disregard any SOLD OUT signs.

Click here for all the details at our partners’ site: Morris Murdock Escorted Tours.

*****

Travel with the Proctors to the Beginning of Time: Egypt!

APRIL 19-27, 2022

If you are coming to Israel with us at the beginning of April or at the end of April, or you just want to come, we highly recommend doing this side trip to Egypt! We know that Egypt has always been on your bucket list.  Can you imagine the incredible history of this mysterious and wondrous land?  Here is a civilization that seemed to spring into existence out of nowhere and was a key player in world history for thousands of years.  Now is the perfect time to explore this ancient land and see its most important sites on a 8-day-in-country tour of one of the most sought out locations in the world.  And our dear friend, Hany Tawfeek, will be our Egyptian guide and host–he is the number one tour guide in Egypt and has been the guide for heads of state, including President Obama. You can book this in addition to your Holy Land Tour (on either side of it) or talk to our agents about just coming to Egypt. This tour includes a four-day cruise down the Nile that will never be forgotten. We especially enjoy our visit to a Nubian Village and our opportunity to hold a Nile Crocodile in our hands!

CLICK HERE for a detailed itinerary.

Join us April 19-27, 2022 for this never-to-be-forgotten tour!

Want to book this tour online?  CLICK HERE then scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW.  You then set up a simple account and you book your tour.

Questions:  Call any of our agents at Morris Murdock Escorted Tours: 800-809-9910.

*****

Ultimate Holy Land Tour 2

April 27 – May 10, 2022

We still have some spots available for this later Holy Land Tour–an experience you will cherish forever. The scriptures will come alive to you in a whole new way as you journey where Jesus and His disciples walked and performed miracles. After over 30 years of studying, writing about, and photographing these beautiful sites, we have stories and perspectives that will make this one of the richest times of your life.

CLICK HERE for a detailed itinerary.

Come on this unbelievable tour April 30 – May 13, 2020.  Add the amazing pre-tour to Egypt from April 21 – 30, 2020. Come on–let’s do this!

Would you like to just go ahead and book this online?  You can CLICK HERE then scroll down and hit the BOOK NOW button.  You set up your account (takes less than one minute) and then reserve your spot.  Questions?  Call our agent Sarah at 801-483-6473.

*****

Exploring the Danube River Cruise with Oberammergau Passion Play

May 19 – 30, 2022

Have you not heard of the Passion Play in Oberammergau?  It’s time you did.  When the plague was raging through Europe in 1632 and 1633, this little village in Germany, called Oberammergau, got together and made a covenant with God that if there would be no more deaths in their community, they would perform a play celebrating and depicting the last week of the Savior’s life every ten years.  The deaths ceased and they have never broken their covenant.  The first performance was in 1634–384 years ago!  And it only happens now on the tens (2010, 2020, 2030 etc).  More than 2,000 villagers participate in the play!

We’ve teamed up with our dear friends and partners at Morris Murdock Travel and they’ve chartered an entire river boat with Viking to provide you with this AMAZING trip.  We will be starting in the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary then visiting Melk, Austria; Salzburg, Austria; Passau, Germany; Munich, Germany then Oberammergau.

We are doing two trips to the Passion Play–this one, which is based from the charter ship on the Danube from Prague to Budapest and beyond to Vienna and other remarkable, unforgettable cities along this incredible river. The second trip follows below, which is a Discovering Bavaria Tour where we base in a small alpine village and then go out each day exploring this stunning region and then end in Oberammergau.

CLICK HERE for a detailed itinerary (just scroll down a little and click the ITINERARIES button).

Have some questions?  Please feel free to call our agent Sarah at Morris Murdock at 8o1-483-6473.

*****

British Isles Latter-day Saint Church History and Literary Tour

June 21 – July 2, 2022

THIS TOUR IS CURRENTLY SOLD OUT–But you can still add your name to the waiting list. Do you want to have the time of your life in the land of your forefathers? We have been traveling and researching in the British Isles for the past 28 years. Now we have joined with renowned British expert Peter Fagg in bringing you the most amazing tour offered for Latter-day Saint Church History and Literary Treasures.  You really don’t want to miss this. And, just as all our tour participants did on past tours, bring your own family history, your marked-up maps of your ancestral villages and towns, your photographs–it will all come alive for you as never before.

CLICK HERE for a detailed itinerary.

Join us June 21 – July 2, 2022 for this unforgettable walk through history.

