Experience LDS Church History Tours
On "the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty" (1820), fourteen-year-old Joseph Smith entered a grove of trees near his family home in Palmyra, New York. What transpired there began "a marvelous work among the children of men", one that continues today through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members.
Included in that work is a legacy of faith, fortitude and sacrifice that laid a "firm foundation" for modern members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to continue building upon. On one of our celebrated LDS Church History Tours,
Immerse Yourself in LDS Church History
At Morris Murdock Escorted Tours, we have enjoyed over sixty-five years of taking travelers to LDS Church History Sites from Palmyra to Pennsylvania, Kirtland to Carthage, Nauvoo to Nebraska, and everywhere in between. We have escorted tens of thousands of both members and non-members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints to some of the most important sites in the Restoration: the Hill Cumorah, the Sacred Grove, the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples, the E.B. Grandin building, the Priesthood Restoration site, Liberty Jail, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Carthage Jail, the Whitmer and Morley farms and much, much more.
At these sites, we can walk in the footsteps of the early Saints and follow the growth of the restored church as it grew from its infancy in New York to the world-wide organization that we see today. These tours provide unique opportunities to bring your studies to life as we experience Church History brought to life before our eyes through the teachings of on-site missionaries and volunteers, plus the in-depth instruction of our much-loved tour directors who are experts in their fields and passionate about their studies of early Church History.
So, what does an LDS Church History Tour look like with Morris Murdock Escorted Tours?
What to Expect On an LDS Church History Tour:
Bringing your scripture studies to life is what our main goal is on all our faith-based tours. Together as we follow in the footsteps of the early Saints, we will learn as much about ourselves as we do about these amazing early faithful followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints founded by Joseph Smith.
When you book your escorted tour with us there are many benefits. We regularly are told that what our guest enjoy most is that we take care of all the arrangements, including the right hotels close to the important sites, we arrange many of your meals so you don’t have to worry about where is great to eat, and especially that we take care of their transpiration during the tour. Rest assured that you will learn much more from a group tour than you could learn from a guidebook or on your own with our experienced and gifted guides personally there to teach. You will come home with a greater love and appreciation for the culture and customs of the people you have met along the way.
- One motorcoach group size as not to overwhelm sites, guides, &/or missionaries, and mostly to ensure you are not a nameless face in a group
- Over our many years we have crafted unique itineraries and feature special visits that are educational and edifying
- Our goal is always YOU and your spiritual and uplifting experience during the tour.
- We aim to always provide excellent value for your money. We don’t expect to be the “cheapest” tour out there, but to provide you exceptional value for every penny you pay.
At Morris Murdock Escorted Tours all tours are managed by our acclaimed office tour managers, some with over 30 years of experience to take care of the details so you don’t have to! You get to enjoy your Church History tour experience to the fullest.
One of the most important features of our tours are YOU, the people - our guest and what you also bring to the tour. They say that “like minds attract” and that couldn’t be more true on our tours. Traveling with people who want the same experiences make our tours all that more enjoyable. In our decades of experience, we have found that sharing experiences with other tour group members automatically binds you together. Many of our travelers still e-mail friends they made on their tour, exchange Christmas cards and are Facebook friends. You'll make friends to last a lifetime!
About Our Tour Directors:
To ensure that your trip is spiritual and thoroughly educational, we work with only the most qualified Tour Directors and local on-site guides. Most of these historians and specialists have spent years teaching and researching about the stories, people, and places we will be learning about on tour. Our Tour Directors love sharing their knowledge with you, it is their passion. When called for, we further the educational experience with local guides or the on-site missionaries who provide additional glimpses into everyday life. We don't just take you there; we do all we can to bring history to life.
You will see that many of our Tour Directors are experienced instructors of religion who have taught in the Church Educational System (CES), at BYU, Brigham Young University, and similar institutions. These hand-picked experts are also often published authors, well-known podcaster, Continuing Education presenters, and sought-after lecturers in regard to their chosen fields of study. We are pleased to help bring their knowledge of the gospel and our unique history alive for you on these tours.
Get to know our talented Tour Directors here!
