Kansas trip part II--Liberty Jail

The kids in front of Liberty Jail.
Replica of the Liberty Jail

Our kids had been in the car for about 20 hours by the time we got here. But I was so pleased with how reverent they were (except for Soran) when we got to Liberty Jail. It was an amazing place. This is the jail where Joseph and Hyrum and 3 others spent 5 months, from December to April. The jail cell was in the basement and was very cold and dirty. There was nothing for heat except their blankets and the food was rotten. The ceiling was so low that 5 of them couldn't even stand up straight. The worst part, though, was hearing about the suffering of their families and the members of the church as they were forced from their homes in winter. It was here that Joseph cried out (D & C 121:1-2):

"O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? How long shall they hand be stayed and thine eye, yea they pure eye, behold from the eternal heavens the wrongs of thy people and of thy servants, and thine ear be penetrated with their cries?"
He received this revelation in return (D&C 121:7-8):
"My son, peace be unto they soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over thy foes."

There were signs all over the visitors center that said, Where Faith Was Tried. I feel like our faith has been tested this last year, but I can't imagine going through that and feeling as lost as I'm sure Joseph Smith did. But what a comforting reply. And I know that although the end is unclear to us in the midst of our trials, God does know and He will help us through.