Would you like to just go ahead and book this online?  You can CLICK HERE then scroll down and hit the BOOK NOW button.  You set up your account (takes less than one minute) and then reserve your spot.  Questions?  Call any of our agents at 800-809-9910 or you can email your questions to: [email protected]

*****

Explore the Best of Bavaria and Attend the Passion Play with the Proctors

June 11 – 18, 2022

Amazingly, this incredible adventure has a few places still open. If you don’t know all about the Passion Play in Oberammergau, see the description in the cruise right before this one.  This is something you want to see once in your life.  You truly become a part of history by attending.

This tour, hosted by Scot and Maurine Proctor, is designed for the traveler who doesn’t have a great deal of time and for those who don’t want to pack and unpack, moving from one hotel to another.  Enjoy a relaxing alpine retreat where you’ll spend five nights in the same beautiful, quaint hotel, nestled in the mountains, and be able to make several day trips to the see the sites, concluding with 1 night at the magnificent Passion Play in Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany.  We will visit Munich, Germany; Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Austria; and finally Oberammergau, Germany.  This tour will leave you both inspired and rejuvenated.

Our agents at Morris Murdock Travel had to purchase boatloads of tickets for the Passion Play to be able to make this possible.  More than 750,000 will attend the Passion Play in 2022–an off year from their normal once-every-ten-years schedule, due to COVID!  Come and celebrate the last week of the Savior’s life with us.

CLICK HERE for a detailed itinerary of this trip (scroll down a little and you’ll see the ITINERARIES button).

Have any questions?  Call any of our agents at 800-809-9910 or you can email your questions to: [email protected]

If you would like to just move ahead and book the tour online right now just CLICK HERE then scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW.  It takes less than a minute to set up a simple account and then you’re off and running.  You can book this yourself and we would LOVE to have you join us.

*****

• 

Experience the Spirit of the Ultimate Fall Church History Tour

October 3 – 17, 2022

There is still space available on this trip–even for a four or five traveling couples group! We know you have always wanted to see ALL the significant early Church History sites and now is the time! Many of you have been to Nauvoo or just to Palmyra, or perhaps to Kirtland—but now you will have the opportunity to see all these sacred sites in one sweeping, panoramic view.

During your time on this trip, you’ll not only learn and build your faith at these church history sites so dear to the faith, you’ll have a lot of fun with the American history sites.  We’ll explore historical Boston, stay in the center of the Amish country,  we’ll enjoy a paddle boat cruise on the Mississippi just to name a few.   While these site are the reason for the tour what surprises and blesses our guest the most is how we bond as a family and have the best time together.

CLICK HERE to see a detailed itinerary.

Would you like to just go ahead and book this online?   Call any of our agents at 800-809-9910 or you can email your questions to: [email protected]

Come Join the Proctors for the Ultimate Church History Tour Fall 2018!

UPDATE September 25,2018:  THIS TOUR HAS FOUR SPACES AVAILABLE!
(To be placed on a waiting list for 2019 and in case of cancellations, please email our agent, Dani Edmunds, by CLICKING HERE.)

We know you have always wanted to see ALL the significant early Church History sites and now is the time! Many of you have been to Nauvoo or just to Palmyra, or perhaps to Kirtland—but now you will have the opportunity to see all these sacred sites in one sweeping, panoramic view.

We have been leading this ultimate Church History tour for the past twenty-seven years. We know these places and the stories that bring them alive and we love to teach and share this amazing part of our sacred heritage. If you have ever thought about going on a Church History tour, this may very well be your year and we would love to take you with us!

We will be leading this year’s tour from October 8-22, 2018. It’s the perfect time of year for this incredible tour. It will begin the day after General Conference.

Please be aware: This is a life-changing experience!

Below is a thorough look at what we do. Read through the daily itinerary and then consider joining us. Available spaces will sell fast so please decide right away. Pricing and contact information are located at the end of the article or you can call right now for information from our agent:  Dani Edmunds, at Morris Murdock Travel: 801-483-6114 or call Wendy at 801-483-5285.

Please note:  This tour is selling out so fast; if you would like to go right online and book it yourself, PLEASE CLICK HERE.  When you get to that page, scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW and then set up your account and get it done.  Half the tour sold out in less than 48 hours.  We will create a waiting list for all who desire to come and didn’t get booked in time.  Please read the itinerary below.

Day 1- Monday, October 8, 2018

We all fly in from our various homes to Boston today and gather at the Embassy Suites, Boston Logan Airport. (Evening snacks included at the hotel).