Temple Experiences on Tour:
Some of the most unforgettable tour highlights for our travelers involve visits to temples around the world. This includes traditional temples we think of with walls and the sites that we also consider “temples” as holy places. Depending on which tour departure you select, we strive to enjoy time in the temples not only at Nauvoo and Palmyra, but this can include the special visits in Kansas City, Washington, DC, New York City and more. When we can this will include options to participate in a session of your choice. All participation in these temple sessions is of course voluntary, and sometimes the itinerary does not permit more time than a wonderful visit to these sacred grounds. But imagine how special it can be to be walking the streets of Old Nauvoo and learning about the obedience and sacrifices of these early saints as they were reinstated, and then having the opportunity to visit the temple itself to continue the work that they so faithfully laid the foundation for.
Our other "temples" or holy spaces we spend time at include Kirtland, Adam Ondi Ahman, the Preisthood restoration site, The Sacred Grove, and more you will discover on tour.
And Beyond:
Many of our tours include visits to important site at historical destinations that are vital pieces of our nation's story. From Gettysburg to Washington, DC; Boston to the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls and the Mississippi River. These tours combine the American Revolution, Civil War, the building of America with the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are some of our most popular departures.
We are also thrilled to offer British Church History Tours that explore the lives of the early British saints who left their native England to join the main body of the church in the United States. On these tours we will visit important church history sites in Liverpool, Preston, London, Edinburgh, and more. Come walk in the footsteps of Heber C. Kimball, Brigham Young. While these are special tour featuring the history of the early Saints who converted and are such an important piece of our story but the opportunity to learn more about the history in the UK and for some families to connect with their ancestry.
View Our Latest LDS Church History Tours:
Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, PA; New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Sharon, VT; Palmyra, NY; Niagara Falls, NY; Kirtland, OH;
11 days 10 nights
Edinburgh, Scotland; Ulverston, England Preston, England; Liverpool, England; Stratford on Avon, England Oxford, England; Lacock, England Hampton Court, England London, England;
14 days 13 nights
Boston, MA; Sharon, VT; West Lebanon, NH; Fayette, NY; Palmyra, NY; Kirtland, OH; Kansas City, MO Independence, MO: Adam-ondi-Ahman Nauvoo, IL; Carthage, IL; St. Louis, MO;
12 days 11 nights
Palmyra, NY; Niagara Falls, NY; Hiram, OH; Kirtland, OH;
6 days 5 nights
Palmyra, NY; Fayette, NY; Susquehanna River; Niagara Falls, NY; Kirtland, OH; Independence, MO: Nauvoo, IL; Carthage, IL; St. Louis, MO;
10 days 9 nights
Palmyra, NY; Fayette, NY; Susquehanna River; Niagara Falls, NY; Kirtland, OH; Independence, MO: Adam-ondi-Ahman Nauvoo, IL; Carthage, IL;
10 days 9 nights
Kansas City, MO Adam-ondi-Ahman Nauvoo, IL; Branson, MO:
9 days 8 nights
January 1-December 31, 2025
Independence, MO: Liberty, MO; Adam-ondi-Ahman Nauvoo, IL; Carthage, IL;
6 days 5 nights
Boston, MA; Lexington, MA Sharon, VT; Binghamton, NY; Fayette, NY; Palmyra, NY; Niagara Falls, NY; Kirtland, OH; Hiram, OH;
9 days 8 nights
Palmyra, NY; Susquehanna River; Niagara Falls, NY; Kirtland, OH; Independence, MO: Adam-ondi-Ahman Nauvoo, IL; Carthage, IL; St. Louis, MO;
10 days 9 nights
Boston, MA; Lexington, MA Sharon, VT; Palmyra, NY; Harmony, PA; Kirtland, OH; Walnut Creek, OH Independence, MO: Nauvoo, IL; St. Louis, MO;
15 days 14 nights
Meet Our Tour Directors:
Experience the Morris Murdock Difference:
- Guided vacation tours for the whole family
- 65 years of experience showing travelers the world
- Experienced staff who are award-winning travel professionals.
- Hand-picked tour directors who are experts in their fields
- Small-size tour groups to provide more intimate travel experiences
- A variety of national and international trips to choose from with exciting itineraries
- Travel with new friends to new places and make memories that will last a lifetime