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Liberty, Missouri shrine contains historic jail replica
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Liberty, MO -Two blocks north of downtown Liberty a Mormon shrine contains a reconstructed historical Liberty Jail. The original structure once imprisoned Mormon founder and prophet, Joseph Smith.
Nineteenth-century America tested the freedom promoted by its founders. For the Mormons, promises for freedom of religious thought and worship separated from reality. The Midwest frontier erupted with civil strife, as the growing pains of freedom clashed with violent divisions.
Log cabin-like in the original state, the Clay County Jail built in 1830 was not secure and prisoners often escaped. An improvement added a two-foot wall, insulated with stone, and dug down into the earth; this is the structure experienced by Joseph Smith and his churchmen. The men were later transferred to an Illinois jurisdiction.
By 1890, only a stone facade remained, until an 1888 journal entry obtained by the Mormon Church revealed a detailed description. Thanks to this description and the dedication of Mormon volunteers, visitors can view an enshrined replica of The Historic Liberty Jail.
A guided tour takes a mystical and historical journey, graciously adapted for all audiences. Testament to Mormon faith surrounds the historic reconstruction, but all faiths may ponder the journey to religious freedom and its difficult battles throughout history.
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