Day 2 – Tuesday, October 9, 2018

After breakfast, we’ll enjoy Boston, walk part of the Freedom Trail, and see “Old Ironsides” and the old North Church. A memorable lecture given at Harvard Square in Cambridge will ring in your ears throughout the trip. We’ll get a feeling for the American Revolution and then let you have an enjoyable hour at Quincy Market for dinner where you’ll see the famous Faneuil Hall. Tonight we stay at the Colonial Inn in Concord, one of the oldest Inn’s in American (dates to 1716) and once owned by Henry David Thoreau. (Meals: B,D)

Day 3 – Wednesday, October 10, 2018

This morning we will relive the first moments of the Revolutionary War and see the place where the shot was fired that was “heard around the world”. We will travel Battle Road, stopping at various points, and even see where Paul Revere was captured by the British. You will come to know Lexington and Concord, and understand those events which brought about the Independence of this great nation and set the stage for the birthplace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. In the afternoon we will visit Louisa May Alcott’s home and see the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau and the Alcott’s are buried. Tonight we will have a meal together at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury—the oldest Inn in America. Here we will see one of New England’s most picturesque sites and perhaps her most famous mill. We will stay again tonight at the Colonial Inn. (Meals: B, D)

Day 4 – Thursday, October 11, 2018

Very early this morning we leave for Sharon, Vermont and up Dairy Hill where we will experience strong feelings of the Spirit at the birthplace of the prophet Joseph. We will visit the towns of Sharon, Turnbridge, and, time permitting, Norwich and Lebanon. Here we will get a feel for the first twenty years of marriage of Lucy Mack and Joseph Smith, Sr. This evening we will have dinner and stay in the quaint and charming Best Western Inn & Suites in Rutland, VT.

Day 5 – Friday, October 12, 2018

Leaving New England the scenery changes as we wind our way south and west to fertile fields and lovely lands of Western New York. We will enjoy stories of early church leaders of the church, where they came from and how they came to know the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Tonight we will stay in the Woodcliff Hotel and Spa in Fairport (near Rochester), New York (right near the old Erie Canal and not too far from Palmyra) and ready ourselves for a spiritual feast tomorrow. Dinner will be at your discretion with a cash stipend at the amazing Wegmans Food Store & Deli (you will love Wegmans). (Meals: B, D)

Day 6 – Saturday, October 13, 2018

We will arise early and be at the Sacred Grove by 8:00 AM. For many this experience is the highlight of the whole trip. We will have our own, individual quiet time in the Grove. Afterwards, we will enjoy the Smith farm, tour the Smith frame House and the Smith Log Cabin (where the Angel Moroni visited the prophet). We will also visit the Hill Cumorah, Martin Harris Farm, the E.B. Grandin Printing Complex and the downtown village of Palmyra. Our little walk up the hill to the Smith Cemetery will touch you as we gather at the grave of Alvin Smith. This afternoon we will have the opportunity of a session at the Palmyra Temple (be sure you bring your own temple clothes). Dinner will be at “Applebee’s” before we stay again at the Woodcliff Hotel tonight. (Meals: B, D)

Day 7 – Sunday, October 14, 2018

Today is a BIG day! This morning we head to Fayette where the Whitmers lived and the Church was legally organized on Tuesday, April 6, 1830. Twenty revelations for the Doctrine and Covenants were received here or near here. This is also the place where Martin Harris, Oliver Cowdrey and David Whitmer received their special witness of the plates. We will attend sacrament meeting at the beautiful Fayette Ward then head south to Harmony, Pennsylvania to visit the beautiful Priesthood Restoration site. Here we will see the reconstructed homes of Joseph and Emma Smith, Isaac and Elizabeth Hale, and the section of woods where John the Baptist restored the priesthood. A good part of the Book of Mormon was translated here in Joseph and Emma’s Cabin. We will walk along the banks of the Susquehanna River where the first baptisms were performed in this dispensation. Later this evening we check into the Double Tree Inn in Binghamton for dinner and our overnight stay. (Meals: B, D)

Day 8 – Monday, October 15, 2018

Today we travel through some of the western regions of New York and review the missionary labors of Samuel Smith and Parley P. Pratt. The latter headed for Ohio where their labors would change the history of the Church because of the conversion of his very good friend, Sidney Rigdon. About midmorning we will make a stop in Corning, New York at the glass factory en route to Kirkland, Ohio. We reach Kirtland in the late afternoon and tour the Newell K. Whitney home and Store as well as see some of the other Kirkland sites from the bus. Be prepared for a spiritual feast at the Whitney Store. Dinner will be at the “Olive Garden” before checking into the very charming and lovely Best Western Lawnfield Inn & Suites in Mentor, Ohio. (Meals: B, D)

