I spent at least fifty minutes visiting the exhibi Essays

I spent at least fifty minutes visiting the exhibit, The Heavens Are Open,' at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City. Additionally, I watched the movie, The First Vision,' in the exhibit. On 25th of November, I had the privilege to visit the "Heavens are Open" exhibit. It was a great place to see the history of the Church, specifically the Restoration and how Joseph Smith became a prophet of God. There was many displays of the early history of the Book of Mormon and process of translating the plates. It showed a great deal of the early pioneers of the LDS Church as well. I felt that I was in the early years of the Church and going through the Restoration, helped me better understand the process how Joseph Smith was able to restore the Gospel and the Church. As I saw the first vision movie on screen, it gave me a different perspective on how Joseph Smith had the First Vision. When previously reading the doctrinal essay by President Eyring, I learned that Joseph Smith was hoping to receive forgiveness for his sins while praying to Heavenly Father for revelation. I felt amazed and spiritually uplifted after that movie and it made me wanting more of that first vision and to study more about the first vision accounts that Joseph Smith had. Through the exhibit, I was amazed by the different displays it had that I hadn't seen in my life. The artifacts found in Peter Whitmer's home was pretty amazing and to see Liberty Jail where Hyrum and Joseph were both held, was emotional for me. They were stuck in that place for a while and I imagined myself in that place if I was with Joseph and Hyrum and it gave a me a chilling feeling that was uncomfortable. I am grateful for the sacrifice that they both had in the Church and that I myself don't have to go through what they went through. It was also great to see a view of a Relief Society's meeting with Emma Smith, Mercy Thompson, and Lucy Mack Smith. There are depictions of Nauvoo, pieces of the temple, and also a sun stone. I saw an art depicting Joseph and Hyrum being martyred in Carthage Jail. It was cool to recognize the early history of the Church and at the end of the exhibit I was invited to look at the kiosks for family history and indexing. I have more a desire now to do family history because I want to know my early pioneers and also to study some of the early Mormon saints' journals of the Restoration. I love history and learning it about the Church gets me to increase my knowledge of how the Church was restored and the Gospel. I would go to the exhibit again because it reminds how great Joseph Smith was a prophet and how the early saints were brave and courageous to hold firm their testimony of the early revelations that were revealed unto them.