New Church Website Helps You Plan a Visit to Historic Kirtland

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By Trent Toone, Church News

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has launched a new website offering information and resources for those interested in learning about and visiting Historic Kirtland and other historic sites in Ohio.

From 1831 to 1838, the Church was headquartered in northeast Ohio in the United States. Today, the Church owns historic locations related to this period in the towns of Kirtland and Hiram.

Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles has characterized the Kirtland era as a “remarkable revelatory season” for the Church. This spiritual period included appearances by the Savior and other heavenly messengers, the dedication of the first temple, the reception of the majority of Doctrine and Covenants and other significant events.

The Ohio Historic Sites website — churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/history/sites/ohio — is designed to serve as a companion resource for Latter-day Saints studying Doctrine and Covenants with the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum throughout 2025.

The website is the third in a series of new websites created for Church history sites in recent months. The Historic Nauvoo website (at churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/history/sites/historic-nauvoo) was launched in December 2024, and a second website featuring historic sites in New York and Pennsylvania (at churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/history/sites/new-york-and-pennsylvania) was created in January. Each website is available in multiple languages.

The Church hopes the websites will make the historic sites more accessible whether visiting onsite or online, said Benedicte Caroline Dansie, a curator for historic sites in the Church History Department who helped create content for the website.

Similar to the other websites, the Ohio Historic Sites website offers the following features:

• An interactive map showing the region, Historic Kirtland and other historic sites the area.
• Information on the history of the Saints and Church in Ohio, including articles on topics such as the “House of the Lord,” “Priesthood Authority and Power” and “Doctrinal Development.”
• A webpage highlighting the Kirtland Temple, including a photo gallery.
• A webpage describing places where Joseph and Emma Smith lived in Ohio, including the recently reconstructed home that completed and dedicated in 2023. The home was recently honored with an award.
• An article focusing on the John and Elsa Johnson Home in Hiram, Ohio.
• Information and resources for how to plan a visit to the Ohio Historic Sites, including what to expect, travel information, all locations, tours, sample itineraries and accessibility. Visitors can plan for a family visit or group visit.

“We provide more planning content than ever before to try and help individuals, families and groups easily prepare for an enriching experience,” Dansie said.

The Church History Department has provided these resources to help Church members better understand the context of the Doctrine and Covenants and strengthen faith and testimonies, according to Marshall Tapp, a product manager in the Church History Department.

Added Dansie: “This helps provide a deeper understanding of how the revelations in Doctrine and Covenants are interconnected through physical location, people and themes.”

Additional Church historic sites websites are being created and will be released throughout the rest of the year, Tapp said.

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