Day 9 – Tuesday, October 16, 2018

This morning Breakfast is provided at the hotel before we visit the Morley Farm then tour the Kirkland Temple where The Lord Himself appeared as did Moses, Elias, Elijah, and numerous other angels. After lunch we will travel on to the Johnson farm in Hiram, Ohio where the vision of the three degrees of glory was received. Here the Prophet and Sidney Rigdon were mobbed, beaten and the Prophet tarred and feathered. This afternoon we travel to the heart of the Ohio Amish Country for an old-fashioned home style meal at the Dutch Valley Restaurant. (Meals: B, D)

Day 10 – Wednesday, October 17, 2018

This morning we will have the rare opportunity to spend more time with the Amish, touring their charming villages, seeing some of their local markets and talking to the people. You will love this experience and even have a chance to do some shopping! Later this afternoon we will depart for the Cleveland airport for our flight to Kansas City. Our hotel for the next two nights is the Embassy Suites in Kansas City, MO. (Meals: B, D)

Day 11 – Thursday, October 18, 2018

This morning we will visit Independence, Missouri. Here we will see the original temple lot, tour the Community of Christ (RLDS) temple (time permitting), enjoy the LDS visitor’s center and see the Jackson County Courthouse. We then head north to the Liberty Jail where the Prophet and his companions were imprisoned through the cold months of the winter of 1838/1839. Here we will feel the Spirit as we read the revelations and hear the voices of the past. Time permitting we will make a brief photo stop at the Kansas City Missouri Temple. This evening we will have a wonderful meal at the Cracker Barrel. (Meals: B, D)

Day 12 – Friday, October 19, 2018

We head for our morning teaching time and meditational time at a very, very special place: Adam-ondi-Ahman! We then visit the Temple site at Far West before heading east along the approximate path the Saints were driven out of Missouri. We will be staying at the Nauvoo Family Inn and Suites for the remaining nights of our journey. (Meals: B, D)

Day 13 – Saturday, October 20, 2018

This morning we step back in time and spend a glorious day touring the sites of Old Nauvoo—beginning with our own special early-morning session in the stunning Nauvoo Temple. We’ll hear stories of the past and get a feel for “the City of Joseph”. We will see the moving Relief Society Gardens where thirteen monuments to women will touch your soul. We will tour Brigham Young’s home, the Printing Complex, the Blacksmith Shop, the Seventies Hall, the Browning Gunsmith Shop and Home and as many other places as we can squeeze in. You may receive a Nauvoo brick and a special prairie diamond as authentic souvenirs. Tonight we will dine at the old Nauvoo Hotel with their wonderful all-you-can eat dinner buffet. Don’t miss their amazing sticky buns! (Meals: B, D)

Day 14 – Sunday, October 21, 2018

We will attend the early Sacrament Meeting in the Nauvoo Ward, and then tour more of Nauvoo. This afternoon we travel south and east to our final stop, the Carthage Jail. Here you will have one of the highlight experiences of the trip as we review the events of the Carthage Jail, and talk about our feelings for Joseph and Hyrum. We end the tour with a testimony meeting. (Meals: B, L)

Day 15 – Monday, October 22, 2018

As we say our farewells to Nauvoo this morning, we continue on to Mark Twain’s Hannibal on the Mississippi River where we’ll take a special luncheon cruise on a riverboat. Following lunch, we’ll immediately drive to St. Louis for our evening flights home. (B, L)

Tour Cost Per Person includes hotels, deluxe motor coach, flight from Cleveland, Ohio to Kansas City, Missouri, entrance fees, taxes & gratuities, luggage handling, daily breakfast and dinner, and a Mississippi Riverboat cruise.

Credit Card price:

Double Occupancy: $2,850.00 (if you pay with a check, the cost is $2,750!).
Triple Occupancy: $CALL
Quad Occupancy: $CALL
Single Occupancy: $CALL
(As noted above: please subtract $100 if you plan to use a credit card to pay)

Round trip airfare from home cities is not included, but may be booked with the group or secured on an individual basis (you are welcome to use frequent flyer miles).

Please call our agent, Dani Edmunds, at Morris Murdock Travel here direct to her office at: 801-483-6114.

