We saw this sign on our way down the road and had to take a picture. |
This is the exterior, near the front door, of the cathedral. |
The walls were coming down and the structure was quite unsafe when it was acquired in 1994 so it was taken apart piece by piece with each piece numbered so it could be put back together again in the same order. They were only missing a few stones and they found replacements from an old barn up the road, |
After our stop at the Cathedral, we drove to Gadfield Elm, which is the oldest LDS chapel in the world. It was founded by a fundamentalist Christian group called the United Brethren as a way for them to worship as they saw fit according to their reading and understanding of the Bible. In 1840, nearly the entire congregation was baptized into the LDS Church and they handed the deed over to Wilford Woodruff. The building was sold to pay for church members to emigrate to the US and over the years it has been used for many things and fallen into disrepair. In 1994, church members from the area bought the property at an auction and slowly raised money for its restoration. In 2004, the trust deeded the property to the LDS Church. Now there is a lovely site to stop and feel the Spirit and enjoy a bit of the history of my pioneer ancestors. The missionary couple there were very welcoming. They lived in the vicinity so we enjoyed talking to them about their part in the history of the building and the Church in the area. There was a small field and the good sister found a Frisbee and a ball so the kids could play for a bit. It was a wonderful place to stretch our legs before finding our newest home.
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