The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a number of historic sites around the country. Many of these are in Utah where we live but a number of them are also located throughout the midwest. We got to visit several of these on a road trip a couple summers ago, including the historic Liberty Jail near Kanas City, Missouri.

Historical Context of Liberty Jail

It might seem weird to those who are not members of our faith that our church has chosen to preserve a jail as a historic site. A little context can be helpful in understanding. The prophet Joseph Smith was jailed many times throughout his life, similar to many religious leaders throughout history.

Liberty Jail is significant because the prophet was there for several months in abhorrent conditions but received several seminal revelations during that time. These revelations and the suffering he endured in Liberty Jail helped the prophet to understand the Savior, Jesus Christ, better. This is why this jail is considered an important site to Latter-day Saints.

What You Will See at Liberty Jail

Compared with some of the other historic sites that the Church of Jesus Christ operates this is a very small site. Located in the middle of a normal town, with no other historical sites around it this is just a single small visitor center.

When you enter the visitor center you will be greeted by church missionaries who will let you know when the next tour is starting. The tour takes place in the main room of the visitor center which is built around a historically accurate reconstruction of the jail.

The front of the jail is cut away so that you can see inside it. There are life size figures of the people who were in the jail to help you understand what it was like. The missionaries play a presentation for you that uses audio and lighting to help you learn about what happened at Liberty Jail.

An upper catwalk allows you to get views of the jail from all sides and you can also descend to the ground floor for a closer look.

Sum Up

Visiting Liberty Jail does not take long, you will probably spend more time getting there than you spend at the site. It is an important place to visit, even though it is not a happy place to visit. It is a good place to contemplate.