Please note again:  This tour is selling out so fast; if you would like to go right online and book it yourself, PLEASE CLICK HERE.  When you get to that page, scroll down to where it says BOOK NOW and then set up your account and get it done.  Half the tour sold out in less than 48 hours.  We will create a waiting list for all who desire to come and didn’t get booked in time.

A deposit of $250.00 per person is necessary to hold space. Payment arrangements can be made with final payment due 60 days prior to the tour. Cancellation insurance is available and is always recommended.

Travel with the Proctors in 2017

We invite you to join us this year in one (or more!) of our exciting adventures.  Decide soon because some of these are selling out.  In addition to our annual Holy Land tour in the Spring and our Ultimate Church History Tour in the Fall, we have added an amazing British Isles LDS Church History and Literary Tour and a Grand Rivers of Europe Cruise.  Look over the itineraries and then decide fast.  We’d love to have you join us!

Spend Easter on the Ultimate Holy Land Tour with Scot and Maurine Proctor

Isn’t this your year to visit the Holy Land? Come and travel with Scot and Maurine Proctor on an unforgettable journey that will make the scriptures come alive.  This is a unique tour you may not have seen offered before because in addition to seeing all the inspirational and historic sites you would want to see on a visit to the Holy Land, we are taking you to some places we find fun and unforgettable–places that most tour groups don’t get to go. After so much time in the Holy Land, we found some things we think are “not-to-be-missed” that most miss. And please consider adding the exciting Egypt Pre-Tour to your adventure. Egypt is one of the most unique places on earth.

CLICK HERE to read all about this tour.  UPDATE:  Please note that the 2017 Holy Land Tour just SOLD OUT, but you can get on the waiting list for next year’s tour which will be April 13 – 25, 2018 with a pre-tour option to Egypt the week before.

British Isles LDS Church History and Literary Tour Summer 2017!

Do you want to have the time of your life in the land of your forefathers? Yes, we are doing this tour again!  It was a roaring success this past summer.  Now, come join Scot and Maurine Proctor for the Ultimate British Isles Church History and Literary Tour this June 27 – July 8, 2017. This is a never-to-be-forgotten experience–we know from this past tour!  It was fabulous. We have been traveling and researching in the British Isles for the past 24 years. Now we have joined with renowned British expert Peter Fagg in bringing you the most amazing tour offered for LDS Church History and Literary Treasures.  You really don’t want to miss this. And, just as all our tour participants did this past tour, bring your own family history, your marked-up maps of your ancestral villages and towns, your photographs–it will all come alive for you as never before.

CLICK HERE to study a day-by-day itinerary of this fabulous tour.  We have a number of spaces left on this wonderful adventure in the British Isles, but don’t delay, book your tour today.  Please call our agent, Karen Gerlach, toll free: 866-277-0900 or Utah Local: 801-483-6152 to book your tour.

Join the Proctors on a 15-Day Grand European Tour on the Rivers of Europe

Come join Scot and Maurine Proctor July 10-24, 2017 on the fantastic Viking River Cruise’s 15-day Grand European Tour. Of all the cruises we have ever done, this was our favorite!  And we want you to come with us.  Our agents at Morris Murdock Travel have reserved the entire boat (168 passengers!) for this journey so it’s a unique trip where you’ll find many friends of your same values and background. This is rare to have the entire rivers of Europe cruise to ourselves. 15 days, 12 guided tours, four of the most picturesque and romantic countries in Europe including The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Hungary. You won’t believe it until you do this.  Even the stunning pictures below do not do justice to this spectacular, never-to-be-forgotten cruise.

CLICK HERE to read all about this fantastic adventure.  UPDATE:  This river cruise with the Proctors has also SOLD OUT.  We encourage you to read all about it for another time, although we have not scheduled it for next year.

Join Us for the Ultimate Church History Tour this Fall 2017

We have been leading this ultimate Church History tour for the past twenty-six years. If you have ever thought about going on a Church History tour, this might be your year and we would love to have you! We are leading this year’s tour October 2-16, 2017. It begins the day after General Conference. This is a life-changing experience. Here is a thorough look at what we do. Will you consider joining us?  Places sell fast so decide right away. Pricing and contact information are located at the end of the article or you can call right now for information from Wendy at Morris Murdock Travel: 801-483-5285.

CLICK HERE to read all about this amazing experience.  We have spaces available as of now, but this tour will also sell out so do not delay.