Kanesville Tabernacle and Visitor Center

Today we left Sioux Falls South Dakota to drive to Kansas City Missouri.  On the way to Kansas City we stopped at the Kanesville Tabernacle.  It was 176 miles to Kanesville and I can really appreciate the fact that we were driving in an air conditioned car enjoying the beautiful farm land of Iowa.  This is some of the country side that we saw on the drive.

We were surprised to find the Kanesville Tabernacle surrounded by the city of Council Bluffs.  I guess we thought it would be out in the country.  In fact, we thought we were in the wrong place until we saw the Kanesville sign.

Kanesville Visitors Center

Kanesville Tabernacle

These plaques contains Jesus the Christ, the Family Proclamation and a revelation given to Brigham Young regarding the call to go west and how the Saints should conduct themselves.

After the first group of pioneers left Winter Quarters , Kanesville (now Council Bluffs) became the headquarters of the Church in the Midwest.  In December 1847, 200 men under the direction of Henry Miller, constructed a large log structure in less than three weeks.  It was built to accommodate about 1,000 people.  Here Brigham Young was sustained as the second President of the Church on December 27, 1847.  Kanesville became a major outfitting place as pioneers continued to move west.  The tabernacle deteriorated and was eventually dismantled.  The replica, built in 1996, stands near the original site.   The tabernacle now serves as a visitors' center, where you can learn more about the history of the Latter-day Saints' migration westward.

The Mormon Pioneer Trail

Although the journey of the Mormon Pioneers began at Nauvoo Illinois, my journey actually began at Winter Quarters, Nebraska.  We flew into Omaha today and received directions from the car rental agency on how to get on the freeway.  While following his directions we came upon the sign that said The Mormon Trail.  With much excitement we decided to follow the sign and much to our surprise it led us to the Mormon Trail Center at Winter Quarters.  The Mormon Trail Center is located directly across the street from the Mormon Pioneer Cemetery, the Winter Quarters Monument and the LDS Temple.  It is located in Florence Nebraska.

The Mormon Trail Center presents the historic migration of the Mormon Pioneers.  It is filled with displays that depict the pioneer life at Winter Quarters, replicas of handcarts that crossed the plains, log cabin, printing press and other pioneer memorabilia.  The Center is staffed with missionaries that give guided tours and help explain the faith the Saints had as they endured the hardships along the pioneer trail.  It is a very touching experience and it is humbling to contemplate the hardships and sacrifices that were made by the early Saints.

Over 3,000 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints occupied Winter Quarters.  It was originally established as a winter camp for the Saints on their journey to the Great Salt Lake.  It included about 500 log cabins and 100 or so sod houses laid out in five-acre blocks with 20 lots per acre.  The winter of 1846-47, 0ver 300 people died with over half of those being children under the age of 3.  The Winter Quarters settlement did not last beyond 1848. By then residents who had not yet proceeded on to the Great Salt Lake Valley were required to move to the Iowa side of the river to the settlement which was soon called Kanesville. Even after the Nebraska settlement was vacated, though, and new settlers had come in 1854 and named it Florence, many Latter-day Saints came through there en route to "Zion" in the Rocky Mountains. It was the last outfitting point, the final "jumping-off" spot before pushing on.

Each person that lost their life at Winter Quarters is recorded on this memorial wall.  President Heber J Grant said, "It has been referred to as the tragedy of Winter Quarters, but there was no tragedy here, for tragedy spells defeat and disaster. This was the victory of Winter Quarters, for here was faith and hope and charity raised to their loftiest pinnacles, while greed and selfishness were brought low. There are times and places in the life of every nation when great spiritual heights are reached, when courage become a living thing, when faith in God stands as the granite mountain wall firm and immovable, while hardships, want, hunger, sickness, sorrow and death beat down to crush. Winter Quarters was such a time and place for the Mormon people."

The Cemetery is part of the Temple grounds.  At the ground breaking ceremony for the Winter Quarters Temple, Elder Truman Clawson said,  "Now today, on this end of the hill, we will take shovels in our hands to dig not a grave but the foundation of a special building, a temple, to be built for the blessing of all who choose to enter that they may also bind together forever their families. And so, the magnificent view from here allows us to contemplate both the past with its dead and the future represented by the beautiful new temple which begins today."

The Winter Quarters Temple was dedicated April 22, 2001 by President Gordon B. Hinckley.